[zephyr_dropcaps style=”withbg” firstcolor=”#333333″ bgcolor=””]I[/zephyr_dropcaps]n lieu of any birthday presents, I asked my husband for a stay at the prettiest Bed & Breakfast I had ever seen. Besides, life’s more fun with memories and experiences than material things anyways! Rob and Brendan own a beautiful home in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region and host hundreds of guests at their B & B, on the 6. NOTL attracts many tourists and locals for its wineries, culinary experiences and natural escarpment trails. Rob and Brendan always made our stay as comfortable as possible by providing a map of the area (pointing out the go-to spots of course), making sure we had our favourites at the breakfast table, and that the hot tub would be up and running for us for an evening dip facing acres of fruit trees and under the stars!
Their amazing design aesthetic and style is clear as soon as you open the door. The B&B is filled with light, a mixture of textures, colours and furnishings that all seem to fit so well together. I wanted to get a sense of their eye for interior decor and asked them a few questions in what inspired their style.
How would you describe your interior design philosophy?
Our design philosophy, was to bring a clean and modern design while staying within a country setting. We wanted to keep the spaces open and bright allowing as much natural light into the home with wonderful views of the landscape.
Who or what influenced how you designed your home?
Influences on our design came from everywhere but it really was our own creation based on our own style and likes. We designed the house to be warm and inviting to everyone. We always had the idea of doing a B & B and after seeing many others. Ultimately, we wanted to create large cozy spaces for guests to enjoy as well as for ourselves.
What inspired you to start your Bed and Breakfast?
Our inspiration to start a B & B was a dream that we would pursue later in our lives however circumstances made this dream start a little earlier than our anticipated start date. As a result we are so happy that we were able to pursue this little dream of ours earlier in our lives so that we can really enjoy this joint effort together in inviting guests to experience what a B & B could be.
What wineries would you recommend in NOTL?
As for our favourite wineries it is really hard to pick one exactly. There are so many and we love each one for different reasons. We love Konzelman for their magnificent Peach Wine and for its unique location on Lake Ontario. Jackson Triggs for their Sparkling Wine, as well as Chateau de Charmes. Rief has some great Reislings. Frogpond, Ontario’s first organic winery, is just a magical little winery that we love and is basically just around the corner. We also love the farm animals that are so adorable at Frogpond. We love Caroline Cellars for their wonderful light reds and their wonderful weekly specialty poutines at their Farmhouse Café. The modern look and contemporary feel of Southbrook Winery is a great experience as well. And we love going to Niagara College as the students create some amazing wines and beer. Each winery has its own unique feel and we love to explore them all as each brings their own individual style and character and appeals to us differently every time we visit.
What’s your favourite spot/thing to do in NOTL?
This is a tough one as well! There is always so much to do all year round and it changes all the time. But to narrow down our favourite I would say we love the Garrison Food Truck event (not sure if that is what is called but that is what we call it) every Wednesday night from May to September. There are fabulous food trucks and local restaurants (so we get to have some great food from our favourite restaurants all in one spot), local wineries and breweries are always there to make the event that much better as well. The night is always filled with some lovely music and is always such a great time to get out during the summer. I could go on and on about the rich history, arts and entertainment in the area as well as wonderful festivals, hiking trails and shops but we’ll let you explore that as you visit!
On the 6 Bed and Breakfast received a Booking.com award for receiving an average guest rating of 10 which is one of only two bed and breakfasts in Ontario to achieve this! So if you’re looking for something different than your typical B&B experience, try on the 6. I promise it’ll set your B&B experiences to a whole new level!
Rob & Brendan
On the 6 Bed & Breakfast, Owners.
onthe6bedandbreakfast.com
