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By Walker Kalan, Travel Correspondent

Sophisticated Inn in Coastal Maine

Standing on the Victorian front porch of his Maine inn, Raymond Brunyanszki briefly waxes nostalgic. The smartly dressed Dutchman gestures to the masts swaying in the harbor and recalls his first trip to New England. “When I arrived in Camden five years ago and looked out at the harbor," he says, "I instantly thought of the East India Trading Company. I imagined the old tall ships returning from a voyage, unloading their cargo from faraway lands.” And so, when it came time to design the Camden Harbour Inn, Raymond named each of the guestrooms after the East India Company’s exotic ports of call: Sumatra, Bonaire, Taiwan. “Of course,” Raymond smiles, “Camden is the final port of call.”

An affable porter greets the inn's incoming guests and whisks armloads of luggage up purple carpeted stairs and into any of the 18 Sea View superior, Harbor View deluxe, Ocean Side executive, or suite guestrooms. The deep-red accents of the The Siam suite, which call to mind the robes worn by Buddhist monks, complement a tabletop statue of the Buddha Tathāgata that reflects the innkeeper’s extensive travels in Thailand. Each bathroom comes stocked with top-shelf Molton Brown toiletries, and a few of the guestrooms are warmed by wood-burning fireplaces.

After polishing off breakfast—an a la carte spread that includes charcuterie, smoked salmon, homemade pastries, and mimosas—guests plan their day while sipping fresh-brewed coffee in the study, or curl up in the glow of the adjoining great room’s cavernous fireplace. Raymond and co-owner Oscar Verest pay meticulous attention to detail, evinced by the 150 fresh red roses delivered weekly to add pizzazz to seemingly every shelf, table, and last-minute Valentine's gift in sight. After purchasing the property in 2007, the pair embarked on an exhaustive renovation, overhauling the interior with custom-made European furniture and eclectic light fixtures inspired by wide-ranging destinations such as Indonesia and New Orleans.

Come cocktail hour, a complimentary welcome flute of prosecco awaits in the restaurant bar, which was custom-crafted from century-old wooden doors salvaged from a French convent. Beyond a row of red-velvet barstools, waiters emerge from the kitchen of Natalie's, the inn's modern French eatery helmed by executive chef Geoffroy Deconinckas well as a certified sommelier. The Belgian native cut his teeth in the kitchens of acclaimed chefs Daniel Boulud and Alain Ducasse before setting off on his own and earning a nomination from Food & Wine magazine as one of New England region's best new chefs of 2011 as part of the publication's contest for the nation's best new chef. The à la carte and tasting are comprised of dishes prepared almost entirely from locally sourced ingredients, such as Chef Deconinck's personal favorite, a roasted duck breast with black mission figs.

Camden, Maine: New England Coastal Charm

Camden's shingled cottages, rocky shorelines, and picturesque harbor embody a postage-stamp-worthy archetype of coastal New England charm. Coffee shops and boutiques line Main Street, and seafood restaurants dot side streets that overlook the water. In the fall, the tree-covered hills surrounding the town come alive with fiery autumnal colors. As the last leaves drop, fresh snowfall blankets the nearby Camden Snow Bowl, where skiers and snowboarders zoom down Ragged Mountain while looking out on icy Penobscot Bay.

In the tiny village of Rockport, 4 miles south of Camden along the coast, lobster fishers ply their backbreaking trade throughout the fall and most of winter. These hardworking men and women are usually more than happy to share a few words with visitors or squint photogenically at the horizon. For a chance to see boat builders at work, The Apprenticeshop in Rockland, about a 15-minute drive from Camden, opens its workshop to the public, offering a porthole into the timeworn art of making wooden boats. On select weekends, families can craft their own sleds as part of the shop's two-day toboggan-building classes.