Locals have a saying about newcomers to Salt Spring Island: If you last five years, you're here forever. "I guess that's us," says Brigit Mitchell. After years of vacationing on Salt Spring, the largest of the Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, she and her husband, Gus, retired there in 1999. "There's so much to do-we instantly adapted," says Brigit.
They've fashioned an idyllic lifestyle in what Brigit calls their "cozy country" style house. When not swim-ming or fishing in the warm freshwater lake at their door, working in the garden, volunteering in the nearby town or entertaining friends in their 400-square-foot outdoor room (a glass-covered deck that Gus and friends built), you might—just might—find the couple stealing a quiet moment on the dock, enjoying the sunset with Barley, their faithful Westie.
These are people who love life and know how to live it. Brigit may have picked up the skill in her native Denmark, where the philosophy extends even to decorating. "The Danes have fresh flowers and candles on the breakfast table," she says. "Scandinavians have such pride in their homes, they love them to be cozy. And they don't like clutter." She may as well be describing her own home. Even though Gus and Brigit are both avid collectors—he of vintage fishing gear and she of antiques, including pottery, quilts, Canadiana furniture, French linen, and her beloved pewter—the open-concept house has an airy, uncluttered feel.
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