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Welcome to the “Modern Black Cottage”, our latest custom build in Longs Creek, New Brunswick.
This home was built off grid, meaning it’s solar and propane powered.
This home was an incredible building experience, the clients were SO trusting throughout the process. This is crucial to elevate a new construction home and takes it from being “builder-basic” to magazine-worthy. The clients listened to our design and building advice and went with almost every recommendation we made.
The end result is a STUNNING vacation home: nestled high on a hill overlooking the water, with rustic elements and modern touches.

This “trust” started with the exterior siding.
They originally wanted a log cabin look, but when I presented them with a few visuals of a black cottage with black windows, on a lake with some early morning fog lifting, they were sold.
The modified A-frame style was rustic and classic, and the black siding added a modern touch. The dark siding with black windows is very different from the more traditional homes in this area.
A glass railing system allowed their stunning view to not be compromised.

Moving inside, we contrasted the black exterior with white walls, wood beam accents and a vinyl plank flooring throughout. The kitchen cabinets are a classic white shaker style with black hardware.
To provide a more rustic feel to the kitchen we installed a ceramic tile backsplash that looks like wood. Varying the tile joints helped this to look even more authentic. Floating wood shelves and a custom linen window shade provided some added texture and warmth to this space.

Speaking of warmth, this home called for a fireplace somewhere in the design. At first we envisioned using a built-in propane model with a traditional style wood mantle, and have it centred between the two windows. After visiting Classic Stoves and Fireplaces in Fredericton, and seeing this Jotul model, I knew it was perfect for this project. It has the look and ambience of a wood stove that you’d find in a cottage, but it’s propane so it’s very convenient.

The overall palette of the house was kept neutral, to allow the windows and the view to take centre stage. We accented the high vaulted ceilings with box beams, and beautiful pendant lighting from Modern Komfort.