In spite of this house’s then-uninhabitable status, its owners pictured their dream island cottage that the minute they stepped inside its moldy walls. “The househad been closed without heat for decades and was a moss- and nicotine-soaked nightmare,” says homeowner Ian McLeod. “Many people believed it a teardown, however, the astonishing place and the house’s great bones were all that we watched,” he states. A 15-minute floatplane ride requires him and Kerry Johnson from their busy urban lives as design consultants in Vancouver to Mayne Island, in which they enjoy viewing wildlife, reading and focusing on DIY projects.
in a Glance
Who lives here: This is a vacation cottage for Ian McLeod and Kerry Johnson
Location: Mayne Island, between Vancouver and Vancouver Island
Size: About 1,400 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
The main floor’s tented cedar ceiling has been one of the few elements that the couple did not have to tear out. “The way it seems today is the way it looked to us within the first five minutes of seeing it,” says McLeod, a design consultant for Johnson McLeod.
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
“When we are in Vancouver, we are very busy, both with all our design projects and a social life that combines work and pleasure,” McLeod says. “The cottage is our respite, and although summer consists of wonderful visits with friends, we are often alone there the remainder of the year, enjoying a solitude and watching nature”
Before Photo
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
The couple replaced and additional windows for greater natural lighting and views.
“Every single day we see seals swimming past and eagles soaring by. You will find deer sleeping under our fruit trees, and sometimes a killer whale in the bay,” McLeod says.
Out here on the porch, a bowl of twigs has the look of a fire pit with no fire hazard. “The glowing-embers result was made by tucking strings of crimson twinkle lights in among a whorl of local driftwood sticks,” McLeod describes. “We left the outside coffee table it sits on and used a big drill bit for the extension cable. Not having a visible power supply completes the illusion.”
Before Photo
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
Johnson and McLeod were champing at the bit to start realizing their vision; they began demolishing walls the day they took ownership of the home. “As in all our work, we focus on increasing light and opening longer sight lines,” McLeod says. “To this end we tore down the wall between the kitchen and main living room, making one huge space”
One of their many DIY projects includes the mix kitchen island and wood stacker, which divides the kitchen area from the dining area.
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
“Our favorite cosmetic is whitened with wood, both here and in town,” McLeod says. “This provides nice contrast to the first apparent cedar ceiling in the main area, while gallons of white paint contemporize the home and help us to see.”
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
The couple has furnished and accessorized with local finds, DIY projects and found objects, such as driftwood. “We enjoy making new items blend with the older, and old items blend with the brand new,” McLeod says.
Before Photo
The kitchen had been its own closed-off place, and the cabinets were in poor form. McLeod and Johnson wished to make it enjoyable to check at from the new open first-floor space.
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
Wood and white contrast from the new kitchen : Fir plywood cabinets replicate the cedar ceiling, whereas white appears in the stainless steel countertops and tongue and groove paneling. The shortage of upper cabinets opens up the distance.
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
“The local Home Hardware is our favorite haunt, as we are usually producing something. We have always adored DIY projects and are too fast and impatient for help,” McLeod says. “We built and hand painted our chunky coffee table, storage units and the library shelving”
Before Photo
McLeod and Johnson did add a wall on the main floor; it divides the formerly big bedroom into two smaller bedrooms.
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
Tongue and groove paneling brings a cottage feel to the bedrooms. The orange shelves in the end of the bed are just another DIY project.
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
Both new comfy rooms also have a transom window between them.
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
The lower guest bedroom is made from bleached plywood panels and white strapping.
Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants
The couple has owned the home since 2005, but they are not done making improvements, as people are part of the enjoyment of their island lifestyle. “We walk everywhere, create every meal and much of the furniture,” McLeod says. “After a couple of weeks of this, neon lights and takeout meals in the Vancouver resembles a visit to Paris — we love the contrast!”
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