When enjoying yourself, it’s the little things that matter. So when little things keep going wrong, they can prevent that relaxing bliss. For cottage owner Susan, those little things had added up over the years, leaving her with one big problem. Her cottage had too many issues for her and her family to enjoy the way they used to. In the hopes of restoring the property back to its status of happy place, she called the experts: Scott McGillivray and Debra Salmoni. See how the team transformed the once problematic property into a classy country cottage.
Wasted Space
If there was one word that described Susan’s cottage it was: Underutilized. The building itself had great square footage, but between a partially unfinished basement, purposeless rooms, and a lackluster porch, all that space didn’t function. The cottage needed a whole new layout. To do so, the team finished the basement and made the screened-in porch functional year-round. By doing that, the property went from a two-bed, one-bath, to a luxurious four-bedroom, two-bath. Now there’s room for the whole family, and then some.
Room at the Table
Whenever designing a rental space, you want to accommodate as many guests as possible. In this country cottage, that meant designing a communal kitchen. After Scott and the team opened the space, Debra wanted to add some French flair. Pulling inspiration from the French countryside, Debra used a palette of light and dark blues with buttercream. Now the space feels both comfortable and bourgeoisie, while also making room for all the grandkids.
Year-Round Relaxation
As great as summer is, it’s not the only season worth enjoying. Even the colder weather can be beautiful, so long as you don’t have to freeze to see it. It was for that reason that Scott wanted to make the screened-in porch all-season. Not only does it allow guests to enjoy views of the lake, but it serves as a relaxing retreat separate from the rest of the house. After all, it wouldn’t be a true country cottage without a view.
