This charming cottage retreat has undergone a complete remodel by Johnson McLeod Design Consultants, located on Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada. The island is a small, friendly, Canadian Island positioned about half way between the lower mainland of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. The cottage was designed as a vacation retreat for the busy design consultants as an escape from city life. The home encompasses approximately 1,400 square feet of living space, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Above: The front door is Beauti-Tones Pumpkin Brûlée, from Home Hardware.
The original home was completely uninhabitable, as it had been closed up for years without heat—a moldy wall nightmare. Typically this would be considered as a tear down, but the design duo saw the potential of the site and the home had fantastic structural integrity. Just a 15-minute floatplane ride away from Vancouver, this was the perfect way for the couple to enjoy nature, catch up on reading and work on DIY projects.
Above: The paint on the exterior of the home is from Home Hardware and is called Kalamata.
Above: The orange pillows are custom, and made from Barefoot Fabrics in Sri Lanka. The black and white pillow is from IKEA. The sofas were sourced from Urban Barn in Vancouver, while the metal mirror is a vintage find from Fullhouse in Vancouver. The fireplace wall is painted in the Home Hardware Beauti-Tone Desidn series “Stealing Beauty”.
The hood above the fireplace is one of the original features of the house. The white paint is from the Home Hardwares Designer series Beauti-Tone in Designers White. The cedar ceiling is original to the home. Walls were torn down in this space to create one large, open concept room.
Above: The table is six-foot square, purchased at Caban. It’s solid teak and is meant to be an outdoor table, yet is perfect for this space. The table runner is custom, and is made from fabric purchased in Sri Lanka at Barefoot. The wood in the basket on the table is from IKEA. The chairs were sourced from Moe’s Home Furnishings in Vancouver, BC.
The island has boxes for storage on the opposite side of the firewood. The counter tops are 30 inches deep to allow for deep drawers for extra storage. There is an open pantry to the right for pots and pans. The floor is original to the home. The room is 18 feet wide and about 60 feet long.
Above: The cabinets fronts are made of Radiada Plywood, while the island countertop was custom designed out of stainless steel by Quest Metal in Vancouver. The fridge is tucked around the corner in what used to be a hallway. The star on the wall of the kitchen was found in the Home Hardware in Vancouver, BC. It originally had a snowman and snowflakes painted on it, it was sanded, primed and painted orange. The giant fork and spoon were purchased at Pier 1 Imports.
Above: The coffee table was made out of 2 x 12 and 6 x6 rough lumber from the local hardware store. Each board was distressed and preprinted to appear as driftwood before the table was assembled. The birds on the fireplace hearth were found at a local craft show.
What We Love: This cozy cottage retreat provides a welcoming environment to enjoying entertaining guests, while at the same time offering restful spaces for comfort and relaxation. With plenty of DIY ideas throughout, this home is the perfect inspiration for anyone wishing to have their own cottage getaway. We are especially loving how this home was preserved instead of torn down, retaining its original character and protecting the property… Readers, what do you think of this remodel? Would this be your idea of the perfect cottage retreat? Tell us in the Comments!
Note: Have a look at another incredible home tour that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants: Mid-century modern beach house retreat on Pender Island.
Above: The bedspread is made from fabric found in Sri Lanka from BareFoot, who uses traditional weaving methods native to the area, but incorporates more contemporary designs.
Above: The bed frame was purchased from IKEA. The whale on top of the dresser was part of a weathervane purchased at The Avant Gardener in West Vancouver. The dresser was spotted at Sellutions consignment in Vancouver.
Above: The fish art on the wall is from An art gallery called the Blue Heron in Boundary Bay, made from driftwood that has been collected on the beach. The lamp is a DIY, made from a wine makers jug and vintage lampshade. The chandelier was purchased from a vintage store in Vancouver called Sellutions. The bed is also vintage. The blue paint is Shallows by Beauti-Tone at Home Hardware.
The ceiling consists of is 1/4” thick spruce veneer plywood, bleached with watered down acrylic paint. 1.5 inch nails were used to secure the plywood to the ceiling joists. Decking screws were used to attach the 1X 4 strapping, which hid the cut lines ,as each panel was cut and applied separately.
Above: What appears to be a fire bowl on the table is just a simple DIY trick, minus the fire hazard! Orange twinkle light strings are tucked around collected local driftwood sticks. A large drill bit was used to create a hole to disguise the cord, which runs through the outdoor coffee table the homeowners made. You could also use a battery-operated light string.
Above: The Adirondack chair is made of cedar and are available at Canadian Tire in Canada. The deck is a regular ply decking with a faux sisal rug overtop, purchased from Caban. The fence cables are made of high tension aviation cable. The cable is about 1/4 inch in diameter.
Before the Renovation:
Photos: Courtesy of Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
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