Start typing to search...

Kitchen of the Week Issue — Kitchen of the Week

Kitchen of the Week: Fieldstone and Oak on an Island in Ontario

by Annie Quigley Published: March 27, 2025

This kitchen gives new meaning to “hearth of the home.”

Situated on an island in Georgian Bay, Ontario, the space is centered on a generously sized stone island. “The family has a tradition of standing and sharing food around the kitchen island on weekends,” says Adam Robinson of Montreal-based Bureau Tempo, who collaborated with Thom Fougere Studio on the interiors of the new build. “We sought to bookend these two important rituals architecturally through the use of stone.”

Unusually, the kitchen island is clad in locally-sourced fieldstone that brings warmth to the otherwise clean-lined space. “We aimed to capture a bit of that rough, wild nature within the interior,” Adam says.

Join us for a sneak-peek look at the kitchen (and come back tomorrow for a full house tour).

Photography by Alex Lesage, except where noted.

&#8\2\20;we went out of our way to source local materials wherever possible 17 — Above: “We went out of our way to source local materials wherever possible,” Adam says of the project. “Canada has a lot to offer.” For the stone island, the team chose locally sourced fieldstone, “split-face presenting outward with flush mortar joints,” Adam says. “Incorporating this stone was an important early turning point in how we conceived the space for the clients.” An inset maple butcher block adds usable cutting space, and on the wall opposite: an Aga Elise range.

the oak cabinets are custom, and the cascade limestone countertops continue sea 18 — Above: The oak cabinets are custom, and the Cascade Limestone countertops continue seamlessly into a custom sink.

beside the sink is a walnut tray from the pantry, designed to store perishables 19 — Above: Beside the sink is a walnut tray from the pantry, designed to store perishables market-style and transport ingredients to the workspace. The faucet is the Vola KV1.

pine island cottage bureau tempo alex lesage kitchen4

pine island cottage bureau tempo alex lesage kitchen3

Above L: A benefit of custom cabinetry? Specially designed oak drawer inserts. Above R: “Our client was happy to embrace the natural aging of raw materials throughout the interior, so the stone is untreated and will register its use over the years,” Adam says.

for the nearby pantry, the team wanted produce on display, not hidden away. &am 22 — Above: For the nearby pantry, the team wanted produce on display, not hidden away. “We deconstructed the idea of a traditional pantry, opening it up into a market-style pass-through space,” Adam says. “The shelves are composed of custom walnut produce boxes, designed for dry food storage but also removable for use in the kitchen. They can serve multiple functions, from carrying ingredients to serving coffee, tea, or drinks, and are often found in various rooms throughout the cottage.”

pine island cottage by bureau tempo, photo by alex lesage 23

pine island cottage by bureau tempo x thom fougere, photo by thom fougere 24

Above L: “Adjacent to the pantry is the bar, where the countertop and two-tiered sink were formed from a single sheet of pewter, custom-made in Quebec,” says Adam. Above R: A detail of the pewter bar sink. “The choice of this particularly soft metal was intentional,” adds Adam. “It was meant to develop a patina over time, embracing the signs of use and acquiring a distinct character that improves with age.” Photograph by Thom Fougere.

&#8\2\20;there is nothing better than sitting on the island’s rocky 25 — Above: “There is nothing better than sitting on the island’s rocky surface and taking in a sunrise with a cup of coffee or glass of wine beside you,” says Adam. And the views are unparalleled.

For a look at the rest of the house, check back tomorrow; we’ll be touring room by room. And for more by Bureau Tempo, see On a Bustling Brooklyn Street, Above a Busy Restaurant, Quiet Tranquility Inside an Industrial Loft.

(Visited 5 times, 1 visits today)

You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation (0)

join us on

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.

Subscribe Subscribe

Annual (Save 50%) $59.99 USD/yr

Monthly $9.99 USD/mo

Subscriber benefits include:

Unlimited access to all three sites
Weekly access to subscriber-only content
Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
Receive the full-text daily newsletters
All features that Members have access to
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Become a Member

Member benefits include:

Access to all posts published in the past year
Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Kitchen of the Week: 7 Design Ideas to Steal from deVOL’s Latest Showroom

Remodeling 101: Everything You Need to Know About Limewash Paint

Rescued Wreck: A Guest House Offshoot of the Beloved Rivertown Lodge in Hudson NY

Klopf Architecture

Gather Table

Start typing to search...

Kitchen of the Week: 7 Design Ideas to Steal from deVOL’s Latest Showroom

Remodeling 101: Everything You Need to Know About Limewash Paint

Rescued Wreck: A Guest House Offshoot of the Beloved Rivertown Lodge in Hudson NY

Klopf Architecture

Gather Table

Start typing to search...

Explore Deeper Into These Areas

O Canada: 7 Great Design Shops to Visit (and Browse Remotely)

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Related Stories

Kitchen(s) of the Week: Green Kitchens Make a Fresh Comeback

Kitchen(s) of the Week: 5 Made-in-America Kitchen Companies

Kitchen of the Week: An Unexpected Palette in a Custom Kitchen Designed by Inglis Hall

join us on

Join the Remodelista Family of Websites

Become a Member at no charge

Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

Full Access Individual Subscription

Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

Become a Member at no charge

Login to your account

Create your account

Lost your password?

Reset your password?

Edit Email

Change Password

Manage Newsletters

Manage Newsletters

Congratulations on becoming a Subscriber to Remodelista, Gardenista and The Organized Home! You now have access to many great features across the sites:

Congratulations on joining as a free Member of Remodelista, Gardenista and The Organized Home! You now have access to many great features across the sites:

My Account

We've noticed that you are using an ad blocker.