Decorating & Design

July 2, 2013

Killarney Getaway

With the heat and humidity rising in the city, I’ve been dreaming lately of an escape to the lake — any lake. There are plenty of cottages to fuel my fantasies, too, from shiny new builds with enormous stone fireplaces to older but well-loved lakeside homes covered in linoleum. This post-and-beam number may not be my dream home, but it’s clearly someone’s ideal vacation spot. Let’s get away to a house called ‘Faraway.’

Tucked into a cove on Georgian Bay in Killarney, Ont., the cottage faces 1,800 feet of sandy beach. At 4,000 square feet, 6 bedrooms and 4 full baths, though, this property might have grown out of the ‘cottage’ term, especially since there’s a 2,100-square-foot garage topped by a guest bedroom, plus a separate 3-bedroom caretaker’s house.

Green cabinets, a wide range and a butcher-block island dominate the spacious kitchen. On the other side of the sink (to the photographer’s left), there’s a seating area with lake views. I love the wide-plank floors, but I’m not sure they need to be quite so illuminated by the under-cabinet lighting.

Here, we encounter some of the local fauna, as well as a (presumably) retired sailboat and canoe. I might not agree with every decor decision here, but the multiple seating areas look like a great place for the whole family to spread out on rainy days. Has the copy of Luxury Toys on the closest coffee table always been there, or is it intended to lure deep-pocketed buyers to this $9.8-million listing?

A cosy lounge — part of the principal bedroom suite — has lakefront windows on three sides. The rest of the bedroom includes a fireplace, sitting area and an interior window onto the great room.

I can’t decide if the snow in this photo makes me long for summer (and days when it’s hot enough to sleep on a porch like this) or appreciate how cosy this would be in winter. Hopefully the current owners leave that megaphone behind; with 50 acres to explore (not to mention all of Lake Huron), it would certainly be helpful at dinnertime.

At just a five-hour drive north of Toronto, could you see yourself spending summer weekends here?

For more lakeside style, check out our gallery of stunning Modern Cottages.

Photo credits:
1-5. Chestnut Park Real Estate