Cottages
Tour A Tranquil Cottage That Is One With Nature
Updated on November 29, 2023
Not long ago, even newly built cottages favored a more traditional style, with lashings of gingerbread trim and smaller windows. The results were charming and cozy, but they also tended to be dark and disconnected from the landscape. So when a couple with grown children who had children of their own confessed to Margot Bell and Dasha Ricci of Peaks & Rafters that they were ready to replace their family cottage with a design that emphasized light as well as the rugged surroundings, the designers, who specialize in cottage properties, immediately understood. “This was a dream project for our clients,” says Dasha. “They wanted something more contemporary.”
Since they gravitated toward a modern look, Margot suggested Toronto architect Peter Berton of +VG Architects, whose contemporary sensibility matched the dynamic spirit of the project. The new one-storey cottage on Muskoka’s Lake Joseph has a low profile that tucks under a canopy of trees and hugs the rocks. The interior’s expansive windows, complemented by natural materials and ample glazing, give the impression of being outside when indoors. “Even when it rains here, it’s bright without lights,” says Peter. “You can still see the lake — you can see everything.”
Scroll down to tour this dreamy boathouse!
Alex Lukey
House & Home July 2019
Margot Bell & Dasha Ricci, Peaks & Raftors; Architecture by +VG Architects