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A Dated Georgian Bay Fishing Lodge Is Rescued And Transformed Into An Island Haven

A Dated Georgian Bay Fishing Lodge Is Rescued And Transformed Into An Island Haven

Photography, Gillian Jackson

House Tours

A Dated Georgian Bay Fishing Lodge Is Rescued And Transformed Into An Island Haven

A dated Georgian Bay fishing lodge is rescued and transformed into an island haven big enough for one designer’s extended family.

When designer Laura Hay was in university, her dad decided to buy the old fishing lodge next to their family cottage on Deerhorn Island, in Ontario’s Georgian Bay. It was a local landmark, and he didn’t want to see developers come in and tear it down. Despite her youth, Laura took over running the lodge, which had operated almost continuously since the 1930s, and with the help of her design-savvy mum and grandmother, she redecorated it room by room over the next decade. “It was a passion project,” she laughs, adding that the experience inspired her to return to school to study interior design.

But after graduation, she realized she no longer wanted to run the lodge. The family decided to turn it into a shared cottage, big enough to house the whole extended Hay family (which by now included the next generation), as well as crowds of friends.   

It was an ambitious project, but Laura immediately saw the potential. The dated commercial kitchen built awkwardly to one side of the cottage could be removed and a modern country kitchen could replace it, giving them all the bells and whistles while improving the layout of the main floor. A few of the pokier upstairs bedrooms could be converted into much-needed bathrooms with all the modern amenities. And with Laura’s subtle and sophisticated take on rustic lodge style, the new and improved cottage would be spacious enough for the entire family while being cozy for small groups. And thus, a whole new passion project was born.

Early on, the plain, almost gloomy exterior was transformed with the addition of classic New England-style cedar shingles and rows of symmetrically arranged sash windows: suddenly, the ugly duckling became a swan.

But some of the most meaningful changes are on a much smaller scale: old fishing prints and maps from the former lodge were given pride of place throughout, and a few vintage receipts and invoices that Laura found in an old box during the renovation now hang in the great room. Each one paints a picture of how life unfolded at the lodge for its more than 85 years in operation. “There’s a real feeling of history here, without feeling at all dated,” she says. “I think of it as a fresh take on rustic.” We think of it as timeless style.

Screen time

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Design, Robert and Valerie Hay, and Andrew and Laura Hay, Terrier Developments. interior design, Laura Hay, LH Decor & Design. architectural design, Silvana D’Addazio. construction, Artisan Construction.

The west-facing screened porch is big enough for both dining and sitting areas. Designer Laura Hay says that the family practically lives in this space all summer. She found the old folding dining table at a thrift store and refurbished it; it hails from a local Royal Canadian Legion Hall.

Porch light

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Rattan seating, Kingsley Bate. lighting, Currey & Company. moose pillow, cushions, Wayfair. outdoor rug, Home Furniture. throws, Urban Barn. fish sculpture, HomeSense.

Most of the furniture in the sun porch was chosen to work both outdoors and in. On the lounge side of the porch, nothing beats grey all-weather rattan for simply stretching out and watching the sunset over the bay.

Linger long

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Custom loveseats, marble-top table, LH Decor & Design. lighting, Visual Comfort. willow twig chairs, Perigold.

The dining room has both a large table for the whole family, and cozier corners like this one (right), with loveseats upholstered in cottagey ticking stripes and super-comfy willow twig chairs that are perfect for long post-dinner chats.

Welcome inn

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kitchen design, Bellini Kitchens. Custom area rug, LH Decor & Design. cabinetry paint, Rockport Grey HC-105, Benjamin Moore.

The side door leads to the pantry, where weary travellers from the city can set down groceries and luggage. The room’s extra sink, drinks fridge and low-level storage cupboards are designed so that kids can serve themselves without getting underfoot in the kitchen proper.

Crowd sourcing

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Cabinetry, Bellini Kitchens. Range hood finishing, Applied Art Studios. countertops, Apex Custom Fabrications. Lighting, Visual Comfort. Runner, LH Decor & Design.

The entire Hay family are avid cooks, so a huge kitchen with enough elbow room for everyone was a big priority. A commodious island accommodates both Laura’s and her brother’s boys all at once. Tons of closed storage stashes a mountain of supplies.

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Photography, Gillian Jackson

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Photography, Gillian Jackson

Plaid tidings

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Custom sofas, LH Decor & Design. games table, Elle & Eve Consignment. fabric, Brunschwig & Fils blue tartan (chairs), goose print (cushion); Kravet (solid on sofas); Kravet. coffee tables, RH. throw, Urban Barn.

The sprawling great room, originally designed for several dozen paying guests, regains human scale by being divided into three more-intimate “rooms”: a games table; a comfy seating area in front of the fireplace (whose facing stones were salvaged from the foundation of the old kitchen addition); and another set of sofas that face a big-screen TV.

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Photography, Gillian Jackson

Sweet suite

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Window treatments, LH Decor & Design. mirror, Uttermost. bed linens, RH. Blue denim pillows, HomeSense. throw, Urban Barn.

This bedroom, nestled on the wooded side of the cottage, gains extra coziness from slanted eaves and soft neutral tones; the daybed (opposite the bed) pulls out, making it great for a child staying with parents. The painting is by Corky Davis, a family friend.

Full stripes

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Headboards, LH Decor & Design.  bed linens, lumbar pillows, mirror, Wayfair. sconces, RH. rug, Crate and Barrel.

A corner bedroom favoured by two of the younger Hay boys got its decor inspiration from the handwoven wall hanging on the far wall. The dresser was rescued from the original lodge and repainted. Like the leather inserts on the headboards, it’s attractive but stands up to the antics of active young kids.

Clean sweep

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Window treatment, LH Decor & Design. mirror, vanity, lighting, RH. faucets, Kohler. box (on vanity), HomeSense.

Some of the smaller lodge bedrooms were turned into extra bathrooms, each of them unique in its own way. Hardwood floors and crisp shiplap wainscotting add coziness to this one; a pair of fish prints from the lodge keeps the past alive.

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A Dated Georgian Bay Fishing Lodge Is Rescued And Transformed Into An Island Haven