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Houzz Tour: Cultural Adventure in Newfoundland
Lovingly Renovated Coastal Cottages Enhance a Trip of a Lifetime
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
Today we are taking a different kind of Houzz Tour: one that's about a different kind of vacation. And along the way we'll be touring three charming cottages on the Canadian coast. An eco-friendly tour company called CapeRace Cultural Adventures has carefully renovated these Newfoundland cottages to feel like home and retain the souls of the original structures.
Guests get the keys to a van and three coastal homes, and they stay in each one for three nights. Each cottage is in a markedly different place. CapeRace also provides a unique guidebook for "the curious traveler" full of suggestions for hikes and historic sites, and hints about where to meet local people and have authentic Newfoundland experiences.
For now, let's peek inside the cottages for a look at Newfoundland coast style.
20 Spectacular Beach Houses | Browse beach-house photos
Guests get the keys to a van and three coastal homes, and they stay in each one for three nights. Each cottage is in a markedly different place. CapeRace also provides a unique guidebook for "the curious traveler" full of suggestions for hikes and historic sites, and hints about where to meet local people and have authentic Newfoundland experiences.
For now, let's peek inside the cottages for a look at Newfoundland coast style.
20 Spectacular Beach Houses | Browse beach-house photos
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Stop No. 1: The Hipditch House, St. John's, Newfoundland. The first part of this tour takes us to what CapeRace Founder Ken Sooley calls "the 'new' of Newfoundland," on the east coast of Canada. While most of Newfoundland has been suffering from the closing of the cod fish industry (40,000 jobs were lost), St. John's (discovered by John Cabot and the oldest town in North America), is a larger city that has had an influx of cash due to oil.
Nautical relics become part of the decor to remind guests of the legacy of fishing in the outports.
Nautical relics become part of the decor to remind guests of the legacy of fishing in the outports.
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| As the economy took a downturn, many homes fell into disrepair and have been torn down. It was important to CapeRace to save what they could while retaining the spirit of the original structures and making them comfortable for guests. |
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In a CapeRace restoration, much thought is given to retaining the spirit of the original cottages. While this house has been modernized, it still has the look and feel of outport homes.
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This particular house had five additions on it (some of which were falling down), and thus had different levels throughout the home. Working with restoration contractor Jerry Burton, Sooley decided one of the moves they needed to make was to keep the different levels. A cute graphic keeps people from tripping and adds to the atmosphere.
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| This house has a great view of the water and the larger metropolis of St. John's. |
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Restorations keep the cottages simple, clean and bright. "We want our guests to come home from a day of adventure to what feels like their own place," Sooley says. "What's better than coming home to a 100-year-old house with an ocean view?"
You'll notice daybeds tucked here and there in unexpected places throughout these three-bedroom homes. At one point, 20 people lived in this home, so design moves like this help fit in a few more guests and serve as a reminder of the home's history. "Daybeds in the kitchen were common throughout the outports," Sooley says. "As kids, we used to fight over who got to sleep on the daybed in the kitchen."
You'll notice daybeds tucked here and there in unexpected places throughout these three-bedroom homes. At one point, 20 people lived in this home, so design moves like this help fit in a few more guests and serve as a reminder of the home's history. "Daybeds in the kitchen were common throughout the outports," Sooley says. "As kids, we used to fight over who got to sleep on the daybed in the kitchen."
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Since these homes evolved over some 100 years, a range of eras are represented in the artwork, finishes and furnishings. Keeping this in mind, CapeRace chose a nautical theme for the Hipditch house. Sooley scored the ship paint sign from the nearby ship paint factory before it was demolished.
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A bright sitting area takes advantage of the natural light and views. Bits of modern technology have been removed, including microwaves, televisions, and internet service. That forces family and friends to pull out a deck of cards, tell stories, read books and play board games.
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A copy of The Shipping News, set in Newfoundland, adds to the cultural experience.
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Bright paint is a common design element here.
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This bedroom has crisp cottage style with simple furnishings, in the spirit of the original home.
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The washroom added some functionality that was not original to the cottage. So far, no one has complained about this historic inaccuracy!
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Stop No. 2: The E.J. Sooley House in Heart's Delight. Sooley and his business partner and sister, Sharon Nisbet, grew up visiting this house of their grandfather's, E.J. Sooley, but had lost interest in it as teenagers. Later, when the house was left to them and had become quite dilapidated, they decided to restore it back to its original spirit, counting on their memories to help them get it right. This is how CapeRace began.
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Windows, trim, hardware and light fixtures are elements that stay true to the original structures.
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Bright colors were common in Newfoundland, and Sooley and Nisbet decided to leave the colors their grandmother had chosen wherever possible, and copy others when needed. Many of the doors retain the original paint, and this fresh coat of turquoise is based on what was there when they were children.
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These homes have evolved over about a century. Sooley and Nisbet tried to reflect this in furnishings they chose, such as vintage stoves and other antiques.
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Because Newfoundland was an English outport until 1949, most homes have a picture of the queen, a tradition that Sooley and Nisbet have carried on in all of their homes.
"It can take about 3-5 years to collect the appropriate furniture and fully outfit the house," Sooley says. Because this home was passed down in their family, the tables, chairs, pictures, dressers and the hutch are original to this house.
"It can take about 3-5 years to collect the appropriate furniture and fully outfit the house," Sooley says. Because this home was passed down in their family, the tables, chairs, pictures, dressers and the hutch are original to this house.
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The original vintage kitchen hardware contributes to the nostalgic atmosphere.
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"You'll notice chipped paint on some of the furniture," Sooley says, "but everything is pristine and clean, and all of the beds and linens are new." Using these original pieces of furniture and showing off their age help keeps the soul of the houses intact.
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Spartan yet cozy bedrooms help the retreat feel like home and retain the outpost character.
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| Stop No. 3: The Thomas Mouland House in Bonavista. This is in the Mockbeggar neighborhood of a larger town of 3,000 residents. It's a very old and authentic setting, where pubs and the fish plant are a five-minute walk away.
This vernacular structure is known as a biscuit box house. It was saved by The Bonavista Historic Townscape, an organization that fixes up the exteriors of the homes (windows, trim, roofs, etc.) and then transfers them to the private sector. |
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| The home was moved across the street because the property owner planned on tearing it down; here it is on its journey! If you've read The Shipping News, across the street doesn't seem like that far of a move for a house. |
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| The property where the house was originally sited was sold, so the structure was moved across the street. Thomas Mouland, a former owner, was a survivor of The Great Sealing Disaster of 1914, upping the home's historical significance. |
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"When approaching a kitchen, we try to plumb old furniture or create pieces that seem like they were always there," Sooley says. "This cabinet was built custom and can be pulled in and pulled out." The cabinet was made by local carpenters Lloyd Russell and son Jason. The vintage stove was a $24 score, chosen as one of those pieces that would have been added in the cottage's midlife.
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| Sooley and Nisbet include an extra bed in spots where they can, for extra seating and that extra last-minute guest in your group. |
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Old ripped wallpaper from the house becomes artwork over the bed; that's actually an empty frame mounted over a small area of the paper that is still on the wall. The cabinet was taken from another one of their properties, The Anchor House. Nisbet says, "the lady who owned the house before us liked to dabble in painting everything!"
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| Vintage furniture in the living room is a reminder of how the homes and their furnishings evolved over many eras. |
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A tribute to English royalty has a place of honor over the dining room table.
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| Can you guess what this is? It's 100 years of floorings, from sailcloth to linoleum, each one denoting approximately one decade's style. While Nisbet started to create a few 6" pieces of art with the vintage layers, Sooley had bigger ideas... |
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...this staircase uses all of the layers of the kitchen floor, in order from oldest to newest, from bottom to top.
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This clever nightstand is a repurposed barrel. "This is very rare, and was used to ship dried fish," Sooley explains. He really had to sweet-talk the owner into selling it to him.
More: 20 Spectacular Beach Houses
Houzz Tour: A Joyous Home in Norway
Modernizing Cottage Style
Browse beach-house photos
More: 20 Spectacular Beach Houses
Houzz Tour: A Joyous Home in Norway
Modernizing Cottage Style
Browse beach-house photos
Ideabook updated on Jan. 10, 2012.
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This is hands down fantastic and if I could do it, I would be there visiting these wonderful little places in an instant. The owners have an incredible sensitivity to their places and I admire it so much!
Everything in the house is squeaky clean and all the linens, dishes, mattresses, etc. are brand-spanking new, while vintage furnishings were carefully chosen to reflect the history and traditional, unique outport style of the homes.
I love Newfoundland!
Great response, Becky. There is nothing dingy about these cottages. In fact, these homes are the exact opposite of "dark, dull or dirty color or aspect; lacking brightness or freshness." (dictionary.com definition)
I grew up in Nfld and go back for a visit every year.
Love the daybeds in the kitchens. I think every old home had one.
Also, love the stairs with the old canvas.
Is available for visitors in NL..lucky me, I get to live here!