Be inspired by the following past and recent design projects.
South Bay Cottage Reno
Before
This quaint little cottage has been in my partners family for many decades. My partner enjoyed many summers at the cottage as a child with his cousins, many happy memories. Over the years as the kids moved away, it was relatively unused and unkept. Originally, the 400 sq foot building itself was located in Bloomfield at a cannery. My partners Grandmother had it moved by flatbed to its present location on South Bay in the early 60’s where it was placed on a foundation. It never had any running water or electricity but sat on the edge of south bay where the sunrises magnificently.
About five years ago my partner and I decided that it was a gem that needed to be polished! We undertook to completely transform this beautiful vacation retreat. The property is not serviced, so we educated ourselves on “off-grid” cottages and I worked on a plan to update and modernize while still maintaining some of its historic charm. There was a distinct lack of windows on the waterside which was the first thing that went into the design, this changed the whole appearance both inside and out. The view is remarkable, so this was a massive improvement.
We ended up replacing all the windows and adding a patio door with transom to let in as much light as possible. Additionally, we updated a 2-piece bathroom, added a new to us kitchen (recycled), we kept the original hardwood floor since we loved its patina. The interior walls and ceiling were covered with new drywall for a clean look, this also visually accentuated the 10-foot ceilings. The peninsula you see in the kitchen was original to the building when it was used as the payment for goods building at the cannery. With a fresh coat of paint and a concrete countertop, it became a conversation piece.
We kept the metal siding which had stood the test of time well, but had it repaired and spray painted. An old shed was torn down (some of the boards used for shelving in the cottage) and a new one built which house all of the solar system components, the water pump and hot water tank. An outdoor shower was added which is unbelievably enjoyable! Then of course landscaping completed the look, and also the enjoyment of the outdoor space. A labour of love and a pretty remarkable transformation.
