Cottages
This Resort-Style Cottage Is The Ultimate Summer Hangout
Updated on November 29, 2023
While it takes its cues from beachy tropical and Cape Cod resorts, Tanya Linton and Mike Sheerin’s unorthodox cottage is 100 percent Canadian. Nestled in the charming town of Southampton, Ontario, the property is only a two-and-a-half-hour drive northwest of Toronto, but it’s a million miles from the bustle of city life. “It’s not the usual dock in Muskoka,” says Tanya, who shares the four-bedroom cottage with Mike (together, they run the TV production company Architect Films) and their three sons, Eddie, 11, Murray, 9, and Frankie, 7. The spacious side yard offers something for everyone: a huge pool, table tennis for the kids, a barbecue hut for Mike and spots to lounge with a book.
Scroll down to discover how Tanya reimagined the property!
During the summer, while a trip to the beach is a daily ritual, life revolves around the pool. “The kids want to be in the pool at 9 a.m., so I’m usually having my coffee out here,” says Tanya.
There are enough loungers flanking the pool to host a crowd for a day of swim and sun.
A row of Muskoka chairs and ottomans under an overhang outside the kitchen door offers a spot to sit with a coffee or cocktail when the weather is rainy.
Grilling is one of Mike’s passions. The pergola-topped barbecue hut houses his barbecue collection, including a hard-core 2,000-pound smoker shipped from North Carolina. Tanya had the neon South BBQ sign custom made. Poppy, the family’s bernedoodle, seeks out cool cement on hot days.
The dining platform is reminiscent of a dock, and the siding recalls New England clapboard cottages. A mod grey dining table and chairs have a hip, youthful vibe.
At one end of the barbecue hut, a simple countertop gives the family a place to set up a poolside bar or eat a quick lunch fresh off the grill.
An all-weather table-tennis table in one corner offers the boys an alternative to swimming. River rock ground cover around the concrete pad gives the garden a contemporary sensibility.
A big chalkboard mounted on the fence makes it a snap to track who’s winning.
The firepit gets used almost every night when the family’s here. “We’re definitely into roasting marshmallows!” says Tanya. A low fence lets her keep an eye on the boys when they’re biking in the lane.
Tanya swapped out an old shed for this sleek new black one she designed as a visual counterbalance to the pool cabana.
Valerie Wilcox
House & Home May 2019