Molly’s Cabin in Cottage Life 2016
Molly’s Cabin in Cottage Life: May 2016
When architect Adam Thom was designing a new family cottage to share with his aging mother on Georgian Bay, he had one thing in mind: togetherness. “I spend a lot of time with my mother up there,” he says. So he asked himself: “How do we share the work and socialize as we do it?” He opted for a generous kitchen with plenty of prep space and open shelving.
“A kitchen has to accommodate more than one person cooking at the same time so that it’s a pleasure to spend time with family and friends while you’re making things,” says Thom. “A kitchen island is helpful, because two people can work on different sides of it.” That usability is the same reason he opted for open cabinets-with everything on display, guests can easily pitch in. If they don’t already know where the big pot is, they can spot it pretty quickly.
Even in an open kitchen, Thom warns, you’ll want some closed storage space. “There are always brooms and mops and buckets and weird things you don’t want to look at.” He hides bottles of cleaning products beneath the sink, behind a panel with disguised hinges and an inset handle for a sleek look.