Close to Nature

The owners of this lovely Muskoka cottage always dreamed of building a timber frame. Once they found the perfect property, they engaged Normerica to not only design and supply their dream cottage, but also enlisted Normerica’s Construction Management Services to oversee the entire building process.

The design brief included the ability to comfortably host their large, blended family as well as friends, but still have the house feel cozy when it’s just the couple in the cottage, which is much of the time. Normerica achieved this by making smart use of three levels of living. The basement is packed full of bedrooms – 5 in total – along with a bathroom to service them. Large windows through out the basement keep the rooms bright and inviting. The main level has a generous living room featuring a classic timber frame cathedral ceiling and soaring wood burning stone...

fireplace. The kitchen nicely separates the living area from the dining room creating a cozy space to host dinners or play board games. A powder room, an all-important mudroom, and a practical butler’s pantry complete the main level. The loft holds the primary suite with breathtaking views of the lake and a home office. The loft offers a private space for the homeowners while friends and family are visiting.

The exterior of this cottage is clad in classic board and batten siding in a dark grey colour matching the window trim and the roof. This monochromatic colour scheme gives the building a modern feel. In a fun and eye-catching twist, the homeowners selected red windows, which provide the perfect pop of interest and contrast. The exterior timber truss details, and timber frame porch were kept a natural colour, wonderfully complementing the siding and windows.

The homeowners really enjoyed working with the Normerica Construction Management Services team. The worry of coordination was taken off their shoulders and they were glad to have the experts at Normerica there to troubleshoot any issues that arose and take care of moving the project along their tight timeline.

What do the homeowners love most about their cottage? As one of the homeowners says in their interview with Lakeside Magazine, “Our desire was to capture the incredible feeling of being with nature through a post and beam design. Looking around the cottage gives us the feeling of almost being outdoors.” Read the rest of the Lakeside Magazine article featuring this stunning cottage here.