Lucky Lane Cottage in Muskoka

A mountain contemporary cottage surrounded by nature and stunning views.

Nestled off of a private lake in Muskoka, Ontario, this mountain contemporary cottage build elegantly brings in the outdoors. While part of a family compound, this cottage is the only one on its own shoreline, and the absolutely stunning waterfront views of the lake are extra special. Nature was huge in this project, which is why every aspect of the cottage build sings along with the outdoors around it. With neutral tones, stone, wood and massive windows, this Muskoka cottage lives and breathes with the rustle of leaves and the wind on the waves outside of it.

What were some of the most interesting and captivating design choices?

When working on this mountain contemporary cottage, we wanted to make sure to use natural materials as well as work to intermingle the outside world with the cottage itself. In turn, we ended up with a colour scheme that blends right into the outdoors, along with massive windows that show waterfront views from each placement. With stone, wood and huge window scapes, we were truly able to bring the outdoors into every aspect of the cottage. We installed Douglas Fir trim, pine plank stairs and Ontario clear pine cladding to further integrate the outside in. The bathrooms were tiled in natural limestone, non-wood clad rooms were repainted in neutral colours and even the laundry room counter was custom-made with a blend of Ontario woods. No detail was spared when it came to mingling everything together, with a beautiful result that everyone loved and that complemented the natural environment.

What made this beautiful project unique?

While there were several unique aspects with this Muskoka mountain contemporary cottage build, one thing rang clear throughout the entire project: you simply can’t get any closer to nature than with this build. The cottage, which was designed to be built around the rocky point it sits on, was integrated into and around the rock peninsula. In fact, the permit was granted by the building department because it was realized that this build would save trees.

With a pristine location on a private lake, this cottage held so much natural possibility that we wanted to keep it all by itself. Creating the private road into the build—while a huge undertaking—was worth it. While we also had to fix the mistakes of previous contractors while working not to incur too much extra cost for our client, the end result is truly something special.

What were some of the energy-efficient design elements?

With its private location off of the lake, warmth is key—which is why radiant heat was installed beneath floors over ICF foundations to retain energy efficiency.