800 Sqft Bird Hill's Cottage In British Columbia

Exploring Bird Hill's Cottage

You'll want to take a look inside Bird Hill's Cottage on Salt Spring, British Columbia. The coastal rainforest surrounds the small cottage vacation home just a 90-minute ferry ride from Vancouver. With its board siding and peeled log porch posts, the exterior looks more like a classic wood cabin than a cottage. The inside, on the other hand, definitely says small cottage plan with its white-painted board finishes accented by natural wood. The Birds' Hill Cottage is nestled in the rainforest on British Columbia's Salt Spring Island.

Modern Design Meets Rustic Charm

This is a contemporary small cottage plan with an open-concept living area and soaring cathedral ceiling. Although the log posts add a rustic touch, it is countered by the modern flair of the concrete floors and countertops. The small cottage plan is roughly 800 square feet (74 square meters) with both a ground-floor bedroom and a large bedroom loft that is accessed by regular stairs. There is one full bathroom that features a large window in the bathtub/shower area, giving a bathing experience that one visitor described as like showering in the forest.

Thoughtful Layout and Cozy Features

The Birds' Hill Cottage is nestled in the rainforest on British Columbia's Salt Spring Island. It has a ground-floor bedroom plus a large bedroom loft in roughly 800 square feet. If you look carefully, you'll see that the bathroom has a partially vaulted ceiling to make room for the extra-tall window. That was partially visible by keeping the loft above from extending to the backside of the cottage. There is a small wood stove that sits between the eat-in kitchen and the living area. The small cottage plan has radiant heat embedded in the concrete floor, the stove is probably more for ambiance than heat, but would still be nice to cozy up to on chilly evenings.

Outdoor Spaces for Relaxation

The Birds Hill's Cottage has porches on both front and back that provide places to enjoy the forest air on hot summer days or rainy fall evenings. The back porch also offers the option of outdoor dining. The owners used welded wire panels to allow for a very transparent railing at much less cost than either tempered glass or commercially available cable railing systems. Some building codes may not allow the wire mesh panels, however, deeming them too easy for a child to climb.

Exploring Salt Spring Island

Salt Spring Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea between mainland British Columbia, Canada, and Vancouver Island. It is named for the salt springs that are found in the northern part of the island. Salt Spring Island is the largest, most populous, and the most frequently visited of the Southern Gulf Islands. Salt Spring Island has several hiking trails. Two of these trails are rough and windy trails that lead to the summit regions of both Bruce Peak 2,326 feet above sea level and Mount Tuam 1,975 feet above sea level. These two mountain peaks are the tallest points of land on the Southern Gulf Islands. Many short hikes can also be found on the island.