A
HIDEAWAY COTTAGE
TOM & MARGIE
Tom & Margie were excited to tear down and start fresh with rebuilding their cottage. Having resided in Waterloo for the majority of their careers, they were ready to retire by the lakeside.
THE PROBLEM
The cottage was purchased 9 years ago and it was originally built in 1965. The walls were made from thin plywood where sound traveled easily and bugs often found their way inside. The two bedrooms were both very small which limited the number of guests they could host. Lacking was also a covered outdoor area for the rainy days and to avoid bug season.
THE LAYOUT
The goal was to keep the footprint of the cottage quite similar to avoid destroying the surrounding trees and nature. The expansion of the square footage was through reconfiguring the deck area and enlarging the width of the cottage by 20 ft.
THE DESIGN
SUNROOM
The sunroom, previously the deck area is fully surrounded by windows, allowing the lake breeze to completely fill the room. It feels as if you are sitting outside, except it's bug-free!
We wanted there to be a view of the lake from all angles in the room. At first, a moving glass wall system was investigated but it was outside of the budget. Instead, we suggested a cost-saving solution of installing double sliding doors side by side, saving over $49,000.
Unique design features to infuse the cozy cottage feeling is the shiplap walls, stained pine ceiling, painted green pine flooring and a breakfast nook overlooking the lake.
The room was also designed to be multifunctional and serve as a third bedroom for extra guests. Tom & Margie wanted to balance the need of making the cottage work for them and their immediate family but also plan for extra guests. The idea was to avoid a third bedroom that would sit empty for the majority of the time. So instead our solution was to design the sunroom so that it could double as a third bedroom. All of the windows and doors have pulldown blackout out blinds and the couch is a high-end sleeper for ultimate comfort.
BEDROOMS
The bedrooms are lined with shiplap and painted in serene colors of soft greens and blues to invoke serenity while taking those amazing afternoon naps at the cottage.
KITCHEN
& LIVING
The focal point for the open concept kitchen and living room is the inviting stone fireplace. What's better than gathering around a fire with friends and family on a rainy cottage night. The built-in benches next to the fireplace double as cozy reading nooks and firewood storage.
