Available from Joe Quinn - Chestnut Park for $15,495,000
It’s understandable that many people in Muskoka opt to have a cottage custom-built. After all, it seems like the ideal way to ensure that every item on your wish list is fully realized. However, even if you’re thinking about going that route, what harm is there in keeping your eyes, and your mind, open to other possibilities? Every so often a property comes along that just might tick all those boxes and one more: Ready and waiting for you. Or, as long-time Chestnut Park real estate agent Joe Quinn puts it, “For someone to start with just the property, it would take four, maybe five years to get to this stage.” He’s talking about one of his newest listings, a truly impressive seven-bed, eight-bath cottage with southwest exposure on Lake Muskoka’s sought-after Mortimer’s Point. With over 27 years of service, Joe has been on many of Muskoka’s finest properties. Informed by that experience, it’s telling that one word reverberates in his thoughts when he contemplates this particular cottage: opportunity.
“It’s really the chance of a lifetime,” he says. “You can’t expect to have the option to own such a stunning, luxurious cottage, on one of the best properties and exposures on arguably Muskoka’s most desirable lake, more than once.”
With over 7,000 square feet of living space, the cottage is an ideal example of what Joe calls a “crossover property,” meaning its design combines features from contemporary and classic cottage architecture to the fullest advantage of each.
“In the rooflines you’re seeing multiple peaks. You have stone chimneys and dormer windows, and cupolas on both the cottage and the boathouse, but along with that you have the massive windows and crisp exterior of the modern contemporary cottage,” he explains.
Inside, too, one finds the same pleasant mix of elements, with wide-open spaces flooded with natural light, typical of contemporary design, alongside classic details like exposed dovetail rafters and mullioned glass in the cupola windows. “This approach makes for an overall aesthetic that’s really timeless,” says Joe. “The architecture hasn’t locked you in to one style, so as you evolve and make the cottage your own, you can really access a full spectrum of influences. It’s giving you room to breathe your own style into it.”
Jay Gatsby himself would be impressed with the promise this property holds for entertaining. Starting with the main cottage, an open-concept design on the ground floor encourages fluid movement of guests, while several discrete areas, including an exposed-beam Muskoka room with sliding-door access to an expansive patio, a tranquil covered porch, and a stately billiard room provide space for groups and close conversation.
Many parties, however, will gravitate to the water’s edge, where a glorious four-slip boathouse offers indoor and outdoor seating and a sumptuous beverage and entertainment centre. Luxurious accommodations above the boathouse open on to sprawling deck space, ideal for lounging, stargazing, and taking in the sunset.
While prestigious and private, the cottage property on Mortimer’s Point is far from remote. “You’re really centrally located here,” explains Joe. “You’re just a short boat ride away from Bala and Port Carling, and minutes from Mortimer’s Point Marina.” Proximity to some of Muskoka’s favourite dining, shopping, and golf is especially valuable when entertaining large groups and multiple generations, who may not all want to spend the day doing the same thing. And with year-round road access, the cottage is drive-in friendly for wintertime fun, too.
Seamlessly nestled into the surrounding pines, offset by outcroppings of granite, and gently lapped by the waves, this cottage property seems to move beyond labels. New, but also timeless. Luxurious, but also natural. Established, but also waiting to begin. “The right people,” predicts Joe, “will feel so lucky they found this place when they did. It’s going to be part of someone’s very precious memories one day.”
