Exclusively available from Maggie Tomlinson - Chestnut Park Real Estate for $5,995,000
As you arrive at Maggie Tomlinson’s 12.6-acre listing on Walkers Point, Lake Muskoka, the first hint that you’re in for something incredibly bucolic may just be when you notice your GPS says to ‘turn left on Mayberry Lane.’ After savouring that for a moment, you’re bound to feel an extra spring in your step as you pass open pastures and fields of long grasses and wildflowers. A little beyond them, when you happen upon a picturesque, weathered barn, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped into another time, or a place where life happens just a little more slowly and a little more pleasantly than we’re used to. And you wouldn’t be wrong, because isn’t that what cottages are for?
Standing at the water’s edge and looking out, one sees the tip of Walkers Point in the distance and long, pleasing views to Baxter and Browning Islands. But because the cottage sits at the edge of a private bay, it boasts long lake vistas, and no neighbours are visible. “The undulations of the shoreline keep the neighbours out of view,” says Maggie. “The privacy here is magnificent.”
The main cottage is a postcard-pretty example of iconic Muskoka at its finest. Built in 2006 by Bracebridge’s Fitzmaurice Brothers, it enjoys extraordinary lake views from an impressive great room with soaring cathedral ceiling, mullioned windows, and a stone fireplace. The open-layout main floor living areas enjoy excellent flow, with a dining area adjacent to the living space, including seating for ten and views over the property. A luxurious chef’s kitchen, meanwhile, has easy access to the lakeside deck via French doors, perfect for entertaining.
The cottage includes three bedrooms and 2.5 baths as well as a bookcase-lined office and a tidy, bright laundry room with extra cabinet storage, all meticulously maintained. The exterior tastefully combines siding with cedar shingle, offset by smart white trim. Gables and a stone fireplace chimney add to the old-world Muskoka summer home aesthetic and put one in mind of garden parties and the novels of F. Scott Fitzerald.
Built on the site of the original homestead, the cottage enjoys the perks of a grandfathered 35-foot setback allowance, giving it incredible intimacy with the water. And to facilitate long days by the lake, a massive, sprawling deck spans the width of the building, providing unobstructed views, room for entertaining, and a sunken hot tub, perfect for those late-summer nights under the stars. On one end of the deck, an enclosed gazebo is the ideal place to gather almost-outdoors when conditions outside aren’t so inviting.
The property is gorgeously landscaped with flower-drenched gardens, natural rock and flagstone pathways, and a granite staircase leading down to the water.
The Walkers Point property was once a farm (hence the barn). In the 1950s, the farmers built a few small cabins along the shoreline. One of these survives as an insulated three-bedroom, one-bath guest bunkie adjacent to the main cottage.
In addition, the original boathouse sits a short distance downshore and includes one interior and one exterior boat slip, an upper-level open room with a lovely big porch, and plenty of dock space (both sun-drenched and pleasantly shaded). Deep water and gradual, sandy entry points accommodate swimmers of all ages and abilities.
A fully detached insulated, heated, and generator-fed 900-square-foot garage provides a comfortable home for vehicles, boats, and toys, while an additional outbuilding of 1,244 square feet is like a blank canvas waiting to be painted. Those whose Muskoka dreams involve commercial as well as leisure pursuits will be intrigued by the property’s uncommon WC-7 (waterfront commercial) zoning.
What is it about this property that makes it so special? According to Maggie, there are a few things that make it unique: for example, its size and prized location and its unusual zoning and history. But what makes it special? That’s a different question. “I think what makes this property extraordinary,” says Maggie, “is that it can be what you want it to be. If you want to start from here and build it up, either with a commercial enterprise or just by utilizing some of the buildings for your personal passions, it’ll rise to that. On the other hand, if you see paradise here already, you’re not wrong. It doesn’t need anything else. It’s perfect.”
