The Great Room comprises a large part of the main floor of the house, is two stories tall and is overlooked on two sides by the 2nd floor balcony. The room has three main areas;
- two leather recliners by the floor-to-ceiling windows form an area perfect for relaxation and nature-watching
- the sofa and easy chair in front of the TV a warm conversation area
- the 10-person dining table hand-crafted from reclaimed wood the focal point of meal times.
The two leather recliners each take a different angle of view out through the picture windows and over the cove. Don't be surprised to see the otters playing, the seal swimming through the cove, the herons flying from one side to the other, and numerous watercraft as they navigate the canal between North and South Pender Islands. There is a coffee table made from a section of a cedar tree, and a tribal Iranian rug to help make this THE place in the house to relax and curl up with a good book or just to take in the view.
The sofa and easy chair are on a large piece of carpet, so this is the area if people want to relax on the floor to watch TV, enjoy a video or listen to the stereo. A coffee table keeps the glass of wine or mug of coffee in easy reach. This area is closest to the focal point of the room - the solid soapstone Tulikivi stove. This heating marvel soaks up UV energy as the fire burns, and then throws off comforting warmth for hours after the fire goes out. You won't need this during the summer months, but during the winter a few fires a day will keep the whole house toasty warm. The room is also heated by electric baseboard to keep away evening chills year-round.
The dining table was fashioned from 12-inch wide roof strapping rescued from the demolition of the old MacMillan-Bloedel head office building in Chemainus. The chairs were found in a Vancouver antique store, given new leather seats, and finished in antiqued black to match the table. The side table was made from the same wood and again stained to match. Hanging over the side table is a painting of the cove (painted from the opposite shore) by Vern Simpson, a well-known South Pender artist.
Other features of the Great Room include the bookshelf (videos, CDs, books) and the large closet where we store the inflatable rubber raft and a few lifejackets. The main floor suite is located just off the Great Room. The dining area flows directly into the kitchen.
