Available from Tom O’Hara, Sales Representative and Angie O’Hara, Broker of Record – Coldwell Banker Muskoka, Brokerage, for 5,499,950
If you should happen to take a drive to South Lake Joe to view the latest listing of Tom and Angie O’Hara—you could be forgiven for making an easy mistake as soon as you get there. Pulling your vehicle to a stop at the end of the private, forested drive, few would blame you for misidentifying as the principal residence the utterly charming, gabled carriage house that greets you. In fact, you’d have arrived at the property’s secondary—though no less impressive—structure, a remarkable two-bedroom, full-bath guest house with attached two-car garage and loft area.
The guest quarters feature incredibly tasteful interior design, including a vaulted ceiling in the kitchen and living room area, spacious kitchen island, stone gas fireplace, and bright, country-cottage bedrooms. The fully finished loft area above the garage picks up the style of the main guest quarters, with white bedboard accented by warm wood and wide-plank pine flooring. Outfitted with Bosch, Sub-Zero, and Wolf appliances and its own expansive deck, this extraordinary guest house offers visitors something truly valuable: the chance to enjoy elegance and luxury in a private lakeside dwelling without the necessity of continually trudging back and forth to the main residence.
That being said, if future guests at this 2.62-acre four-season property don’t need to visit the main cottage, they are certain to look for excuses to do so anyway. Thanks to bylaws around grandfathering, the current cottage, built in 2009, was able to take advantage of its predecessor’s position right on the lake, a location on which no new building would be permitted. Big glass in the cottage design is calculated to maximize the effect of this one-of-a-kind situation. As one enters the main living area, they see wall-to-wall windows and, through them, practically nothing but lake. “You feel like you’re in a boat on the water,” explains Angie. “Literally. It’s really extraordinary.” Those long due-west lake views also ensure some of the finest sunsets available anywhere in Muskoka, so keep your shades handy.
The positioning of the main cottage above the boathouse may be unconventional, but it has the advantage of putting the living quarters at the heart of the action. Inside, one is always only steps away from the extensive decking on both levels, making the trek to the lake or the dock something you no longer need to load up or plan for. Each of the cottage’s three bedrooms have direct access to the upper-level deck via elegant French doors.
Not surprisingly, the cottage’s interior is every bit as charming as that of the guest house. Similarly decked in white beadboard and warm wood throughout, its open-concept Great Room and kitchen area features a granite, wood-burning fireplace, Sub-Zero wine fridge, large kitchen island, and built-in Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, all bathed in an abundance of natural light. Not to be outdone, a fully outfitted custom stainless steel Lynx outdoor kitchen includes Danver cabinetry, an icemaker, fridge, barbecue, warming drawer, and high-BTU burners. For the inevitable times when bugs or the rain make the out-of-doors less than welcoming, you can compromise in either the screened-in salt water hot tub room or elegant three-season Muskoka room with motorized screens. Situated on a peninsula with waterfronts on both sides, this singular property has everything going for it: it offers a rare opportunity in Muskoka to live directly on the water, and packages that unique opportunity in the best of elegance, comfort, and luxury. One of a kind? Oh, yes.
