Normandy cottage

Clients:

NORMANDY
COTTAGE

CONTEMPORARY

Jesse designed the Normandy Cottage for a lakefront property in Kingston, ON that has stunning views in a quiet neighbourhood. When approaching this design, his intention was to create an unavoidable feeling of rustic warmth. He achieves this through the use of natural stone, cedar shakes, copper drainage details, and warm wood accents. These materials set the tone for the cozy warm design that will carry throughout the home. To achieve the proportional balance Jesse first completed a series of sketches, a practice that continues to be a pillar in his design process and one that allows him to achieve the right balance.

The proportions of the home itself were imagined and explored with one word in mind; “solidity”. Evidence of this can be seen when looking at any number of details throughout the exterior of the home. The use of these natural materials creates a timeless facade, while the pairing of these materials with unique profiles creates a form that feels almost sculptural in nature.

The swooping shed dormer accent roofs were designed in a similar fashion that offers a nod to the French countryside. Jesse clad these shed dormers in copper siding, the same copper used for the exterior drainage details. Positioned symmetrically above the front porch vestibule, these dormers add soft lines through their curved details. The copper cladding is also a timeless addition to the material palette, cementing the deserved inclusion of this precious metal that will serve to produce an ever-changing patina for many years to come.

The chimney and gable wall proportions are another exterior feature that serves a distinct purpose within the grand scheme of the design. These intentionally large proportions protrude through the roof as if they are a part of the structure itself, as they were in historic renditions of this design style. They were also placed so that they stepped in from the exterior side walls, creating the intended visual impact of the proportions “flaring out” as you reach the base of the ground floor.

Jesse’s inclusions of buttress wall corners further the intended effect of the structure getting wider as you reach the base of the home. These old-world masonry details feature a tapered corner that increases the perceived width of the home’s proportions at the base, adding a sense of visual solidity.

They also contribute to the formation of the home’s character, working in concert with the unique curved “cornice” details that blend the roof and wall massings. These details also run along the side walls, adding a sense of visual interest to the pathway that leads to the lakefront backyard entertainment spaces. The result is a home that feels highly curated and exudes a historic character no matter what facade you inspect.

The gardens were an incredibly intentional part of Jesse’s design process, adding an organic yet natural aesthetic that speaks to Jesse’s ability to creatively blend different styles, textures, and forms within the grand scheme of his multidisciplinary design process. Each of these garden beds is loosely positioned to be symmetrically aligned with an interior feature or space where you experience their visual presence as if they were within the home itself; a signature of Jesse’s ability to create an indoor/outdoor connection even through the most subtle of details. We describe these gardens as a “funky” feature that supports the sleekly contemporary approach Jesse took when designing this vacation home while still maintaining its refreshingly out-of-the-ordinary charm.

We are particularly enthralled with the sleek, curved “cornice” detail that replaces common stepped brick or stone soffit details. When designing this, Jesse’s goal was to blend the perceived difference between the roof and wall massings, creating one massing that softens the visual impact of the rustic stone facade below. The result is a reduction in the number of materials, allowing the design details to steal the show.

The entrance gardens line the driveway and front walkway and were positioned in front of windows in order to create a sense of lushness no matter where you stand outside or what window you look out of inside. Based on our initial sun study, Jesse not only planned the floor plans to harness as much natural light as possible. He also designed the garden’s species inclusions and placement based on the direct natural light conditions he had to work with. Landscape design continues to be an integral part of our design process as it plays a role in the formation of an indoor-outdoor connection that could never be as fluid if it was approached as an afterthought. Exterior amenity placement impacts interior floor plan organization and orientation, and the effects of this can be seen in a more pronounced manner below when looking at the rear facade; given its direct east-facing views, it was designed to offer every space possible a view of the lake. Large windows and sliding doors exit onto a covered porch that features an enclosable outdoor fireplace lounge, a pool and tanning deck, and a boathouse