Spoiler alert: This article contains direct plot references.
There are series that you watch, others that you experience emotionally.
Heated Rivalry is one of those productions that, episode after episode, has earned in the space of just 4 weeks the status of cult , not only for its magnetic story, but also for the extraordinary care with which it tells its characters and their secret relationship.
The series, which is only now starting to be launched internationally, was officially only available in America, but went viral to the point that it was seen simultaneously with the American airing, throughout the rest of the world. The first episode was released on November 28, and by the following week it was already a global phenomenon on social media. Even in Russia, a country with strict rules regarding the sharing and distribution of LGBTQ+ content, it has silently depopulated and become a very secret symbol of activism. On Instagram and TikTok there are millions of videos of the two main protagonists, of the most emotional scenes and of some phrases that have already gone viral, including “ I’m coming to the cottage “, a now iconic quote, the central point of our article.
The construction of a contemporary cult
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie (Shane and Ilya, in the series), went from just a few thousand to over three million followers on Instagram in the space of two months, demonstrating how this phenomenon, made with a low budget and with initially semi-unknown actors, is already an icon of our times.
The television adaptation of Rachel Reid’s best-selling novel, Heated Rivalry has won over audiences and critics for the direct, intimate and non-trivial way in which it tells the secret relationship between two famous ice hockey stars: a complex relationship, made up of tension, continuous desire, long waits, secrets and vulnerability.
Each space is chosen to reflect what the characters cannot say in words.
In fact, the beautiful locations used in the various episodes of the series are different, but it is in the sixth, the last of this first season, that Barlochan Cottage comes into play.
The cottage
The cottage in the series is not a constructed set, as many thought, but a real residence in Muskoka Lakes, Ontario (Canada), often called Barlochan Cottage, a name which, I believe, will soon be replaced. From an architectural point of view, it represents a very refined interpretation of typical contemporary Canadian cottages: a refuge of wood and light, surrounded by nature, with a view of the lake, designed to be lived in all seasons, where comfort and landscape interact continuously.
The structure is solid and geometric, but also bright and elegant:
- Douglas fir structural wood, left exposed inside, gives warmth to the various rooms;
- local stone for the large central fireplace;
- full-height perimeter windows that eliminate the boundary between inside and outside;
- external cladding also in Douglas fir wood with Shou Sugi Ban treatment.
The architecture allows the forest, the lake and natural light to be integral parts of the interiors.A perfect fusion where design and nature come together, where artifice breathes with the surrounding environment.
Inside:
- comfortable open space between kitchen, living room and dining area;
- modern, geometric and minimal furnishings, but always warm and enveloping;
- soft, refined, often indirect lighting, which leaves room for nature and its dynamics;
- a color palette that blends perfectly with the external environment: stone, light wood, warm greys, sand and beige.
The stone fireplace, as visible in the series, is the heart of the house: the central point that recalls warmth, shelter, protection and intimacy. The large windows, however, bring in the external forest, making the house an almost meditative place. Shane himself , owner of the cottage in the series, describes it as the perfect refuge to ‘switch off’, isolate yourself and, above all, relax in the peace of nature.
Design as narrative
In Heated Rivalry, the cottage is the perfect place where the characters can finally let their guard down and let go. The house, with its modern, but always warm and natural aesthetic, seems specifically designed to support the emotional intensity of the two main characters, to lull them between glances, words and caresses.
It is here that some of the most important moments of the story take place, it is here that the two lovers declare themselves, it is here that they have the opportunity to get to know each other and go deeper.
The design intent of designer Trevor McIvor was precisely to offer those who live in the cottage an experience of quiet and freedom, through a harmonious, welcoming, safe space designed to be experienced as a real home.
The cottage as an icon
In the media, the phrase “ I’m coming to the cottage “, said at the end of the fifth episode, has become an important symbol of the series. It can now be found on any type of merch: mugs, t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and so on.
From a more technical point of view, the chosen design, the colors, the quality materials and the position constitute the perfect setting for a story that focuses on depth, on looks, on waiting, on feelings and on truth.
Tours dedicated to the symbolic places of the series are already taking shape, with groups of fans who want to visit the most iconic settings, starting from the cottage, which is now destined to become a destination for an increasingly international influx.
To conclude, Heated Rivalry is a series that engages you on a deep emotional level and leaves you extremely vulnerable. It is visually beautiful: the places, the architecture and the design contribute to making the story even more intimate and powerful. It is not a series “for a specific audience”, despite the thinking of many: it is a love story that speaks to anyone. To the point that it became a cult even before it was officially released.
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