Nov 30, 2020 Share Back to Blog Happy Homeowners: Denise & Graham’s Muskoka Beauty We sat down with Quality Homeowners, Denise & Graham, to chat about their very own cottage building journey. Though an unexpected journey, rebuilding their dream cottage on their beautiful lakefront property in Muskoka was a special experience and we are honoured to be a part of it. Tell us about yourselves and why you chose to build a custom cottage. We purchased our original cottage in 2000. We both hail from B.C. and the Muskoka region reminded us of home…lakes and coniferous trees! We have 3 children who were between the ages of 6-10 when we purchased the original cottage. In the early years, when the kids were young, we made the pilgrimage from our home in London, Ontario up north to spend a couple of weekends each month during the summer and for 3 weeks of holidays each year. This changed as the kids got older and assumed summer jobs up at the cottage through high school and university. Our cottage was a three season vacation home used between May and Thanksgiving. Over the years, we made several additions to the original structure as our needs changed. It was during the last revision in December 2018 when a construction fire burned the cottage and bunkie to the ground. We were devastated to say the least. In January 2019, we began looking into our options for a rebuild. Not wanting to lose more than one cottage season. Our good friends on the lake had built a cottage with Quality Homes 10 years earlier and were happy with the results …as were we. They started in September and were in their new cottage by the following summer! We were intrigued! What made you choose Quality Homes as your builder? After a lengthy discussion with our friends who used Quality Homes for their own cottage build, we decided to move forward and investigate our options. We visited the Grimsby and Kenilworth locations to look at various models and speak to the team. “We were impressed with the quality and speed at which our cottage could be built.” Tell us about the process. A lot of decisions need to be made in the early stages of planning. Being organized and knowing what we wanted helped. We investigated our design options and asked lots of questions. The team was very helpful in helping us achieve the best result as we had several site considerations to work around. “We always had good communication with the various team leaders during each stage of the build. We were never left hanging.” Why did you select the Rosseau design? We selected the Rosseau because our lot required a square footprint, as we were building on the site of our original cottage. Various setbacks, in accordance with municipality rules, had to be taken into consideration too. We also wanted 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and loved the open floorplan that the Rosseau had with wide open sight lines to the lake. At 1,819 sq. ft. this custom Rosseau sits seamlessly amongst the Muskoka landscape. As you enter the cottage, you are greeted by lots of natural light coming in through the large foyer windows. Walking directly into the living room, this space feels grand and open with a vaulted ceiling with custom detail and red oak hardwood floors. A large stone fireplace acts as a focal point for this cozy gathering space. The master bedroom sits at the rear of the cottage overlooking the lake. The spacious ensuite provides a private and relaxing retreat with a custom glass shower with tile surround. The other 2 bedrooms sit at the front of the cottage on either side of the foyer. Each bedroom paired with its very own full bathroom. A screened-in side porch and full-width rear deck were added to the design to extend the outdoor living spaces, while also maximizing views on this stunning lakefront property. What is your favourite part of the cottage? The open concept layout and the abundance of wonderful light and lake views seen from all of the windows. The main rooms of the cottage all have fantastic lake views. We also love our custom white kitchen with the large island looking into the great room. A wonderful space to entertain in! Denise & Graham selected a clean white palette for their custom gourmet kitchen. Beautiful white cabinetry, white subway tile backsplash and elegant quartz countertops contrast nicely with the bold matte black hardware and stainless steel appliances. A custom pantry was added for additional storage, plus an oversized island with a built-in wine fridge. What advice would you give to someone looking to go through this process? Do your homework and be prepared. Ask lots of questions and have a clear idea of what you want and how much you want to spend. Ask to see other client’s plans for the same cottage design because often things can be modified more to your liking. This was very helpful in our design consideration. Minor changes can be made to almost any design…just ask! Thank you Denise & Graham for sharing your story. Welcome to the Quality Homes Family! At Quality Homes, we offer a wide assortment of designs which can be customized to meet your needs and your budget. Contact us today to start planning the custom home or cottage of your dreams! CONTACT US: Send us a message online: click here Give us a call: 1-800-265-2648 Send us an email: info@qualityhomes.ca