Construction is a booming industry in Muskoka. And much as great cooking is about more than following a recipe, great building is about more than following a blueprint. Whether the builder and designer of a project are one and the same or not, the builder executes the plan. So, it’s important to have confidence in both their understanding of your vision, and their insight into what elevates the experience of living in a home or cottage from “great” to “truly exceptional.”
An exceptional builder has a loyal team of seasoned master craftsmen. As they work together, they anticipate the flow of your family’s movement through the home, provide amenities where they’re most convenient to use, conceal ample storage within beautiful design, plan for the stylish entertainment of your guests, prioritize your property’s natural features, and utilize cutting-edge technologies to make your home’s systems intuitive to control.
“Where and how flow works in a project is critically important, and every structure is different. We are always, from pouring the foundation onward, working toward achieving the best, most effortless movement for the people who will live there and enjoy the space.” - Simon Kelly KPM - Carpenter & Partner
They produce results similar to those you’d find if you toured a spectacular Lake Joe cottage recently designed and constructed by Kelly Project Management. “Where and how flow works in a project is critically important,” says Simon Kelly, carpenter and KPM partner, with brother William Kelly, “and every structure is different. But we are always, from pouring the foundation onward, working toward achieving the best, most effortless movement for the people who will live there and enjoy the space.”
This recent design and build project by the team at Muskoka’s own KPM is situated on an exceptionally private 3.3-acre parcel of land with 335 feet of glorious Lake Joe shoreline. Buildings include the 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom cottage and a two-slip boathouse with 650 feet of lavish guest quarters. Highlights of the landscaping include curved, oversized flagstone granite pathways and stairs, a private stone waterside patio, extensive dock space with over 20 feet of water depth, a sun-drenched swim dock, and a natural creek and granite-slab bridge.
Inside and out, the cottage makes the most of the crossover aesthetic through the interplay of modern and traditional elements. In this, KPM takes full advantage of its craftsmen’s creativity by innovating customary features to novel effect. Instead of familiar 5- to 7-inch shiplap, for instance, the walls throughout the cottage use quarter-inch nickel-gap with 12-inch-wide boards. In the main floor living area and great room, the boards are installed vertically instead of horizontally on both walls and vaulted ceilings. This creates a dramatic effect as the joints run continuously and masterfully span the entire width of the great room.
Similarly, the traditional Muskoka room with stone fireplace gets powerfully reinterpreted with the contrasting effects of a golden-hued 16-foot vertical-grain hemlock ceiling, dark wood shiplap-style siding above retractable windows, and naturally sawn granite flooring.
Like the Muskoka room, virtually every room prioritizes a remarkable view of the outdoors. “It was designed specifically to have massive windows on both exposures,” explains Simon. “Because the location and surroundings are so private, you can really invite the views in.” The kitchen, for example, features an enormous 12 x 5-foot window overlooking classic Muskoka landscapes of Canadian Shield granite and pine woods. On the lake side, vaulted ceilings and dormer windows in the main living area make it feel like you’re sitting on the patio overlooking the lake.
The cottage is the classic hideaway, accessed by a high-grade road and tucked into the woods and rolling hills. Because KPM was meticulous in preserving the topography of the property, including its trees and natural water features, it’s easy to forget that the cottage and landscaping are new. A carefully planned winding flagstone boulder pathway and stairs moderate the trip down to the waterside, and a 400-square-foot stone patio midway down makes the ideal spot to sit and look over the lake or gaze at the stars. The main dock off the boathouse extends 66 feet and is 12-feet wide, making it perfect for entertaining and enjoying the sun. Also primed for entertaining, the cottage boasts Control4 smart home automation, ample parking for 10 to 15 cars, and an electric charging station.
One thing is certain: wherever you look, you find details that are customized by craftsmen who appreciate the importance of the finer details, such as hand-crafted floor vents made from floor planks for visual synchronicity, receptive-touch custom cabinetry, pleasingly curved flagstones, vertical green clear hemlock soffits, and a timber frame deck. “We made changes as we went along,” recalls William. “A deck was made bigger here, a downstairs bar was added. There were probably a thousand decisions made along the way like that.” It’s another way of thinking about customization, as driven not just by an imagined ideal, but by the materials and unfolding reality right in front of you. When it comes to choosing a builder, the question is, whose hand do you want at the wheel when those thousand small decisions are being made?
