Your private Shawnigan Lake property

Legend recounts how Chuck and Iris deMacedo built a legacy of memories on their beloved Shawnigan Lake where friends and family loved to gather. 

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The first "cabin", where family spent summers, was constructed from reclaimed wood. The true rough cut 2 x 4 timber formed the walls and trusses, and the edge grain fir planking for flooring. Asphalt shingles were used as exterior cladding, and the cardboard packaging was repurposed inside the cabin to insulate the walls.

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Over the decades the cabin morphed in proportion as the family grew and the demands for its use changed. 

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Henry, the son-in-law to whom in the 90s the legacy property was left too, was known to greet people with the question, "Is it a Bluebird day?" followed with, "It's always a Bluebird day at Shawnigan." As an ode to his legacy, the cabin was renamed in 2022 as the Bluebird.

 

The area within the Bluebird where the family once gathered has been replaced with a covered deck. A chandelier found on the property was restored and  now hangs under cover illuminating the outdoor dining area.

 

The original glass found in the mirror situated over the kitchen sink dates back to the early 1900s and provides a looking-glass view of the lake. These are two of our favourite features at the cabin.

 

Inside the cabin, the floorboards remember where the walls and doors once were when it was a two-room cabin with a screened-in porch. Over time it has been refitted to accommodate modern-day living conveniences.

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The outhouse was situated across the street, and was in use until the early 2000s. In 2022, it had deteriorated and become derelict, and was demolished. 

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In 1945 the boathouse was moved from "on-water" to the land, and quickly accommodated overflow from the main "cabin". It too was made from reclaimed material. In 2022 it was restored. The original shiplap interior was retained, and the ceiling vaulted to expose the original trusses. A Juliet balcony and French doors were installed. Today guests enjoy listening to the water motion and watching the lake activities from bed.

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Regardless of the weather, the panorama through the windows never gets old. It quiets the soul. The cabin, situated close to the water's edge, naturally provides a quiet place of retreat where Shawnigan Lake is enjoyed in the peace and "stillness" found at the Bluebird.

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At Vintage Cabins, you’ll experience Shawnigan Lake like the good ‘ole days when life was, still.  The cabins have been outfitted in vintage-style furnishings in partnership with local vintage shops such as West Coast Vintage, A Vintage Storm and Union 22. Items have been sourced dating from 1912 to 1960 to decorate the cabins. It is our hope that we awaken your curiosity … and that you may ask, “I wonder what life was like then?”

 

If you experience it and you like it – you can buy it because everything inside the cabins are available for purchase.