A busy family of five finds relaxation and lasting memories at their new Lake Muskoka cottage, where they spend the vast majority of each summer on the waterfront.

Basking in an autumn sunset on the cottage dock is a pleasant way to end the day for Mary and Leslie.

A small beach is tucked behind a u-shaped dock, housing a couple of speed boats currently at rest from ongoing waterski/wakeboard/tubing marathons. A canoe, paddleboat and kayaks litter the nearby rocky shore.

This is what has brought this family to the area for almost 50 years.

“Growing up in a family with three girls is very different than raising three boys,” observes Mary, mother of the very active Josh, 18, Nick, 15 and Lee, 11. She has been coming to the area with her sisters since early childhood. “If we were told to write a story or read a book, we’d say ‘okay’ and go do it quietly.”

Her boys would rather play mini-stick hockey, table tennis or stir up the wake in the bay. They don’t take out their golf clubs though, unless they’re on the course. The “no golf in the cottage” rule was prompted by a stray ball slicing through a window.

On rainy days, the family (and an endless stream of visiting friends and extended family) retreats to their newly constructed 4,400 sq. ft. cottage.

Although only three years old, the two-storey, cedar-clad building is alive with memories. It sits on the same footprint as the cottage previously built by Mary’s father, Joe.

“He bought the property in 1960 and built in 1963,” recounts Mary, who met Leslie when they were both 16. “He wanted to make sure he had the right design.”

An extra door from the original family cottage serves as a dining room tabletop in the large, high-ceilinged kitchen that centres the ground floor living space.

Joe was an architect who built that first seasonal cottage on cinder blocks and piers. He expected it would last about 20 years. But it wasn’t until 2005 that his daughter and son-in-law had it demolished to make way for a modern building.

“We bought the cottage from the estate,” Leslie recalls of the 2,000 sq. ft. single level cottage, “and lived in it for 10 summers.”

After the golfing incident, they tried to replace the single-pane glass and were told that it would take weeks for a special order. To make way for their growing family, their love of entertaining, and desire to use the property year-round, the decision to re-build was made.

As the president of LM Real Estate Consulting, Leslie was no stranger to overseeing construction projects. An architect friend did some preliminary designs before introducing custom home contractor, Adam Lennie, of Lennie Construction Inc., a Muskoka company founded by Adam’s father, Sandy.

After demolishing the old cottage, the project came to an abrupt halt when a granite outcrop was discovered just below the surface. It had to be blasted to create a flat surface, or incorporated into the design. Due to the steep price of blasting, the front of the building now sits directly on the rock face. To maintain a consistent ceiling throughout, the entrance landing has a seven-and-a-half-foot ceiling.

A few steps down, along the 30-foot stairway, the ceiling expands to 10 feet, and the open concept provides an invitation to participate in a conversation around the large granite-topped kitchen island, a game of Chinese checkers at the dining room table or a movie in the family room.

Lakeside pines screen the 4,400 sq. ft. cottage, providing passing boaters with mere glimpses of the new building.

But then again, looking out the many large windows, which showcase perfectly framed, nightly sunsets, residents and visitors alike are also drawn by the call of the wild.

The windows were a feature of the original cottage, and a mandatory element in the new one.

In fact, the entire rough-sawn, cedar-panelled living room, peeking out from behind the two-way brick fireplace in the dining room, is a virtual replica of the original room – with a vaulted ceiling and exposed beams in precisely the same location as the original cottage.

Mary, who grew up playing “hours and hours of Monopoly” in this room, wanted to retain the memories while creating new ones. Consequently, the design and look were maintained, as was all the furniture. Her mother Vera’s copper pots and wall hangings still accent the décor, as does a massive tapestry Joe’s parents brought back from Indonesia. Today, a game of Monopoly and several tricky jigsaw puzzles grace the room’s tables.

“If my parents walked in right now, they would recognize the furniture,” smiles Mary, who wanted the cottage to stay a cottage, but did update the functionality. “The table doesn’t wiggle any more and we put cushions on the chairs for comfort.”

“With every wall angled, this room and its roof presented uncommon engineering challenges,” says Lennie. To avoid mistakes, his team constructed the floor first, and then built the roof right on the floor before taking it apart and refitting it after the walls were erected. Attention to detail was important to maintain the feel the family wanted.

Lofty pines filter the natural light, bathing the family room and the abstract paintings by the late Canadian artist Jack Bush.

Although Mary’s parents have since passed away, they remain part of the life of this cottage. Outside, their ashes are scattered on the nearby hillside. But the memories inside also live on.

In the family room, also called “Joe’s Room,” a new beam is being discussed to house his collection of bottles that once graced the beams in the original cottage.

This cottage is all about comfort and continuity. There are no lawns to cut. The stamped concrete walkways won’t move or allow weeds to mar the path. Even the roof, made of recycled rubber and patterned to imitate slate, has a long-term warranty.

This active Toronto family had no intention of building a high-maintenance summer home that demanded their constant attention.

Despite the size, heat and the hot tub, “I still wanted it to be a cottage,” Mary shrugs.

With three hockey-playing sons, the cottage is a haven from hectic city life.

Throughout the seasons, Leslie and Mary awake to stunning views afforded by the windows forming most of the western wall in their master bedroom.

“I like the air here – it’s cleaner and fresher,” says Mary, taking a relaxing breath. A chef by trade, she once worked in the best kitchens in Toronto. She now runs a catering company from her home and takes the summers off.

“I think the answer is tranquility,” agrees Leslie, who regularly joins his family for long weekends.

And then the sun comes out, and this active group once again heads down to the dock for more good old family bonding at the cottage.