circa 1974

Yesterday we headed up north, about 1.5 hours drive to Georgian Bay, to check on the cottage, take some photos of all the furniture that we plan on selling and to take measurements. This summer we have BIG plans…

circa 1981 (nice coiff) – they added California-styled windows
along the front as well as a walk-out deck

My parents bought the place in the early 1970s and it has since fallen into my care (and neglect over the last 5 years). Last summer we had an emotional throw down, whereby we tended to some huge problems–largely unfun stuff like roofing and deck construction (that was my age!) and learned some massive life lessons thanks to a couple of loser contractors. But lucky for you, this year we’ve got our sights set on what we love most–the interior. We’ll be making decisions that include but are not limited to:

Furniture: Vintage Scandinavian style and birch wood constructions by John (and a lucky woodworking handyperson for moral support).
Layout: We’re getting rid of the old, cheap and badly warped pool table which is going to free up TONS of room to play with.
Flooring: We need affordable solutions that can withstand the extremes of winter and summer–we are not winterized. Any ideas would be great!
Kitchen: The current kitchen is an 80s MDF nightmare. We’ve got our eyes on a colourful IKEA kitchen, though this could easily change. Plus I can’t wait to reconfigure the useless breakfast bar into storage and counter space.
Bathroom: Blue fixtures have got to go. As does the icky seashell wallpaper. 80s!!!
Bedrooms: We have one platform bed and are planning on making two more. Simplicity is key in the bedrooms, with easy storage, hooks and colourful bedding or curtains (Marimekko fabric maybe?).

Oh my! It won’t all be done this summer, but we’re really excited about planning and attempting some DIY and budget conscious design.

Look! We’ve already started collecting:

You may recognize the stool from our Florida thrifting adventure. We bought it with the intention of putting it next to the exposed stone and concrete fireplace at the cottage (the Hans Wegner chairs that have a similar look were also intended for the cottage before they made themselves comfortable in our kitchen). Since they were such a good deal, John bought two Ella’s Kitchen wooden utensil sets, one of which is for the cottage. The cute flower patterned object is a laundry bag from Target’s Orla Kiely line–I couldn’t resist. It’s kind of neat seeing these objects together because they are forming the light and airy Scandinavian vibe we intend on injecting into the space.

We look forward to sharing this journey with you!

Bottom Photo: Juli Daoust