High design meets the art of escape on the East coast
The rugged coastline of Newfoundland has long been a draw for tourists, and the province's natural beauty continues to attract visitors in greater numbers. With a 5% increase in summertime visitors in 2025 compared to pre-pandemic levels, and record entries to provincial parks, it's clear that the island's allure is only growing stronger.
At the forefront of this trend are new, high-design inns and guest houses that offer guests a unique vantage point to appreciate the stunning landscape. From contemporary architecture and interiors to elegant furnishings, these accommodations provide a special perspective on the island's rugged beauty.
Newfoundland's design scene has deep roots, dating back to the Victorian era. St. John's Jellybean Row, with its multihued homes, is a testament to the city's rich history. Meanwhile, the Gander International Airport, famous as the backdrop for the musical 'Come From Away', is also a significant modernist landmark. Designed in the late 1950s by John M. Lyle & Associates, the airport's mid-century furniture, art, and terrazzo floors are still well-preserved.
However, the current crop of design-focused stays has a more recent inspiration: Fogo Island Inn, designed by Gander-born architect Todd Saunders. When entrepreneur Zita Cobb launched the hotel in 2013, her goal was to revive a corner of the province devastated by the decline in cod fishing. The distinct structure, with its white boxes jutting over a windswept, rocky shoreline, has become a luxury destination, attracting notable guests like Gwyneth Paltrow and David Letterman.
The success of Fogo Island Inn has inspired others. Interior designer Sarah Parker Charles, who was raised in St. John's and worked in Montreal and Chicago before returning home, says, 'Fogo showed what can happen when you augment Newfoundland's beautiful landscape and friendly people with excellent design.'
Parker Charles and her partner, Nancy Sheppard, designed the chic Hew & Draw in 2020, the first new hotel in Corner Brook in 30 years. The hotel's rooms, with their crisp black accents, are a modern interpretation of the historic rail cars that once crisscrossed the island. 'Hospitality is continuing to grow,' she says, 'and we've got so many beautiful places to stay where it's sometimes only possible to go with an RV or pitch a tent. But that's changing.'
Three new design stays are worth the trip:
The Cape Retreat
Located on the edge of Cape Broyle, a fishing village of around 500 people, The Cape Retreat features six cube-shaped cabins dotting a grassy hillside. Each cabin has a king bed, a kitchenette, and an ensuite bathroom, and none have a television. Instead, they come equipped with a small walnut box containing a note encouraging visitors to put their phone inside and close the brass clasp, promoting a 'unplug' experience.
Architect Nick Herder, who worked under Todd Saunders on the design for the Fogo Island Inn, played a key role in The Cape Retreat's design. Each cabin is positioned to capture a unique vista, from the town and harbour to the cape and out to sea. The expansive windows allow the light to constantly change, reflecting the heavy clouds that often roll through, and sometimes glinting in the water as a crab boat approaches shore.
The cabins are clad in raw cedar planks on the outside and lined with a mix of birch and spruce on the inside, with the spruce marking over time. The retreat does not have a sit-down restaurant, but chef Alex Blagdon offers multi-course dinners and cooking classes using local ingredients like Newfoundland honey and foraged spruce tips, served on custom pottery from CUP Studios.
Murphy's Cove Retreat
Murphy's Cove Retreat, located in Norman's Cove-Long Cove, is a three-bedroom guest house that will open to tourists in 2027. Designed by architect Evan Hoyles in collaboration with East Coast Modern, the house is inspired by the area's time-worn fishing huts, often clad in cedar shingles. The design aims to balance the need for comfort and shelter with a connection to nature.
The house is laid out in an L-shape, with the primary bedroom and open-concept living space in one wing, and guest quarters and a TV room in the other. Panoramic windows offer sunrise vistas over the ocean and sunset views over a private grassy courtyard. The windows open to a gentle sea breeze, carrying the sound of lapping waves, but close tight when the winds pick up.
Throughout the house, there are places to wait out storms, including a deep bench custom-built into a nook in the primary bedroom and a bench set in a niche off the front entryway, lined with a wallpaper by Bonavista-based designer Kate Golding, called Forest Blooms.
Dog Cove House
Dog Cove House, located in Port Rexton, sits at the head of the Skerwink hiking trail, with the historic town of Trinity across a bay. The house features a four-bedroom main section and a neighbouring loft, both newly finished and available for rent. The primary bedroom has huge windows framing the picturesque scenery, and the house is filled with spa-like amenities, including a cedar-lined sauna, a six-person hot tub, and a steam shower.
The house also has a signature aroma, crafted by Alder and Ox, a St. John's company specializing in home scents. The fragrance picks up on the sweetness in Newfoundland's air, with notes of wild mint and a certain freshness.
The writer was a guest of all featured properties, which did not review or approve this article. Stories are based on merit; The Globe does not guarantee coverage.
Bring the look home
For those who can't visit, Newfoundland's artisans offer items to admire the island's style at home. Bonavista-based wallpaper designer Kate Golding creates patterns inspired by the island's natural scenery, including icebergs that drift by the coast in the spring. Furniture maker and designer Philip McIlroy designs traditional objects with a modern twist, like the swoop-backed bench at The Cape Retreat, made from birch, a common wood in central Newfoundland.
Dwell by Sam, a St. John's-based design and retail business, stocks body washes and shampoos from East Coast Glow, which also sells stylish, locally made accessories. CUP Studios, based in Twillingate, creates handmade stoneware, like the mossy green chef's table mugs, reflecting the island's verdant groundcover. And local quilters on Fogo Island create the Straight Strip Quilts, a vibrant pattern made from colourful fabric scraps, with custom options available.
