Bungalow style

“We love it!” chimed photographer Stacey Haines and her mother, stylist Elaine Van Berkel, following the recent photo shoot of a Nova Scotia bungalow we dubbed our Little House in the Big Woods.

Taken in hand by Halifax-based designer Jonathan Legate, the residence, located in Westwood Hills (a new subdivision just outside of Halifax), is a sharp right turn off the main highway leading to the South Shore and those calendar pin-ups, Mahone Bay and Chester. Stacey and her mother had arrived shortly after a nor’easter dumped half a foot of snow on the densely forested area, and the duo were instantly enchanted by the magic of the frosty scene.

Greeted at the home’s front door by Jonathan, Stacey and her mother were immediately enveloped in a sense of cozy familiarity—which is all a testament to the designer’s acumen, considering no one currently lives at the house. The property functions as the sales office for the development, and Stacey and Elaine were thrilled at having free rein over every cupboard and corner for the shoot.