The owner has furnished the little 24- by 24-foot structure with many pieces of a similar vintage to the cabin. “I wanted a certain harmony, so that one piece of furniture was not out of place,” he says. “Seventy to 80 percent of the furniture is antique, like the table and chairs in the kitchen, and the beds.” When he couldn’t find a suitable piece, he opted to have furniture made, like the hutch in the kitchen. “I had to say, okay, we’re not creating a museum here,” he admits.
Still, the simplicity of furnishings are appropriate to the age of the structure, right down to the rustic wood latches on the kitchen cupboards that he made himself. “I used old tools for the kitchen cabinets, so that I would make the same mistakes they made then,” he says with wry humour.
What’s especially pleasing about the interior is that the cabin isn’t over-furnished. Pieces are judiciously chosen and displayed in keeping with the cabin’s humble origins. Yet it feels neither Spartan nor overly rustic. Lace hangs at windows, braided rag rugs add comfort, beds are dressed in florals and checks. It’s a pared-back prettiness that suits the plain space.
The pièce de résistance is the fireplace built by the owner. “I constructed it so that there is good symmetry in the stones. I used the same amount and size of stones on each side.” It’s satisfying for the owner, though he’s modest about the work he’s done. “I like to imagine what it’s like to go back in time 100 years,” he says. The funny thing is, his work has made it look so cozy today, it’s likely no one would want to go anywhere.
Back to the future
This kitchen suits the owner because he was free to make it as simple as
he wanted: a place to cook, a place
to clean, with a table to seat friends and family. Here are his top three picks for the kitchen’s best features:
1 The cabinets, crafted with antique tools, are beautifully simple,
completely at home here
2 The rolling cart beside the stove works as both practical storage and countertop; its rustic feel is a perfect complement to the cabinetry
3 The panelling on the fridge was
finicky to install, but well worth
it for the cohesive look it produces
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