Every three to four weeks, Carey Doberstein, a political science professor, and Jesse Goodwin, a physician, make a five-hour trek from their condo in Vancouver to their cabin in the Okanagan. They love when their friends come along, spending a week or two enjoying the charms of the area. “We bike around to different wineries,” Doberstein says.
“We like independent places such as Daydreamer,” Goodwin says. “Their sparkling shiraz is a favourite.”
The cabin itself, on a hillside near the town of Naramata, is relatively compact. It has about 120 square metres of living space on one level, including three small bedrooms. “We didn’t want the bedrooms to be large,” Goodwin says. “It’s not about coming here and spending time alone in your room. It’s about gathering together or going outside.”
The use of natural woods and organic materials add texture and create a sense of warmth.
Just over half the floor plan, about 70 square metres, is a communal great room combining kitchen, dining and living areas. It’s flanked on two sides by large terraces that, in good weather, double the space to socialize, chat and sip wine. To the east, there is a secluded courtyard with a fire pit. To the west, a balcony with expansive views of Okanagan Lake and the surrounding mountains.
The cabin was designed by Sanders Green, a local architecture firm co-founded by Warren Sanders, a childhood friend of Doberstein, and Will Green. “Warren and Will really thought about how the sun moves throughout the day,” Doberstein says. “The courtyard is better in the mornings, before the sun rises over the mountains, or later in the evening, when the sun is setting on the other side of the house.”
Both terraces are connected to the great room by floor-to-ceiling, sliding glass doors. “That way we never lose sight of one of the best features of the house,” Doberstein says. “Even in the back courtyard, we can look through the house and out the other side. We always see the vineyards and the lake.”
The interiors accentuate the vista. The ceiling tilts up toward the lake, allowing for larger windows to the west, essentially turning the centre of the home into a giant viewfinder. The room is a relatively narrow five metres deep but about three times as long. “We really focused on the proportions of that room,” Sanders says. “We didn’t want it to be too wide, or the overhangs too large, to pull anyone too far from the landscape.”
Doberstein and Goodwin worked with Brittany McMullen of Third Street Studio, who chose a nature-inspired palette for the furniture and decor.
For the furniture and decor, Doberstein and Goodwin worked with Brittany McMullen of Third Street Studio, who also designed the couple’s city place. “The goal was to kind of keep things low and lounge-y, so we weren’t obstructing sight lines to the mountains,” McMullen says. “I also wanted to keep the palette low key. It’s a cabin. A lot of the colours were inspired by the surrounding nature.”
Throughout, natural woods such as white oak cabinets and cedar ceilings create a sense of warmth. Organic materials, including a wool area rug from Vancouver’s Solari, add texture. Although there is a desk tucked in one corner – “it’s a place to park a laptop and get things done as needed,” McMullen says – the overall vibe is restful, rustic and unplugged.
The same is true on the exterior, where everything is elemental. The cabin is wrapped in charred cedar, a rot and insect-resistant cladding, and rests on walls of hand-placed stones that were found on the site. “I think in the Okanagan there’s so much pressure to build the biggest thing possible,” Sanders says. “Our approach here was to really respect the site and reflect the people who live there.”
Get the look
Arcade bar cart
After Doberstein and Goodwin moved into their cabin, McMullen felt there was something missing in the dining area. “They entertain often,” she says. “So why not a fun bar cart?” She picked the Arcade Bar Cart, a Deco-inspired option from Canadian brand Gus Modern.
Buying options
$990 through gusmodern.com
Dekton backsplash
For their finishes, Doberstein and Goodwin wanted low maintenance options. In the kitchen, Sanders Green selected a backsplash that looks like travertine, a stain-prone stone, but is actually Dekton, an engineered Spanish product that doesn’t mark, even when doused in red wine.
Buying options
Price on request at Cosentino
Beat Moda D 129/61 rug
Because the layout of the great room is unique, McMullen ordered a custom rug from the Vancouver store Salari. To compliment the natural palette of the space, she picked the Beat Moda D 129/61, which incorporates brown, beige and rust tones.
Buying options
Price on request at Salari
Tuck dining chairs
The dining chairs, from Canadian brand Sundays, are called Tuck because the armrests slide neatly under a standard-height dining table. The low profile helps maintain clean sight lines.
Buying options
$580 each at Sundays
Tangerine stools
The blackened oak of the Tangerine stools by New Zealand brand Resident at the kitchen island echoes the unique, charred cladding that wraps the outside of the house.
Buying options
$1,109 each at GR Shop