< img src="https://www.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DSC00594-3.jpg" alt=""> A year earlier, Alexander Widener stopped his job to move to Maine and follow a not likely dream: to open an antiques store.
And it worked: Alexander’s shop and guest home, Widener Business, is the talk of New England and beyond, thanks in part to Alexander’s wild Instagram following. (Perhaps you caught his “Super Bowl” video last weekend– on, yes, bowls.)
Before shopkeeper life in the little town of Wiscasset, Alexander operated in the textile world for the similarity Matouk, Sis Parish fabrics, and Samuel & Sons– however he states his penchant for collecting and love of interiors returns even further, to his childhood in Pennsylvania, Today he composes in from Maine, where he lives with his hubby, Bradly, and dog, Rudy, to share the sheets he harbors a “deep fascination” for, the motion picture home he wishes to move into, and more:
Photography by Ari Kellerman, courtesy of Alexander Widener.
Above: Alexander in his component. What’s on your night table? A vintage Laura Ashley light with a silk pleated lampshade, a glass of water I forgot to consume, my red light treatment mask, kindle, and a silver-framed picture of my pet dog.
What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck to you?
If I could live inside Kathleen Kelly’s Upper West Side house from You’ve Got Mail, I would do it in an instant. In one scene, you can see some octagonal John Derian plates, and I don’t understand if I must be humiliated to say this, however I found similar ones from the ’90s on eBay and have them here in the house.
Above: At Widener Company. My favorite sheets are … I have a deep fascination with the French brand D. Porthault. Undoubtedly, they are out of budget plan, but I have actually been lucky to find some vintage pieces, and I treasure them like nothing else. They are so soft and be available in many joyful prints. The old ones were completely sewn by hand and last permanently.
My favorite paint color for the bed room is …
The decorator Sis Parish always lined her lampshades in pink silk because she thought the light was more lovely that way. Ever since I heard that, I have actually wanted to have a pink bed room (maybe someday I will … ). I think Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball would be the ideal shade.
Above: An excellent mix. My undesirable design viewpoint is … … that second-hand furniture is constantly much better. The building, materials, and quality are ten times more than what you can get today for a fraction of the rate.
Your design family pet peeve?
While I actually believe individuals need to embellish their areas in a way that makes them rejoice, for me, I will never ever support artificial materials. My worst nightmare is a polyester drape, a laminate wood flooring, or a faux-brass faucet. I am drawn to materials that reveal the hand of the person who made them and signs of age gradually. I ‘d much rather have an old, filthy wool carpet with holes in it than a plastic rug that can go in the cleaning machine.
Above: Discovers for the garden. My go-to kitchen utensil is … My good friend and next-door neighbor, Eric of Village Handcraft, makes the most lovely hand-carved spoons. I never ever prepare supper without one!
Favorite design shop to check out (online or in person)?
I stopped my job in 2015 and relocated to Maine to open my own interiors shop, so I seem like I have to state Widener Business. We have a mix of antiques and new handmade objects for the home. It’s been my greatest joy bringing it to life. It’s the type of shop I constantly imagined shopping at.
Thanks so much, Alexander! You can follow his work @alexander_widener and widenercompany.com– or stop in if you’re going through Wiscasset.
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