Elegant Boothbay Waterfront Estate-15 Acres/Gardens, Trails, Wildlife

• Wow what a great place!- Linda,Goffstown,NH

  Wow what a great place!- Linda,Goffstown,NH

  • Guest Great place!
  • Date of stay 07/10/09
  • Review Submitted 07/15/09
  My 3 sisters and all of our spouses spent a long weekend at this fabulous farmhouse from 7/10-7/13/09. All 8 of us had a fantastic time. The farmhouse is a gorgeous creation by Melissa Thornton. She has taken pieces from the barn that once stood on the property and built this beautiful farmhouse with a spectacular view of the river that is surrounded by acres of wonderful wildlife of all kinds. The house has 5 beautiful colorful bedrooms all with their own baths. The kitchen is enormous with everything you need. Fully stocked and a table that seats 14 easily. The greatroom is full of windows and more windows that also look out over the river. Lots of space in this very large cathedral ceiling room. It's the perfect place to hang out together and read, do puzzles, play games or just talk and laugh Just awesome! So much to offer right on-site and if you are looking to get out and about, the beautiful botanical gardens and Boothbay Harbor are only minutes away. I can't say enough about the property and Melissa was a fantastic host. She was very accommodating and attentive to her guests. Would definitely return for another stay!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

  Owner response: It is such a joy to host groups of friends and/or family at this beautiful site...and this family was particularlly delightful...full of interesting life stories, great questions, laughter and fun. The harmony amongst the four sisters and their spouses was inspirational...a great loving connection. They enjoyed time spent cooking and eating together--both in the kitchen and grilling on the back lawn--and wandering the grounds to the pond and the river, as well as voyaging to see the sights in the area--the Botanical Gardens, the shops and galleries of Boothbay Harbor, the nearby hiking preserves. They gathered and played games and laughed into the night in the Great Room...they really made the place their home away from home. It was a joy to watch them and to interact with them.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

• Girls' Weekend Getaway

  Girls' Weekend Getaway

  • Guest Barbara T.
  • Date of stay 04/27/13
  • Review Submitted 05/02/13
  Our stay was absolutely wonderful! Melissa made our time at her retreat feel like home. She was very hospitable and by the time we left, I felt like I had known her for years!

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• Harbor Lights Family Reunion

  Harbor Lights Family Reunion

  • Guest Edward P.
  • Date of stay 11/30/12
  • Review Submitted 12/12/12
  Melissa is the perfect hostess and Bold Colorful Life is the best location for our annual family Christmas.. We are a family of seven adult children and 15 grandchildren.. most from away.. so this was our second year of being lucky enough to meet here for our family holiday, The dining table is the perfect place for holiday crafts, cookie making and the kitchen is perfect for our appetizer and dessert contest chefs. The great room with the largest christmas tree we have ever seen, was perfect for relaxing, games or an evening of Karaoke..Yikes. The bedrooms are so comfortable and the kids love the fact they all have their own bathrooms! See you in 2013 Melissa!

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• Wedding At Bold Colorful Life

  Wedding At Bold Colorful Life

  • Guest John Rose C.
  • Date of stay 06/22/12
  • Review Submitted 10/14/12
  This was such a unique and wonderful experience. Thank you for helping to make this such a pleasurable experience. The time and effort you spent on making our stay here so special is appreciated by all who had the opportunity to visit and stay here. Both houses were absolutely beautiful. It really reflects on the kind of person you are inside and out. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and hope we have an opportunity to visit again. Thank you!

  Owner response: There is simply nothing like a June wedding....bright, beautiful, clear and warm. And that's a perfect description of this wedding party. From the start to finish, this bride and groom and both families were involved in every detail of this glorious event....and it was a pleasure to be watching and helping them along the way. They took good advantage of all of the strengths of the property....planned the location of the wedding ceremony, near the freshwater pond, planned and put up their own tents for the reception, next to the Gallery barn, decorated everywhere in the two buildings and then took time to enjoy the days before the wedding itself. Their colors were fabulous....deep regal purple was the touchstone color. Wedding pictures can be seen at the Bold Colorful Life Inn site...on 'destination weddings'. After the beautiful event, rested and refreshed and deeply in love, the bridal couple went home to have a 'bold colorful life'.

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• A beautiful spot for a wedding!

  A beautiful spot for a wedding!

  • Guest Kelli C.
  • Date of stay 09/03/12
  • Review Submitted 09/15/12
  My fiancee (now husband!) and I, along with our families, rented both the farmhouse and cape house on this property for a week in early September. At the end of the week, we had a small wedding in the back yard, overlooking the beautiful Back River. We simply could not have asked for a better setting for our wedding!! The property is absolutely lovely, and the view of the Back River from the farmhouse is breathtaking. The houses are bold, colorful, and beautiful, as is the proprietor, Melissa! With 9 bedrooms between the two houses (5 in the farmhouse and 4 in the cape), each with a private bathroom, this place would be perfect for any large group! Finally, the location of this property is perfect- close enough to Boothbay Harbor to easily pop into town for shopping or dinner, but far enough out of town to get away from the hubbub and enjoy some peace and quiet! Melissa is warm and welcoming, and makes you feel like family from the moment you arrive. What a beautiful place for a vacation, and a wonderful way to start our married life! Thanks Melissa!

  Owner response: This was an awe-inspiring family. They rented the estate for a week, to enjoy a shared vacation, followed by a love-filled wedding. The bride and groom's families arrived early and spent the week enjoying the site...swimming and paddling in the cove...biking and running on the back roads...exploring the Boothbay peninsula...visiting the world-famous Botanical gardens and planning the final details of the intimate wedding....such harmony and concerted organization! As the date grew near, the preparation for the wedding was a community event....everyone pitched in and helped, using their special areas of knowledge...setting up the tent and the tables, arranging the gorgeous flowers in the bride's colors--orange and yellow and purple...preparing the appetizers...organizing the caterers and musicians and officiant. Then it was time for the devoted father to walk his beautiful daughter down the slope to the pond, and into her husband's arms... an amazing success...an overwhelming vision of family love and loyalty...a truly memorable event for everyone who was involved... Thanks for choosing us, Kelli and John!

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• Girl's Weekend Away

  Girl's Weekend Away

  • Guest mary j.
  • Date of stay 06/29/12
  • Review Submitted 07/28/12
  Melissa, Another great special birthday girls weekend away! We enjoyed our second stay here as much as our first. Bringing two extra friends with us proved to them everything about your place was 'beautiful and bold'. Again, enjoying breakfast and late afternoons with our wine. This is a perfect place for 8 women to have beautiful bedrooms and bathrooms to get ready!! Thanks again for making it be a second special memory!! The girls from Mass!!

  Owner response: This is just the DEAREST group of women....this is their second Birthday Reunion visit here at the Bold Colorful Life Estate and Retreat Center....this time with THREE sets of sisters! Each time they come, they light up the place with their deep friendship, great senses of humor, beautiful birthday traditions and individual response to the peninsula....one gal is amazing with how much she knows about birds....another is musical...a third full of dramatic enthusiasm....another tuned in to all the shops and galleries in the area....I could go on for days. Each time they come, they find new adventures to pursue. It's a joy to have them visit. Do come again and again, Girls from Mass !! Fondly, Melissa

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Family Reunion.. Awesome family, Awesome Hostess!

  Family Reunion.. Awesome family, Awesome Hostess!

  • Guest Edward P.
  • Date of stay 12/02/11
  • Review Submitted 02/12/12
  This could not have been a better facility to have our entire family for the holidays. Melissa was so helpful, the accomodations were perfect! The kitchen is amazing..and the table that seats everyone for meals was perfect.! It was so relaxing, plenty of room and a safe for children.. Thank you for the wonderful memories.

  Owner response: Awesome family is right... full of fun, friendship and love for one another. What a wonderfully well-organized group...some part of the group was out enjoying the Boothbay Peninsula at all times...the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens...the Harbor Lights....Santa sailing into the Harbor on a lobster boat. The rest of the family was having a great time with each other...cooking together....enjoying the property and the winter wonderland of Maine. All in all, it was a pleasure to have this family and I hope they return year after year!! Warmest of wishes, Melissa Thornton, Owner

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Great Family Vacation State

  Great Family Vacation State

  • Guest marianne Z.
  • Date of stay 06/25/11
  • Review Submitted 07/13/11
  The "Bold Colorful Life Inn" we rented for 7days was the best choice I had ever made for my family reunion. We were 8 adults and 2 infants in a 5 suite mansion. Each room had its own bath and theme colored. Plush robes were provided, which we all wore every morning for breakfast. The space in the kitchen and dining area easily sits 20 people and with plenty of counter space for self serve meals. The house was large enough that we could all be doing separate activities at the same time without disturbing each other or those who preferred to sleep in the bedrooms on the first or second floor. The green lawn in front of the house provided a safe heaven for the little ones to crawl or run around while the adults played freesbe, BBQ or simply sat on the porch. The house was 10minutes by car from "downtown" Boothbay, were we rented kayaks and went on several tours like whale watching and "lobstering". A big and nice playground was between the house and downtown, a great location to allow the little ones to play while the adults rested. Melissa, the owner of Bold Colorful is a great hostess. She provided maps, information regarding tours and also had several items in the fridge we could use as a start up upon our arrival. The kitchen as well as each room were complete, with anything you needed from blenders to waffle makes. The bathrooms and bedrooms with linens, pillows, blankets, towels, hair dryers and more. When our vacation was over, we also left some left overs for the next renters and also new items they would need like coffee filters and sugar. Last but not least, Melissa was always close by not only to chat, but in case of emergency. Luckily we had no emergencies despite the wide range of ages from 9 months to 87 years old gread grandparents. If you plan to go to Maine and have a good time in a great place, go to Bold Colorful Life Inn. I am sure you won't regret it. How did I find it? It's the best well kept secret in Maine.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

  Owner response: As all readers can tell, Marianne is a fountain of positive energy and love. She and her family were a joy to have at the Bold Colorful Life estate...from their teamwork making meals to their enjoyment of each other and the surroundings, every day was a celebration for this group. They planned outings and wandered the greater midcoast Maine area, then returned to enjoy the peace and quiet of the site each afternoon. They split up to pursue their different interests; then returned to share stories on the back porch or over a meal. I am so glad they chose Boothbay and this estate and hope they return again and again!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Comfortable, Lovely House

  Comfortable, Lovely House

  • Guest Emily
  • Date of stay 05/16/11
  • Review Submitted 06/12/11
  We stayed in the farmhouse on an artist's retreat in mid-May for a week, and despite the rainy, cold weather we had, the home was always warm and inviting. My friend and I stayed in the Tangerine Citrine room, which was bright and colorful. I loved the decorations. The whole house had a very happy feeling and Melissa was a warm and friendly host. I loved the big dining room table which was great for gathering around for meals, as well as having lots of room to spread out my paints and work on a painting or illustration. There were plenty of places for quiet time to be had in the gorgeous library, the upstairs sitting room, or outside exploring the surrounding forests. I really enjoyed my time at Bold Colorful Life. It was certainly a home away from home!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: One of the dreams for this property has always been to share it with many people...to provide a beautiful, peaceful, serene surrounding for all sorts of human endeavor. The Bold Colorful Life theme is that people leave their worries and stresses behind, come to this part of midcoast Maine and have a wonderful, healing getaway. Then, refreshed, they return to their more 'bold colorful lives'. The estate can be the site for family reunions, destination weddings, workshops, group gatherings...retreats. Retreats are a big part of the site's purpose...women's retreats, couples' retreats, artist retreats, kayaking retreats...so many reasons to come. This art retreat was the vision of a Chicago art instructor who takes his graduate students for art retreats, worldwide, every year at the end of their coursework. I am so delighted that he chose this place for 2011. The two groups were amazing....friendly, collaborative, creative and just plain fun. They shared the space, visited the surrounding area for art and fun and left their individual stamps on the place....a memorable two weeks in May!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• An Artist's Retreat

  An Artist's Retreat

  • Guest Kernats
  • Date of stay 05/09/11
  • Review Submitted 06/10/11
  Last May I had the opportunity to stay at Bold Colorful Life with my partners for a painting retreat. The accommodations were very warm and welcoming, and the estate itself was striking. More than anything I enjoyed working in the kitchen, which was easy to navigate and provided every possible utensil one would require. The layout made it very simple to care for and feed nine people. Our stay was quiet and peaceful, a far cry from the busy Chicago lifestyle we’re used to. The beautiful waterfront, stone walls, and surrounding forests were just a few of the things that inspired us to paint. After long days of exploring harbor towns and visiting galleries it was always a relief to return home to Bold Colorful Life. Our stay there gave us the Maine experience that we had been hoping for. KK

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with young children, girls getaway.

  Owner response: One of the dreams for this property has always been to share it with many people...to provide a beautiful, peaceful, serene surrounding for all sorts of human endeavor. The Bold Colorful Life theme is that people leave their worries and stresses behind, come to this part of midcoast Maine and have a wonderful, healing getaway. Then, refreshed, they return to their more 'bold colorful lives'. The estate can be the site for family reunions, destination weddings, workshops, group gatherings...retreats. Retreats are a big part of the site's purpose...women's retreats, couples' retreats, artist retreats, kayaking retreats...so many reasons to come. This art retreat was the vision of a Chicago art instructor who takes his graduate students for art retreats, worldwide, every year at the end of their coursework. I am so delighted that he chose this place for 2011. The two groups were amazing....friendly, collaborative, creative and just plain fun. They shared the space, visited the surrounding area for art and fun and left their individual stamps on the place....a memorable two weeks in May!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Additional information about rental rates

50% rental fee plus $300 refundable security deposit with signed agreement

Additional Fees and Taxes:

7% Maine lodging tax