Linda Crammond’s dining room in her Muskoka cottage
On a working stint in London in 1981, Toronto-born money-market trader Linda Crammond fell in love with Knightsbridge and was so inspired by the central-London neighbourhood's drawing rooms and country-house hotels that she resolved to become an interior designer. Crammond trained in Chelsea at the design firm Rachel Jameson-Till, but, nostalgic for the Canadian wilderness, she returned to Toronto in 1994 and purchased a two-acre waterfront property on Fairy Lake, near Hunstsville, Ont., using it to launch her eponymous interior-design business. Crammond renovated the cottage herself, building an addition on stilts to create what she calls a Muskoka room, even though it's more of an homage to Hilton Head Island, S.C. – palm trees and all. Of her favourite space in the house, she says, "I always wanted an ocean-view room and this is the next best thing."
The moose
"I got it on the Muskoka Artists Tour and I'm sorry that I don't remember the artist. I love the colour and of course the fact that it is a moose. Northern Ontario is all about the moose."
The pineapple
"This was a housewarming present from a colleague. It [symbolizes] hospitality, which is perfect since I love to cook and entertain."
The cathedral ceiling
"It's cedar, like the walls, and I had it made to order. The biggest challenge was having it built without a beam across the top. But we got it done."
The candlesticks
"These I bought down at Palmetto [Dunes in Hilton Head, S.C.], where my stepson had been enrolled in the Golf Academy. I fell in love with the semitropical beauty right on the Atlantic Ocean. The palmetto [tree] is on the state flag, so I went palmetto crazy. "
The dining set
"The table, chairs and sideboard are from Windsor House. They are made in Canada and finished in Toronto. I try to buy local and Canadian when I can. The dining table has two extension pieces that can clip on either end for a crowd. The sideboard holds wine glasses and palmetto-themed serving dishes. It has lighting in the upper [shelf], which looks lovely in the evening."
The napkin holders
"They are shaped like Muskoka chairs. Everyone around here has them."
The lamps
"They are also palmetto [designs], purchased in Toronto at Elte."
The coffee table
"It, too, is from Windsor House and has a drawer that you can open from either side. It holds board games, which we play on rainy days."
The chaise
"Along with the sofa and chairs, this was purchased in Huntsville. I selected Kravet Sunbrella fabric for the cushions so they wouldn't fade or rot in the sun. The fabric is also easy to wipe down if there are any spills."
The ott oman
"It's wicker, and I got it at Veranda in Huntsville. We use it as a table, a chair and an ottoman and move it around a lot. It's really quite versatile."