/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Real Estate News

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

What cabin would be complete without five acres of land, a forest’s worth of cedar and a namesake bridge?

By Alex Cyr| Photography by Birdhouse Media
Copy link
Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

Location: Port Sydney, Muskoka Price: $3,899,000 Size: 2,476 square feet Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2 Agent: Trevor Maxwell Bond, Bosley Real Estate


The place
A one-of-a-kind five-bedroom, two-bathroom winterized cottage built in the shape of a truss, known as the Bridgehouse. It sits suspended above a five-acre property overlooking Mary Lake, is shrouded by dense Muskoka greenery and is a 15-minute drive from Huntsville.
The history
Architect Mariana Leguia and her husband, Angus Laurie, moved to Peru in the 2010s and fell in love with the simpler way of life. So, upon returning to Toronto, they ditched their house in the city with the goal of building a secluded lakeside property in Muskoka. Their vision: a bridge-shaped wooden cottage laid over two buttes—a distinct departure from the classic A-frames that dominate the region. They suspended their creation with steel beams, supported it with massive concrete footings and finished it with enormous windows. Mariana and Angus moved into their stunner in 2016 and received both an Ontario Wood Design Award and an International Architecture Award within the next two years. Hungry for a new project, the two are now selling the Bridgehouse. Related: $3.5 million for a Niagara-on-the-Lake farmhouse sitting on a staggering 28-acre vineyard
The tour

Here’s the front-facing view: nearly 100 metres of unstained cedar backing an inverted-V double staircase leading to the roof.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

The cabin has east and west entrances, and each wing is lined with built-in storage.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

All paths converge in this central grand room, which houses the kitchen, the dining area, the living area and sliding floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

The floor-to-ceiling cedar panels add warmth to the home.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

A Stûv wood-burning fireplace and central propane tank help winterize the house.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

This is the balcony, which overlooks a ravine.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

Kitchen cabinets camouflage an integrated wine fridge and down-draft cooktop. The island, with a double waterfall sink and front and rear storage, is another practical feature piece.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

Behind the kitchen is the pantry, equipped with a Sub-Zero fridge, an oven and a stacked washer-dryer.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

This reverse view highlights even more pantry storage.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

Here’s the grand room as seen from the forest.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

The east and west wings each include two bedrooms and one bathroom. 

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

This bedroom has sliding doors that open to the side yard.

Advertisement
Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

Both bathrooms have walk-in showers and white marble vanities.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

Each side of the house has its own pine staircase that descends to an insulated basement. This one is used for utilities and storage.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

Outside, Mariana and Angus built a pier that stretches into Lake Mary.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

This view from above shows off the Bridgehouse’s privacy.

Surreal Estate: $3.9 million for a Huntsville home with a unique, award-winning design

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

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The Latest

A gold-medal Olympian dancer is breaking at Scarborough Town Centre this weekend
City News

A gold-medal Olympian dancer is breaking at Scarborough Town Centre this weekend

Inside the Latest Issue

The June issue of Toronto Life features our annual ranking of the best new restaurants. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.