Cottage of the Week: $5.9 million for a Muskoka retreat with a winter-proof sauna out back

Location: Port Carling
Price: $5,995,000 Size: 2,400 square feet on 2.5 acres of land Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 Real estate agents: Shawn Woof, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada

The place

A four-bedroom, three-bathroom home nestled on the shores of Lake Joseph. The place comes with a cedar sauna facing the water, a beach and tons of space—ideal for a young family or someone who loves to host. It’s a speedy car ride from Lake Joseph Golf Club and various trails and a short, stunning boat ride to the shops and restaurants in Port Carling.

The history

The original owners built this classic Muskoka cottage in 1991, renovating it in 2010. In 2014, it was sold to its current owners, who, after a decade of enjoyment, have decided to find a new escape.

Related: $4.3 million for a Port Carling cabin with a retrofuturist roof

The tour

Surrounded by a dense forest, the southwest-facing destination has plenty of room for sun lovers, including a 600-square-foot patio off the main house.

Inside, residents are greeted by the modern open-concept kitchen and living area, canopied by vaulted ceilings and equipped with an original stone fireplace and hemlock floors. 

Turn left and you’re in the California-like kitchen. Flooded with natural light, it has a custom camouflaged fridge, plenty of storage and a jumbo window overlooking it all. 

A closer look reveals its granite counter, island with a built-in wine rack and new KitchenAid appliances.

The grand room comes with unobstructed views of the lake and a dramatic suspended canoe, which the owners once used. 

The grand room is the home’s anchor, connecting the patio and water to the front door, the kids’ play room (more on that later) and the bedrooms upstairs. 

This living room shares a wall with the grand room and has shiplap ceilings.

Down the hall is this pseudo-sunroom, which could serve as an office, a lounge or a guest room.

Moving upstairs reveals the children’s space. 

Now for the main suite. It has two lake-facing walls of windows. 

In the ensuite: heated tiled floors, a soaker tub with a view, more granite and a glass rainfall shower.

Here’s one of the secondary bedrooms.

The shared bathroom is complete with a double vanity and a shower-tub combo.

There’s also a two-storey boathouse on the property, with one bedroom, a kitchenette and a sitting room—all surrounded by a covered porch. Note the shallow, sandy waters.

The view at sunset may be the boathouse’s greatest feature.

Tucked behind the boathouse on a sightseeing perch is this winter-proof cedar sauna. 

Here’s a peek inside. 

Finally, a wide shot of the impossibly cerulean Lake Joseph.

Have a home that’s about to hit the market? Send your property to realestate@torontolife.com.