Houzz Tour: A Secluded and Serene Island Retreat in Canada
Two designers transformed their holiday home from an uninhabitable wreck into an artful getaway
In spite of this property’s then-uninhabitable status, its owners envisioned their dream island cottage the moment they stepped inside its mouldy walls. ‘The house had been closed up without heat for years and was a moss- and nicotine-soaked nightmare,’ says homeowner Ian McLeod. ‘Most people considered it a teardown, but the astounding location and the property’s good bones were all we saw,’ he says. A 15-minute floatplane ride takes him and Kerry Johnson from their busy urban lives as design consultants in Vancouver to Mayne Island, where they enjoy watching wildlife, reading and working on DIY projects.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here This is a vacation cottage for Ian McLeod and Kerry Johnson of Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
Location Mayne Island, between Vancouver and Vancouver Island, Canada
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here This is a vacation cottage for Ian McLeod and Kerry Johnson of Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
Location Mayne Island, between Vancouver and Vancouver Island, Canada
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
The main floor’s pitched cedar ceiling was one of the few elements the couple did not have to rip out. ‘The way it looks today is the way it looked to us within the first five minutes of seeing it,’ says McLeod, a design consultant for Johnson McLeod.
‘When we’re in Vancouver, we are very busy, both with our design projects and a social life that combines work and pleasure,’ McLeod says. ‘The cottage is our respite, and although summertime includes wonderful visits with friends, we are often alone here the rest of the year, enjoying some solitude and watching nature.’
The couple replaced and added windows for better natural light and views.
‘Every day we see seals swimming past and eagles soaring by. There are deer sleeping under our fruit trees, and occasionally a killer whale in the bay,’ McLeod says.
Out here on the porch, a bowl of twigs has the look of a fire pit without the fire hazard. ‘The glowing-embers effect was created by tucking strings of orange twinkle lights in among a whorl of local driftwood sticks,’ McLeod explains. ‘We made the outdoor coffee table that it sits on and used a large drill bit for the extension cord. The absence of a visible power source completes the illusion.’
Tour a contemporary country house in Montana
Out here on the porch, a bowl of twigs has the look of a fire pit without the fire hazard. ‘The glowing-embers effect was created by tucking strings of orange twinkle lights in among a whorl of local driftwood sticks,’ McLeod explains. ‘We made the outdoor coffee table that it sits on and used a large drill bit for the extension cord. The absence of a visible power source completes the illusion.’
Tour a contemporary country house in Montana
Johnson and McLeod were chomping at the bit to start realising their vision; they began demolishing walls the day they took possession of the house. ‘As in all of our work, we focus on increasing light and opening up longer sight lines,’ McLeod says. ‘To that end, we tore down the wall between the kitchen and main living room, creating one huge space.’
One of their many DIY projects includes the combination kitchen island and wood stacker, which divides the kitchen space from the dining area.
One of their many DIY projects includes the combination kitchen island and wood stacker, which divides the kitchen space from the dining area.
‘Our favourite aesthetic is white with wood, both here and in the city,’ McLeod says. ‘This provides nice contrast to the original clear cedar ceiling in the main space, while gallons of crisp white paint contemporise the house and help us to see.’
The couple has furnished and accessorised with local finds, DIY projects and found objects, such as driftwood. ‘We enjoy making new things blend with the old, and old things blend with the new,’ McLeod says.
Wood and white contrast in the new kitchen: fir plywood cabinets echo the cedar ceiling, while white appears in the stainless steel worktops and tongue and groove panelling. The lack of wall units opens up the space.
Check out these cool and contemporary white kitchens
Check out these cool and contemporary white kitchens
‘The local Home Hardware is our favourite haunt, as we’re usually making something. We have always loved DIY projects and are too fast and impatient for help,’ McLeod says. ‘We built and hand painted our chunky coffee table, storage units and the library shelving.’
Tongue and groove paneling lends a cottage feel to the bedrooms. The orange shelves at the end of the bed are another DIY project.
The two new cosy rooms have a transom window between them.
The lower guest bedroom ceiling is made of bleached plywood panels and white strapping.
The couple has owned the home since 2005, but they’re not done making improvements, as those are part of the fun of their island lifestyle. ‘We walk everywhere, make every meal and much of the furniture,’ McLeod says. ‘After a few weeks of that, neon lights and takeout food in Vancouver is like a trip to Paris – we love the contrast!’
The kitchen had been its own closed-off area, and the cabinets were in bad shape. McLeod and Johnson wanted to make it enjoyable to look at in the new open first-floor space.
McLeod and Johnson did add a wall on the main floor; it divides the formerly large bedroom into two smaller bedrooms.
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