Dr. Robert Sheppard has been waiting 40 years to build a log structure.

Sheppard commutes to his northern vacation property from Houston, Texas, where he’s the Director of Emergency Services at North Cypress Medical Centre.

“Log structures, because of their history, are timeless,” reflects the former Torontonian. “It’s about leaving a mark, leaving something beautiful.”

A love for the region was sparked by boyhood camping trips. His fascination with log buildings grew during his university days. While helping a summer employer dismantle and rebuild wooden houses, he vowed to build his own some day.

Along with the dream, he’s also building a future with Dr. Deborah Cook, a critical-care physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton, and professor of medicine at McMaster University. Although they met at medical school 25 years ago, they didn’t become a couple until a chance reunion on Christmas Eve 2005.

Despite busy lives in distant cities, the two professionals made it work.

“When Bob and I got together, we had a couple of vacations in Muskoka and started to look for a property in the area that would provide an opportunity to build something together,” recalls the Dundas native. “A place of serenity and a place to relax with friends and family.”

His dream of a log structure was contagious, and although Deborah didn’t have his construction experience (this is his 27th project), she quickly developed an enthusiasm for their joint venture.

“It has been a really exciting learning experience,” she smiles. “Each of us brought our ideas and creativity to it.”

The two-acre property came with a run-down log cabin and an ancient boathouse. Their first thoughts were to demolish both and start from scratch.

“When we got it, the place was completely falling apart,” he recounts of the cabin. “I could hardly stand to walk into it. But all of a sudden, I caught a vision: I think I could turn this sow’s ear into a silk purse.”

Working with local contractor David Kopas on Operation Silk Purse, the century cabin was restored to serve its original purpose.

Research revealed the cabin was one of the earliest structures on the lake. It was built as a getaway for a 19th-century military officer and his lady-love. It was an oasis where they met to share time together.

The parallel to her own relationship is not lost on Cook.

“We wanted to preserve and celebrate its history,” she says, “to restore it to some sense of its former romance and glory.”

Now, a modern bathroom and kitchen flank the living area that houses twin lofts in its cathedral heights. Although there is no air conditioning, the bedroom and Muskoka rooms each feature three walls of breeze-catching windows. Outside, landscaped terraces step down to a flagstone patio and a walkway to the new boathouse.

Viva Riva! Sheppard’s prized yacht is the only original in all of North America. It has been featured in commercials with stars such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, who was draped across the dashboard for Elizabeth Arden’s summer photo shoot. Sheppard has the poster from the shoot.

The three-slip first floor of the wooden showpiece houses an array of water vehicles. But sitting on its own Sunstream Boat Lift (supplied by Brad Hutchison) in one of two indoor perches, is Sheppard’s 1967 Riva Ariston. This rare, completely original mahogany boat is Sheppard’s “pride and joy.” It will be paraded around antique boat shows and may tour the bay occasionally, but otherwise, it will be guarded against sun damage by the closed overhead doors installed by Muskoka Garage Doors.

A patio at the water’s edge faces sunsets dipping beyond the lake’s distant shore. It also features log posts that hold up the deck above. The distinctive “flare-butt” style of these supports adds a visual foundation for the boathouse’s second floor.

“It’s a very west-coast style,” says builder Simon Hirsh, owner of Hirsh Log Homes. “We do a lot of that look.”

The company, established 15 years ago with Hirsh and wife Tamara at the helm, is now a full-service business employing up to 75 people. With most trades in-house and distribution contracts for most supplies, Hirsh Log Homes can guarantee experience, quality and competitive pricing.

Experience is essential, says Sheppard, since log buildings weigh about six times more than regular framing. Log boathouses, which are suspended over the water, are in short supply for this reason.

Regardless, Sheppard and Cook opted for a hand-hewn, Western Red Cedar Scandinavian full-scribe second storey. Featuring a wrap-around deck, the one-bedroom guest suite has 14-inch diameter log walls requiring no insulation for year-round comfort.

The custom kitchen cabinetry in the boathouse hides the fridge, while the countertop and backsplash carry the stone from the great room fireplace into the open kitchen space.

“As the logs dry, they get tighter and tighter,” explains Hirsh of the 760-sq.ft. construction that fits together better than a jigsaw puzzle. “Each log crushes into the next to create an airtight seal.”

An additional weight was the second-floor stone fireplace. Instead of dry-stacking stone slabs, mason John Faye employed a vertical orientation to minimize the amount of stone used. The stone itself is dense quartz with traces of real gold that Hirsh exclusively distributes. The fireplace came from The Fireplace and Leisure Centre in Parry Sound.

Across the room, the stonework is echoed in the kitchen countertops. Beacon Reid Cabinetry and Fine Furnishings created the custom cabinetry.

The rooms between are furnished with an eclectic mix of formal French Provincial pieces (hers) mixed with casual touches of southwestern charm (his). The collection culminates with handicrafts by Canadiana artist Henry Svek and a colour scheme taken from the autumn vista outside (theirs). Many newer pieces came from Elizabeth’s Interiors in Burlington.

The winterized boathouse required a system to keep the pipes from freezing. Gravenhurst Plumbing, Heating and Electrical encased the fragile lines inside fan-fed ducts, kept warm with recycled air from the living space.

With a high-tech hydraulic system that lowers a big-screen television, set into a floor pocket to protect the view and character, and Cam McBride Custom Cupolas providing a whimsical finishing touch up top, the boathouse combines modern convenience and comfort with rustic beauty.

The beauty beyond the logs is easily accessible, with towering nine-and-a-half-foot glass panel doors by Madawaska Doors and ever-present windows from Golden Windows.

It’s precisely the setting Sheppard and Cook had in mind.

Whether the active couple is enjoying a sunny outdoor afternoon, or watching a sleeping family of deer in the early-morning mist, they are fulfilling dreams – together.