Creating Synergy
Story Walter Franczyk
Photography Sandy Mackay and Andre Carriere
World events are changing how people spend time at home. Professionals who design, decorate and furnish homes and cottages are embracing this shift to help refashion life at home.
Designer Tary Roossien, who established Urban Rustic Living, a Muskoka furniture store and design house, 18 years ago, has partnered with Cassis Design Studio in an enterprise that can plan homes and cottages from the ground up.
“We can work with clients from the initial stages right through to the finished stage,” says Meredith Parsons, a Cassis designer. That work can include designing a new home or renovation, preparing three-dimensional plans and co-ordinating with architects, engineers and builders.
This modern and classic Muskoka design uses accessories to layer natural warmth with wood, colour and texture.
“What I’m excited about is the fact that I have a team of people that I can collaborate with,” says Tary. “The collaboration, for me, is the most exciting part. I have working with me a fresh group of designers as excited about the future of design as I am.”
Like Tary, Meredith appreciates the dynamics of collaboration. “A good team needs to be created,” she says, explaining that architects, engineers or builders will view projects differently. “It’s very beneficial to have all the pieces of the puzzle at play right in the beginning so everyone’s perspective can be taken into consideration,” Meredith says.
TOP: A retractable lakeside window covering, wood-burning fireplace, comfy chairs and warm blankets make this space inviting for all seasons. ABOVE: Two tones of wood finishes help lend an intimate ambience in this well-equipped and furnished ground-floor lounge.
The versatile team members at Cassis specialize in various aspects of design. “However all of us will dabble in each other’s work and share opinions and we bounce ideas off each other so you get a good, well-rounded, well thought-out plan,” Meredith says.
Furniture, for example, is sometimes the last thing people think of when building or renovating. “But we think of it right in the process of the layout of the floor plan,” says Tary. The placement of furnishings can determine the location of electrical plugs or overhead lighting. “We are able to do that right up front. It’s not after the fact.”
TOP: Designed for the available space, this custom-built coffee table anchors the great room of this new Lake Rosseau cottage. ABOVE: Painted shingled walls, various wood stains, lighting and furnishings make this Muskoka room warm and inviting.
“We can develop a furniture budget up front as well because typically that’s left right until the end and some people are so fatigued with the expense of the build that the idea of another bill for the furniture is daunting,” says Meredith. Urban Rustic Living is available to support the design team and to help curate designs.
TOP & ABOVE: Designers created a lodge-like feeling with multiple seating groups overlooking the water from all directions. Vintage wood walls were salvaged and integrated into the fresh design.
Each project is different, says Meredith. Cassis offers a menu of services from which clients can choose the assistance or expertise they want.
Some clients may want to see what a cottage they’re thinking of buying may look like after a renovation. Cassis can show them that in digital images. Other clients have their homes or cottages built and finished, are moving in at a certain date and want it furnished. Some want advice on wall finishes or lighting or simply want a second set of eyes to review an already prepared design. “Not everybody is looking for the same thing,” says Tary. “Where we come in is to be very supportive to the client.” The Cassis team ensures clients understand the entire design process and are comfortable with it.
A beautiful fresh space with tones of soft greys, creams, turquoise and brushed nickel lighting flows from the great room through to the kitchen.
“We’re really happy to collaborate with our clients,” says Meredith. “The family cottage is a very special place for them. It has a lot of family history and they want to maintain certain things.” With design aesthetics, Cassis ensures clients are aware of all the available options to consider.
The ceilings in this bedroom are high, so the addition of a woven, drum chandelier fills the volume of this space.
LEFT: A bunk room is a great use of space for multi-generational families. Four queen-sized bunk beds can accommodate eight young children. Added storage in the structure uses every possible space. RIGHT: Textured with millwork, walls with tone-on-tone paint add interest to this guest bedroom room.
This primary bedroom with white-washed open rafters has a vintage cottage look, accented with a large wood and crystal chandelier.
Installing hardwood on this large bedroom wall draws eyes upward and shows off the high ceilings in this space.
Muskoka, says Tary, will always be a place where people want to be. That drives home and cottage construction and purchases. But the level of renovation is also high, she says. “People are looking at their properties and reevaluating because there’s only so much beautiful waterfront available. There are a lot of older cottages that are on the most beautiful lots,” she says.
Cassis is working on several projects where people are transforming their single-family cottage, expanding it to be multi-generational as their families age and grow bigger, says Meredith. Clients may not be ready to undertake an immediate renovation but are thinking about how their cottage will serve them in the long run.
LEFT: This bathroom was narrow, but had high ceilings. Tile in a chevron pattern across the back wall makes the shower appear wider. RIGHT: For this en suite, designers sourced a modern sphere chandelier and stacked stone for the feature wall. Dark-stained wood pieces accent the room.
There’s definitely a lot of emotion involved when people plan their forever home or cottage, says Tary. “People are spending way more time at their cottage. They’re living half their life at the cottage, at least, so it’s really important that the end result, the interior design, totally fits their lifestyle and their family.” It’s a comfortable ambience Cassis helps foster. “There’s a feeling people associate with Muskoka,” says Meredith. “When they’re here they want to feel calm. They want to feel relaxed in their space.” OH
TOP: Back-lit mirrors in this en suite look great, add light and are very functional. ABOVE: Designers created a home spa with a steam shower and sauna with a nearby hot tub and workout space. They infused this organic setting with wood finishes and naturally-aged wood for the vanity and mirror.