A log home getaway built in B.C. looks right at home in Quebec’s Laurentians.

Montreal may be home from Monday to Friday, but when the weekend comes, designer Darina Bellini and her husband, kids and dog pile into the car and head for the woods. “This is our place to escape as a family from the hustle of daily life. It’s where we recharge and create special memories together,” says Darina. Amazingly, the entire home was built from scratch in British Columbia, then dismantled and transported to Quebec, where it was reassembled amid the conifers on this lakefront lot. “It’s a classic log home in most ways, but the architect designed huge contemporary windows so we’d never lose sight of nature,” says Darina. “Given the beauty of Quebec’s four seasons, that’s no small thing.”

“These huge cedar beams play a major role in the home’s design,” says designer Darina Bellini. To keep the emphasis on natural textural surfaces, there are oak floors and rattan chairs. “The fireplace is finished in lime plaster, and the velvet pillows are hand-dyed. Nothing in here is cold or clinical.” The sofa is covered in a stain-resistant linen, so the kids and dog can leap and lounge to their heart’s content. 

The lakeview living area is all about family-friendly flexibility. “We have a dog and that jute rug is super forgiving,” says Darina. “The coffee table, which looks heavy, is actually veneer with hand-painted ‘dovetail corners,’ so it’s a breeze to lift out of the way to play Twister with the kids.” For many years, that fig tree was in the family’s Montreal home. “It was not happy there, but as soon as I got it here, it bloomed. And that was three years ago!”

“Each room in the house is designed to draw us together to connect, whether that’s around the breakfast table or snuggled up by the fireplace.”

The mirror was a flea-market find, as were the vintage landscape paintings. Two long benches are drawn up to a Swedish table that has curved ends, which makes accommodating extra guests easy. “The vintage pendant light throws a pool of light over the table that is so cinematic,” says Darina. “It’s as if everything fades to the background and you’re just with friends sharing supper.”

CABINETRY PAINT, Railings 31, Farrow & Ball. SCONCES, Allied Maker.

The open kitchen is finished in marble and wood. “The walls are a soft grey-white that changes tone with the four seasons,” says Darina. “When you’re in this room, all you have to do is glance up to revel in the ever-changing blues, greens and greys of the lake.” Simple wood stools soften the modern lines of the waterfall-style peninsula.

 

 

“When you walk into the house through that door, you’re met with the grandeur of these enormous red cedar logs. They’re completely integrated into the home’s design,” says Darina. The table with the vase , for example, is part of a weight- loading beam. The stairway leads to the lower-level living and kitchen area, where a rustic vintage chair adds height to a display of favourite books.

 “We wanted all attention to go to the beautiful cedar logs, so the bed- room’s look is intentionally simple, quiet and calming.”

“From the bed, there are the most lovely views of the lake,” says Darina. The fireplace, though understated, is finished in limestone and plaster. “Textured finishes bring a sense of warmth to a room.” The restful-looking bedding is linen and the gracious wood bedside tables are custom.

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