The property is conveniently located on the river and not far from town. Our host was very accommodating and provided all of the resources we need to enjoy or stay. It’s a definite do over for us. We hope to bring a bigger group next year.

Rented the farmhouse for our extended family of seven for a week during the COVID summer of 2020. The entire process, from pre-contract discussion to check-in through check-out was easy, thoughtful, and safely accomplished. Melissa, the property owner and host, is near-enough to interact with when needed (and also to provide fresh garden vegetables!), but never intrusive on her guests' use of the house and the property. The home is fully equipped, from the kitchen with its myriad appliances, utensils, plates, pantry staples, etc., to the colorful bedrooms, each with a clean and fully functional bathroom. The library is a wonderful place to relax, read, play piano, or take a nap, the porch is great for watching the river over a morning cup of coffee or evening glass of wine, and the walking paths, hammocks, pond, fire pit, and river all provide ample opportunity to enjoy being outdoors in the pleasant Maine weather. Outdoor activities are abundant, both on the property and off, and Melissa provided many useful suggestions for how we could take advantage of all. All in all, it was a great week at a great location, and we all agreed that we would love to do it again.

Lovely location and view, large house, well equipped kitchen/grill. Love the library! Host was very gracious. Good location near activities in Boothbay as well.

Just back from 8 nights at Bold Colorful Life and had a total blast! We were a party of eight — four adults and four 9- and 10-year old girls — and everything about this place was great. The kitchen and dining area are spacious and well-equipped, the deck large with a great view of the river (and some occasional pesky mosquitoes), the bedrooms comfortable and quirky. The property itself is fantastic — tons of places to explore, a pond to catch endless frogs in and a lovely river to kayak in during high tide. Melissa, the owner, is charming, responsive and had many great recommendations. The house is close enough to Boothbay (~10 mins), yet far away for some privacy, which we appreciated. And there are so many great things to do nearby: hiking, swimming at Knickerbocker Pond (highly recommended!), lighthouses, Pemaquid Beach, Ocean Point, Monhegan Island. It was a bit too far from Acadia NP for a day trip, but a quick hour to Camden State Park for some good hiking. All in all, it’s a perfect place for a group getaway. Highly recommended and we’d happily stay here again.

Family of 10 looking to spend a week together before 2 of the grandkids head off to college and this was a perfect home for it. We were looking for an affordable home that had plenty of bedrooms/bathrooms, a large dining area where we could all sit together, and was located along the coast of Maine. This home checked all the boxes. The home sits on a large piece of property with plenty of walking trails and outdoor activities. Unfortunately for us it was black fly/mosquito season. After a very wet spring it was nearly impossible to enjoy a walk in the woods without the bugs swarming around. Highlights for us were spending time in the family room reading a book from the home’s extensive library, playing board games or enjoying a family meal at the large dining table, sitting around the campfire, or just hanging out on the porch sharing stories.

We arrived and the property and home was just like the pictures. There was 10 of us and everyone had their own space. The owner was there and very informative about the area. We had a wonderful 80th birthday celebration. Now have 3 80 year olds in our family.

We had a wonderful time renting this house. We had two families - 4 adults, 5 kids ranging in age from 3-8. The views from the house were stunning and the loft was a special favorite of the kids. We had plenty of space especially in the kitchen. Better organized and better amenities that nearly any rental kitchen I have been in. And Melissa was always available to help if we needed anything. Though we didn’t explore the grounds to the fullest as we had a particularly humid (buggy!) week, we did find the views lovely. We also had easy drives to every location we wanted to visit during our stay. Great house and great hosting!

We had to find a place for 7 adults and 3 children for a family reunion for the memorial for my mother. Places that can accommodate parties that large can be difficult to find. From the moment I began to communicate with Melissa (and mind you this was a very emotional time), I felt her kindness and her enthusiasm for our reunion at her farmhouse. I was BLOWN AWAY upon arrival to the property and even more so when she gave us the tour of the grounds and the home. We never felt crowded and the kitchen was SPECTACULAR! Lots of tears, lots of laughter and LOTS of great meals filled 802 Back River Road during our week. The place is absolutely MAGICAL both inside and out. The price may sound high at first but when split it up it was quite reasonable. You will not regret it! Thank you, Melissa, for everything!

This is a fantastic spot! The Farmhouse and the grounds give you a lot of space to relax and also enjoy Boothbay Harbor. We had a group of 10, which include 5 adults and 5 grown grandkids. The kids had plenty of choices inside to do their thing We especially loved the large kitchen and dining room. It easily handled the 10 of us when making meals and fixing snacks & cocktails . The Library/Study on the main floor is an especially cool space. The five COLORFUL bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, was just perfect for our family. The teenagers loved having their own space. The outside and backyard were really great. Lots to explore. The kids loved the various activities and made good use of both the kayaks and the outside games and firepit for some mores. There was a nice view of the tidal river from both inside the house and from the back deck. Just the right amount of water view to help you appreciate the area. It was just 15 minutes to downtown Boothbay Harbor and the all the restaurants and shopping. You don't have to over-plan the day in order to get into town. This kids really loved Chowders Restaurant and we all enjoyed fresh Maine lobster at Robinsons Wharf. So Good!!!!! We really enjoyed our stay and Melissa was more than accommodating and helpful. She was always available if we needed her. She truly places her guests as her first priority. We highly recommend Melissa and her home for your next family celebration! Thank you, M, for sharing your beautiful piece of Maine with our family.

We couldn't have picked a better spot to recapture and share with family & friends our memories of Down East Maine. First the all important tour— nice touch because there was so much there. It was Father's Day, so for the fist day we decided to make a Lobster feast (Pinkhams for Lobster) at the Farm. Everything was accurate down to the last detail. There really was so much to do right there, with all the trails, and gardens (the girls adored the fairy-gardening, kayaking, etc... but as far as outside activities, the Cabbage Island tour was the all-around favorite, with Botanical Gardens coming in a close second—oh, and the Royal River Grillhouse in Freeport on our way back to Portland was Fabulous. Still, for me, another week at home at Bold Colorful Life Farm, listening to the night frogs, smelling the peonies, and cooking up more lobster would have been just fine. Thanks for making everything so perfect, Melissa.

This is an exceptional property, well maintained and ready for large families/groups. Conviniently located close to Boothbay Harbor area, many opportunities for hiking, kayaking, shopping dining etc etc. We really enjoyed our stay and we would definitely consider coming back in the future.

The farmhouse is such a wonderful retreat!! Everything in the online description was to a T accurate. Melissa gave us a much appreciated orientation/walk through too, she is a gracious and considerate hostess. We are so glad we chose this place it had everything we needed to make our stay memoriable. The surrounding grounds had so many awesome quiet places to retreat and the young adults with us not only utilized those but loved the second floor lounge space. All our visiting relatives not only were 'awed' by her creativeness, but commented they would like to return for a family gathering in the future, so bravo to Melissa! She even sent a few emails highlighting some daily activities going on in the local area. We will be forever grateful for the attention we received that made our stay so pleasant.

Off the beaten path but close to everything in Booth Bay. Great for a large group. Melissa greeted us and answered all of our questions. The house had everything we needed. We would stay there again!

This is a fantastic spot! Between the Farmhouse and the grounds, a lot of space to unwind and relax and enjoy Boothbay. We had a group of 8, split evenly among adults and kids. The kids had plenty of choices for where to play inside and do their thing, and that didn't compete with what the adults wanted to do. The Library/Study on the main floor is an especially cool space. Love the large Kitchen and Dining Room. Easily handled the 8 of us when making meals and fixing snacks & cocktails. The outside and backyard was really nice. Lots to explore. The kids loved the various hammocks! We made good use of both the kayaks and the outside games/toys (wife ball, etc.). So many options; easy to keep the day rolling without anyone saying they are bored! Nice view of the tidal river from both inside the house and from the back deck. Just the right amount of water view to help you appreciate the area and set the right atmosphere. Very convenient location. It's just 15 minutes to downtown Boothbay Harbor and the all the restaurants and shopping. You don't have to over-plan the day in order to get into town. We really enjoyed our stay and Melissa was more than accommodating. Not that we needed anything but she was available if we needed her. I'd definitely go back!

To Melissa: Thank you so much for all your kind words and for your thoughtfulness while we were in Maine. My mother passed away last June, When we were kids, we had a cottage in Damariscotta and spent much of our summers there. Picnics at Pemaquid Point were among Mom’s favorite times. To commemorate her life, we decided to have a whole family reunion a year after her passing. We rented both the Farmhouse and the Cape to accommodate the large group. The week turned out even better than I had hoped… in no small part because of the wonderful and comfortable accommodations provided. The place is lovely. It’s clearly something that you should be very proud of: fully equipped, completely stocked, well maintained, clean and spacious. And the attention to detail is amazing. It was a joy and a surprise that even after 7 days, we’d walk into a room and see some other interesting/lovely/curious (and of course, color coordinated) item that we hadn’t noticed before! I am glad to know that my rather large crew was not an imposition or disruptive. The children are generally well behaved but with that many kids and that young, you never know!!! Their good behavior was a result of how happy they were. The spacious lawn with a range of paths weaving through the tall grass kept them running around for hours. The prospect of making ice cream one night and having s’mores at the fire pit another night also may have encouraged good behavior. I am ever so thankful to have found such a lovely and comfy place for my family to be together and to build more happy memories as we celebrated my mom’s life.

The house was brightly colored and inviting from the moment we stepped inside. There were plenty of supplies throughout the beautiful home, and Melissa had thought of everything we might need during our stay. When we had questions or needs came up, Melissa was available immediately to do whatever was necessary to make it happen. The grounds are beautifully manicured and there is plenty of yard space for children to run and play. We especially enjoyed the rocking chairs on the front porch and the ones on the back deck.

This was an ideal spot for a golf weekend. Large table and efficient kitchen and large deck made a terrific setting for entertaining. The property is close to town, quiet and picturesque.

The Bold Colorful Life Estate is the place to go for an experience that is many parts: welcoming, comfortable, beautiful, convenient, and well managed. From the huge well appointed farmhouse eat-in kitchen to the sweeping views to the river to the appropriate and eye pleasing interior design and decoration to the multiplicity of color coordinated bedrooms each with its own bath and fantastic bed, the farmhouse is a great place to rent for a reunion for friends, college classmates, sports enthusiasts, and art appreciators alike. Melissa hosted us with warmth, clear directions, and rapid and calm responses to our needs. You need to visit this lovely place and all the great parts of this section of Maine like the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden and Moody's Diner, to which Melissa will provide guidance and many more ideas on how to occupy your time there. Go there as soon as you can.