Tay Valley Township Cottage

Tay Valley Township, Ontario

Perched on a steeply sloped site and facing west, this cottage was designed to enhance the magnificent view of the water and take advantage of the spectacular sunsets.  The owners wanted the new cottage to be modern enough – but also respect tradition. It was also important to blur the lines between indoors and out.

The main level houses living, dining, kitchen, guest room and powder room with transparent walls that blend into the landscape.  A covered deck with exposed Douglas fir rafters extends the interior living space to create a floating outdoor room.  Minimal glass guards disappear to allow unimpeded views from the interior. A cantilevered stair leading down to the lake from the deck appears to hover along the horizon.

Taking advantage of the steep site, the lower level includes two bedrooms with a walkout to a stone terrace, master ensuite, bathroom and laundry room.

The interior palette includes white tongue and groove pine ceiling and wall paneling, white oak wide plank floors and a minimalist Norwegian gas fireplace. The exterior materials highlight the variation in textures of board form concrete, western red cedar slats and soffit, horizontal reveal wood siding and standing seam metal.

The design of the cottage focused on quality over quantity, and totally met the needs and desires of the homeowners to have open spaces that would blend indoors and outdoors.

Year:  2015
Size:  1,900 sq.ft.
Photography:   T.H. Wall Photography