3 “LAST FOREVER” QUALITIES TO EMBRACE IN COTTAGE DECOR

Even though we’re watching the clock until the first long weekend of spring, the whole point of spending time at a cottage is that it’s a timeless experience. You turn off the paved road and onto the winding gravel path to the lake, and once you finally exhale, you forget how long the weekend rush was. You put away your phone when you arrive, and you can ignore your alarms and calendar alerts for the rest of the weekend.

When you’re at the cottage, your only clocks are the sunrises and sunsets, and your only “push notifications” are the pop of the toaster, the gurgling crescendo of the coffee maker, and the time it takes for steak to sizzle on the grill.

But the cottage is timeless for another reason. Because being at the lake lets us step back in time to our parents’ and grandparents’ world—and it lets us preserve that experience for our kids and beyond. So if you’re looking for new furnishings for your cottage, it’s best to keep those timeless qualities in mind. Particularly the following three characteristics, which inspire every piece produced by Inland Fine Furnishings.

Canadian-made quality

With 20 per cent of the world’s fresh water and endless expanses of forests, Canada is brimming with natural resources. But one resource that’s too often overlooked in an era of fast fashion and disposable items is the home-grown craftsmanship that shapes those resources into products worth passing down through generations.

That dedication to craftsmanship has underpinned every piece of furniture at Inland, from stunning dining tables to solid wood beds. And it’s as evident in their decades-old history as a boutique furniture builder in Winnipeg as it is in their current team of designers, who specialize in creating spaces inspired by classic Canadian artistry.

Sustainably sourced materials

An oak tree takes several decades to reach maturity, and it hasn’t reached “old age” until its seventh century. With a lifespan like that, anything built from it should honour those roots by lasting even longer—and by using sustainable wood. All of Inland’s pieces are made from sustainable North American sources, including alder, pine, birch, walnut, cherry, brown maple, wormy maple, oak, and quarter-sawn oak, which not only adds new textures to the gorgeous grain, but also resists cupping and warping as the wood ages.

That means you won’t just be able to choose from a variety of grains and appearances in your cottage’s wooden furniture; you’ll also be passing down a piece that respects the resources that made it possible.

Timeless cottage design

For more than three decades, we’ve had the privilege of visiting, photographing, and featuring Canada’s most gorgeous cottages. And while many have stood out from the crowd, our favourites are always the ones that blend into their surroundings, letting the dappled lake, the towering conifers, and the jagged edges of the Canadian Shield take centre stage. And the same goes for the way those cottages are furnished. We all love the timeless look of an A-frame by the lake. But just like the cottages that we hand down from generation to generation, the decor we choose should strive for the same timeless appeal. Because in a world of replaceable things, the cottage is a place for furnishings that are designed to last.

Ready to furnish your cottage with hand-crafted wooden furniture that respects its roots? Visit inlandmade.com to discover more.

2023-03-29T09:18:34Z dg43tfdfdgfd