S1 | Rewind Design | E6 Dianne in Dorset

Welcome to Rewind Design A Cottage History Podcast with your host + Local Interior Designer, (me!) Katy McNabb. Today we will be putting the spotlight on a historical Dorset cottage. Join me, as I navigate the waters and chat to my guests about their unique Dorset cottage and their family history over the last 100 years.

To start off this captivating story, I though I’d give a short little personal anecdote. I am lucky enough to work with an incredible design firm and each day I come into work, I sit next to a designer named Danielle. Months ago we were talking and I brought up my idea for a Cottage History Podcast. Her eyes lit up - in a flash she said “you have to speak to my mom!”. Excitedly, I typed out an email to her mom, Dianne, explaining my ideas and how I’d love to interview her. I anxiously clicked send and closed my laptop. A few days later she replied with an email, and what followed was an incredible cottage history story.

Dianne’s cottage property faces North West with an uninterrupted view of a wooded ridge lot on mainland across the narrow channel. The lush and wooded property feels especially private as you drive in through the u shaped driveway to reach the cottage just off the road. There have been many debates when entering which is the front door and which is the back… Dianne and I agree that the front door is the door facing the driveway, whereas some guests are determined the front door is the lake facing door! We am not convinced. The property was bought by Dianne’s grandfather who was in the lumber business in Dorset. Her father subsequently bought the lot from her grandfather when he returned from the war for $100.00. It wasn't until he physically walked the property that he discovered there was already a cabin in it. The cabin belonged to one of the old lumber camps that the family still uses today as a sleeping bunky. It's about 130 years old… The current cottage was built in addition to the sleeping cabin in 1958 and the new room (Dianne still calls it that) was added in 1975.

Dianne’s dad was in the lumber business so the cottage is all wood interior, cedar walls and ceiling, brilliant red pine floors. Most of the furniture is hand me downs and whenever they acquire something new at home the old item goes to the cottage. Dianne has a lot of old dishes that came from gas stations which she would now consider antiques.