Cottages
June 29, 2023
The Best Cottage Great Rooms From The H&H Archives
Soaring ceilings, impressive fireplaces, wood-panelling and long lake views — these are some of the hallmarks of a cottage great room. From classic cabins to contemporary lakehouses, these country living rooms pull inspiration from their natural surroundings while offering a communal hang out spot to relax, entertain and take in the view.
“Our palette is taken from nature,” says designer Lucy Penfield. “We used the color of basalt grey from the rocky shore in the granite, fireplace, counters and floors.” The great room’s fireplace is clad in Cambrian ledgestone.
A massive wood-burning fireplace crafted from local stone is the focal point in this open-plan living room. “On a dark and stormy night, surrounded by the sky, cocooned and cosy, fire going, it’s really quite exciting,” says designer Carrie McCarthy.
In this serene Muskoka cottage, a soft palette of natural materials brings a carefree elegance to the great room, while symmetrical seating and lighting feels grandiose. A reading nook off to the side provides another zone to relax and unwind.
In Lynda Reeves’s lakehouse, wood-panelled walls, a stone fireplace and comfortable seating are all elements of a classic great room. “Lovingly preserved for generations, the great room, with its vaulted ceiling, had survived through 100 winters of no heat or insulation. I’m a big believer in keeping the largest upholstered pieces in one solid color. I find it’s visually calming, and it lets you change things up easily with new pillows and throws,” says Lynda.
A granite fireplace mimics the natural rocks outside the window of this Georgian Bay cottage. A pair of plaid sofas create a cozy aesthetic while black and rattan armchairs in the corner offer a separate zone for card games or cocktails.
In this ultramodern summer home, the homeowners chose to extend the ceiling beyond the interior to create one long great room that stretches from indoors to out, so you never have to choose between the two.
A visit to Japan inspired the design of this B.C. cottage on Halfmoon Bay. “The natural materials created a unity with their environment, a soothing counterpoint that felt very restorative,” says homeowner and architect Patrick Warren. The contemporary great room is minimally decorated and extends effortlessly into an outdoor patio that overlooks the Georgia Strait.
In this lofty great room designed by Ali Budd, a double-height plaster chimney breast with a porcelain fireplace surround matches the scale of the oversized black-mullioned windows.
Vaulted ceilings with timbers beams add warmth to the streamlined furniture and lighting in this modern farmhouse. “My favorite place is the great room; it’s very calming. We don’t have a television — we listen to music and have martinis,” says the homeowner. “With the old-school wood-burning fireplace and the light coming in from the huge windows, it’s gorgeous — it’s the perfect combination of elements.”