Tour a Canadian Lake Cottage Brimming with Rustic Charm

Text by Bethany Adams

During the process of updating this family cottage, designer Ashley Montgomery had no shortage of inspiration. “The piece of land the house sits on is really beautiful,” says the Ontario-based designer. “It’s on the lake, so we’ve got lots of color coming in; there’s tons of greenery, lots of trees, so we wanted to play off that and just bring a lot of warmth into the home.”

Built in the 1960s and updated in the 2000s, the home was rife with potential—and Ashley and her team were prepared to uncover it with thoughtful design choices and a targeted use of fresh paint. Timeworn pine paneling in the living room went lighter, while Ashley took a bold approach in the adjoining space. “With the kitchen configuration the way it was, we painted all the cabinets out and put on new countertops and backsplash to give it a fresh look without actually doing a major renovation to that space,” she says.

The new backdrop served to set off an inspired collection of furnishings and décor curated to complement the home’s existing charms while creating a new layer of comfort. “The floors are hemlock floors, so they have a little hint of an orange tone to them,” says Ashley. “So, we wanted to find colors that worked with those to dilute that tone a bit and have them appear a bit more in the brown family.”

Natural earth tones both bring in the charm of the home’s surroundings and highlight the use of antiques throughout the design—from refinished hutches and ironstone collections to the reclaimed doors that separate the primary bedroom from the en suite bath. As that section of the home involved a reworked layout, Ashley felt that the use of aged pieces was of even more importance. “Because it is more of a new space, we wanted to play up some character with antique pieces,” she says, noting the vanity table that was topped with new marble and the hutch they refinished to display odds and ends.

While the home is undeniably inviting when surrounded by the charm of autumn, Ashley notes that the design is transitional through every season. “Where this project is located, you have four seasons a year,” she says, adding that all it takes is swapping out the throw pillows to transform it from a cozy cabin into a fresh spring cottage. And the one constant throughout every season is the comforting spirit instilled into the design with every timeworn touch. As Ashley puts it, “The space is just like a warm hug.”