Forty-five minutes outside of Vancouver, tucked away in the Howe Sound Corridor, and up a rugged mountain trail, is Union Wood Co’s owner and family passion project, The Trail House. Craig, along with his interior designer wife Kendra, have combined their talents and expertise to build a dream home on Bowen Island for their growing family.
The couple fell in love with Bowen Island several years ago when they first escaped the city together in its old growth forests, friendly pubs, and rocky beaches. With a dream of living the relaxed island pace, they purchased 1.5 acres to start their own homestead getaway. For the last 2 years, before The Trail House broke ground, the pair had been spending their weekends on the property in a quaint, rustic, canvas wall-tent they’d built with its own queen-sized bed and wood burning stove. But with the recent addition of their daughter Jude, and energetic pup, Otis, the couple started to plan how they could plant some real roots on the property and build a true Trail House.
The cabin its self will be a perfect blend of the old and the new. It will include design features such as a cozy fireplace, large modern windows to enhance their connection with nature and building elements such as large reclaimed timbers, blackened cedar and Corten steel that will naturally weather to blend in with the surrounding forest. For the interior, Kendra has planned a transitional aesthetic by weaving together traditional craftsmanship with modernism. Keeping it simple with a focus on quality. Though they will always be connected to Vancouver for their work, the pair has future plans for several out-buildings to be built for a small workshop, pottery studio, and guests tents to host their friends for warm winter hot-tubs, long summer nights, bonfires, and plenty of beverages.
This post is just the beginning of The Trail House journey. Keep following our blog to track its progress and the family's eventual move in later this spring! You can also see more of the project by following @the.trail.house on Instagram!
UWC Note - Since publishing this post we've shared a couple other Trail House stories. Continue The Trail House journey by reading The Trail House - 3 Tips for Anyone Building Their Own Cabin and The Trail House - A Kitchen Design that is Functional and a Total Beaut
WRITTEN BY: Todd Mitchell