A Cozy Chalet Escape
Designed by Jane Lockhart Design, this Collingwood chateau overlooking Georgian Bay is a modern and inviting ski retreat for an active family.
By Susan Semenak | Photography by Alex Lukey
High on a hill overlooking Georgian Bay, this spectacular house, dubbed Blue Mountain Home, spans 6,500 square feet and features massive wood beams, rough-cut stone and expansive 15-foot-tall windows overlooking majestic vistas. Completed last winter for a couple and their two teenage sons as the family ski retreat, the five-bedroom home is bright and airy thanks to tall ceilings and an open floorplan, while woods and warm tones ensure it’s inviting to family and guests alike.
This stately chateau was designed by renowned Toronto architect Lorne Rose, knwown for his stunning customized dream homes, and built by Primont Homes.
Luxurious it may be, but don’t call it fancy. Jane Lockhart—whose eponymous residential and commercial design firm was tasked with bringing the home’s interiors to life—says her mission from the get-go was to keep things cozy.
“This is a very special house and it’s impressive to walk into, with the view and all the custom millwork [by Estate Interiors],” Lockhart says. “But the owners didn’t want it to be too precious or too formal. They wanted it cozy and warm.”
High on their wish list was a living room with a fireplace and big comfy sofas where everyone could lie down for a nap or watch television on Saturday afternoon after a day on the nearby ski hills of Blue Mountain Village. They also imagined themselves in the kitchen making pizza together at the island counter.
So, Lockhart and her team obliged with a massive 12-foot-wide stone and wood fireplace surround with a long gas insert that is perfect for setting the mood. To keep this feature from unduly dominating the room, the designers incorporated two walnut panels to hold a pair of tubular sconces, a shiplap recess for the wall-mounted television and a narrow seven-inch mantel. “All of these elements stop this from seeming like a fortress wall,” Lockhart says. “And the mantel offers a place to hang the stockings at Christmas.”
This is a very special house and it'‘s
impressive to walk into, with the view and all the custom millwork [by Estate Interiors]. The owners didn't want it too precious or too formal. They wanted it cozy and warm.
Lockhart says homey touches such as these, which are among her trademarks, are all about what she calls “human scaling.” To that end, the design team commissioned a large sectional sofa and smaller chaises longues for ample relaxation space. And they installed a coffee bar and hot chocolate station just steps away from the fireplace—an unexpected but welcome luxury for a ski chalet.
The upholstery had to be “cushy and comfy,” as Lockhart calls it, but also durable and easy to clean. “There is no need to worry about spilling wine or hot chocolate,” she says. “Everything in this house looks good and wears well.”
And when the owner said she wanted the main living area to have a “romantic feel” that counterbalanced the building’s right angles, Lockhart curved the corners of the sofa and hung a row of round globe pendants over the kitchen island, echoed in the modern circular chandelier over the dining room table.
The mudroom and entrance foyer highlight the “wash and wear” features that Lockhart says are so handy in second homes inhabited by active families. The entrance floor is clad in dark slate-look porcelain tiles that are a cinch to clean up. The mudroom includes ample storage space for hiding ski equipment behind slatted doors, and electrical outlets for plugging in heated gloves and mitts. A washing machine and dryer are tucked here, too, so wet, dirty sports clothes don’t pile up in the rest of the house.
“Everybody loves barbecuing at the cottage. But why should it be only in summer?”
One of the family’s favourite spots is the indoor grilling room that can be used all year long thanks to a fully-vented custom hood. It opens onto a screened, covered porch and beyond, an outdoor patio with views onto Collingwood and the shores of Georgian Bay, perfect for al fresco dining during the warmer months. “Everybody loves barbecuing at the cottage,” Lockhart says. “But why should it be only in summer?”
On the main floor, the primary bedroom takes full advantage of the stunning location with dramatic soaring windows. A feature wall that integrates a headboard, mirrors and suede panels invites extra decadent vacation sleep. The primary ensuite bath mixes materials, with light-coloured floor tiles and a double vanity in lightly toasted oak, plus walls in a soft grey two-tone herringbone pattern. Lockhart notes that she uses matte finishes wherever she can to create a calming atmosphere without glare or gloss.
Another hidden but useful feature that Lockhart incorporated into the house, a compact home office, first became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, when legions of people suddenly found themselves working from their country places. Nobody ever wants to hand useable space over to a home office—especially not at the cottage, Lockhart notes—but somebody might occasionally need to step away to take a work call or get something done.
So, she fit a small work station into a walk-in closet off the main family space that offers privacy and quiet without taking up too much room. “My job as a designer is to manage all these things that make a space comfortable and easy to live in,” Lockhart says. “I never want a place to be just beautiful.”