Skeleton Lake Oasis

Skeleton Lake Oasis cottage perched on the water

Located right off of Lake Muskoka, this dreamy cottage is a true oasis. We wanted to work with the land in building this home, and we brought as many aspects of the surrounding rockscape and waterfront into the build as possible. With stunning views and reclaimed wood floors, this house is stunningly beautiful, livable and natural.

What made this project unique?

This Skeleton Lake luxury cottage sits in the midst of a large tract of natural forest owned land by our client, making it relatively isolated on an extraordinarily popular piece of waterfront. The rare find is a diamond in the rough, sitting right in the middle of Muskoka cottage country. We utilized the rock slope of the surrounding land to create a walkout and area for a hot tub, as well as a lower seating area. By working with the land instead of against it, we were able to create a luxury Muskoka cottage with walking trails on the property and the future plans to make it into a family and guest compound. Within the tract of land is a private lake where there is another guest cottage, allowing for the ultimate zone of relaxation and simplicity.

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

When designing this Muskoka waterfront cottage, we wanted to match the environment that surrounded it. With custom lighting, a glass railing that doesn’t obstruct the view and an open-floor concept to encourage mingling and parties, this cottage on Skeleton Lake is designed to be lived in fully. In order to create a cottage that works with the surrounding area, we used as many natural materials as possible — including Muskoka granite — to let the house blend with the outdoors. When it came to the Muskoka cottage interior design, we installed features like reclaimed elm floors, barn board from Colorado and huge patio doors in the master bedroom to help to bring the outdoors in.

What were some of the energy-efficient design elements?

In this home, energy efficiency was considered from the ground up. One of our biggest goals was to use it to support the environment that surrounded it. We let the rockscape situate the house instead of situating the rockscape around the house, and we used plenty of natural elements in the home, from Muskoka granite and reclaimed elm to contaminant-free barn board and Ontario clear pine. Hydronic radiant heat system was used under the concrete floors uses a concrete mass as a heat-sink creating warmth.