Cottages
You’ll Want To Spend Every Weekend At This Private Island Retreat!
Updated on November 29, 2023
Joe Brennan and Danny Greenglass have always enjoyed the outdoors — hiking and riding their bikes, say — but over three decades of building high-end homes together at Brennan Custom Homes for clients in Toronto, Muskoka and Palm Beach, Florida, meant they rarely allowed themselves the downtime to commit to regular escapes. This changed once they built their island retreat in eastern Ontario. “When you park your car and get on your boat, your shoulders just drop,” says Joe. “It’s like arriving in a whole other world.”
In 2011, Joe and Danny — partners in work and in life — bought Shanty Island on the St. Lawrence River near Gananoque, Ontario, with the plan to build a house. They had just completed a project on a nearby island, and the location — a historic shipping artery dotted with trading posts — seemed at once idyllic and emblematic of the Canadian outdoors. They purchased the property thinking they would use it for three of the four seasons and finally spend time relaxing while hosting family and friends during the prime summer months.
Composed of stone- and cedar-clad pavilions linked by glass passageways, the 4,800-square-foot house shows a refined respect for its surroundings. The decorating remains deliberately low-key, in part because “we’re not interior designers,” says Joe matter-of-factly, and in part because an overly considered statement would have been incongruous with the natural beauty that seduced them in the first place.
Even with work fighting for their time, Joe and Danny head to Shanty Island nearly every weekend. Says Joe: “There’s just this constant sense of well-being, relaxation and enjoyment.”
The main house is discreetly nestled above the island’s shoreline and behind soaring pines. It extends widthwise like an updated New England bungalow, the Georgian influence revealed through details like the Palladian windows. Distinctive for its height, it nods to similar structures dating back to the early 20th century that are particular to this part of the river. “Everyone seemed to build towers back then, and I had never done a tower like that, so it became an architectural element,” says Joe.
Wood-sided boathouses offer a picturesque arrival to Shanty Island.
Danny (left) and Joe walk up the pathway that leads from the boathouses to the main house, which is situated 10 and a half metres above the river.
Cedar shingles and local stone dry set into the mortar give the exterior an authentic look.
Large windows with black frames underscore the home’s modern yet understated elements. “It’s just relaxed,” says Joe of the home’s overall mood. “It’s not a sophisticated city look, but it’s also not a lodge look,” he adds. “I didn’t want Canadian canoes and paddles.”
The living room remains relaxed and informal, with lounge-friendly seating arranged around a fireplace built from the island’s granite stones.
The kitchen is designed for cooking and gathering with friends, and features a 12-foot-long island, durable Corian surfaces and open shelving.
The entry hall is anchored by a central table topped with nautical collectibles, including a vintage model of the fastest river boat from the 1920s, which Joe and Danny bought at a New York auction. The hall gives way to a library panelled in the style of a modern yacht, reaffirming Joe’s signature sense of modern elegance and elevating the home beyond a humble cottage.
Since cell service on the island can be weak, guests can retreat to a quiet corner off the library where an old telephone has been rewired. A 1920s-era men’s bathing suit hangs in the frame above.
The stained oak floor and gabled ceiling in the principal bedroom deliver a calming modernity.
The principal bedroom has near panoramic views of the outdoors. Joe bought the floor lamp in 1973, when he lived in Richmond, Virginia.
The principal bathroom is streamlined yet well-appointed, with a sculptural tub and tranquil views.
Days are spent outside as much as possible. Danny is often up to enjoy the sunrise, both men tend to the landscaping each day, and they usually ease into the evening with a Caesar followed by dinner on the terrace. The teak outdoor furniture has been left to weather naturally.
Lush hydrangeas and a paved terrace create a romantic setting amidst the woodsy backdrop.
Danny and Joe in the screened porch, with its wood-burning fireplace and vaulted ceiling. “I’m in the architectural business, but I didn’t want an architectural style; I wanted what was here — the stone — and something very understated,” says Joe. One of his custom-built homes was celebrated in the April/May issue of House & Home in 1987.
A guest suite occupies the 40-foot-high tower, which takes its cue from similar historical structures along the river.
To link back to the land, Joe used the granite stones (which were found on the island) to create a low exterior wall that borders the house.
A student who worked on the property constructed an Inukshuk from the island’s stones, situating it with a view to the St. Lawrence River.
The newly constructed wood shed is faced with wood stacked in a grid.
The pale gray boathouses are set off against the deep green hue of the river and the countless trees on the property.
The couple relies on an elegant Hunt yacht for both essential and recreational use, with a smaller Boston Whaler for zipping around. Danny and Joe commute to the mainland often, where they’re co-developing Riverstone Gananoque, a residential project comprising more than 100 condominiums on the waterfront. They expect to begin selling units within the next six months.
Donna Griffith
House & Home July/August 2020
Danny Greenglass & Joe Brennan, Brennan Custom Homes