Cottages
August 3, 2022
Reach New Heights With Inspiration From These Grand Living Rooms
Soaring ceilings, impressive fireplaces and ample seating — these are some of the hallmarks of a grand living room or cottage great room. These luxe living areas prove that sometimes you only need one hardworking space to relax, entertain and gather.
Take your decorating to new heights with inspiration from these grand living rooms!
In designer Jennifer Overweel’s living area off the kitchen, she infused elements of both a family room and living room through elegant seating and draping, a TV and a wood-burning fireplace.
This cozy cottage great room has two zones for seating. Twin plaid sofas by a granite fireplace offer a welcoming resting spot after a long day outside. Meanwhile, black and rattan armchairs in the corner create a separate zone for card games, cocktails or simply staring out at the shores of Georgian Bay.
In Lynda Reeves’s lakehouse, wood-panelled walls, a stone fireplace and separate seating zones are all elements of a classic great room. “Lovingly preserved for generations, the great room, with its vaulted ceiling, had survived through 100 winters of no heat or insulation. I’m a big believer in keeping the largest upholstered pieces in one solid color. I find it’s visually calming, and it lets you change things up easily with new pillows and throws,” says Lynda.
If you don’t have vaulted ceilings, you can create the illusion of an Old World country great room by adding ceiling beams to your family room. “I always treat the ceiling as a fifth wall,” says homeowner Hali MacDonald, who used tongue-and-groove panelling and wooden beams to add warmth to the family room.
Vaulted ceilings with timbers beams add warmth to the streamlined furniture and lighting in this modern farmhouse. “My favorite place is the great room; it’s very calming. We don’t have a television — we listen to music and have martinis,” says the homeowner. “With the old-school wood-burning fireplace and the light coming in from the huge windows, it’s gorgeous — it’s the perfect combination of elements.”
In this ultramodern waterside home, the homeowners chose to extend the ceiling beyond the interior to create one long great room that stretches from indoors to out, so you never have to choose between the two.
When the homeowners of this North Toronto home told designer Ali Budd they wanted to eliminate a living room, they knew the family room needed to shine on its own. An arched doorway makes for a grand entrance, a statement chandelier creates the illusion of height and wood-panelled walls gives it a vintage vibe. “This is where we’ll be entertaining,” says the homeowner.
“The old cottage became one large great room with an open-plan kitchen and dining area,” says designer Sam Sacks of her country escape in Frontenac County, Ontario. The boho-inspired room accommodates three separate seating areas, making it a great space to entertain or lounge solo.
Full-height windows in this cottage great room extend into the dining room, giving both loungers and diners sweeping views of the water. Sleek seating and a carved wooden sculpture bring a sophisticated feel to the room.
In this serene Muskoka great room, soft and organic materials set the tone for the soothing space, while symmetrical seating and lighting feels grandiose. A reading nook off to the side provides another zone to relax and unwind.
This Whistler retreat has an open-concept living space that’s anchored by a concrete-faced Rumford fireplace. Full-height drapes soften the look, while stacked firewood brings warmth and edge to the room.
A massive wood-burning fireplace crafted from local stone is the focal point in this open-plan living room. “On a dark and stormy night, surrounded by the sky, cocooned and cosy, fire going, it’s really quite exciting,” says designer Carrie McCarthy.
In designer Scott Yetman’s Quebec chateau, a striking light fixture hangs from the vaulted ceiling in the grand living room, creating a canopy effect “so you don’t feel like you’re sitting in this massive space,” says Scott. A glamorous mirror sits above the original fireplace, which acts as the centre of the room.
This gorgeous living room pulls out all the stops with vaulted ceilings and a porcelain fireplace flanked by custom bookends and floor-to-ceiling windows. Wooden beams add a rustic element to the newly renovated space.