Decorating & Design
30 Breathtaking Beach Houses You Won’t Believe Are In Canada
Updated on November 15, 2018
If you’re looking for a summer escape, might we suggest heading to the Great White North? While popular beachside spots like Maine, California and North Carolina often get most of the attention, there are waterfront properties across Canada that put those overcrowded tourist destinations to shame. The secret is in the decorating… white-washed interiors and coastal style mimic the look and feel of a beachside locale. From Quebec to British Columbia, here are nine beautiful Canadian beach houses to explore.
When blogger Monika Hibbs set out to create a blissful master retreat in her Langley, B.C. home, she went with a beachy vibe — from the bedroom to the bath. The all-white palette really allows the blue rug and summery prints to pop.
Like the master, Monika decided to go for a “coastal vibe” in her home’s guest bedroom. She paired a bamboo headboard with palmetto-printed wallpaper to bring a little bit of the outdoors in.
The backyard is one of the most important spaces in Monika’s blissful retreat — in fact, it was a key component right from the beginning of the build. She opted for oversized black metal chairs and sofas, a set which “evokes the essence of French coastal living in the 1960s” and matching black-and-white wicker loungers.
This gorgeous beach house is situated on one of Ontario’s most pristine beaches, located in Prince Edward County. It’s located near some of the country’s best wineries, apple orchards and berry farms.
The beachside oasis is decorated in a neutral palette, full of creams, whites and wovens. The colorless interiors make the blue water views pop.
The white kitchen has a laid-back beachy California vibe, anchored by a mixed metal island and bar stools.
Just because a house isn’t located directly on the beach, doesn’t mean it can’t channel iconic beach houses with its interior design. This midtown Toronto home has everything you’d expect from an oceanfront property. Designer Montana Burnett used organic elements to carry the beachy vibe through the house.
Pale oak floors run through the entire house, bringing a laid-back vibe to each room — including the kitchen. The subtle color scheme (black, white, beige and grey) keeps things light and airy, even when the weather outside is anything but.
Despite the home’s central city location, the vibe in the backyard is definitely beachy. Owner Hayley Atkin says her family makes good use of the outdoor lounge area, barbecue and table (which seats 12).
Inspired by the blue waters of Ontario’s Lake Rousseau, designer Anne Hepfer brought the lake views inside this beachside retreat, decorating in shades of blue and white.
This open-concept living area is ideal for entertaining: the back-to-back sofas provide tons of seating and the walk-out deck gives guests a perfect view of the lake.
Continuing with the color palette, Anne framed the living area’s oversized windows with a blue-and-white book shelf, along with matching trinkets and small accessories.
This luxe guest bedroom offers everything a beach visitor needs: a cozy, comfortable spot to lay their head after a long day on the lake and tons of under-bed storage to keep their personal belongings out of the way.
This beachy retreat on Lake Simcoe also draws its decor inspiration from the outdoors. Designer Jenn Cranston used organic materials like bamboo, and a sandy color palette filled with white and cream.
Jenn used the same aesthetic in the eating area, where she painted a mismatched set (bistro chairs and picnic bench) white to complement the natural accessories.
The all-white kitchen helps carry the vacation vibe of this lakeside cottage into another highly trafficked area. Jenn chose open shelving to show off the plates, vases and kitchenware, all picked to reflect the home’s color scheme.
The entryway is exactly what you’d expect from a cozy cottage. Jenn paired unique white and cream pieces that she found at local flea markets with items that reflect the property’s location, including a table with log legs.
Located in Quebec’s Charlevoix region, this architectural masterpiece offers both sea and mountain views and an abundance of outdoor space.
From top to bottom, the interior design brings in elements of the outdoors. Heated concrete floors complement the wood-paneled ceiling, while a ton of natural light pours in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The kitchen and dining area maintain the simple aesthetic, incorporating an oversized wood table, bench and bar stools to match the paneled ceiling.
Perched on a rocky island overlooking Ontario’s Lake Rousseau, this gorgeous hideaway is a stone’s throw from some famous faces, including Martin Short, Cindy Crawford and Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.
Like many other waterfront properties, this space takes inspiration from the outdoors, sticking to a beachy color palette of white and cream in the kitchen. According to designer Montana Burnett, “We kept the kitchen all-white but injected warmth with the butcherblock countertop and wood surround trim.”
The color scheme continues throughout the property, and each room is injected with a dose of decor inspired by Mother Nature. The bedroom features a prominent stag bust made of branches.
This waterside cottage in Quebec’s Petite-Revière-Saint-François offers visitors exquisite views of the mountains (it’s a few minutes from the ski center Le Massif de Charlevoix), the surrounding forest and nearby river.
The interior design is based on the surrounding landscape, with plenty of wood paneling — the floors, walls and ceiling are all wood — and stone accents throughout.
Floor-to-ceiling glass windows and oversized sky lights bring many of the area’s lush outdoor elements inside. Like so many other vacation properties, the neutral interior color palette lets the shades of nature take center stage.
Like the rest of this serene escape, the bedroom was designed with relaxation in mind. The designer clearly incorporated the elements, from the stone lamp to the wood bed frame.
Located in the heart of British Columbia, in the hills of Whistler, this chalet is on Alta Lake, one of the most famous bodies of water in the region.
The main living space in this West Coast chalet takes comfort and coziness seriously. Oversized sofas surround the stone-framed fireplace, creating a central space for movie nights and stargazing through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
In addition to the views of the lake and the mountains, the cherry red kitchen is a design highlight of this lakeside retreat. Joined by an oversized custom wood table and bar stools, this area can comfortably seat 25.