8
The Walleye
Camp Décor
Interior decorator Celine Fisk takes inspiration from Old Fort William
when conceptualizing chic décor for camp.
By Celine Fisk
You may find yourself looking around fondly at your rugged camp surroundings, thinking that
this is the year that you will bring this place from hick to slick. Whether it's a hundred year old
hunting cabin, a camp up the road that still has an outhouse, or a state-of-the art lake cottage with
stainless steel appliances, there are always projects we'd like to complete, big or small, to finish the
place off. And because Northern Ontario certainly has a unique look, I decided to explore where
this look may have originated, and on a sunny Saturday in July, I think I found the source.
Old Fort William has been a tourist destination to so many of us for years, but have you ever
looked around that place with interior design in mind? I can't help myself, and (forgive me my
friends and family) I can't seem to go in to a place without sizing it up, wonder about the origins of
pieces, and even venture to re-decorate mentally. And in among the sawdust and candles, I found
a look that I fondly call Camp Chic. With that in mind, here are some easy ways that you too can
take pieces of our Thunder Bay past, and infuse them in to your family's camp future.
Kitch:
Blankets as Curtains
One interesting and unique-
ly Northern way to spruce
up, and even warm up your
camp, is by adding new draper-
ies, custom made, inspired by
Hudson Bay blankets. Adding
grommets gives them a utilitar-
ian look, and slipping them
on to a rustic styled rod, you
can slide them over your win-
dows to keep in the heat from
your iron stoves in the winter
months. And as these can be
quite pricy, and also very hard
to come by, you could get a
similar look by using beige
wool, and stitching on bands
of colour. Try Waverly fabrics,
in red, green, blue and gold,
roughly cut and layered on a
beige background, in a stripe
pattern reminiscent of an HBC
blanket. Add some ties to the
top, and loop them over a piece
of wood from your camp.
Rustic:
Snow-shoe chairs
What could be more
Canadian iconic than a snow-
shoe? At the Old Fort, imagine
my surprise when we came in
to the central court yard and
I saw chairs with woven sinew
for the seat.
There were several differ-
ent versions back in the day,
as there are now, like this one
from Camlen Furniture.
Classic cottage
Slipcovered sofa
Now the past is lovely and
all, but if you find that you've
made the `outhouse-to-bath-
room' renovation leap, and
have recently found yourself
wanting to give that twenty
(okay, thirty) year old sofa at
your camp the boot, you might
want to consider slip-covered
furniture pieces. They're easy
to keep clean, and if the frames
are as sturdy as your grandma's
hand-me-downs, the covers
can be replaced way, way, way
down the road.
Incorporate your favourite
items, preferably things that
will remind you of the great
times that you've had at camp,
add a coat of paint, and voila,
before you know it, the 2011
camp season will be upon you,
and you'll be anxious to show
off your new/old camp to fam-
ily and friends. And after all,
spending time with family and
friends at camp, no matter
what it looks like, is what it's
all about.
For interior decorating info
email: celine@barewoodfurni-
ture.com
phot
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: Celine Fisk
phot
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: Celine Fisk
phot
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: Celine Fisk
phot
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: Celine Fisk
phot
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: Celine Fisk
phot
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: Celine Fisk
phot
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: Shannon Lepere