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Fieldstead

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Canada
Cobourg, ON
Fieldstead

Design + Build + Shop
Artful spaces, rooted to place
Coming Soon to 28 Main St. Warkworth, Ontario

10/26/2026

A new deck, and quite a bit more.

What began as a fairly straightforward deck replacement turned into a much larger undertaking when we uncovered extensive rot and water damage to the exterior envelope from a deck that had been improperly built some thirty years ago.

Before we could move forward with the new construction, there was a considerable amount of repair and reinforcement needed to the exterior of the house.

Much of that work is now hidden, but it’s some of the most important. We believe good craftsmanship is just as much about what you don’t see as what you do, and taking the time to do things properly matters. Every detail matters not just in how a space looks, but how it feels and is experienced. Even with humble materials, a space can feel really special when time is taken to do everything right.

We’re happy to have this one wrapped up, with a beautiful new place to sit and enjoy the changing seasons overlooking this part of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

A lovely project to finish this autumn.

10/23/2026

A few scenes from our landscape rounds this week.

We’re making our final garden visits of the season, checking in on established plantings, wrapping up projects, having meetings, and getting a few new ones underway before winter settles in.

It’s always a bit of a balancing act at this time of year. Finishing what’s in front of us while already looking ahead to what comes next.

There’s still plenty to do, but we’re enjoying these last weeks in the gardens and the slower rhythm that comes with the changing season.

The season may be winding down, but there’s plenty taking shape behind the scenes.

10/15/2026

We absolutely adore this gem of a home, coming soon to MLS in Cobourg.
Fieldstead did the kitchen many moons ago and we are still smitten with it. We love old houses 🤎

10/10/2026

Happy Thanksgiving from Fieldstead. 🍂

Feeling especially grateful this year for good health, family, our three senior dogs, the woods that surround us, and the wonderful community we get to be part of.

There have been a lot of new beginnings this year, and so much to look forward to. We are grateful for the people who have supported us, welcomed new ideas, and made room for us to grow.

Wishing everyone a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend, whatever that looks like for you. We hope there's time for some good food, fresh air, and the people and places you love.

10/08/2026

Meet Wolfgang Nabert , the other half of Fieldstead.

Wolfgang is our builder, carpenter, problem solver, and the person who brings so many of our ideas into the physical world.

His work spans fine carpentry, cabinetry, masonry, and construction, with a deep appreciation for good materials, thoughtful details, and things made to last.

He has an almost obsessive eye for detail and an uncompromising approach to craftsmanship. No shortcuts, no cutting corners. His work is precise, considered, and heirloom quality in every sense.

He’s also wonderfully unique, incredibly funny, and completely dialled in when he’s working. He has a way of figuring things out and making even the most complicated ideas come together beautifully.

One of the things we love about working together is how differently we approach things. MR is often thinking about atmosphere, planting, and how a space feels. Wolfgang brings an understanding of materials, structure, and how things are made.

It’s a combination that has shaped our work and allowed Fieldstead to evolve beyond gardens alone.

We’re looking forward to sharing more of his craftsmanship here, both indoors and out.

10/03/2026

I’ve been thinking about fall garden cleanup, and how much nuance there actually is to it.
I like cleaning up the garden in fall. I also leave a lot behind.
The asters are still flowering. Coneflower seedheads stay standing. Grasses, stems and anything with good structure are mostly left alone. Leaves can settle into beds and under trees, and plenty of the garden is allowed to slowly collapse on its own.
But, I cut back the hostas. I cut back the lilies. I don’t particularly enjoy dealing with their wet, collapsed leaves in spring. I’ll remove foliage where powdery mildew or disease has been a problem. And sometimes I cut something back simply because, to my eye, it has finished for the year and I want mine or the clients eye’s to land somewhere else.
There’s real ecological value in leaving the garden standing through winter. But I don’t think ecological gardening needs to become a purity test.
Gardens are habitat, but they’re also places we live with and care for. There can be room for both.
I actually love this time of year in the garden. Cooler days, cutting some things back, leaving others alone, moving through the beds slowly and noticing what worked and what could do better with a relocation. What to add come springtime. Where to edit. Where to refine. There’s a rhythm to it.
Maybe that’s the approach; pay attention, leave what has something left to give, clean up what makes sense, and do what feels good in your own garden.

-Michael

09/28/2026

it is always so nice to drive by to see something we built years ago holding up so beautifully.

an ornate yet restrained custom cedar arbor, and a pine fence given a natural treatment to speed up the weathering process. years later, it’s settled into this beautiful silver grey.
we like materials that get better as they age.
more from this gorgeous Port Hope heritage property soon

09/22/2026

somehow, it’s the fall equinox already.

we’ve been busy and having a good time. apparently this is the year for replacing rotting thirty-year-old decks. not glamorous, but necessary.

there are new gardens in the works, drawings being finished, and lots of sourcing for fall planting and hardscape. and a lot of walking around properties; listening, observing, figuring things out. somehow there’s always something new to notice, even in places we’ve walked a dozen or so times.

the light is changing. the grasses are starting to turn. goldenrod is going to seed. and it’s aster season, which might be one of my favourite signs that fall is here.

a few things we’ve been seeing and working on lately.

09/09/2026

Natural stone. Both as found objects and locally sourced in.
Limestone steps and retaining walls built around moss covered boulders and field stone found on site.
Fitting the different materials together so the finished work feels as though it has always belonged here.

Stonework by Wolfgang.

09/05/2026

Choosing trees, one at a time.
I was back at the nursery this week tagging trees for our fall planting projects. It's something I've been doing for years whenever the project allows.
Two trees can have the same name and size on paper and be very different in person. Form, branching, structure and overall health all matter — as does the particular garden and place the tree is being chosen for.
So whenever possible, we go to the nursery and select our trees and larger specimens individually.
It's a small part of the process, but an important one.

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Concession Road 6 E
Cobourg, ON
K0K3K0

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