“The family room faces both east and west, so it gets sunrise and sunset. The screened porch faces west, so it gets the sunset,” says owner Bob Chapman.
Bob Chapman and Melanie Roung loved the location of their island cottage on Georgian Bay so much they decided to rebuild on the footprint, rather than move.
“The family room faces both east and west, so it gets sunrise and sunset. The screened porch faces west, so it gets the sunset,” says owner Bob Chapman.
When Bob Chapman and Melanie Roung bought their cottage on an island in Georgian Bay 35 years ago it was rustic — single-storey, traditional, on concrete block piers. Chapman says, “It had no electricity or running water, just a hand pump by the kitchen sink and an RV toilet by the bedrooms.” Eventually, they needed more.
The cottage had been great for the family over the years, but it came time to decide whether to move or build a new cottage on the island.
Says Chapman: “We love the island we’re on. We love the cottage location on the island. (But) we wanted something bigger, with more creature comforts, both to accommodate our grandchildren and to enable us to extend our season here.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
“We wanted a layout similar to the original — wood panelled walls, the kitchen facing west, extended from a family room with windows all around, the master bedroom facing east, and two more bedrooms on the main floor. We also wanted a loft overlooking the family room which could serve as another bedroom … and a screened porch on the west side.”
Their architect understood the blueprint. “Prior to our initial meeting, Melanie prepared a sketch plan that captured their vision for the cottage, which served as the foundation for the design’s development,” says Cathy Garrido of Sustain Design Architects Inc.
Chapman says he and his wife visited during construction most weeks and found the 3D modelling provided by the architects very helpful.
The new 3,200-square-foot cottage features a cruciform (cross-like) floor plan, with each wing oriented to its surroundings. The living room faces north towards a distinctive rock formation and is wrapped on all sides by a deck. The main bedroom suite is directed at the water on the east and to morning light. To the west, the screened porch overlooks a busy boating channel. A more secluded guest bedroom wing is nestled in the wooded area to the south. At the centre, where the roof reaches its highest point, a loft space features a living area with a TV room and a guest bedroom designed for grandchildren.
The cottage is connected to grid power via a line along the lake bed. Water is drawn from the lake and filtered for household use, and wastewater is managed by a new septic system that replaces the outdated one.
The couple had to be patient. COVID, building on an island, and chronic material shortages delayed the process by a year.
Now the dream is complete. Says Chapman: “Island living is not for everyone, but we love it. I first came through the archipelago 50 years ago during a summer trip on a rented cruiser. I swore then that if I ever had a cottage, it would be here.”
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation