House & Home

F

88 H&H SEPTEMBER 2016

FOR SOME cross-country skiing across a fresh snowfall is just

as essential to the cottage experience as a summertime boat

ride into town or leaping off the dock. But designing a cottage

that makes the most of all four seasons is a balancing act best

performed by the pros.

Designers Margot Bell Katelyn Hermant and Dasha Ricci of

Port Carling Ont.’s Peaks & Rafters a go-to destination for

cottage decor have worked with the family who owns this

6650-square-foot cottage on Ontario’s Lake Joseph for years.

When the family decided the layout no longer fit their needs

they had architect Gren Weis draft a new-build on the existing

footprint that saw 95 per cent of the cottage demolished.

Then Margot was charged with creating a fresh look that

incorporated cherished family items from the old cottage.

Rustic touchstones — fieldstone walls inset with fireplaces

wood and stone f loors rugged beams and a two-tier antler

chandelier — create a cosy retreat. The cottage’s new layout

allows the family of five to fit nine guests around the dining

table or on the sofas in the open-concept living room. The

kitchen can also handle a crowd and is appointed with

professional tools like a double Wolf range dramatic zinc hood

and chef ’s pantry. “It’s open uncluttered and user-friendly”

says Margot. “We wanted to give the family all the bells and

whistles so they can whip up a huge meal or host a big event.”

The design is classic cottage style with nods to nature that

ease the f low between indoors and out. This marriage reaches

its zenith on the screened porch which is framed by large

beams and open to the dining room. In the summer two of the

windows can actually be lowered down into the f loor and a

four-panel NanaWall opens wide accordion-style. Automated

screens that slide up are the only separation between the

cottagers and lakeside breezes. “It’s bright in winter but feels

like you’re in the open air in the summertime” Margot says.

The lakeside view is the porch’s primary focal point but when

temperatures dip a wood-burning fireplace set up off the

ground makes the room a snug place to gather. “Because it’s

raised it’s almost at eye level when you’re seated” says Margot.

“It pulls you right into the room.”

For the designers one of the biggest challenges was

resolving the cottage’s sunny open-concept design. “We are all

about light and space not closing things up” says Margot. But

all that sun can damage natural fabrics. “Cottagers spend a lot

on furniture and it’s a shame if it gets bleached out in one

season. Sunbrella fabrics are much more sophisticated now

and they can handle the sun exposure.” Whether the sun is

bouncing off the waves in high summer or a snowdrift in deep

winter any day at this cottage is a glorious one.