Modern design replacing log cottages, rustic builds As demand for year-round property continues to grow, cottage design and lifestyle have been shifting. And while many people yearn for the slow living that comes with rustic builds, finding those cottages is increasingly like finding a needle in a haystack. Even Whistler- or Lake Tahoe-esque log cabins – in vogue as recently as 15 to 20 years ago – are becoming fewer and further between, with many cottage owners tearing down original cottages and replacing them with contemporary black or white builds with flat roofs and glass windows that are comparable to properties found in Malibu Beach, reports Storey Badger of Engel & Völkers Toronto Central Muskoka.
“You may see someone with an older cottage build an ultra modern boathouse in the anticipation of building the ultra modern 7,500-square-foot cottage but they hold off on that because it’s the big-ticket item. There’s a mismatch because they’re doing development in stages,” he says. TEARDOWNS, VACANT LAND “If people have the goal of moving into a log cabin, they tend to stick with it but that’s not what many buyers want.
They’re looking for either a teardown or vacant land that’s a blank canvas,” says Badger. “You’ll find builders, developers and end users are using the original cottages for their footprint because if you were to build on vacant land, you’d have to build way further back from the water’s edge.” Lakeside Architecture principal architect James Pitropov says the decision to renovate or tear down an older cottage often depends on how people came into its possession.
Because there’s often “significant emotional attachment” to inherited properties, owners may be more willing to repair and renovate them. “There are some beautiful older Craftsman-style cottages with wraparound porches, turrets and beautiful design features that are worth restoring,” he says. “A lot of the times though, cottages were more utilitarian.
They weren’t necessarily oriented to the views or to take advantage of the sunlight. They may not maximize privacy.” HIGHER STANDARDS Construction standards and general expectations often weren’t as high when older cottages were constructed as they are now, says Pitropov, pointing to the days when you’d open the windows to cool things down and throw another log on the woodstove to heat things up.
Even attempting to insulate an older cottage can open a costly can of worms, he warns. “At one point, you almost have a new cottage anyway. With a newer design, you can build traditional or more modern.
The way I build is modern but using rustic materials like Douglas fir timbers and natural stone with large windows and a focus on multi-use open spaces and open sightlines,” he says. “True modernism doesn’t mean things needs to look like they were built in a factory. They can be luxurious but really pared down which allows you to focus on the environment.
” As editor of Cottage Life magazine, Michelle Kelly has visited “hundreds” of cottages. “Some of the most spectacular properties I’ve seen in any place have been in Ontario cottage country,” she says. “I’ve also seen some of the most rustic, falling-down shacks as well, so it really runs the gamut.
” An “extremely small portion” of cottages have over-the-top amenities like a helicopter pad and movie theatre. “We are seeing more cottages that might have a dishwasher when they used to not have a dishwasher or they’re drywalled and insulated for four seasons. Even though those two things are fairly simple, they’re a step up from open stud walls and a kitchen sink with a gingham fabric front,” says Kelly.
DESIGN EVOLUTION There are lots of reasons why cottage lifestyle and design are changing. “We hear all the time from people who bought a cottage and loved it but it’s falling in the ground. It makes more sense to knock it down and start new because it needs so much work just to keep it standing,” she says.
“Maybe they’re thinking about retiring there one day so it seems like a good time to make some upgrades. Or they’re working from home more so they’re spending more time at the cottage, or their kids have babies now and they want them to come up so they’re going to renovate to make it bigger so everyone can stay and be comfortable. While they’re renovating, they decide to just make things a bit less rustic.
” Cottage Life regularly features cottages that embrace forward-thinking environmental solutions or more sophisticated building materials. “Owners are thinking about the long-term sustainability of not just building it but running it,” Kelly says. “Some cottages are built to be off grid so they might have sophisticated solar panels and high-efficiency windows.
That’s definitely a trend.” But because those cottages are built with their environmental impact in mind, they’re oftentimes not large. “However, because the owners are building small, they’re making every inch of that space look incredibly beautiful with beautiful finishes and gorgeous windows that are energy efficient and huge.
” Admittedly, when those types of cottages are featured, Kelly often hears from readers who complain they’re “too fancy” to be cottages. “Sometimes that’s a matter of taste,” she says. “Sometimes the matter of people wishing for open stud walls, creaky floors and bats in the attic is because there’s a certain nostalgia around that or impression that that’s more authentically a cottage and they’re sort of clinging to that ideal.
There’s obviously no right answer. People are going to like what they’re going to like.”.
