Scott McGillivray Creates a Trent Lakes Winter Wonderland

Siblings Sherri and Mark knew they wanted to keep their new Trent Lakes waterfront property as a family vacation home in the summer. But to help offset the costs of owning such a property, they wanted to rent it out in the winter months.

However, with a large, awkward layout and an unfinished basement, this home needed quite a bit of work to become a wintery haven for the ice fishers, snowmobilers, and skiers out there. Enter Scott McGillivray, designer Debra Salmoni, and the Vacation House Rules team. See how they transformed this regular old rental into a luxe vacation home fit for a snow globe.

Scott’s Vacation House Rules airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada. It is also available on the new Global TV App, and on STACKTV with Amazon Prime Video Channels. HGTV Canada is available through all major TV service providers.

Modern kitchen with white counters and wood table and cabinets

HGTV Canada

1 / 10

A Little Mix and Match

To bring winter warmth and luxury to this open-concept kitchen, the team played with three colours: a natural oak, alabaster white, and an icy blue on the island. While the latter colour could feel cold and unwelcoming in the kitchen space, the natural wood table and cabinets bookend the look. Now, the functional kitchen works for the family during the summer months and serves as an easy-to-access space with extra seating for renters.

Dimly lit kitchen and living room before the renovation

HGTV Canada

2 / 10

The Dark Before

The open-concept design was a solid foundation from which to start the redesign, but it definitely needed a facelift. The sunken living room wasn’t just a tripping hazard but a foundational issue that cost the homeowners roughly $18,000 to fix. Well worth it though, when you consider the health and safety of renters and fellow family members in your space.

Bright living room with white walls and grey furniture

HGTV Canada

3 / 10

A Bright New Space

The owners didn’t lose any room height once the floor was levelled off, thanks to the vaulted ceiling. And like the walls, the ceiling was painted a bright white to allow all kinds of light in. Meanwhile, the new large windows feel even bigger with dark and dramatic trim, and a uniform floor pulls everything together seamlessly.

Open concept kitchen and living area with stone wall fireplace

HGTV Canada

4 / 10

Mixing Old and New

Now this is a cozy space! Renters can warm up by the fire and gaze out at the gorgeous views while still feeling close to the main action in the kitchen. This is a great area to congregate in after a day of cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, with plenty of space so that large groups or multiple families can enjoy hanging out together without feeling cramped.

Formal dining room with white walls and large wooden tale

HGTV Canada

5 / 10

A Show-Stopping Dining Room

Before Scott got his hands on this space, it was a cold and unnecessarily large mudroom of sorts, but with no real distinction or personality. When you have a view like this, you want to make the most use of it, so the team transformed it into a cozy dining space. Bench seating and an extra-long dining table mean lots of people can congregate here, watching the sun come up or set over the water as they really begin to feel those relaxing vacay vibes.

HGTV Canada

6 / 10

A Retreat Within the Retreat

All in all, there are five bedrooms in this cottage rental, with enough space to comfortably sleep 10. Scott and co. gave each room a gorgeous facelift, but they made sure to give the primary bedroom a bit of extra special attention to create what they called “a retreat within the retreat”. That involved a fireplace for extra warmth and luxury, not to mention muted gold accents and a walkout to the deck, where renters can take in the gorgeous view.

Mudroom with dark walls and a large wooden bench

HGTV Canada

7 / 10

A New Mudroom

Unfinished space is never rentable space, so the team completely finished off the basement as part of this massive reno. Here is the new mudroom, which was inspired by a ski lodge. People can come and go on the waterproof (heated!) floor and not worry about dragging slush upstairs. Meanwhile, an extra-large bench allows for easy gear removal, and the organizers and hangers on the wall should keep wayward items in check.

Recreational room with a green ceiling and dark grey furniture

HGTV Canada

8 / 10

Adding Some Recreational Space

In the back basement, the team created a second living space of sorts, where you can easily come in to warm up from the cold or escape the larger crowd upstairs for some more intimate conversations. The sporty space has tons of design appeal thanks to the green ceiling and curated décor (skis on the wall, anyone?) and in a pinch, an 11th person could also crash here for the night.

Basement kitchenette with white cabinets and neutral tile backsplash

HGTV Canada

9 / 10

Thinking Like a Renter

Because there was so much space in the basement, Scott also added this kitchenette, which features a fully functional wet bar. Now renters have no need to run upstairs for a snack or drink when coming in for a pit stop, which adds even more function and, in turn, truly makes this off-season rental special.

Round hot tub under deck outside of cottage

HGTV Canada

10 / 10

Taking the Plunge

Extending those high-end finishes to the outdoor space was equally important for Scott, which is why he also added this hot tub. It adds even more value to the listing as renters can see themselves unwinding outside after a long and sporty day, transforming this space into a true winter wonderland. Now Scott believes the owners can commission up to $550 a night during the offseason, which should help them pay off this property in no time if they rent it out for the full winter season.

Watch: Scott transformed this dated Kawartha cottage into a hotspot for renters all year round.