INTERIOR DESIGN

Calm and Contemporary Living

BY ANNA CIPOLLONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAMERON ST.

A Muskoka cottage garage gets remodeled into a peaceful and inviting living space.

Once a garage that had been renovated to provide more living space at this Muskoka cottage, its newest transformation comes from husbandand-wife interior design team Coco & Jack. The full-service design firm is a partnership between Steven and Alyssa Terpstra, with

Hamilton as its home base.

“The previous owners had changed it into a living space with a kitchen,” says Alyssa Terpstra, about the renovated garage. “But it still felt very much like a garage, and our client was looking to give it a more inviting feel while changing the single car garage into some extra living space with a formal entrance, bathroom and laundry.”

The resulting clean and modern design principles at play, juxtaposed against the cozy cabin vibe of shiplap and patio flooring in diagonal earth tones, strikes the ideal balance between country escape and an upscale contemporary getaway. Surrounded by the lakes, rivers and forests throughout Muskoka, a primary focus when designing the space was to ensure the interior felt seamless and connected to the natural beauty outdoors.

“There were a few hurdles,” says Alyssa, which is true of every major redesign project. “The biggest one was wanting to keep the existing cabinets and also add onto the kitchen.” As a compromise, they were able to replace the fronts to keep the look cohesive, “and you can’t tell where the old cabinets start and stop,” she says. The most surprising discovery along the way was a bump out that was dividing the kitchen and living space: “We thought it was for the upstairs plumbing,” she says, “however, when we opened it up, we found that it was totally decorative. We were able to

The double garage doors allow the open space to extend into the outdoors in the warmer months.

A natural gathering place, the fireplace is the room’s design centrepiece while also offering warmth on colder days for guests to connect and congregate around. “I love that we were able to repurpose the stone wall behind the wood stove to hold the new fireplace insert and have a custom concrete mantel made,” says Alyssa, noting that it fits so perfectly it looks as though it was always there. It is a focal point that was meant to be, adding the natural element of stone to bring the outdoors in.

In the kitchen, all the plumbing fixtures are polished nickel, while black appliances were selected for the fridge and stove and complemented by gold handles that were swapped in as an accent.

A solitary circular mirror ties the fireplace together with the modern ambience of the open concept cottage. A large L-shaped sofa, a long wooden dining table, and the kitchen island offer plenty of sitting space all in the heart of the great room.

The front entrance has a welcoming table and sitting bench.

“They really elevate the space and give the kitchen a seamless look, while the pendant lights over the island soften the space and add so much great texture,” says Alyssa.

Coco & Jack’s aesthetic is rooted in designing spaces that will be well lived in. “With every project, we strive to curate a space that is casual, comfortable and classic,” she says. “Not only do they have to be beautiful, but also functional and durable for everyday life.”

For more information: cocoandjack.com