Cottage of the Week: $4 million for a classic Muskoka cabin on a private Lake Joseph island
Address: Bunny Island
Neighbourhood: Minett
Agent: Thelma Jarvis and Steve Taylor, Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka Realty, Brokerage
Price: $3,995,000
The place: A two-storey cottage on a private Lake Joseph island.
The history: James Campbell purchased the island from the Crown in 1884 for $89.00. The Forman family bought the land in 1899, and used it as a “picnic island.” The place was uninhabited until the current owners completed this cottage in 2003.
Big selling point: The house should have major appeal for anyone who loves a traditional Muskoka cottage. The fireplace is made partially of local stones, the pine wainscoting was milled from trees that were cleared for the cottage construction and the bark wall treatments come from birches growing on the owner’s family property in Maine.
Possible deal breaker: The island location is super-private, but forget about easy runs to the corner store: everything from picking up milk to taking out the garbage requires a boat ride.
By the numbers:
• $3,995,000
• $24,839 in taxes (2013)
• 2900 square feet
• 1948 feet of shoreline
• 12 years old
• 5 bedrooms
• 4 bathrooms
• 3-bay boathouse
321725 The cottage is on Bunny Island, a small patch of land in the middle of Lake Joseph that was uninhabited until 2003. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-1-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-1.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-minett/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-1/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-1 0 0
321726 The cottage was built relatively recently, but it has a rustic look. Even the windows were custom-designed to look antique. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-2-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-2.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-minett/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-2/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-2 0 0
321727 Here's the dining area. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-3-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-3.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-minett/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-3/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-3 0 0
321728 The kitchen has countertops made of soapstone and butcher block. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-4-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-4.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-minett/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-4/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-4 0 0
321729 There are three bedrooms on the second floor of the house. Here's one of them. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-5-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-5.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-5.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-minett/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-5/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-5 0 0
321730 Another bedroom. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-6-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-6.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-minett/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-6/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-6 0 0
321731 The last of the second-floor bedrooms. There are two smaller ones on the first floor. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-7-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-7.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-minett/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-7/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-7 0 0
321732 The boathouse has three slips. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-8-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-8.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-minett/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-8/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-8 0 0
321733 The second floor of the boathouse is a lounge area. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-9-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-9.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-minett/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-9/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bunny-island-9 0 0
why not head south eastern ontario like prince edward county!
Quite the humble 2,900 sq ft “cabin.”