The Art of Living

By Carolyn Sloan

The Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Together they have created a fertile ground for imagination, enchantment and a life of continuous invention. With Mary Bell’s ingenuity and impeccable eye for design, and her husband Bill’s know-how and resolve, there is undiscovered potential around every corner.

And as with any of their business ventures over the years, it is always about offering guests something exceptional – an experience that can even open up possibilities in their own lives.

“A lot of people are looking for a lifestyle,” Mary explains. “Almost all the people who came to our cottages, they came to figure out what to do with their life, what will make them happy.

“This may not be what they want to do, but it gives them confidence to do what they want to do.”

BUILDING A REPUTATION

The Bell’s cottage business began in 1999 when the couple purchased seaside retreats in Margaretsville. In less than a year, they completed the ambitious task of gutting and fully renovating the cottages themselves. Featured by Canadian Gardening Television as one of 13 great escapes in Canada, it wasn’t long before the business attracted a devoted international clientele.

Prior to opening the cottages, however, it was their one-of-a-kind restaurant and gardens that attracted attention. Tucked away on the McInnis Road in Port George, The Fairy Tailor was one of those hidden gems that might only be discovered by happenstance. Once found and experienced, however, it was only a matter of time before the word spread and the restaurant was acknowledged as one of the best places to eat in the country.

“The restaurant got bigger and we started turning people away like crazy,” Mary recalls. “It was fun for seven years, but then I got tired. It was very, very labour intensive. Everything was made from scratch. It was all made with food grown in my garden.”

After the years spent in restaurant business and cottage operation, the Bells now reside in a timber frame barn on McInnis Road that they have expanded and redesigned into their new home. Next to the house is Lavender Cottage, a little shop of treasures filled wall to wall, floor to ceiling, with antiques and handmade wares.

A place of whimsy and rustic beauty, the cottage was constructed from a variety of architectural pieces and is surrounded by a maze of enticing garden paths. Here Mary displays her Victorian nightgowns, jointed teddy bears, little girls dresses made from vintage lace, aromatic herbs and flowers, and collection of quilts, rugs, furniture and patterned dishware. With a spiral staircase leading up to a second floor, it would take a good part of the day to explore every offering.

“The people that have become my best customers, they don’t just come in for five minutes,” says Mary. “They stay for four hours…and we play in the cottage…or in the garden.”

While it may seem unconventional to open up a business on a dirt road with no sign, like The Fairy Tailor, there’s something magical in its discovery – an element of surprise and wonder that makes it such a special place.

“I don’t want to be on a busy street,” Mary explains. “I want someone to come upon me serendipitously and tell somebody they know they liked what I’m doing. Then I usually get the right people.”

Having been featured in seven major magazines, including Country Gardens, Country Living, Better Homes and Gardens, and La Vie Claire, the Bells’ next venture involves sharing their experience and many talents with those in search of new energy.

InsideOutside offers style solutions to infuse homes and businesses with creative expression based on clients’ own vision and personality. It’s an opportunity for the Bells to work with new ventures and existing business, as well as potential buyers and sellers, looking to develop or revitalize their properties and enterprises.

With Bill’s background in contracting, commerce, management training and tourism, and Mary’s expertise in interior and garden design, the new business is ideally suited to their passions and shared love of generating new ideas.

“We’re both project types and we prefer starting businesses to running them,” says Bill. “This place would give people an idea of what we can do.

“We just want to take our life and offer it to someone else.”

“We’re always seeing potential in businesses,” adds Mary. “There’s so much potential out there that’s not being realized.

“You’ve got to follow through… You can’t at some point drop someone off into disappointment. You’ve got to deliver the whole package.”