Altius Architecture has designed this dream cottage that is nestled on a generous seven-acre plot on Whalon Bay—a secluded bay on the east side of Lake Joseph, Ontario, Canada. Cottage country in Ontario is enjoyed from mid-April through to late August with beautiful summer sunsets out over the bay. This home was sited to take advantage of the peaceful views and calm waters away from busy boat traffic.

The site was selected to maintain a comfortable distance from nearby cottages. The boathouse was also positioned to maintain privacy while ensuring spectacular sunset views from across the bay. The boathouse also takes advantage of the sandy shoreline where one can take a refreshing dip off the dock and into Lake Joseph’s crystal clear water.

From a stylistic approach, the architects opted to go with a refined Muskoka character and theme that expresses history, purity, and functional form. “This style is really rooted in the original cottages from the late 1800s and early 1900s,” stated the architect. “They are purposeful in their form, and in that way speak to our contemporary aesthetic.”

This dream cottage also has a basement that features 1,000 square feet of finished space and 500 square feet of crawlspace along with a walkout and view of the lake.

A timeless exterior palette features dark charcoal wood siding, black window frames, and Douglas fir accents that allow the space to recede into the natural landscape. From the water, this cottage blends harmoniously into its surroundings. Large roof overhangs and the underside of the carport are finished with a rich burnt sienna, which contrasts with the vibrant green of summer and the spectacular colors of fall.

What We Love: This dream cottage is the perfect getaway in the Muskoka’s for family and friends to gather together and spend quality time in the great outdoors. We love the inviting warmth of the interior living spaces and the fabulous screened porch to enjoy fresh air and views of the lake. This cottage has been thoughtfully designed with great attention to detail that will be a wonderful place to call home away from home for generations to come. We are also loving the sustainable design elements!

Tell Us: What are your overall thoughts on the design of this cottage? Would this be your dream cottage retreat? Let us know in the Comments below!

Note: Be sure to have a look at a couple of other fantastic home tours that we have highlighted here on One Kindesign in the Muskoka Lakes region: Charming summer cottage on beautiful Lake Joseph, Canada and Striking contemporary cottage getaway overlooking idyllic Lake Joseph.

The main design objective was to design a cottage that could accommodate large gatherings over the summer, while still being cozy for the homeowners during the winter months. This vision led to an open-concept living space on the main level that opens out to a 300-square-foot screened-in porch.

The main level of this dream cottage encompasses a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, powder room, laundry room, and a pantry which is a suitable ground-floor living situation for inhabitants with reduced mobility as well as a multi-generational household. Dominating the main floor living space and central staircase is a fireplace clad in classic Muskoka granite. 

A large, double-sliding door pockets into the wall, connecting the outdoor dining and living area to the main living areas.

The interior palette is muted and neutral. The Douglas fir of the heavy timber frame is extended to the walls and ceilings, with classic exposed grain. The floors are American Cherry, which will darken over time to contrast more with the fir, while the granite floors throughout the bathrooms and the entry are heated for comfort and supplemental heat. This keeps the cottage cozy during the colder months.

On the upper level, a spacious owner’s bedroom has an ensuite bathroom, with a walk-out screen porch and treetop deck. Additionally, there is a junior suite with a walk-in closet, along with two more bedrooms, a linen closet, and a split bathroom to complete the upper level.

A two-story boathouse is a luxury reserved for properties that have over 300 feet of frontage, and this design takes maximum advantage of this added bonus. Due to its protected position, the architects opted to design one large, double slip instead of two singles. It is capable of accommodating two 24-foot boats with additional parking for up to five boats around the perimeter of the docks.

There is plenty of room in the interior of the boathouse to store kayaks, paddle boards, and canoes. There are also two spacious storage lofts on either side of the second story. It is a superb base for water adventures.

The upstairs of this spectacular boathouse was designed with teenagers in mind, for a young couple with a baby, or as a quiet space for seniors to unplug.

PHOTOGRAPHER Naomi Finlay

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

This energy-efficient structure closely resembles a cube, which is the most efficient shape to minimize the exterior area and energy loss while maximizing interior volume (liveable space). Southern windows were minimized to reduce summer heat gain, and allowed maximum glazing on the lakeside for increased thermal performance with triple-glazed windows and high-performance double glazing on the doors. The building enclosure is more than double the insulation requirements of the Ontario Building Code with R-30 beneath the basement slabs, R38 in the foundation walls, R42 in the walls above grade, and R50 in the roof. “The insulation is so good we had to install a cellular signal repeater in the cottage because the walls were blocking cell phone signals,” states the architect.

Rockwool insulation in the interior walls for sound privacy allowed the architects to zone the mechanical system so that parts of the home could be effectively dialed down in the winter for rooms that are not in use. This helps to dramatically reduce energy consumption. Using a forced air furnace with thermostatically controlled zone dampers has solved a key problem for hot summer days. Air conditioning is an increasing reality for cottages, and even more so if it needs to serve as a year-round residence.

The cottage is heated and cooled by a multi-level strategy and flex fuels, which support the building’s passive energy design. Cooling is primarily achieved by solar geometry (natural sun gains) and passive nighttime stack ventilation (airflow from changes in air pressure). To achieve stack ventilation, two large operable skylights were installed in the center stairwell and the master bedroom. In combination with operable windows in every room and at the lowest level of the basement, hot air rises up and can be exhausted from the cottage in the summer, except when nighttime temperatures fail to dip into the comfort zone, and AC is required.

In the heating season, the high-performance Renaissance Rumford fireplace (in combination with the furnace’s air-circulation mode) is capable of heating the entire cottage. The entry deck under the carport can accommodate a full bush cord of hardwood. Supplemental electric (resistive) floor heating is embedded in all the bathroom floors and the entry through to the pantry; and the four-zone propane furnace will fire up to increase the heat on the coldest winter days. The mechanical system, like the lighting system, is WIFI-enabled for Smart Home functionality.