Haliburtonians were treated to a grand reveal at Head Lake during our February Frost Festival. And we have photos of the finished hut for you here! But first, if you’ve never heard of #HelluvaHut, let us explain. In December and January, we asked the community to send us pictures and video of their ice huts. Our hut jury (which included representatives from ACM Designs, Yours Outdoors and Hodgkinson Enterprises) selected the winner live on Facebook. Three weeks later, the winning family along with festival-goers were invited inside the new and improved ice hut. It really does take a village to renovate an ice hut. With two parents and three children using the facility, functionality and safety were as important as style and design. The ice hut transformation began with our team at ACM working out all the function and decor details from paint to textiles. Hodgkinson Enterprises put hammer to nail, providing the incredible construction work. New fishing was provided by Outdoors Plus, and the entire Casey family was gifted an on-ice experience by Yours Outdoors featuring a gourmet lunch in the hut with a biologist, and Boshkung swag.
So, how exactly do you make over an ice hut? Our very first step was to gut it and paint the interior white to brighten the small space. Next, we added long benches with both open and hidden storage. The installation of an aquamarine blue Cambria quartz countertop provided a splash of colour and a comfortable and safe space for the dual cooktop/heater. With people of different ages using the hut, the fishing holes presented a challenge: adults needed openings large enough to their cast nets but the kids required smaller holes, big enough only for their lines. The solution? A long open hole with a removable cover for the adults, and three small holes for the kids.
The whole interior was gorgeously finished with cozy cushions in reversible patterns and washable throws, and photos of the family gave the space a homey feel. For flooring, we installed a bright, durable carpet with vertical stripes. As a final flourish, we painted the exterior in a bright, Canadian red and affixed maple leaf decals—two on one side to represent the Casey parents and three on the other for the kids.
It may not have been the most complex renovation we ever undertook at ACM Designs, but our team loved every second of celebrating this quintessential Haliburton past time.