Cottages
From The Archives: Cottage Dining Rooms That Will Make You Want To Pull Up A Chair
Published on July 19, 2024
Breaking bread with family and friends at the dinner table is a big part of cottage living — a convivial area where you can start and end the day with weekend guests. From rustic dining tables to cozy banquettes, these cottage dining areas will make everyone want to pull up a chair. Keep scrolling for a look at some of the best cottage dining rooms from the H&H archives!
“I like classic Canadiana pieces, new modern seating and good reproductions like the Addison Round Jupe extension table in waxed oak from RH,” says Lynda Reeves of this century lakehouse. “It’s new, but the finish has a great patina, and it marries well with the simple black bentwood chairs, and the modern Fontaine pendant and sconces by Aerin.
In this Lac-Supérieur chalet, tucking the dining table into a niche frees up space in the great room; the channelled banquette has the best view of the fireplace and the landscape beyond. “We sit here in front of a simmering dish and contemplate the fire,” says the homeowner. “It’s like we’re in a cozy inn somewhere in the Alps.”
Open to the kitchen and great room, this dining area in a luxe Muskoka cottage is quietly elegant with a subtle palette and organic textures. Designer Ali Budd chose the light fixtures because they “felt country, but in a whimsical way.”
An elegant dining area ins this petite guest cottage features an extendable dining table that is just 30 inches wide, making for easy conversation. A light fixture sculpted from folds of fibre strikes an organic note.
A modern dining room in this West Coast lakehouse has lots of room for entertaining, as well a coffee-bar station with reeding details and recessed doors.
“This is my favorite spot to sit during the summer,” says the homeowner of this charming cabin. The dining area juxtaposes form and casual style, while the glass chandelier is a striking counterpoint to the linen-slipcovered banquette and rustic dining table.
In this luxe Muskoka retreat, Jaime Drohan designed a coffered ceiling that lifts the eye up and elevates the space. The homeowner chose the teal velvet for the seat cushions.
The owners of this modern farmhouse understood the importance of comfortable dining when they selected ten leather armchairs to pair with a wood trestle table in their dining room. “My husband likes new things, and I like old things,” says Colomba of the mix in styles throughout her country home.
Communal dining is at the heart of cottage living for this family, who placed their dining table in the centre of their ultramodern Whistler retreat. Designer Denise Ashmore sourced local materials and products that speak to the mountain setting.
“There’s a certain energy created by that mix of classic and contemporary,” says designer Scott Yetman of his renovated Eastern Townships château. A modern oval dining table and sleek upholstered chairs are juxtaposed by the 50-year-old home’s original vaulted ceilings.
In this renovated Quebec cottage designed by Les Ensembliers, the design duo embraced the home’s 1960s charm by choosing mid-century style furniture in the dining room. With a view of Lake Memphremagog on one side and a granite stone fireplace on the other, every seat feels like the best in the house.
This breezy Muskoka cottage designed and owned by Cory DeFrancisco, principal designer of Muskoka Living, is exactly where we’d want to enjoy our cottage meals. Who needs to transition to the sofa when you have Belgian linen–upholstered bucket chairs, perfect for those summer dinners that last into the evening.
Choosing a durable table that seats lots of guests is integral to cottage entertaining. For this grand dining room in Georgian Bay Designer Emily Hollis brought in a maple top from a company that salvages wood from across Canada, and paired it with a locally made forged iron base. “We used materials that made sense,” says Emily. “This table is durable and can seat a lot of people.”
For a more modern approach to cottage dining, this Scandi-style space features multi-colored chairs in pastel hues, modern art by Graham Gillmore and a pair of asymmetrical pendants. The open-concept layout keeps thing comfortable and casual.
““It was the modern country furniture made by skilled American craftsmen in the Hudson Valley that inspired me,” says Lynda Reeves of her lakehouse dining room. “I had a design vision for this lakehouse. It would be a house layered with both antiques and new seating, artisan-made wood pieces, mid-century modern elements, vintage rugs and a palette that sang against a backdrop of Douglas fir panelling, with its rich amber wood tones.”
This cottage dining room in Muskoka masters the modern farmhouse look with its Windsor-style chairs and trestle dining table. Black-framed windows and doors give every guest a ‘dinner with a view’ experience.
In order to achieve a rustic, vintage look in this new build chalet in Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que., designers Mélanie Cherrier and Laurence Pons Lavigne sourced a table and chairs from RH and Pottery Barn that looked the part. “We love that everything looks old and, because each chair is different, it gives the impression that they’re retro finds that have been picked up here and there,” says Mélanie.
Designer and cottage owner Tiffany Leigh Piotrowski transformed a perfect weekend escape on the shores of Lake Huron. She relocated the cramped eating area from inside the kitchen to the new dining area at the front of the cottage: now, a bright open space to gather for a meal or board games.
On Muskoka’s Lake Joseph, Ken and Renee Metrick of Elte hired Kelly Buffey of Akb Architects to design their new cottage. The dining area is chic and modern, but with no shortage of warmth and texture from the live-edge table and rich wood envelope.
Designer Sam Sacks turned a no-frills cabin into a fantasy cottage. In the dining room, the antique dresser is the perfect balance to the modern dining table and Marcel Breuer-style chairs. Sam made the light fixture with driftwood and fairy lights for a perfectly enchanting detail.
Designer Lorraine Franklin, along with architects Nelson Kwong and Neal Prabhu of nkArchitect, built a stunning Muskoka cottage retreat on Lake Joseph. The dining room is at the center of the property and is the perfect place to gather with friends and family after a long day on the lake.
Located on a quiet motorless lake, Montreal designer Caroline Bouffard’s cottage is the perfect place to relax and unwind. The dining room boasts a trestle table and modern Windsor chairs — a paired-back combo perfect for enjoying the tranquil location.