Pine Island Cottage
Pine Island Cottage
Pine Island Cottage
Pine Island Cottage
Pine Island Cottage
Pine Island Cottage
Many of Heated Rivalry’s international viewers were reportedly surprised to learn that, in Canada, the term “cottage” can refer not just to a quaint lakeside dwelling but also to a sprawling modernist estate. From our point of view, the best summer getaways tend to land somewhere in between those two extremes. Enter Pine Island Cottage, a soulful 325-square-metre retreat in Georgian Bay, Ontario, with interiors by Bureau Tempo and Thom Fougere Studio. For all its luxurious sophistication, the residence still feels refreshingly humble, too.
From the outset, the design team (which also included Gren Weis Architect) worked to ground the project in the rugged beauty of its site, adopting a palette of natural, local materials like oak, walnut and limestone. In another honest reflection of its setting, the cottage also stands as a testament to the many talented craftspeople based in the surrounding region, including Barber Millwork, Halibut Woodworking (whose custom furniture pieces for the home include the dining table), Harnisch and Atelier Bernard Chaudron (producers of one-of-a-kind brass and pewter elements, respectively), and the blacksmiths at Sheridan Machine & Welding. All this artisanal input means that charming details abound, starting with the pebble-shaped front door handle and carrying all the way through to the wall sconces.
A thoughtful spatial configuration further reinforces the property as an extension of its landscape. Take, for instance, the sunken living room, reached via a pair of short walnut staircases that bookend a built-in sofa. Following the natural slope of the terrain, this setup effectively recreates the feeling of stepping down a rocky shoreline to perch on an outcropping of the Canadian Shield. Adding to the home’s geologic character, a generous island composed from large fieldstones anchors the kitchen, which also includes a robust pantry.
Fieldstones reappear as a recurring motif throughout the project, also showing up on the surround of the double-sided fireplace (which faces the living room on one side and a screened-in porch on the other) as well as behind the bed and vanity in the primary suite. The journey to the two bedroom wings, reached via an elevated glazed breezeway, again mimics the sensation of exploring the island itself, the floor shifting from brushed concrete to wood and finally to local Eramosa stone that has been flamed for extra texture. Inside the ensuite, a freestanding ceramic soaker tub sits with a wide-open view of nature on the other side of the window. At Pine Island Cottage, luxury does not represent an escape from wilderness, but rather an embrace of it.
Team: Thom Fougere (Thom Fourgere Studio) and Adam Robinson (Bureau Tempo); Gren Weiss Architects; Coulter Dawe & Associates
