LIT FROM WITHIN

Take inspiration from this beautiful cedar cottage to create a vibe that’s both rustic and refined.

Learn from this stunning cedar cottage how to create a vibe that’s both rustic and refined.

MIDCENTURY MODIFIED. Midcentury modern furniture in a log cabin was quite an unexpected design choice. Tricia creates harmony with painted floors that complement both the walls and the furniture. The lovely little bouquets also play up the natural elements of the room.

“When we first looked at this house, it was super dark. It had

a lot of heavy drapes on the windows and some covered the open spaces.”

Tricia says, “My goal was to make the rooms as bright as possible.”

With a background in

antiques and design, Tricia has created

a beautifully curated home

that is both chic and comfortable.

When looking for some peace and quiet, sometimes you have to go off the beaten path. “We had been looking for a home in the country for years, and my husband, Mark, was always taking different back roads, looking for the right property,” says homeowner Tricia McMaster. When Tricia and Mark found this stunning cedar home, they fell in love. With a background in antiques and design, Tricia has created a beautifully curated home that is both chic and comfortable.

REVERSE YOUR STEPS

Tricia, a jewelry designer, has a design philosophy that works for all aspects of her life. “I wait, see what I come across. Then I’ll work backwards and design around it,” she says. Working with vintage and sourced material means one-of-a kind design. Her beautiful dining space is the result of that thinking.

“We came across this awesome 12-foot-long, single-plank table and pulled chairs to work around that. Luckily the room is long and narrow, so it fit! ”Tricia says. She chose chairs in shapes that would add some

elegance to the rustic feel of the room and table. Don’t let an item’s original color limit you when it comes to shopping for antiques. In this room, Tricia used white paint on the chairs to bring the different styles together.

BRIGHT AND WHITE

The little log cabin situated in the countryside of Ontario wasn’t always this light and airy. “When we first looked at this house it was super dark. It had a lot of heavy drapes on the windows and some covered the open spaces.” Tricia says “My goal was to make the rooms as bright as possible.”

While people often use a different color on the walls to make that change, Tricia had to look elsewhere due to the structure of the home. She says, “We loved the boards of the log walls, and inside they just needed a good cleaning.” Instead, Tricia used white on major furniture throughout the rooms. Despite how different they are from her usual style, the low-back white leather sofas were the perfect choice when she wanted to make the home a little brighter. “This philosophy of brightness lends its touch to the modern furniture we chose,” she says. Although it’s different from her more antique look, Tricia blends in the modern shapes with relevant accessories. Linen pillows, a woven throw and some wooden pieces add back the cabin feel to the more polished room. Small doses of a central motif in any room can go a long way in making your home feel cohesive.

Tricia also focused on bringing in more natural light. “We had to replace all the windows in the home. We definitely kept the windows as large as possible, and in some places we went even larger,” she says. Brightening up the space with painted white floors was another cost-effective way to lighten up the deep colors of the log cabin.

SIMPLE ADDITION. All of the home’s new extension is lacking the signature log walls. However, the gorgeous wood beams and a continuation of the flooring make it seem as if this reading nook was there all along.

GATHER ROUND. Mismatched antique chairs and a table runner made from fabric sourced in Paris perfectly showcase Tricia’s eclectic style. The plush seating and crystal chandelier dress up the raw look of her single-plank table.

SOAK IT UP

The gorgeous master bathroom shows off Tricia’s eye for design as well as her passion for antiquing. “Both the master bedroom and bath were additions to the home by previous owners. We installed the tin ceiling and put in the wooden beam to make the spaces work with the rest of home,” she says.

She stuck to the country feel of the house with the structure of the room and then added interest with the antique furniture. “The tub was a very thoughtful birthday gift from my husband,” she says. “We found it at a salvage yard and left the outside just as found. We just had the inside re-enameled. The vanity used to be a sideboard, and my husband installed the sink

The guest bedroom is a great place to try something a little bit different from your usual style, making visitors feel

as if they are in their own space. COZY IN COLOR. The textured Kantha quilt on the bed makes guests feel right at home. It matches the collected feel of the rest of home in an informal manner.

and counter to convert it.” Leaving a more worn and authentic look on upscale items helped the sophisticated shapes of the furniture blend with the rest of the home.

THROUGH THE WINDOW

The little birds perched in her bathroom, bedroom and even on her mantel are a fun addition to Tricia’s home. “I didn’t realize how much I liked birds until I noticed how much I use them!” she says. Tricia credits this to the environment right outside. She says, “I like to mirror the nature we see outside everyday. It’s nice to bring greens into the home, play up the timber structure, and birds seemed a perfect addition.”

Beautiful views of the outdoors have inspired other rooms in Tricia’s home as well. In the guest bedroom she says, “Guests have two views of property in this room, so we like to bring in a few of the colors. I have been gravitating toward green and yellow, just like in the kitchen. The walls have been stenciled with just a little bit of cherry tree branches.”

In this room, Tricia diverts from her more neutral preferences to create the most welcoming room for friends and family. She added her own personal touch to this room with a labor of love. “I sewed the bed skirts and curtains myself from sourced fabrics,” she says.

The guest bedroom is a great place to try something a little bit different from your usual style, making visitors feel as if they are in their own space. Like Tricia, try a different color palette from the rest of your home, while still designing to your surroundings.

CLAW-FOOT CHARACTER. This vintage tub was left as found on the outside but re-enameled on the inside. The result is a stunning snapshot of history that is still functional in use.

“I wait and see what I come across. Then I’ll work backwards

and design around it.”