THE DREAM

Imagine your perfect communal space. It’s ideal for hosting loved ones but also made for curling up and relaxing with your morning cup of coffee and a good book. This was the challenge presented to Sarah Donald and her team at Hansenbuilt Design when creating a new space for Nimmo Bay. Owner Fraser Murray dreamt of a space designed for late night storytelling, sharing in music, and deep connection.

This is Melody Room.

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COMPLETING THE VISION

At the heart of Nimmo rests a series of floating buildings. The design was inspired by the form of a bird with its wings outstretched. The center ‘body’ is Nimmo Bay’s floating restaurant Little River. The left ‘wing’ is a covered indoor/outdoor space called September Lounge, and the final ‘wing’ is Melody Room. The original concept of the outstretched bird was created by Sarah Davies-Long from Orangutang Design. She had a clear vision for how the outside of these three buildings would look.

Melody Room was the final piece of the puzzle to come together. It was important that Melody would become an intimate indoor retreat for gathering, music, and stories. To take Sarah’s original vision from concept to functional, Nimmo entrusted Sarah Donald of Hansenbuilt Design with the project.

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THE DESIGNERS

Sarah Donald is the Principal Designer of Hansenbuilt Design, a boutique, full-service interior design firm based in Victoria, British Columbia. They take a unique approach to design that very much matches the ethos of Nimmo Bay. It’s all about the power of storytelling.

“Each project, whether a private home or a boutique hotel, teaches me something new and reveals a unique story. Every design is a collaborative process, creating spaces that become the backdrop to life’s everyday moments. 

I am drawn to projects with a strong sense of narrative. By listening closely to our clients, we uncover what matters most and reinterpret their story through our own lens.”

Sarah Donald

It’s easy to understand where this approach comes from as Sarah starts to talk about her background in theater and music. Prior to starting Hansenbuilt, she was a working actor and musician for 10 years. Sarah toured the globe, performing in live theater and with bands. She honed her ability to weave and sell a story in front of audiences for years before transitioning into interior design. Not only that, but it’s a life where you’re constantly travelling. Seeing new hotels, spaces, architecture, and Sarah subconsciously built up a repertoire of inspiration during her travels.

Today, the Hansenbuilt Design team works in a space that is a creative hub that includes an architecture firm, a graphic design firm, an industrial design firm, and landscape design company.

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What does an interior designer do in a project like this?

Hansenbuilt is a full-service design company who handle everything from concept and demo to furniture procurement and all the finishing touches. They don’t just step into a completed building and focus on interiors; they look at the project as a whole.

When it came to Melody Room, Sarah and her team helped us build it from the ground up. It’s a true collaborative effort. It starts on location with a visit to Nimmo Bay and spending a day exploring the area with Fraser, whose grown up in the Great Bear Rainforest. Once the project is off the ground, they’re in constant conversation with the local makers, contractors, and with Fraser and Becky, making sure the vision comes to life in the right way.

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The Story Behind Melody Room

To better understand how Melody Room came together, you must understand why we built it in the first place. Every space at Nimmo is crafted with very specific intention.

A place of stories

Nimmo has long been a space that collects memories, stories, and musical musings. The resort is rich because of the people who have lived, worked, and vacationed at the property. Melody Room was born from a desire to have a space for our guests to share stories and host music nights. It’s designed to be a safe and comfortable atmosphere where people can sit and connect long into the night.

“When I think of Nimmo, I think first of the people. I do think of nature as the ultimate playground: the  texture of the moss, the rich colour of the ferns and the quiet magic of the forest, but above all, it’s the people who make this place truly unforgettable.”

Sarah

A Place of Musical Connection

We keep talking about music at Nimmo, and there’s good reason for that. The Murray family have music imbedded in their bones. Nimmo founder Craig Murray created a tradition from the very beginning of sitting around a fire and singing and strumming his guitar with the very first guests here. Music nights still live on at Nimmo, with Craig, with our talented team members, and special musicians who guest spot at the resort.

With Sarah’s musical background, she instantly connected to the inspiration. She even ended up with a surprising tie to the final space. Sitting at the center of the room is a grand piano. It just so happens to be the grand piano from Sarah’s childhood home. At the time of designing Melody, her parents were selling their home of over 50 years. Her mother took great care of their house, and everything was in great condition. Nimmo is a collection of pieces with deep meaning and stories, and this just made perfect sense. With Sarah’s families blessing, the piano made its long trek over the ocean to land in Melody, ready for new life.

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Why Great Design Tells a Story

One of the points of connection that drew Fraser and Becky to Hansenbuilt Design is their philosophy, design is a collaborative act of storytelling. From its inception to the modern era we’re in today, Nimmo has always been about storytelling.

Finding inspiration for the design of a space comes from being tuned into your surroundings. It’s about using your senses to their full potential. Whether that’s listening to pieces of music, going to live theater, or visiting art galleries. And then there’s the people. Take time to stop and have conversations with people and make sure you’re really hearing them. Make sure you’re not stuck in your own bubble. Expand your creative circle by working with different local craftspeople. This is where the art of storytelling grows from.

So why storytelling? How does that enhance a space? Well, story’s evoke feelings and you want a space to inspire feeling. Emotion matters deeply.

“If you close your eyes and you think about the spaces that you’ve been in the world… the ones that are memorable… are the ones that evoke a feeling.… You may not even know what you’re feeling, but you’ll remember the space… because everything is cohesive.”

Sarah

To guide the process, Sarah and the team ask their clients to give them three words for how they want to feel when they enter their new space. Those three words act as a guide for the entire project. For Melody Room, the anchor words were Connection, Warmth, and Reflection.

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How Designing in Remote Locations Changes Everything

Now, designing in a city is one thing, but when it comes to crafting a space in the remote Great Bear Rainforest, things change a little.

First, most of Nimmo’s infrastructure floats on the ocean. Constructing a building on floats was a first for Sarah and her team. It’s mind boggling the kind of math required to make an entire building float on top of the ocean. As an added challenge, it must align perfectly with the two other buildings in the project that are already complete. They come together to form the wings of an outstretched bird. The rainforest is a harsh environment as well. From a longevity perspective, the building needs to hold up through everything mother nature throws at it during the year. Relying on local experts and using local materials is the key to creating something that lasts.

And while there are challenges, it’s a dream to work in the landscape of the Great Bear Rainforest. Inspiration flows abundantly. The dense trees and moss around Melody Room create a feeling safety and security. The deep, inky ocean makes for the perfect flooring colour, and there is no better choice for the interior than the rich cedar found abundantly in the forest.

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Inside the Design of Melody Room

According to the design principles laid out by Sarah, establishing hierarchy is important for the creation of a space. You can’t have elements fighting for attention in the room. For Melody, they selected a suspended fireplace to be the centerpiece.

“Our approach was rooted in creating warmth, connection and the natural sense of rhythm inside, we introduced a suspended fireplace where guests could gather, take pause and delight in the views of the ever-changing day…and with walls clad in Yellow Cedar, their scent and texture grounding the space in the coastal forest. Expansive windows frame the changing light and metallic sea and at the center of the room sits the grand piano, a deeply personal addition.”

Sarah

And though the fireplace is the true centerpiece, Sarah couldn’t leave out the impact of the floor to ceiling windows. They wrap around two whole sides of the building. The windows are a secret star of the show, bringing the outside into the space. You can be cozy and comfortable inside, listening to music or chatting, while a quiet tension fills the room as the rainforest weather swirls just beyond the glass.

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Designing Spaces That Stay with You

In July of 2023, we towed the completed building into Nimmo Bay (a challenge all in itself!). It was an incredibly exciting day for everyone. Melody Room was the final piece to slot into the main body of the lodge. We finally saw the vision of the outstretched bird come to life.

From collaboration, finding personal pieces, and storytelling, it all leads to creating this memorable space. For Nimmo, it’s about capturing the essence of our guests, of the Murrays, and what Nimmo Bay symbolizes. It’s luxury but not fancy, it’s caring and intimate, solitary and restful, and it energizes you.

In a world full of design fatigue and sameness, it’s all about capturing uniqueness. These kind of authentic imperfections are what make us human. They draw you in, they weave meaning into objects. There’s a reason why we’re so attracted to the ancient hand-painted tiles of Portugal or in the riads of Morocco. They’re completely imperfect, but truly beautiful. Our minds recognize this ‘human touch’ and wander to the history that’s held in these small squares of clay.

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ENJOYING THE MELODY

It’s now been 3 seasons of our guests and team members enjoying Melody. The promise of Sarah and Hansenbuilt is to create a room, a home, a space that stays with you long after you’ve left. We believe they achieved that goal. The cedar walls of Melody have seen laughter, tears, long late nights of storytelling and music, team building and bonding, and so much more.

The doors are open and ready to welcome you into the story.

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