HAUTE & HUMBLE

This Muskoka, Ont., cottage is as grand and gorgeous as it is comfy and casual.

TEXT IRIS BENAROIA | PHOTOGRAPHY ROBIN STUBBERT | STYLING SUSAN BURNS

A soaring 22-foot-high cath- edral ceiling highlights the open trusses in the great room, where natural elements reference the outdoors: The fireplace is Muskoka granite and features a mantel made from an old wood beam that homeowner Scott Bachly found in Collingwood, Ont.

CONSTRUCTION, Bachly Construction; Chantilly Lace OC-65 WALL PAINT (throughout), Benjamin Moore; FLOWERS (throughout), Flowers by the Dozen Burlington; SOFAS, COFFEE TABLE, Dash & Albert RUG, Lonely Seed ARTWORK by Sofia Fox, TOSS CUSHIONS, House Warmings; PENDANT LIGHT, Cocoon Furnishings.

OPPOSITE Weathered objects set a casually charming scene.

The Bachly crew is a big bunch that frequently entertains dinner guests, so a 10-person dining table was a must. The trio of iron pendant lights is sculptural yet unobtrusive, while the modern Wishbone-style chairs contrast the traditional trestle table. Homeowner Jackie Bachly chose to forgo a rug “to keep the room feeling open and airy.”

DINING TABLE, Cocoon Furnishings; DINING CHAIRS, House Warmings; PENDANT LIGHTS, Concept Lighting. There’s a certain voyeuristic pleasure in peeking into a space that’s not yours – especially when it belongs to a builder of dreamy custom homes. And when that space is a 4,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom house cradled in Muskoka granite in Ontario’s cottage country? Divine.

Completed last May, the cottage – built and owned by Scott Bachly of Bachly Construction in Oakville, Ont., and his wife, Jackie – is the epitome of lakeside luxury: traditional on the outside and modern yet relaxed on the inside, where nearly every window captures a sublime snippet of lake and trees.

The couple found the paradaisical patch on Lake Joseph about five years ago. Back then, it had a 40-year-old cottage with a 900- square-foot new-build bunkie on it, complete with a garage and a basement. Though in great shape, the main building simply wasn’t big enough for their family of seven (the couple has five grown kids) or the many friends they planned to host.

OPPOSITE, TOP LEFT Style inspira- tion came from one of Jackie and Scott’s favourite vacation spots – Petit St. Vincent island in the Grenadines, where the decor is very rustic, with wood and stone and white upholstery.

CONSOLE, TABLE LAMPS, House Warmings; wooden TROUGH, Paris Road Antiques.

OPPOSITE, TOP RIGHT The taupegreen exterior suits the Muskoka terrain and was inspired by the property’s original bunkie, located at the far left.

OPPOSITE, FAR RIGHT, MIDDLE Period details, such as forged-iron pulls and beadboard, give the pantry’s china cabinet country charm. It’s filled with the couple’s collection of white dishware for a crisp, clean look.

Custom CHINA CABINET, Bachly Construction; SHOPPING BAG, Williams-Sonoma.

OPPOSITE, BOTTOM LEFT In the kitchen, dark lower cabinetry and granite carried from the countertops to the backsplash feel sophisticated. Floating stainless steel shelves add to the industrial edge that all started with the pair of pendant lights that look like old weight scales.

CABINETRY, Braam’s Custom Cabinets; STOOLS, House Warmings; Cygnus granite COUNTERTOPS & BACKSPLASH, Ciot; RUNNERS, John M. Hall Linens; PENDANT LIGHTS, Restoration Hardware.

TOP LEFT In the master bedroom, a soft grey, white and taupe palette keeps the four-poster bed from looking too dramatic, especially when paired with an equally riveting chan- delier made of tapered wood pieces. “We really didn’t want to clutter the room,” says Michele Hatziioannou, who helped with the decor.

BED FRAME, ARMCHAIR, BENCH,

CHANDELIER, House Warmings; BEDDING, Cocoon Furnishings. TOP RIGHT Happiness is hanging out on a screened-in porch that feels like a tree house facing the lake. A durable cedar ceiling and floor will last forever.

TABLE, CHAIRS, Muskoka Chair Company; SECTIONAL, Cocoon Furnishings; OTTOMANS, Pioneer Family Pools; TOSS CUSHIONS, HomeSense.

ABOVE, LEFT & RIGHT Huge windows and glass railings offer an unimpeded view of the lake and beach.

So Scott replaced the cottage by building a new two-storey structure. To blend the build with the existing bunkie, he created similar peaked roofs and gables, and then covered the exterior in a pre-finished greenish taupe wood siding that gracefully melts into the landscape. The wraparound ipe and cedar deck maximizes enjoyment of the magnificent view.

Next came the decorating, and Jackie knew exactly what she was going for. “I didn’t want that overstuffed Muskoka look,” she says. “I wanted it to be modern with clean lines, so I kept everything light and fresh.” To help achieve this, Jackie sought the advice of design-savvy friend Michele Hatziioannou, owner of the furnishing and decor shop House Warmings in Oakville.

“Jackie didn’t want to use a ton of colour,” says Michele, “so we used a neutral palette and made it pop with accents like nautical blue and white ticking and kelly green.” Repeated hits of iron, visible in various light fixtures, add heft and edginess, so the space doesn’t feel too slick in its rural setting.

After all, one of the main draws of the sticks is, of course, the sticks themselves. “We left the windows unadorned, because the view is so spectacular. It’s the star of the show,” says Jackie. Even the most smartphone-distracted visitor won’t be able to help but notice the nature.

And that’s why you’ll find the Bachly bunch at the cottage most weekends from May until the end of September. “We entertain way too much,” quips Scott. “Sometimes, we’ll have upward of 20 people on a Saturday afternoon, showing up in their boats and sitting on our dock for ‘docktails,’ as we call them.”

When it’s time to retreat to the cottage, guests inevitably hit up one of the many sitting areas, whether for snacks on the screenedin porch or late-afternoon snoozes in the airy great room, with its skyhigh ceiling and deep sofas. And that’s the fantastic thing about this space: Despite all its grandeur, it still feels cottagey and comfortable, even to those who don’t live here.

So simple, so inviting: You can’t go wrong with nautically nuanced decor at the cottage. Making use of a little nook in the entryway, Jackie and Michele chose a small bench for slipping shoes on and off.

BENCH, TOSS CUSHIONS, House Warmings; Muskoka Long Boat ARTWORK, Muskoka Living Interiors.

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