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The Portland Logbook #16

The Portland Logbook #16

This Week in Portland Maine

Jake Newman
May 21, 2025

Locals Only: Where to Find Southern Maine’s Best Vintage Shops

Maine is a dream destination for people like me. People who love a little trinket just as much as a massive, impractical-but-irresistible armoire. Whether hunting for one-of-a-kind furniture hand-carved by tramps in the 1880s, rare artist magazines featuring lithographs by Picasso, or just the perfect pair of perfectly broken-in vintage Levi’s, this is for the true antique, vintage, and thrift-obsessed.

This isn’t a roundup of every antique shop in the area—or a list of the cheapest finds or “best deals.” There are plenty of places I like, but this list is about where my friends and I actually buy things. The stuff that makes it home. Curated by locals, for locals.

We’re starting south in Kennebunk/Arundel, where you’ll find some of the biggest and most packed antique malls in Maine, then weaving through Portland’s small but mighty vintage scene, and finishing in Brunswick, a historic mill building where architectural salvage dreams are made.

RIP to Portland Architectural Salvage (Alice, if you're reading this, please call me).

Stop #1: Americana Workshop (Kennebunk) – $$$

📍 Americana Workshop

A beautifully curated antique shop filled with classic New England pieces and handcrafted furniture. Think colonial-era chairs, handwoven quilts, and perfectly aged farmhouse tables. There are two buildings on the property, and the main building tends to have a higher price point than the smaller building. If you are looking for vintage rugs, traditional American wood furniture or antique frames this place is the best. They also give free lollypops to everyone, which is a great touch, except I need to stop taking the blue raspberry since my mouth turns blue every time I go.

Stop #2: The Old House Parts Company (Kennebunk)

📍 The Old House Parts Company

If you love architectural salvage, reclaimed wood, and vintage home restoration materials, this is the spot. This place is unbelievably meticulous. Everything is in its proper place with stickers containing the dimensions, and the owner knows where everything is, like the place in the back of his hand. They carry an unbelievable amount of beautiful old doors and hardware, stained glass windows, and salvaged house parts.

Stop #3: Antiques USA (Arundel)

📍 Antiques USA

Antiques USA is one of the biggest antique malls in Maine and one of my favorites. This is the place to go if you love handmade pottery, oil paintings, and mission-style furniture. I have probably found more here than anywhere else in Maine. They run a huge winter sale with prices up to 50% off.

Stop #4 : Arundel Antique Village Group Shop (Arundel)

📍 Arundel Antique Village

A huge multi-dealer spot packed with stacks of old books, silver-plated everything, 1950s kitchen kitsch, and plenty of nautical oddities. The outdoor flea market on weekends is where it gets good—half treasure hunt, half reunion of Maine’s best pickers.

Stop #5: Gurley Antiques (Scarborough)

📍 Gurley Antiques

Hidden just off the main road, Gurley's is full of pieces that feel inherited (in a good way). Rachel does an amazing job with this antique store if you're into vintage jewelry, oil paintings, small furniture, and rustic decor.

Stop #6: Viand Mercantile (Portland)

📍 Viand Mercantile

The team at Viand Mercantile is near and dear to my heart. Jenny, Becky, and Waverly have an incredible eye. They do have a good amount of new pieces, but they curate an incredible selection of antique bureaus, vintage rugs, and barware. Viand Mercantile is a modern vintage boutique offering Scandinavian-style furniture, curated home décor, and unique antiques.

Stop #7: Bonny Read (South Portland)

📍 Bonny Read

A beautifully curated shop featuring a ton of vintage Persian and Moroccan rugs, textiles, and stunning mid-century modern furniture. It’s not huge, but every corner has something worth digging into. The kind of place where one piece changes the whole feel of a room.

Stop #8: Material Objects (Portland)

📍 Material Objects

A classic Portland thrift and vintage clothing store offering well-curated secondhand pieces. It is on Congress Street in Portland. Friends who have lived here for generations have said that their mother used to donate her clothing there. I have found some incredible pieces of clothing, from full wool bath robes to Lucchese cowboy boots. This Vintage store is a treasure for used clothing.

Stop #9: Open House (Portland)

This Painting in my Bathroom

📍 Open House

Right on Congress, Open House nails the mix of mid-century furniture, great textiles, and hand-picked vintage gems. Shoutout to Ben and Ella, who always keep an eye out for the pieces they know I’ll go for.

Stop #10: Pillars Antiques (Freeport)

📍 Pillars Antiques

This one's for the people flipping through AD and mentally redesigning their entire house. Pillars leans high-end but still has real bargains if you know what you're looking at. Big farmhouse tables, outdoor urns, antique planters, and pieces that feel like they've already lived a full life.

Stop #11: Water Front Weekend Flea Market (Brunswick)

📍 WaterFront Flea Market

This weekend-only flea market inside the Cabot Mill Antiques building is one of Maine's best places to dig for treasures. With rotating vendors, estate sale finds, and everything from vintage clothes to old vinyl, it’s the kind of place where you never know what you’ll leave with.

Stop #11.5: Cabot Mill Antiques (Brunswick)

📍 Cabot Mill Antiques

Set inside a massive old mill building right on the water, this place feels part antique shop, part museum. With over 160 vendors under one roof, you'll find everything from Fiestaware and French mustard jars to vintage electronics, nautical salvage, and Victorian furniture. It's clean, well-organized, and easy to get lost in for a couple of hours.

This isn’t a checklist; it’s more like a choose-your-own-adventure with better furniture. Hit a few spots or make a whole weekend of it. Just bring cash, snacks, and a car big enough for whatever follows you home. I’ve crammed a marble bistro table into the back of a Crosstrek before. You’ll figure it out.

And if you’re still on the hunt after all that, check out Monstera Vintage, Sunday Town, and Frankie Lane, which are solid shops with consistently great finds.

🐾 Adoptable Buddies of the Week! 🐾

🐕 Larry – 44 pounds of nervous sweetness. Gains confidence with dog friends, loves gentle kids, and has a secret talent for fence-jumping. No cats, please—but big heart, guaranteed.

🐈 Molly – A 3-year-old orange-and-white sweetheart with a royal streak. She’s cuddly, low-maintenance, and loves being held—just don’t mess with her mealtime routine. A total lap cat once she warms up.

🐕 Interested? Check them out here