Design hunt in Huntsville

Fortunately, I didn't see any real bears on my day trip to Huntsville last week. But I did see a lot of really neat design. Home decor and furniture stores lie practically shoulder to shoulder on Main Street in this cute little Muskoka town. So park your car and explore for a few hours! Maybe you'll come to the same conclusion as I did during my visit; that "cottage style" in reality is a very broad design concept. It can include rustic and primitive elements, French country-inspired pieces, breezy coastal vibes and modern, rough-hewn lines. The laid-back attitude and charming presentation are what set this style apart. See some of my favourites from the trip:

A bright red cupboard will

get you in the right, cottagy

mood. Put some light blue 

objects inside, and you'll have

a vibrant, attention-grabbing

piece. Veranda, Huntsville.

Here's an example of beachy, coastal

cottage style, with a stunning, silver-

coloured mirror and blue-and-white

striped upholstery. Summer fresh and 

gorgeous! Veranda.

Continuing the maritime theme...

A Steven and Chris  boat decoration

at Veranda.

Fun dresser/sideboard with lots of style. Veranda.

Interesting shape on this wooden table

base with glass top. Veranda.

Hides are definitely in! We mostly see them as

irregularly-shaped area rugs. Here, at Veranda,

as ottomans.

A beautiful, old church off Main Street 

in Huntsville is now home to the store

and design firm Urban Rustic Living. As 

the name suggests, rustic with an urban

spin is the name of the game here. 

Eye-catching antler chandelier. Urban Rustic Living.

Stunning chandelier with wooden

beads. Different! Urban Rustic Living.

Saturday Afternoons is a relatively new home store 

on Main Street in Huntsville, filled with elegant, light 

and breezy pieces. The beauty of these boat paintings 

is in their simplicity. 

I like the curved shapes of this antique chandelier

from Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve Ltd.'s 

store.

Can it get more natural than this?

Timber side table; my design magazines 

are full of them. Haliburton Forest & Wild 

Life Reserve Ltd.'s store.