Cottage of the Week: $12 million for a modern Muskoka Lakes mansion on a private island
Address: Bass Island
Neighbourhood: Muskoka Lakes
Agent: Storey Badger, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, Brokerage, Port Carling
Price: $11,800,000
The Place: A contemporary, window-lined mansion on Bass Island, in the middle of Lake Muskoka.
The History: Built in 2014, this 8,500-square-foot cottage sits on its own private, 11-acre island. The builders didn’t stint on imported luxuries: the home has tile from Italy and Spain and smart toilets brought in from Japan.
Big Selling Point: Aside from the fact that it comes with an entire island, the massive cottage has a 1,200-square-foot spa with a Finnish dry sauna, Turkish steam room, a resistance swimming pool and a cold-plunge pool with handmade heated marble benches.
Possible Deal Breaker: To the average buyer, the price tag may seem steep—but it works out to just over a million an acre, which isn’t totally crazy by cottage country standards.
By the Numbers:
• $11,800,000
• 8,500 square feet
• 2,756 feet of water frontage
• 1,200-square-foot spa
• 11 acres of land
• 10 parking spots
• 6 bedrooms
• 6 bathrooms
• 3 wood-burning fireplaces
• 2 fridges
• 2 cooktops (1 induction and 1 gas)
• 2-bedroom guest house
• 1 Finnish dry sauna
• 1 Turkish steam room
• 1 resistance swimming pool
• 1 cold-plunge pool
• 1 hot tub
• 1 year old
318607 The cottage's glass, wood and stone exterior is festooned with wrap-around terraces. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-1-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-1.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bass-island/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-1/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-1 0 0
318608 The kitchen has two fridges, two cooktops and two ovens. The countertops are made of granite. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-2-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-2.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bass-island/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-2/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-2 0 0
318609 There are five bedrooms in the main building: two on the main floor and three on the second floor. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-3-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-3.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bass-island/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-3/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-3 0 0
318610 Here's one of the guest bedrooms, with a door to a terrace. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-4-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-4.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bass-island/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-4/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-4 0 0
318611 A guest bathroom, with Japanese smart toilet. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-5-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-5.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-5.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bass-island/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-5/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-5 0 0
318612 The master bedroom is lined with glass. The floor tiles are imported. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-6-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-6.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bass-island/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-6/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-6 0 0
318613 The 1,200-square-foot spa has a sauna, a steam room, a plunge pool, a resistance pool and a hot tub—plus the floors and benches are heated. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-7-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-7.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bass-island/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-7/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-7 0 0
318614 The parapets on the terrace are made of clear glass, so they don't obstruct the view. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-8-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-8.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bass-island/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-8/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-8 0 0
318615 High rollers love their outdoor fireplaces. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-9-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-9.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bass-island/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-9/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-9 0 0
318616 And the house comes with an island. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-10-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-10.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/cottage-of-the-week-bass-island/slide/toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-10/ toronto-cottage-of-the-week-bass-island-10 0 0
Hate to break it to you folks, but that’s not a cottage. A cottage has 2, maybe 3 rooms, bunk beds or whatever will fit (handmade and not high-end!) that will cram the family and all the cousins in, with an outhouse and MAYBE indoor plumbing if you’re really lucky. The dishes are whatever you can put together, as is the furniture.
This thing, on the other hand? That’s a mansion. Plunking a pretty bit of glass and stone and such into the middle of Muskoka doesn’t mean it gets to be called a cottage. A cottage-country retreat perhaps, but not a cottage.
Bananas…. that’s all I can say. That place is outrageous but I’d expect nothing less for that much.
What a hideous, tasteless monstrosity.
Webster is that you?
How else can you explain how your definition of what a cottage is or isn’t can hold true?
Unfortunate fact of life some people have more money than others, sometimes this is because of hard work and sometimes it’s because of a lucky sperm.
Your post smacks of Monty Python’s ‘Four Yorkshiremen’ skit.
“that’s not a cottage, let me tell you what we used as a cottage…”
Get over yourself.
Not holding the fact that some have scads of money against them. Simply calling a spade a spade. It ain’t a cottage. And I’ll take the Monty Python crack as a compliment. Love those guys! Mahiingen
Subject: Re: Comment on Cottage of the Week: $12 million for a modern Muskoka Lakes mansion on a private island
All that spent and they used Home Depot styke wood tiles for the patios. Hell of a mid rise condo though..er cottage.
It’s almost as ugly as Mike Lazaridis’ down the shoreline from mine. Hideous. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/inside-look-at-a-former-rim-co-ceos-home/article544273/
Looking at your comment history, one thing is abundantly clear. There’s a grumpy old troll, who lives under the bridge…..
I would say its a “wattage” not a cottage LOL
Love it or hate it…. it is a form of insanity all on its own… There are so many beautiful lakes with every style of home/cottage to enjoy throughout Ontario. I fail to understand why the Muskokas hype lives on. Stop waisting $$ on overpriced vacation land.
More money than brains.
My family (and extended family) used to cottage on this island from 2001-2006 (friends of the original owners)… I have to say that it is truly a damn shame what has happened to it. They tore down what was once a classic 60/70s style cotty (obviously a little larger than your avg. with a bunk house, mini master cottage, and two docks) and replaced it with a shiny overpriced mansion (the island sold for around 2.5 mil… and now its going for 11.8.. ridiculous)… those were the best summers of my life and i’ll never forget them, but it’s incredibly sad to see what it has become.
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Lots of articles on lifestyles of the rich and whatever up in that area. Too bad the writers/journalists don’t take a look past the boathouse and see that the local communities are in pretty dire shape.
This is a bird killer if I’ve ever seen one — I hope they do something to protect the tons of birds who actually call that place home so that they don’t massacre them by the dozens each year.