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The former pine paneling was replaced with light-coloured walls and a white beadboard ceiling accented with cross beams. This adds to the spacious atmosphere, as does the addition of large west- and southfacing windows, which flood the space with natural light. The light colouring is balanced by the warm wood tones of hickory hardwood flooring from London’s Under Foot Inc. In the kitchen, Woody’s Custom Cabinetry, from London, installed new maple cabinets with a custom glaze, then distressed them to give an older, worn appearance, in keeping with the cottage character. The Cambria quartz countertops, with a subtle weaving of white and light greys, are offset by a backsplash of patterned porcelain tiles, in shades of blues and burgundies. The tiles, along with those in the upstairs bathroom, were imported from Spain and are one of Clare’s favourite elements in the new cottage. “A designer in Oakville (where the family’s permanent home is located) said the tiles would match my funky style and she was right!” Clare enthuses. From the foyer, an open staircase leads to the 631-square-foot second floor with three bedrooms and the bathroom. “The second storey could not be added over the entire width of the cottage due to the side lot setbacks but the flow from the main floor to the second floor works well with the open staircase,” Poortinga says. A large rear shed dormer was added so Top: Maibec wood siding on the Schmehl children could each have their the cottage’s exterior has been own room on the north side of the home, installed in a horizontal and both furnished with bunk beds for visiting vertical combination to add friends. interest and the blue colour A large front gable dormer was added gives it a coastal character. to accommodate the cozy master bedroom, with two spacious closets. Bottom: The patterned The upper bathroom was divided so that kitchen backsplash porcelain more than one family member could use it tiles, in shades of blues and at the same time. It includes a double vanity burgundies, were imported from Spain. with the same Cambria quartz counter as the kitchen. The shower/tub surround features imported tiles that resemble wood planks, giving a rustic appearance. The original cottage had a small crawl space. Oke Woodsmith dug the foundation down to five feet and finished it with a concrete floor to provide additional capacity for the mechanicals, including the 95-per-cent efficiency gas furnace and a humidification unit for improved indoor air quality. Although the space is accessed via a trap door in the foyer floor, an opening with a ladder was also created through one of the panels under the stairway for quick and easy entry. The Schmehl youngsters have found the space a great place to hang out on rainy days. “It’s like a little cave for them,” their mother says. The design process developed rather quickly, after the initial meeting. Oke Woodsmith was able to surmise the needs of the Schmehls and the challenges of the property. The company worked with the local municipal officials from the inception of the design to ensure that the proposed work would fall within the municipal requirements. Correspondence throughout the design and construction was primarily accomplished through email in order for the project to remain on schedule since the Schmehls live in Oakville. Clare credits Oke Woodsmith with many of the features that incorporate the cottage atmosphere with a modern home. “Oke Woodsmith has a lot of really good design ideas. We love our cottage!” Clare concludes. oke