When I’m working in the showroom I love to chat with people coming in.
My favorite question is, “Where are you from?” During the summer, people are literally from all over the world! It is so exciting to see how thrilled they are to have found our sweet little corner of the Seacoast. They feel like they have found a hidden gem… and they have: Wallingford Square!
My husband and I bought 9 Walker Street in Kittery 10 years ago from a wonderful local family estate. We were looking for an investment property and focused on Kittery since we had lived in here when our children were babies and always saw the charm and enjoyed the proximity to Portsmouth, NH. We thought at that time that the neighborhood had potential and would eventually flip back into a vibrant community that it once was when the Shipyard was booming. But… after pouring money into renovating the structure from a single family house that literally had “every shade of shag” in each room into a commercial property, the economy tanked then the Memorial Bridge closed. It didn’t look good.
But here’s what happened… while the bridge was closed – Portsmouth, NH built hotels and Kittery built Kittery. Locals and Mainers alike stayed on the Maine side of the Piscataqua River and supported local restaurants and businesses. Other individuals like us put invested their own money into dreams, which built a community. The result is a little area of Kittery, Maine called Kittery Foreside.
Like any wonderful community, I have wonderful neighbors! My neighbors next door help take care of snow removal in the winter and keep a watchful eye on the house (thank you!), The Dance Hall is a fun and inspiring facility, The Black Birch boasts delicious food and drinks, AJs Pizza is amazing along with Anneke Jans. Tulsi Indian food is the best outside of India in my mind. And 7 Wallingford Square is home to many other businesses that are interesting and vibrant.
So, now 9 Walker street is home to the amy dutton Home studio and showroom and thankful to my neighbors for being brave enough to dream and invest. It is a space that is designed to be inspiring and relaxing at the same time. It really does feel like home!