Boathouses, Boat Ports too

What It Takes to Build a Family Cottage on Leech Lake’s Rugged Shoreline

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 21:10:53 GMT

Ever wonder what it really takes to build a luxury family cottage on one of Muskoka’s most desirable lakes? Our “How Do We Do It?” video series offers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look as CedarCoast Partner, Patrick Bongers and Site Supervisor, Ryan kick off construction on a stunning custom lakeside cottage on Leech Lake.

From bedrock to Douglas fir beams, follow the craftsmanship and precision that goes into creating a forever family retreat in the heart of Ontario's Cottage Country.

JOIN PATRICK BONGERS ONSITE as he walks through the latest progress on this impressive custom-built lakeside home. From detailed stonework and fresh siding to beautifully crafted timber stairs, each step showcases the care and craftsmanship that go into building a Muskoka cottage.

From the expansive kitchen and Great Room with fireplace to the private office and full walkout basement, this beautiful custom built cottage shows the craftsmanship and planning behind a true Muskoka dream home.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

While you’re there, get a sneak peek of our new documentary, Loons: A Cry From The Mist and learn all about the beloved bird from Birds Canada volunteers. Vote for your favourite winning image from this year’s annual Photo Contest, shop for show-exclusive apparel at our pop-up shop, and take advantage of our special Fall Show Cottage Life magazine subscription offer.

Polar Bar

The Polar Bar is the social hub of the show, proudly serving Lake of Bays craft beer, and Walter Craft Caesar beverages. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a few beverages while supporting a great cause. Plus, enjoy live musical performances by local musicians all weekend long. Drink tickets are sold to benefit the Cottage Dreams Cancer Recovery Initiative. This charity, based in the heart of cottage country, places cancer survivors and their families in donated cottages for a week of rest and recovery.

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Trading Post

Trading Post Join us in the Trading Post where you’ll find handcrafters, designers and artisans who produce everything from ironwork, art, and decor to handmade food and amazing gifts for any cottager. Celebrating true makers in cottage country, the Trading Post is where you can find the perfect one-of-a-kind gift.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Whether you are looking for the latest in Christmas decor, the perfect stocking stuffers, or a unique handmade gift in from the Makeful Market, the Seasons Christmas show will provide you with the opportunity to shop, taste, and experience the best the holiday season has to offer!

Leech Lake EXCAVATION

CedarCoast Partner Patrick Bongers describes the first critical steps at our Leech Lake site. Learn how soil composition, slope, and precise excavation shape the foundation for this walk-out lower-level cottage.

Leech Lake FROST COVERS

Patrick explains how we manage frost and freezing conditions during site preparation for this lakeside, walk-out cottage on beautiful Leech Lake. From frost prevention techniques to smart planning, see how we keep construction moving— no matter the weather!

Leech Lake BACKFILL

Even in the snow, construction moves forward! Patrick takes you on-site at our latest custom cottage build on beautiful Leech Lake in Muskoka. Watch as backfilling continues despite the winter conditions, showcasing the craftsmanship, planning, and determination that define every CedarCoast project.

Shoutout to Eek & Son Concrete!

Leech Lake FROST WALL

Patrick takes you behind the scenes as our team continues construction on this custom lakeside cottage on Leech Lake. Watch as we install the frost wall and apply waterproofing—essential steps in ensuring long-term durability and comfort, even in challenging weather conditions.

Leach Lake TIMBER FRAMING

Take a first look at the beautiful Douglas Fir timber framing and elevator shaft now taking shape on Leech Lake in Muskoka! Patrick walks you through the latest stage of this premium lakeside build, where craftsmanship and design come together in classic Muskoka style.

Leech Lake BASEMENT

Watch as Patrick reveals the freshly poured concrete basement floor in this beautiful 5-bedroom, custom-designed family cottage on Leech Lake. This walkout lower level will be the foundation for a luxury lakeside retreat built for generations to enjoy.

Leech Lake at SEVEN WEEKS

Join Patrick for a 7-week progress update on this stunning lakeside family cottage taking shape on beautiful Leech Lake. Get a first-hand look at the evolving structure, the spectacular waterfront views, and how thoughtful design is brought to life—step by step.

Leech Lake WALKTHROUGH

Take a first look inside this stunning custom family cottage on Muskoka’s Leech Lake, guided by CedarCoast Partner, Patrick Bongers. Starting at the top floor- easily accessed by a full-service elevator- Pat walks you through all three levels of this thoughtfully designed lakeside retreat.

Is this the level of personal care and building experience you would expect from your Muskoka cottage builder?

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

5 Features Every Family Cottage Needs!

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 16:52:24 GMT

Designing your family cottage is about more than building a beautiful retreat - it’s about creating a place where sometimes unbelievable fishing stories are told, laughter echoes across the water, and generations connect.

At CedarCoast, we believe every great family cottage balances thoughtful design, comfort, and timeless wood craftsmanship.

Here are five must-have features that make a family cottage feel like home.

1. A Gathering Space With a View

Central to every cottage plan is a Great Room that draws people together - a space wit h soaring ceilings, natural wood beams, and wide windows that frame the lake. Whether it’s early morning coffee or late-night board games, this is where it all comes alive. CedarCoast designs each space to capture the natural landscapes at every time of day, as the light alters everything... and to embrace the atmosphere of Muskoka - warm, bright, and unmistakably welcoming.

2. A Kitchen That Brings Everyone Together

The kitchen is the heart of the cottage . It should be open, inviting, and built for togetherness - whether you’re cooking as a family, serving big breakfasts, or hosting weekend guests. CedarCoast’s designs often include large islands, walk-around space, and easy access to decks or screened porches - because every meal tastes better at the lake !

Read our blog, We designed our cozy cottage kitchen using experience as our guide.

3. Indoor-Outdoor Living

From wide sliding doors to covered decks and Muskoka rooms, seamless indoor-outdoor flow is a hallmark of every CedarCoast home. You will appreciate moving effortlessly from Great Room to shoreline, without losing the connection to nature. Stone patios, lakeside firepits, and docks that invite morning swims are all part of the experience!

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

Polar Bar

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

4. Beyond Comfortable Spaces for Guests and Extended Families

A true family cottage welcomes everyone - from grandparents to grandkids and friends who arrive “just for the weekend.” That’s why CedarCoast homes are designed with flexibility in mind: main-level suites for ease of access for owners, bunk rooms for the kids, and quiet corners where guests can unwind in privacy. Every room has a purpose, and every visitor feels right at home.

5. Built for the Future

A CedarCoast cottage is built to last — not just structurally, but generationally. We think about accessibility, efficiency, and longevity from the start. Whether it’s wider doorways, elevators, or energy-efficient materials, these are features that ensure your cottage grows gracefully with your family’s needs.

Ongoing support from the builders? Recently, one proud owner said, "CedarCoast IS our Warranty Program."

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

What 'Modern' Means for Muskoka Cottages

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 15:26:20 GMT

When you picture your family cottage, what do you see?

A timeless log cabin with rustic charm? A sleek, open-concept retreat full of glass, light, and designer finishes? Or perhaps something in between - classic Muskoka character with state-of-the-art conveniences carefully woven in?

At CedarCoast, we understand that 'modern' means different things to every family.

What 'Modern' Means for Muskoka Cottages

In today’s cottage design, modern isn’t just about appearances. It’s about how a space functions for generations to come. Some families lean toward:

· Clean Lines and Open Layouts – Wide-open kitchens with oversized islands for gathering, smooth transitions from indoors to lakeside decks, and soaring windows that maximize natural light.

· Smart and Sustainable Choice s – Energy-efficient materials, low-maintenance finishes, and heating and cooling systems designed for year-round comfort.

· Family-Friendly Accessibility – Single-level living, wider doorways, shower seats, and elevator shafts that keep the cottage welcoming for grandparents, children, and future generations alike.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

Polar Bar

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Tradition Meets Innovation

Muskoka cottages often carry a deep sense of nostalgia - memories of summers by the lake, long dinners around a big table, and kids racing down to the dock. At CedarCoast, we believe modern design should support these traditions, not replace them.

That’s why many of our families choose designs that combine the rustic warmth of wood with contemporary glass walls, or add stone fireplaces alongside spacious, uncluttered interiors. The result: a home that feels timeless, yet ready for the decades ahead.

Your Modern, Your Way

The real question isn’t will your family cottage be modern - it’s what kind of modern will feel like home for your family?

Whether you dream of a sleek lakeside retreat, a heritage-inspired lodge with contemporary upgrades, or a balance of both, our team will guide you from the first sketches to the final walk-through.

Bring your memories. Bring your ideas. CedarCoast will bring you home.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Cottage Life on the Water with this Boathouse Beauty!

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:27:12 GMT

A custom boathouse offers an unrivaled lifestyle, blending ultimate serenity with water sports of every kind.

Just relaxing today, yet ready for adventure?

Imagine the gentle lull of waves, panoramic lake views, every comfort… and your boat is right there ready to jump in and go! What a day on the lake!

One of the first things you'll notice in a custom lakefront boathouse is its total immersion in nature. Unlike traditional lake houses that are built on the shore, a boathouse sits right on the water. This means you’re just steps from diving into the lake or enjoying a leisurely paddle at sunrise. The calmness of the water sets a peaceful tone that’s way too easy to fall in love with.

This constant connection with nature brings joy every day, you’ll never miss a single glimpse of the wildlife thriving around you.

See: Whether Boathouse, Boat Port, Vacation Home or Cottage…

Design your boathouse your way.

One of the great things about designing a custom boathouse is the opportunity to bring your ideas of a perfect lakeside cottage to life. CedarCoast boathouses are designed and built with superior timber craftsmanship, advanced technology and designer finishes, allowing for sophisticated interiors that blend both function and style.

Choose a cozy retreat or a sleek, minimalist haven with polished concrete and glass, the CedarCoast Design Team will help you with even the smallest details to make your family feel right at home.

We have 30+ years of experience on the Muskoka Lakes.

After the flooding and the water damage many experienced in years past. We have developed many surprising options for minimizing the effects when nature spills over its bounds and affects your property.

When you call Bert at CedarCoast, ask him about our unique flood resisting design and materials! When things get rough, innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit bring solutions that are intended not only to diminish breakage but to ease the fears of cottage owners and boating enthusiasts throughout the affected lakes.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

Polar Bar

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Trading Post

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

If you are planning a new custom boathouse, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

How Would You and Your Family Design a Fully Accessible Lakeside Cottage Retreat?

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 16:18:58 GMT

CedarCoast designs multi-generational cottages with your family's unique future in mind.

When designing your cottage, do you look forward to welcoming everyone? At CedarCoast, accessibility has become a key focus, ensuring that each guest and family member - from adventurous kids to grandparents - can enjoy every opportunity your home offers without barriers, far into the future.

As you view this video, walking through this remarkable home, please consider the countless design choices on display and how they fit so naturally together. What works for you and your family will be different, but please consider how your family's accommodations and requirements, literally how your future cottage 'fits' - might evolve going forward.

The look of this cottage, stylized as Mid-Century Modern, is rooted in functionality, clean lines, and simplicity. The collaborative work of the CedarCoast Design Team was influenced by the client’s incorporation of timely pieces such as treasured furniture, period art, and décor.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

Polar Bar

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Trading Post

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Interior Features

Exterior Features

To see the first views of the exterior of this cottage, click here:

Building an Accessible Cottage on Muskoka's Camel Lake.

How do we do it?

CedarCoast Partner, Patrick Bongers shows some of the early progress inside this remarkable home. He presents details of sanding and pre-staining while explaining finishing touches on the doors and Douglas Fir beams.

It's sunlit and bright, and the workers can proceed with plenty of room to maneuver. The light and openness are already becoming enduring features of this extraordinary cottage!

Is this how you and your family might approach the design of your cottage?

Comments welcome, just fill out the form below!

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Building an Accessible Cottage on Camel Lake

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 23:18:44 GMT

Here's some of the innovative exterior features that make this lovely home truly welcoming for all!

INTERIOR FEATURES:

Please click here for videos detailing the interior of this remarkable cottage .

Living in a single-level, accessible waterfront cottage offers the perfect blend of comfort and convenience, surrounded by boundless natural beauty. With a step-free entry and a wide open layout, this bright CedarCoast bungalow provides ease of movement for all ages and abilities, making it an ideal retreat for families and guests all year round.

The exterior design incorporates mixed textures and materials in warm tones to provide visual accents and interest points as you navigate around the cottage.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

Polar Bar

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Trading Post

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Camel Lake FIRST VIEWS

CedarCoast Partner, Patrick Bongers and Site Supervisor, Ryan share an early look through the trees, showing even, smooth pathways, and demonstrating complete access all around. Inside, experienced wood craftsmen begin to work their magic.

Camel Lake INSULATION

Why insulate the ceiling of a screen porch? Patrick explains 'how we do it' and offers an insight into what makes construction with CedarCoast a testament to customer care. Here, leaving future options open is beneficial for the homeowner.

Camel Lake ACCESSIBLE HOT TUB

Patrick and Ryan show how to make a hot tub accessible, with limited steps and a handle for easy entry. When completed, getting in will be smooth and the view will be amazing too!

Is this the level of personal care and building experience you would expect from your Muskoka cottage builder?

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Cottage Construction Begins on Lake Muskoka

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 18:07:53 GMT

'How do we do it' videos show CedarCoast Partner, Patrick Bongers and Site Supervisor, Ryan as they begin constructing this beautiful Walkers Point cottage.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

Polar Bar

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Trading Post

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Lake Muskoka BASEMENTS

This video shows one of the challenges of foundation work, blasting bedrock, then rocks are dropped into waiting trucks. Clearing the site prepares for the construction of this lakeside cottage, designed with a full walk out basement.

Lake Muskoka BEDROCK

Patrick explains that water is always an issue because it seeps continuously through the bedrock. He shows why all drainage, stone and foundation efforts must be handled with experience and great care.

Lake Muskoka MIXING CONCRETE

Patrick and Ryan show a cool way to mix concrete right at the site. Benefits include saving excess concrete from landfills, while allowing for a variety of additives (like colour) to be included. Shoutout to Eek & Son Concrete.

Lake Muskoka FOUNDATIONS

Ryan shows the progress being made on this rocky, sloping location. Concrete is pumped down the hill, then poured into frames, while more rebar is added for strength all around. Thanks to Versa Construction for the ICF work!

Lake Muskoka TRUSSES

A wintry day perhaps, but still a great time to work outside framing the decks. A bit of a milestone as the trusses are delivered and we continue to make real progress on this exceptional CedarCoast cottage, Thanks to Home Building Centre in Gravenhurst!

Lake Muskoka FRAMING

CedarCoast Partner, Patrick Bongers discusses the deck, Douglas fir beams and stonework (to come) on this custom family cottage. This is the first peek at the lakeside view showing the expanded walkout.

Is this the level of personal care and building experience you would expect from your Muskoka cottage builder?

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

The Perfect Cottage for an Extended Family in Muskoka!

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 16:34:11 GMT

Walk with CedarCoast Partner, Patrick Bongers and Interior Designer, Mariah Hill as they show this ‘perfect family compound’ on Muldrew Lake.

A rare renewal project for CedarCoast!

CedarCoast rethinks this extended family cottage.

CedarCoast purchased the existing cottage in April, 2024 , clearly recognizing its potential as an extended family retreat. The property features a quiet setting with beautiful views of Muldrew Lake. Within just a few months, a generous application of CedarCoast's signature design, craftsmanship and construction expertise has worked magic to lift this project far above the expected.

The layout includes the main cottage, complete with two bunkies, a double-wide boathouse and a detached garage. There are multiple decks on a variety of levels, each showing expansive views down the lake.

The cottage itself is fully winterized with heating and air conditioning. The bunkies provide additional living and bedroom options for visiting family members and guests... everything an extended family could wish for in a Muskoka retreat!

See: Presenting a Better Way to Design & Build Your Family Cottage

So much space! So many possibilities!

Patrick sums up, “Overall a perfect family compound, there’s so many options for space. You could have grandparents, kids and grandkids…”

Mariah agrees, “This might be my favourite project! I think the way our team re-envisioned the whole place, from tearing down the original bunkie, to changing where the entrance was, going haywire on the curb appeal... turned a total 180 in the best way possible.”

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

Polar Bar

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Why Happy Muskoka Cottagers Stay Loyal to CedarCoast

Tue, 21 May 2024 21:57:26 GMT

"We are honoured to have made the permanent sign!!"

Chris and Shelagh, happy CedarCoast customers, react to having their wonderful cottage chosen for CedarCoast’s new sign on HWY 11.

The Joys of Loyalty Explained

Buying a home is a significant family milestone, and for many, purchasing a charming, lakeside cottage embodies the dream of a serene, idyllic lifestyle. However, the journey doesn't end at the purchase, as the relationship between a homeowner and their builder can greatly impact the overall satisfaction and long-term happiness of the buyer. Let's explore why happy cottage purchasers remain loyal to CedarCoast and the mutual benefits that continuing relationship brings.

More on this topic: How Our Custom Cottage Design Benefits Families.

Trust and Quality Craftsmanship

One of the primary reasons cottage buyers stay loyal to their builders is the trust established through quality craftsmanship. When a builder delivers a well-constructed, beautiful home that exceeds expectations, it creates a strong foundation of trust. Our cottagers appreciate the meticulous attention to detail and the superior quality that CedarCoast offers, which makes them more likely to return for future projects and recommend us to their friends and visitors.

More on this topic: Log Cottage Customers Come Back

Just received: June 27, 2024

Hi Bert and Pat,

I just wanted to pop you both a quick email to let you know how pleased we are 16 years later. There have been so many changes in our life, but our cottage continues to hold fast. When I see friend’s homes that are newer or poorly built it makes me appreciate even more the quality of our Cedar Coast home. We will probably be living here full time in the near future without hesitation. Please pass our congratulations on to your team and encourage them to continue to do their best, it really does make a difference.

Only the best,

Darryl & Bonnie

Beyond Exceptional Customer Service

Beyond the physical cottage structure, exceptional customer service plays a crucial role in fostering loyalty. You will find that the relaxed, disarming demeanor of both CedarCoast Partners and their willingness to go the extra mile to answer questions, address concerns and accommodate requests leaves a positive impression that lingers long after the home is built. The attentiveness and responsive of the entire CedarCoast team make our homeowners feel valued, listened to, and more likely to maintain a positive relationship with us, often becoming repeat customers.

More on this topic: International Entrepreneur Brings His Young Family To Cottage Country...

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

Polar Bar

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Trading Post

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Personalized Design Experience

Our cottage buyers seek a exceptional level of custom design to reflect their unique sense of style. They require spaces that not only reflect their personal taste but embody and enhance their family’s lifestyles. We excel in providing a personalized experience that matches each customer’s quest for balance: perfection yes, but matched with simple, easy living. We create a one-of-a-kind sense of partnership with our clients. We’re known for our caring, collaborative process that not only results in a remarkable home that buyers love, but also builds strong bonds between our homeowners and the entire team at CedarCoast.

More on this topic: Family First! What Makes a Cottage Multi-Generational?

Community and Connection

CedarCoast maintains vibrant relationships with the communities of Muskoka. Long term relationships with the Gravenhurst Rotary Club and the Antique Classic Boat Society for instance, speak to the level of commitment to the region and its inhabitants. Far beyond being ‘visible’, the people who work at CedarCoast are long term residents of Muskoka and love the region.

Positive Word-of-Mouth and Referrals

Happy CedarCoast purchasers become our most enthusiastic advocates! Positive word-of-mouth and referrals are powerful tools within the Muskoka cottage community. When homeowners share their positive experiences with friends, family, and colleagues, it enhances our reputation and attracts new clients. In the best sense, CedarCoast consistently delivers exceptional results that build a loyal customer base that actively promotes our services.

Innovation and Adaptability

We realize that showing a commitment to innovation and adaptability also builds trust. As trends and technologies evolve, cottagers appreciate builders who stay current and offer modern solutions that enhance the quality and functionality of their homes. Whether it's incorporating energy-efficient features, smart home technologies, or sustainable building practices, builders who innovate can retain their clients' loyalty by continually meeting their evolving needs.

CedarCoast has established a unique way of gathering 'whole family' customer input, beginning with our SMARTPLAN. We specialize in the family aspects of each home, making sure our homes are welcoming to everyone at any age. Because we have been building on the lakes for 30+ years, we have literally seen ‘everything’ and frequently after mitigating risks, we bring new procedures into our systems for adaptability and long term learning.

Follow our ‘HOW DO WE DO IT’ videos on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn!

Emotional Connection and Satisfaction

Lastly, the emotional connection homeowners feel towards their cottage and the satisfaction derived from living in a beautifully crafted home cannot be underestimated. This emotional bond often extends to the builder who made their dream home a reality. When homeowners look around their beautifully designed cottage and feel a deep sense of contentment and pride, their loyalty to the builder is naturally reinforced.

Read “You’re not like other builders.” From A perfect fit on Lake Muskoka

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

International entrepreneur brings his young family to Cottage Country to build a Pan-Abode cedar cottage.

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 20:46:18 GMT

"Cottaging is in my heart. It's part of my identity. Over the years it has kept our family connected together."

Cottage Memories Inspire the Choice of Pan-Abode

"I spent childhood summers here and I remember the one Pan-Abode cottage on my uncle’s lake. When all the other cottages began to show their age, the Pan-Abode home kept its original condition over the years. I will never forget the sweet cedar smell that greeted me whenever I walked into that cottage."

"To me it represented the pinnacle of the cottage experience and a testament to the inherent qualities of cedar. I’ve travelled all over but the summers in Muskoka cannot be imitated anywhere else in the world!"

CedarCoast Collaborates on the Build

Patrick Bongers, Partner of CedarCoast, helped with the initial planning and provided his signature high level of support throughout the project. He was really "quite generous with his time", says the owner. "We worked with Patrick to pick a Pan-Abode and get the floorplan together for the first few weeks... Pat has a nature to him that's the furthest away from being salesy or pushy."

MRT Construction Builds the Dream

When it came time to put shovels in the ground, the owner’s nephew, Mason Timmerman, stepped up. Mason had shown a passion for construction since early childhood. Now 24, Mason was interested in launching a contracting business within the building trades. Mason pitched the construction of the cottage to his uncle, and was introduced to Patrick and fellow Partner, Bert Bongers from CedarCoast Timber Homes, which oversees Pan-Abode in Ontario, along with building custom Muskoka cottages.

Mason and his team at MRT Construction built the cottage with loving care and obvious skill over the next year...

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Quality Cottage Construction, Rustic Charm

Working with his 3 man crew , developing comraderie while working on the lake was a great experience, says Mason. "Constructing the Pan-Abode went quite smoothly, stacking the logs, course by course, and log by log … the smell was terrific! Seeing the family move in and how much they love the space.. amazing!" says Mason. He also says wonderful things about the involvement of CedarCoast. “Patrick was super-helpful and came out to the site a number of times.”

‘The cottage is built like a piano’, says the new owner. ‘The construction is so tight, showing a build with standout quality and precision, even slipping a piece of paper into the joints is impossible."

Family Cottage Design with a Wow Factor

"I didn’t want an ostentatious cottage, I wanted to recreate my childhood memories on the lakes, fishing, frog hunting and running through the place with wet swimming trunks still on. I still remember goofing off in the woods. If the floors get wet, so what? We weren’t aiming for a cottage that’s overwhelming or intimidating. You know, humble living. And we don’t bring cellphones, TV or Internet. This is a family bonding experience! I did not want my family to miss out on what I had when I was young.”

The cottage boasts considerable WOW! factor. "We aimed for a relaxed rustic feel, not something over the top," says the cottage owner. "Our cottage owners aren’t ostentatious," says Bert, "They’re more Zen."

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

CedarCoast Designs an Indigenous Cultural Centre on Superior's Remote North Shore

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 17:45:30 GMT

The Cultural Community and Healing Centre is being built for the people of Biigtagong Nishnaabeg First Nation Community.

CedarCoast is excited to be a key part this extraodinary story! Together with the Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation and the Ontario First Nations Technical Service Corporation (OFNTSC), CedarCoast has designed - and is in the midst of building - this centre intended for healing and inspiration.

Envisioned with a large deck offering breathtaking vistas of the majestic Gichigami, pristine white sands, and the surrounding north woods, this project is a testament to the collaborative vision of Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation, OFNTSC and CedarCoast.

The amazing project team was organized by the OFNTSC to include Prime Project Solutions and CedarCoast Timber Homes. The remote location, with no roads in or out, required complex logistics and risk management, sourcing local tradespeople and helicopter services (during the recent forest fire emergencies!) to provide timely aerial delivery for every material component involved in the construction of the project.

The project's highlights included:

3,000+ sq. ft., full cedar building with completed interior walls and ceiling finishes, windows, decking and steel roofing.
Detailed pre-construction planning for ‘rapid project’ work: 12 weeks elapsed time from beginning to end.
Overcoming logistical and risk management hurdles in an isolated location.
Partnering with local tradespeople for positive community impact.
Sourcing helicopter services (during the recent forest fires) to provide timely aerial delivery for every material component in the project.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Our extensive track record undoubtedly played a role the selection of CedarCoast to build this project. In addition to our history in Muskoka, ’30 years building on the lakes’, past accomplishments include building a variety of long distance residential, retail, and institutional structures in places like New York, Germany and Ireland.

Partners Bert and Patrick Bongers have the knowledge and experience to successfully find and manage local teams, source materials and deliveries destined for offshore and other remote construction sites. Our firm has the inhouse talent to handle the intricate design parameters necessary for remote planning and resourcing to construct complex buildings anywhere in the world.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

How Our Custom Cottage Designs Benefit Families

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 22:03:27 GMT

We approach custom cottage design with your family's future in mind.

At today's hectic pace, when schedules are packed and distractions are plentiful , finding time to connect with loved ones can feel like a real challenge. However, for many families, owning a custom waterfront cottage offers a retreat from the hustle of everyday life - a place where cherished memories are made and bonds are strengthened.

When you first meet CedarCoast, we will ask you to consider where your family might be in five or even ten years. Will your children be all grown up? Will they bring your grandkids to the cottage? Are you thinking of retiring here?

In this blog we will discuss how our timeless perspective brings unique benefits to your family far into the future. We can start by considering your family requirements over time.

Talking to prospective customers about the value a truly custom cottage brings to families is the heart of everything we do. We approach every new design as an expression, and indeed a celebration of your family’s best moments.

Every morning brings a new day of family bonding in a cottage that is intentionally designed to reflect your family's personality.

Get started with our SmartPlan.

Our interpretive skills put your family’s routines into floorplans, your style into the home's design, and your future cottage ownership into your ‘family vault’. We'll draw your floorplans around what each family member loves to do. Read 'Family Plans or Floorplans ' blog post.

Owning a family cottage provides a peaceful escape to a place that is a pure expression of your family lifestyle, taste and in many cases, history. We'll help you discover what's possible with the architecture of your build, the way we build it, and whether we involve you or not in every decision, your choice, through every facet of your engagement with CedarCoast.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

When CedarCoast designs your cottage it becomes an representation of your openness to ‘what’s next’. We design for maximum accessibility, so even the most senior, and perhaps the least able of your family, young or old, can come, partake and enjoy the retreat, regardless of what the future holds.

A previous customer writes about his family experience in the cottage they love:

" Hi Bert, nice to hear from you. We are all doing fine and this would have been our 11th season since we moved into the Desert Lake house..."

"We continue to love the cottage/house and over the past 10 years have spent as much time as possible there. I am now retired and my wife Mary Lou and I are able to spend the most time there through out the year enjoying all four seasons. John and his family have also been able to spend a lot of time there. Our families work together wel l and the partnership has worked perfectly since the start. Between our kids and grandchildren it is such a special place. "

Read more about the lasting benefits of this family's cottage in our blog post, 'Multi-generational family loves their lakefront cottage.'

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Muskoka Cottage Design

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 23:19:09 GMT

Tips on designing your cottage in the Muskoka style.

DESIGNING A FAMILY COTTAGE in a traditional ‘Muskoka style’ means creating spaces that embrace the natural beauty of the countryside while providing a delightfully cozy, functional retreat. We’ve known Muskoka for its picturesque landscapes, lakes, and forests as a premier family destination for over 30 years.

What does CedarCoast mean when we mention traditional Muskoka design?

The first is respect for the customer’s vision! Our Design Team’s trademark craftsmanship and creative ability allows us to interpret initial ideas and to then suggest a variety of design and stylistic opportunities.

Here are a few things to focus on when considering building in the Muskoka spirit.

Exposed wooden beams and timber posts, hardwood floors, and stone fireplaces, built with precision and care, surround your family with nature. We will suggest wide open plans that mirror your family's daily routines to help make your cottage living easy and carefree.

Use nature's landscapes as a guide to creating exteriors with stone steps, functional platforms and wrap around porches. The extensive use of glass in railing systems will help break visible barriers to the views you love.

Hosting family, close friends and frequently, nieces and nephews means creating comfortable and inviting bedrooms. More and more we find the main bedroom situated away from noise and activity to create a intimate retreat. This Master Bedroom (above) features a built-in headboard opposite a brick fireplace and entertainment centre. Glass dooors open to a balcony with expansive views of the lake. There's a roomy ensuite and an accessible, walk-in shower as well.

CedarCoast has made designing for families a central tenet of our design process. Read 'Family First'.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

If your goal is outdoor living with sophistication, use the surrounding forests and lakes as your living wallpaper. Up-to-date Muskoka Rooms, inviting at almost any time of year, can feature any variety of comfortable amenities and heat sources. For a prime example of fine design, see The Muskoka Soul Story.

Details. Details. When considering your Muskoka cottage, finding and placing items of personal taste, whether they are specific fixtures, designer finishes or treasured objects, will each contribute to that special ambiance of your new home. When it comes to details in finishes, the CedarCoast Design Team can help you find that perfect solution.

Muskoka Cottage Design requires experienced, reliable Muskoka Cottage Construction!

We employ the latest building standards and energy-efficient features such as insulated windows, emphasizing proper air-flow, and using sustainable building materials. Clients frequently consider alternative energy sources like solar panels or geothermal heating. Everyone loves heated floors!

Our knowledge of the Muskokas is unrivalled.

We know how to construct amazing homes on a wide variety of sites and landscapes... and islands.

For further reading about how we learned to construct family cottages in Muskoka... we have a blog post for that!

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Modern Cottage Design

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 17:09:03 GMT

Your cottage style can be simplicity itself.

The most popular search in modern interior design is Japandi , a gentle, minimalist Japanese aesthetic that's mixed with a Scandinavian's love of nature and fine wood craftsmanship. It’s serenity itself, as expressed in taste, functionality and right proportion.

There's a light sense of colour at work here, with organic textures and the idea of bringing landscapes inside. Expect to see unadorned walls, visually clean surfaces mixed with rough-hewn textiles ... all respectful of nature's imperfections.

Our CedarCoast Design Team will help you discover your personal sense of cottage style, modern, traditional or ? We'll help you incorporate that spirit into the making of your family's new home.

The overall look is relaxing, restful and natural while embracing neutral colors, high-quality, organic and perhaps unrefined or imperfect materials. There's an interplay between exposed wood grains, organic textiles and fibres... all rendered with graceful, unhindered lines.

This family went for less upkeep with comfort at the top of their list: warmed polished floors throughout and copper piping in the main bath.

A modern family cottage is a respite from busy city living. The atmosphere should be as carefree as possible!

CedarCoast takes your sense of taste and weaves that spirit through the design of your new home.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Here we see uncluttered walls of natural wood, simply framed, without garnish. There’s a playful give and take between inside and outside views.

This aesthetic matches the free and relaxing lifestyles many cottage families admire. If enjoying the simple pleasures of life were a design trend, this would be it.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Log Cottage Customers Come Back

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 19:34:43 GMT

Quality workmanship and attention to detail keep log cottage customers coming back!

We recently received a reference note from happy customers, Richard and Olivia. In 2017, CedarCoast finished the 'shell construction' of their cottage, meaning that the work on their log walls, roof and windows was complete. Their intent was to 'pick away' at the interior finishes at their own pace.

After 5 years in their cottage, they planned to add a loft floor at the apex of their cottage, to get a better view and to add more beds and storage. They tried many contractors, but had no luck finding one that could bring the required design and engineering skills to accomplish the task. They returned to CedarCoast.

Here's their letter to Joe, a CedarCoast Architectural Designer, who help them achieve their goals:

Hi Joe.

Thanks a million for your reply. After dealing with other contractors over the past couple of years we have realized that CedarCoast's quality workmanship and attention to details is well above everyone else we've been dealing with.

Thanks again for this beautiful home you have built for us.

Sincerely

Richard and Olivia

Here's just a few of the many reasons why log customers have come to trust CedarCoast:

Our Western Red Cedar logs are hand-scribed, for perfect fittings. They are peeled of bark, hewn and drawn by highly trained craftsmen. Yes, this is a labour intensive process, but the results show why clients will come back themselves, and frequently recommend their friends!

CedarCoast has 30+ years of building cottages on the Muskoka Lakes, many of them featuring log construction in both exterior and interior configurations. We're known for our sophisticated craftsmanship, beatifully shown here with the use of a variety of woods and matching shingles, tiles and floors.

GREAT, INTERACTIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE is the foundation upon which CedarCoast is built.

Your first experience with CedarCoast, whether it's downloading our SMARTPLAN or meeting Bert and Patrick Bongers in person, will convince you that their caring, family approach places them above the rest. Indeed, clients tell us they are "not like other builders."

The emphasis on 'family planning' is CedarCoast's way of getting to know your wishes, hopes...and budgets. Multigenerational design means your cottage will fit you and your family today and into the future.

All through the process you will find the entire CedarCoast team united behind your quest to build a home you and your family will love forever.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

There is an endless array of unique interior design solutions to enhance your choice of woods, in natural and painted finishes. Shown here are antique appliances in a state-of-the-art kitchen, in coordinating colours, under a sloped ceiling filled with natural light.

So many choices are possible now for those wishing to build a striking, fully customized log cottage. Options include variable construction and contract arrangements designed to fit the wishes of any prospective owner.

Customer communication throughout your project sets CedarCoast apart!

Online updates, construction photographs within a shared, interactive portal keeps customers, crews and design professionals together, in the loop at every stage.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Family Checklist to a Cottage You Will Love Forever

Tue, 09 May 2023 18:13:27 GMT

Planning a Family Cottage?

Cottages improve the lives of family members and go a long way to keeping families enjoying life together. Let’s strategize to make sure your design adventure is joyous and your resulting cottage home is ready to become the vibrant, natural heart of your family.

Here are seven steps to successfully designing your cottage:

THINK AHEAD. Picture your family life in 5 or 10 years… and beyond! Plan your home carefully to meet your needs for generations to come.

2. FLOORPLANNING FOR FUN: Layout your spaces to follow what you love to do! Patrick will draw 'circles of activity' illustrating your daily pathways, routines and hobbies.

If you're cooking family favourites, plan open, expansive kitchens with handy, adjacent pantries. Adding accessible, winterized storage for all your water and winter sports gear is a must.

3. ALL TOGETHER NOW: You might find that brainstorming with your entire family is a exciting way to kick off your cottage adventure! Giving everyone a voice brings inclusion to the conversation. Sharing the give and take results in a unique sense of family ownership.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

4. THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! It’s easy to imagine spending warm summer days being lazy on the deck, but where’s your family during the inevitable inclement weather? An all-season cottage can transform into a hobby paradise! One family envisioned a separate-but-open reading nook for kids, dubbing it the 'Harry Potter' room.

5. GET REAL: Looking ahead requires real strength to imagine people growing old... yikes!

Make sure your cottage is fully accessible by reducing the number of steps, making doorways & hallways wider for strollers and wheelchairs, lowering drawers in kitchens, closets and bedrooms to keep everything within easy reach.

Locating bedrooms and gathering areas on the main floor can go along way toward making your cottage a relaxing destination for everyone in the years to come.

6. FIRST THINGS FIRST: Plan to avoid surprises by budgeting carefully and identifying construction risks. You can improve your cottage in the years to come, but start with the basics: insulation, water maintenance, construction materials. Make sure your essentials are solid before blending in the ‘bells and whistles'.

7. TRUST: In what might be your most important decision, pick an experienced builder who knows the terrain, the most modern building methods, and excels in communicating with customers throughout the design and construction process.

Ask around. Get quotes first. Hunt for and meet reputable builders you can trust!

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Our family planned our Muskoka Room to welcome nature into the cottage.

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 21:35:10 GMT

Three-season spaces bring the outside in, from

April right through late October.

Sunrooms, screened-in porches, Muskoka Rooms... call them what you will. Their purpose is the same.

Each extends the comfort and delight in your cottage from the beginnings of Spring to watching the last leaves fall. When we planned our custom cottage, we envisioned a unique mix of inside comfort while keeping the everchanging environment outside.

What's our family doing when it rains at the cottage? Our multi-use gathering place is perfect for coffee, games,and companionship, with the benefit of keeping dry. A ceiling fan keeps the breezes flowing. Window screens keep everyone insect-free.

This unique barrel ceiling caps the room, situated high above the land, perched ideally for expansive lakeside views.

The complementary use of woods, from floor to rounded ceiling, creates a natural meeting place for families and friends to comfortably gather inside, while enjoying nature all around.

We'd like families to bring us their ideas, photos, mood boards, in short everything, that will help visualize their new home.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Opening the windows wide upon the lake brings fresh breezes and expansive views all around. Unbroken access to the deck, with glass panelled railings, allows nature to step right in.

This comfortable setting is just the spot for coffee, tea and invigorating conversation... literally a living room right on the water!

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

How we learned to construct family cottages in Muskoka.

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 15:00:02 GMT

With 30 years building lakefront cottages on the Muskoka Lakes, have we seen it all?

We champion the expectations of our clients when encountering challenging environments.

Looking ahead for surprises turns out to be an essential skill in cottage construction!

Freezing ground, mile long driveways, seasonal floods and turtle survival… CedarCoast anticipates surprises, then moves heaven and earth to mitigate their impact on project plans.

Just as every family cottage is unique, so are the challenges we confront as we build them.

Whether cliffside, lakeside, countryside or on the islands of Georgian Bay, we've built there!

To start, we envision a strategic plan that leaves room for the unexpected.

Construction planning and management must begin with a thorough knowledge of the Muskoka region .

Bert and Patrick Bongers, our Partners, have encountered obstacles of every sort, in every season, building spectacular homes in a variety of environments.

Rocky lakeside terrains, water flow and drainage, icy winter roads and island passages all contribute to their specialized grasp of settings, materials and contractor scheduling when forecasting completely custom cottage builds.

Our partners field a variety of questions posed by potential cottage owners, from project financing to solar power, on their video blogs. Start here: Home and Cottage Design & Construction , from November, 2021.

Protecting our Environment includes Turtles!

With Spring’s arrival, at risk freshwater turtles are emerging in Central Ontario. Recently, one cottage construction plan mitigated the possibly harmful effects on the nesting of turtles by installing below grade, silt fencing around the site.

You can find out more by clicking the button above for the S.T.A.R.T. Facebook page or by visiting The Canadian Wildlife Federation's web page: Help Freshwater Turtles.

Because of the remoteness of this site, cement trucks and other large vehicles had difficulty accessing it and turning around in the long, narrow driveway. Fire & rescue trucks too would have to be made aware of these issues. In addition, a complete sprinkler system was installed.

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

February Fun in Muskoka!

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 02:57:33 GMT

Here’s a host of lively ways for you and your family to get out and enjoy Muskoka.

Whether it’s a weekend carnival, a stage show, rock climbing tounaments… So many amazing things to do!

We love the wonderful sports and cultural opportunities that make our region magical.

Don't miss the Gravenhurst Winter Carnival , Family Day Weekend, Feb. 17 -19, 2023!

There's a weekend full of events including Saturday's The Great Canadian Lumberjack Show , Snow Sculptures with judging and cash prizes, and the Doggie Dash and Dog Fashion Show . There's also a Polar Dip for the naked and brave. Later for the kiddies: Glow Stick Night .

On Sunday? Just the Mushball Tournament and the ever popular Demolition Derby . Don't stay home! Click on the link above for the official web information page.

Music will warm your chilly winter days... and nights.

The Addams Family – A New Musical . A comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family, features an original story and it’s every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness... Algonquin Theatre, Huntsville

Jann Arden, The one and only, on Saturday, Feb. 11, Huntsville Festival Of The Arts .

Lennon.Live: LOVE IS REAL Sat Feb 11 2023 at 7:30 pm, Rene M Caisse Theatre, Huntsville . With great attention to detail regarding song arrangements, instrumentation, and costumes, seven splendid musicians take audiences on a " magical mystery tour " that traces Lennon's musical life story onstage.

Sam Roberts Band , February 25 at 8 pm. Rock the Winter at Deerhurst Resort A full weekend of outdoor Muskoka experiences and live music will culminate with Saturday night’s high energy concert with one of Canada’s most enduring and entertaining rock bands.

Abbamania Friday, Feb 24 at the Gravenhurst Opera is the only production to perform for Mamma Mia, is an all-Canadian cast. It's the world’s number one production of ABBA.

Smartphone Audio Driving Tour between Toronto & Huntsville

TOTALLY UNIQUE! Follow the suggested route from the audio guide along Highways 400 & 11, and discover our region in a brand new way! Connect your smartphone to your vehicle's stereo & listen to a tour guide while you drive! Complete tour any day or time you like.

Rock Climbing! Don't miss the Ontario Qualifying Events, Ontario Climbing Federation, Climb Muskoka , 24 Kirkhill Dr. Bracebridge, ON Feb. 4 and Feb 25. Just click the link for tickets and information.

The Rotary Club of Bracebridge presents: The Sound of Music!

Enjoy the renewal of a great community tradition, the annual Rotary show.
After a 2-year hiatus, as a result of COVID, we're back with a musical theatre classic, The Sound of Music.

This show marks the Rotary's 45th Annual Rotary Musical.
The opening night Gala performance includes dinner for which tickets can be purchased from Producer, Jean Polak (705) 646-2855
For gro up bookings of 10+ seats, please contact Ruth Bell-Towns (705) 706-1938

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

We designed our cozy cottage kitchen using experience as our guide

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 22:07:27 GMT

Our love of cooking evolved into wonderfully relaxing afternoons away from the city.

When we really thought about how we gather, how we cook and what we love to do at the cottage our choices became clear.

Winter is a special time to enjoy the warmth of sharing meals together.

Making time together is what winter cottaging is all about! Letting children in on the fun is a large part of that. In this spirit, we knew a spacious kitchen, featuring both a handy pantry and an expansive island was the way to go.

We asked Patrick of CedarCoast to help map the most convenient pathways of appliances, countertops, cupboards ...and seating for company to keep our kitchen as an integral part of our living space. So, the manner in which we worked our way through a recipe played a large part in our design choices.

Entice the family to share cozy meals during Muskoka's chilly winter.

Bringing the whole family together sounds great , until you have your kids, grandkids perhaps, cousins and friends at the cottage together, all begging for kid-friendly meals and snacks.

When it's time to pull off the snow boots you'll be happy get cozy with all your guests for some delicious cold-we ather comfort food... perhaps to watch family-friendly movies and eat some delicious meals together. Getting to spend quality time together during these cold winter months is just one of the many joys of cottage ownership.

Today we are sharing a variety of kid-friendly meal ideas and recipes that are quick, easy and delicious... perfect for cold winter weather. Here's a link to 67 Kid-Friendly Meals for Cold Weather courtesy of FAQ Kitchen: https://faqkitchen.com/kid-friendly-cold- -winter-family-meal-ideas/

Shopping, Tours and more: Wondering where to stock your pantry? Muskoka has some great off-the-beaten path places to shop. From quaint downtown shops to nearly world-famous general stores, Muskoka is a shopper’s delight!

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Muskoka's Wonderful in Winter!

So many things to do in Muskoka on a cold winter's day! When you're at the cottage there's absolutely no pressure to really do anything! Just breathe deep. Exhale. That's the spirit!

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Fat Biking at your Muskoka Cottage this Winter

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 20:54:17 GMT

Question: 'What's Fat Biking?'

Answer: A beautiful new way to experience Muskoka's Winter this year.

Fat Biking is a fresh, healthy way to get out and enjoy winter in and around Muskoka.

Want to have fun and discover the wintry beauty of Muskoka at the same time? You might want to investigate the relatively new phenomena of Fat Biking . Essentially a mountain bike with big, soft tires that go a long way (pardon the pun) to mitigating rough, snowy terrain, these bikes have won over a lot of fans.

Lots of trails to explore in and around our great region!

Close cousin to sports like snowshoeing and cross country skiing, Fat Biking has really taken off in the past few years . If you want to investigate the benefits of this sport please take a look at the links in this blog. Please call and do your research before venturing out! Cedarcoast neither implies nor recommends but includes these links for your information and perusal only.

Winter Fat Biking seems to the the next big thing in Muskoka! Visitors are loving biking the snow and it’s a lot simpler than it looks (or sounds)! A great local resource to explore the sport is Discover Muskoka, discoverable by clicking the button. There’s also a nice interactive activity map of the region.

There are many great trails to explore in and around our great region. Some are more challenging than others, but all rely upon a generous layer of snow. People have fallen in love with this sport, so call ahead! All opportunities are seasonal! Access information on local activities by hovering over the photographs below.

The Simcoe County Mountain Bike Club (SCMBC) develops and maintains bike trails and in winter, fat bike trails in Simcoe. See the calendar, map and membership form here:

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

Polar Bar

Find out more

Trading Post

Find out more

The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Muskoka's Wonderful in Winter!

O ver the river and through the woods... so the carol goes. Here in the beauty and silent majesty of Mother Nature, we relax. We breathe deep. Exhale. That's the spirit!

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Looking to attend 2022 Fall Cottage Life Show?

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 01:00:46 GMT

The 18th Annual Cottage Life Fall Show is a double show in 2022 as cottage lovers catch the holiday spirit going on right next door!

Your ticket to the Fall Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

The Cottage Life Fall Show 2022

November 11-13, 2022
At the International Centre, Halls 2 & 3.
Over 140 exhibitors
Featuring everything cottage, like lakeside living, cottage real estate, design trends, cottage products and services, boating, water sports, live wildlife exhibits, cooking demonstrations, cottage games, and walk-through model cottages and cabins.
Free admission for children ages 3 and under.
Discounted tickets available in advance until November 10th at 11:59pm.

2022 Fall Cottage Life Show & 2022 Seasons Christmas Show

Friday, November 11; 10am - 8pm
Saturday, November 12; 9am - 6pm
Sunday, November 13; 10am - 5pm

International Centre, Halls 2 & 3
6900 Airport Rd, Mississauga,
ON L4V 1E8

Don't forget to check out the official Cottage Life Booth, built by CedarCoast!

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

Polar Bar

Find out more

Trading Post

Find out more

The Seasons Christmas Show

This year one ticket gets you into TWO shows! Your ticket to the Cottage Life Show will also give you access to the Seasons Christmas Show!

For over a decade, families and friends have made the Seasons Christmas Show a tradition to kick off the holidays.

Stop by our the CedarCoast Booth to say Hi!

Meet Bert and Patrick Bongers, the Muskoka cottage builders who ‘are not like other builders! If you have questions concerning the design or construction of a new family cottage, or the process you might anticipate in doing so, Bert and Pat will be only too happy to help answer any questions you may have.

Family First!

Wed, 25 May 2022 17:23:46 GMT

What makes a family cottage 'multi-generational'?

Family Planning is the heart of our design process.

We invite you to take a look at our SMARTPLAN to help you:

Imagine your family's requirements over time. Your children could be in high school or college now... where with they be in ten years time? Perhaps they will have toddlers in tow by then? How might that alter your plans? Perhaps seating for 10 or more at your dining room table?

Design for accessibility ...and 'whatever may come' . Sometimes life throws surprises, like retirement! Plan for the long term.

Base your floorplans on what each family member loves to do.

Everyone's different! Sometimes just using the SMARTPLAN tool can reveal how your new home design might help each member of your family feel right at home ...in every season!

Here's one of our spacious kitchens , situated right out in the open where the cook(s) can feel part of the gathering no matter what's going on with the timing of the family meal.

Include wish lists from everyone in this conversation. Just being a part of the planning brings the family together and makes each one a partner in this journey.

Plan for rainy days and kitchen parties all year round.

Sometimes a rainy d ay is just what your secret little heart desires. If a cottage is for the fun times, it's also for relaxing, perhaps doing little to nothing or simply lounging in bed. When you wake up in a beautiful bedroom like this one, catching a few extra winks can be the best way to start your lazy day away from it all.

Many of our plans feature master suites on the main floor, with busier rooms for children and guests tucked further and more quietly away.

Budget to include the most essential elements right from the start. To find out more on this subject and many others, please see one of our 30 minute Q & A Session s, in which Partners Bert and Pat discuss a myriad of issues of concern to most cottage families at the beginning. Like this cottage? See more beautiful ideas on our Gallery pages.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Home and Cottage Design & Construction

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 22:32:25 GMT

Patrick and Bert Bongers answer a variety of questions submitted by potential cottage owners.

What should you expect when engaging with a cottage builder?

In this session contract questions like 'Is there an up-front payment?', 'What about insurance?' and others, are considered.

THIS WIDE OPEN CONVERSATION will focus on the design planning process and good construction management. Partners Bert and Patrick Bongers have each been building 'on the lakes' for over 30 years. As this video demonstrates, they share a wealth of professional and personal experience in a friendly, easy going manner, helping families design and build a cottage they will love for generations to come.

There are two main activity hubs within CedarCoast: the first is Design/Construction from scratch and the second is the fully insured Project Management of lakefront cottages.

As Bert says, "We like to take on 'progressive' projects that may feature energy efficiency, special home comfort, accessibility, sustainability and the unique relationship between the cottage and its surroundings."

Discussion points covered in this video:

How much time does it take after our first conversation to 'breaking ground'? The length of time spent initially depends on how prepared you are, as the prospective owners, to start the project. Do you have a property in mind? Is the site ready for building? How far along is your family in your own cottage design process? One issue to consider is that quoting times and municipal permit waiting periods vary considerably in 2021 - and that getting accurate estimates are an integral part of the design process.
What's the expected cost per square footage of a cottage near Huntsville? Site working costs in Huntsville are as variable as anywhere else! Material and specifications affect the overall spend. Investigations to discover the favourability of septic systems, driveway slope and installations, well water, site work and infrastructure will all contribute to costs in one way or another. The cottage itself can be estimated quite accurately when the customer knows what they want. Determining what's important to the customer helps the accuracy of both the design and budgeting processes in the overall engagement.
Watch videos of completed CedarCoast projects on Vimeo and YouTube! Some will include upscale kitchen appointments, expensive flooring, innovative heating systems... and may even include Butler's Pantries in the basements, complex timberwork, designer cabinetry, and floor to ceiling fireplaces. All these enhanced specifications add to the cost.
Where do you typically build? How do I find a Project Manager in Central Frontenac, near Kingston, Ontario? We try to take on projects within an hour and a half of Gravenhurst. You can find professional project managers further afield by asking local municipalities, neighbours, designers and lumber stores for referrals. Ask each prospect for a sample quote. The depth of experience, details included and the willingness to communicate with you quickly can lead to a project manager who is perfect for you and perfect for your prospective cottage.
Communication is key. How does CedarCoast keep its customers apprised of the progress of each project? We include 24/7 access to every building detail with photographs and supplier updates via our BuilderTrend software . This engenders proactive conversations with clients online, without the need for them to visit their property multiple times during construction stages.
We have an older cottage on Belle Park Island. We would like to replace it with a simple cottage, perhaps 2 bedrooms on each of 2 levels. Nothing too big or too fancy... Now what? Site features like the direction of natural light, privacy from neighbours, site topography, etc. must be integrated into any suitable design solution before any real consideration of process or timing can be undertaken. Although anything may be possible, understanding the needs and tastes of our customer guides us in this conversation.
When should we approach a builder? When and how to start the design process? Now! The design phase will give you the confidence you need to start planning without censuring your ideas or your expectations at the start. It will also enable you to have fun while brainstorming with the entire family.
The process of design works to find opportunities to improve budgeting too. Ask yourselves, 'What makes this a great place?' We find that in many instances this early creative process will help illustrate and resolve differing visions and will lead to a new appreciation of what's really required to 'make your cottage your own'.
The design contract as a necessary and valuable first step. One cost consideration might be resolved by estimating how much 3D rendering will be required to ensure that the clients understand the volume and space of their plans.
Three necessary information points at the beginning. We recommend downloading the CedarCoast SmartPla n because it's a great way to keep track of your wish list. The structure of the process is clearly laid out. This makes individual decisions easier.
Floorplans are counter-productive, we believe. No single plan is perfect for you and perfect for your property.
Start with what you know. Electronic scrapbook making, with Pinterest, Haus, Instagram will help to make sure everyone is heard. Let the kids join in!
The budget is the third necessary piece of information. Any designer will need to have a firm grasp on what you want to spend before beginning.
How are payments staged? Should we expect a large up-front fee or deposit? Usually there isn't a point where a large payment must be met, however when purchasing logs or other specialized materials a payment may be required before proceeding.
The construction contract can only begin when the design has been finalized. Some contracts may include a financial partner, in which case specific milestones will be set and achieved prior to payments. We may recommend up to 8 or12 stages of payment.
What should we consider when building requires an insulated slab sub-foundation? We have experience with Ontario's rocky islands, shores and slopes. A basement may be 'good to have' but a wet basement is not. We often advise clients to consider in-floor heating to ensure their cottage is warm and cozy.
Accessibility targets ensure the home will be welcoming to everyone regardless of age or life situation. We designed and built a home on a single level from the roadway to the backyard barbeque, i.e. no steps! It features wide doors and hallways, roll-in showers, lowered drawers and shelves for those in wheelchairs. Designing for aging populations may include an elevator. We call these considerations 'multi-generational design' and we simply incorporate ageless thinking, as a necessary part of family planning in everything we do.
Insurance questions are handled differently by many builders. You must consider limiting risk and liability during your build. Included in CedarCoast contracts is an all-risk, all-peril liability policy. Talk to your home owners insurance company before you build. Risks to avoid when pulling your own permit are a necessary conversation to have with any prospective builder.

Have questions not answered here?

Please see Video Two, the Friday Session and Video Three, the Saturday Session during which Bert and Pat discuss other sets of questions posed by those attending the Cottage Life Virtual Spring Show.

Or, even better, ask Bert at 1-800-563-5647

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Post, Beam, Pure Georgian Bay

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:02:02 GMT

A simple plan, a single level, spectacular beauty all around.

When you think of 'getting away from it all', do you think of docking your boat on the rocky shores of Ontario's beautiful Georgian Bay, then spending lazy hours and easy days in this naturally gorgeous cottage?

Making planning simple is the basis for everything we do here at CedarCoast.

Precise wood craftsmanship makes this cottage warm and welcoming.

In the true spirit of family planning, CedarCoast helped this family plan their getaway their way... building the exterior and leaving the interior to the owners to finish as they please.

At 1,300 square feet on a single level with an open concept Great Room, this is a perfect interpretation of easy family living. The cottage features three bedrooms, a full bath, powder room, and the comfy addition of a screened in porch.

We have the vast experience it takes to build on the Muskoka Lakes and Georgian Bay islands.

Both partners and brothers, Patrick and Bert Bongers contributed to the 2021 Spring Cottage Life Virtual Show, when they answered many questions from prospective cottagers. They do this in a friendly, back and forth fashion, that as customers say, "They're not like other builders." See the videos!

Each design is unique. Building across waters, blasting rock, and the complexities of constructing dream cottages the 'right way', are trademarks of the company they created over 30 years ago.

Bert loves to help prospective buyers pick the perfect site. 'Which is your favourite view?' he asks. Then, situating the home to showcase that vision - the view you fell in love with - becomes a labour of love.

The CedarCoast Design Team

This elegant, double sliding door, with its peaked view, is a lovely designer's detail. It's just one small example of the result of careful planning, gently going over every design decision with the purchaser, and later on, keeping families up to date with every development of their project.

Take, for example, CedarCoast partner, Patrick's way of designing rooms in sequential circles of daily family activities , as one flows into the next, making the floorplans fit the people... not the other way around.

Our customers speak highly of us and we value their continued loyalty!

We meet with families to find out what will fit their needs now, five years from now and into the future.

We call this ‘multi-generational design’ and yes, it comes with multiple views of your family's future on the island of your choice!

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Contemporary and Absolutely First-Class.

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 21:12:04 GMT

Growing up on the Lakes led to this lively retelling of Muskoka Living.

Grand living, Muskoka style.

A showstopper of a cottage. Growing up on the lakes helped this cottage couple design their perfect home with intuition and a sense of complete relaxation.

We do more than plan for your family’s future boathouse, we help you envision it all ‘round, enabling views from every angle, so you can anticipate every little touch, down to the last detail. See more details about our 360° design visualizations here .

We have vast experience building in the Muskoka area!

After the flooding and the water damage many experienced last year.. We have developed many surprising options for minimizing the effects when nature spills over its bounds and affects your property.

When you call Bert at CedarCoast, ask him about our unique flood resisting design and materials! When things get rough, innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit bring solutions that are intended not only to diminish breakage but to ease the fears of cottage owners and boating enthusiasts throughout the affected areas.

CedarCoast Design Team

At every step the CedarCoast Design Team will ensure that your vision guides us. They will help you through every decision during the design phase, and later on, whenever possible, they will keep you up to date on every development of your project.

Remember, we design boathouses and boat ports families love. We plan them that way!

CedarCoast meets with families to discover what will fit their needs now, five years from now and into the future. We call this ‘multigenerational design’ and yes, it comes with multiple views of your family's future on the lake of your choosing.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Cottage Design 2021 - Saturday Session

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 17:38:51 GMT

Bert and Patrick Bongers answer questions in Video Three, recorded live at the Cottage Life Virtual Spring Show 2021

What's important when designing a multi-generational cottage?

We've got a fun question, "The place is packed. It's been raining for three days. Tell us what everyone's been doing."

Video Three - Saturday Session Discussion Points:

The role of the Design Process and your budget.
Find a good fit for a General Contractor on Manitouwabing Lake ?
What’s important when building a multi-generational family cottage? Accessibility. Space and size considerations. SMARTPLAN. Up front property plan.
Try this fun question, ‘what’s everyone doing when it been raining for days at the cottage’?
Upfront site planning for the entire cottage, pre-construction costs. Old cottage demolition. New services? Get upfront estimate prior to lot choices.
Pre-construction costs. Survey costs. Driveways. Water source. Water access projects. When to get the estimate, before lot purchase? Planning to add a Bunkie?
Blasting bedrock , sloping crawlspace, basement & walkout considerations. Water issues when building on rock.
Finding a qualified General Contractor near Parry Sound ? Role, availability and type of project. See question 2.
Septic location and design up front in the sequence of design planning.
Does solar pay for itself ? Other benefits. Energy Star rating. Energy efficiency. Batteries.
Algonquin Park designer or structural engineer search …from Huntsville?
Kawartha Lakes projects . Component supply.
Gatineau water management concerns . Peat moss and Canadian Shield moisture concerns. Helical piles.
Pandemic pricing in lumber, skilled trades . ICF vs. wood structure as alternatives. Lead times.
Most important questions prior to signing with a builder . Too trusting? References. Tarion New Home Warranty. Contracts. Details in materials lists, building plans. The value of an online portal. Asking the owner to put permits in their name is a red flag!
One Stop Shop. CedarCoast’s full interior and exterior design and build .
Costs per square foot depends on the specs.
Heat source options depends on use. 4 season vs. summer usage. Ground and water sources. What’s right for you?
Foundation under previously built cottage? Does your existing cottage have ‘good bones? ’
Bancroft design and finished build recommendation?
Do you recommend geothermal heating and cooling ? When does this make sense?

Have questions not answered here?

Please see Video Two, the Friday Session during which Bert and Pat discuss another set of questions posed by those attending the Cottage Life Virtual Spring Show.

Don't miss Home and Cottage Design & Construction our video Q&A that examines timing, payment schedules and insurance.

Or, even better, ask Bert at 1-800-563-5647

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Cottage Design 2021 - Friday Session

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 16:53:13 GMT

Bert and Patrick Bongers answer questions in Video Two recorded live at the Cottage Life Virtual Spring Show 2021

What should the design process accomplish for you?

One of the main challenges we tackle is how to approach your family's wish list in light of your budget, and how to balance between them.

Friday Session Discussion Points:

Radon mitigation can be an issue in certain areas.
What’s the difference between building a traditional cottage versus a more modern style ? Quick answer: more glass! Bringing the outside in and the effects of window size on heating, cooling technologies and costs are discussed.
Do you do second floor projects? Specialty companies may play a role.
ICF – Insulated Concrete Forms benefits and other considerations, cost, finishing and sound
Kitchen additions with propane stoves in cottages. Consider the whole system.
Having builder input when finding and purchasing land . Site servicing costs. Someone who has built before can help you weigh one property purchase against another.
Lead times in building ‘sustainable’ homes versus a more standard build. Some materials may take longer to source.
What’s the cost advantages in building additions, renovations or knocking down an older cottage? Pricing your ideal cottage versus an add-on . What’s ‘good bones’?
In-floor radiant heat and ventilation considerations are discussed. ICF and finishing costs, sound mitigation. System configurations and other fireplace and fan ventilation issues.
Pros and cons of building an A-frame cottage .
Postech brand screw piles for foundation support. Sand, clay and rock considerations.
Wood prices and availability in COVID times. Advantages of pre-purchasing supplies.

Have questions not answered here?

Please see Video Three, the Saturday Session during which Bert and Pat discuss another set of questions posed by those attending the Cottage Life Virtual Spring Show.

Don't miss Home and Cottage Design & Construction our video Q&A that examines timing, payment schedules and insurance.

Or, even better, ask Bert at 1-800-563-5647

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

This Multi-Generational Family Loves Their Lakefront Cottage!

Sat, 05 Dec 2020 20:46:57 GMT

Our meeting you at that Cottage Life Show many years ago was the perfect beginning to our building the timber frame on Desert Lake.

We still love the house today as much as we did the first day we moved into it in June of 2010.

A previous customer writes about his family and his beloved cottage...

"Hi Bert, Nice to hear from you,

You probably noticed that I visited the Cottage Life Show. I wanted to see what the virtual event looked like. It certainly isn’t ideal compared to an in person visit but it looks like everyone is trying to make the best of the current COVID restrictions. I’m sure a lot of work went into the planning of the virtual event.

I looked at your site and hope that business is going well for you and your brother. We are all doing fine and this would have been our 11th season since we moved into the Desert Lake house. Unfortunately due to the pandemic and travel restrictions we were not able to use the cottage. The last time anyone was there was in January so an entire year lost due to the pandemic.

We kept hoping that the governments monthly review this year would finally give way to an opening of the border but no such luck. I had hoped that perhaps there would have been some sort of exemption for property owners but up to now that hasn’t happened. We were prepared to quarantine for the entire summer there if necessary.

I tried to figure out how we could somehow make a visit under the guise of ‘essential business’ but no luck. Anyway we are hopeful that as soon as the boarder is opened back up we can get there and enjoy it even more. Certainly not being able to go has made us want to be there all the more.

We continue to love the cottage/house and over the past 10 years have spent as much time as possible there.

I am now retired and my wife Mary Lou and I are able to spend the most time there through out the year enjoying all four seasons. John and his family have also been able to spend a lot of time there. Our families work together well and the partnership has worked perfectly since the start. Between our kids and grandchildren it is such a special place.

And true to the many Cottage Life stories of others the multi-generations of our family have enjoyed it more than one can imagine. Our meeting you at that Cottage Life Show many years ago was the perfect beginning to our building the timber frame on Desert Lake.

We still love the house today as much as we did the first day we moved into it in June of 2010. Thanks to you and your brother and everyone at Cedar Coast we are so very lucky to have worked with you to see our plans come together in such a wonderful way.

All the best to you and your brother and thanks for checking in.

- Duane

Meet the CedarCoast Design Team

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Whether Boathouse, Boat Port, Vacation Home or Cottage…

Thu, 21 May 2020 20:33:08 GMT

Our aim is to thrill even the most discerning enthusiasts of classic wood craftsmanship.

Boating on the lakes brings families and friends together. Whether you’re in the mood for a quick tour or a leisurely afternoon with guests on the deck, CedarCoast anticipates every opportunity.

Planning to build a boathouse starts whenever the thought occurs to you.

All of a sudden summer is upon us on the lakes. The building of your boathouse however, can begin with ice still present. We work around the frozen stuff in preparation for the main event in the spring.

We have vast experience building in the Muskoka area!

CedarCoast Design Team

Remember, we design boathouses and boat ports families love. We plan them that way!

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

If I were a CedarCoast custom cottage kitchen...

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 22:13:32 GMT

...what kind of kitchen would I be?

First thing in the morning when the smell of coffee mixes with fresh lake air, you wander to the kitchen to be greeted by family, best friends ...and warm woods. Another perfect day has arrived!

CedarCoast kitchens can be anything your hungry heart imagines.

When your family gets together, do they linger in the kitchen? Frequently, the kitchen becomes the centrepiece of cottage living. Away from the hustle and hurry of city schedules, the cottage kitchen allows recipes, menus and conversations to expand in a relaxed, leisurely fashion.

Of course we plan homes around intriguing views, and people naturally congregate at the dining room table or at the fireplace, but when we ask families how they gather, how they intend to entertain, the kitchen emerges as the comforting place for everyone to mingle. The aromas lead them there to help, to chat and to kitchen-party together.

A variety of tantalizing options

In many situations the design of the kitchen is wide open for discussion . .. at the very least! In typical CedarCoast fashion all options are 'on the table', pun intended. In fact, we coordinated all phases of the work with designer Lindsay Shultz Kitchens in Midland for the spectatular results pictured on the right.

The experts at CedarCoast can work with you directly or with a kitchen designer of your choice. We will help you envision the perfect home optimized with the perfect kitchen for you and your family… and then discuss the perfect way to design and build it. It’s that simple.

CedarCoast Design Team

At every step the CedarCoast Design Team will ensure that your vision guides us. They will help you through every decision during the d esign phase, and later on, whenever possible, they will walk you through ongoing development in the home itself.

To see one couple’s experience visiting their highly anticipated cottage, and tweaking the design during the construction phase, read our blog post ‘A Perfect Fit on Lake Muskoka’ .

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

An incredible dream just became real for this Canadian Family

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 22:33:45 GMT

A brand new year... a whole new world!

A Whole New World

Here’s a first look at a terrific new lakefront cottage designed for a family who envisioned building their fun and their future together.

They called upon Bert and Patrick Bongers, partners of CedarCoast Timber Homes, to help bring their ideas from inspiration to reality.

As unconventional as you are.

Cedar Coast invites families to picture their perfect day in the cottage of their dreams.

Then we work together to make those dreams come true.

We bring unparalleled expertise and over 25 years of knowledge helping customers design and build in Muskoka and beyond.

Greater than the sum of its parts.

Getting the feeling right amidst a flurry of details and options is a fundamental goal of CedarCoast design. To help the family visualize along the way, 3 dimensional drawings and visits to the construction site, when feasible, assist the new home owners to assess the fit, flow and volume of each space.

Follow one couple's journey in our blog post, A Perfect Fit on Lake Muskoka in which they tour their lakefront cottage during the construction phase - for a view no floorplan can give them!

START NOW! Download our SMART PLAN !

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Family Plans or Floorplans?

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 16:36:44 GMT

Cottage Planning Your Way.

Patrick Bongers shares how custom cottage design springs naturally from the activities of the family.

Looking for a custom cottage builder?

Ask Patrick and Bert Bongers about planning your family cottage. You’ll notice a difference right away. Other builders will start this conversation by showing floorplans. ‘Will this one fit?’ they ask.’

They will have you counting bedrooms and measuring closets in no time!

When planning with families, CedarCoast takes a personal, much more practical approach. It's simple... Plan the home around the family.

Your family is unique!

Patrick will begin this conversation by asking how you and your family actually expects to live in your new home or cottage environment.

Are you boating enthusiasts? How do you entertain? Do you like to cook? Will guests naturally gather around the kitchen… or the fireplace? What’s everyone doing when it rains?

What are family holidays like, when everyone is present? Will your cottage welcome aged grandparents, perhaps with walkers, and toddlers in strollers too?

Break out of the floorplan box!

Patrick will begin to picture areas of activities, hobbies and interests. Circles of entertainment, meal preparation, relaxation, and just plain fun can all be sketched out in this early stage of family planning.

Your family will begin to see how your various lifestyles can be enhanced and supported in the home. Noise, napping and neighbours enter into these calculations too!

Your cottage, your way.

As one activity flows into another, so does a family begin to organize their thoughts and envision how their activities and interests will actually play out at the cottage.

Patrick begins by drawing circles of family habits and hobbies to help visualize the flow of the plan and to anticipate the expected volume of each space.

Circles - rather than squares and rectangles?

Patrick appreciates the difference between proposing standard floorplans and starting instead with how each family expects to use the cottage. By drawing rooms and rectangles one is quickly drawn into pesky details of placement of stairways, closets and bathrooms, neglecting the overall sequence of activities.

Getting the flow of living right begins with an educated understanding of how your family has fun, how you really live and how you relax …as you experience the simple joys planned right into the heart of your new CedarCoast home.

The CedarCoast mantra:

‘Families love our homes.

We plan them that way!’

Greater than the sum of its parts.

Getting the feeling right amidst a flurry of details and options is a fundamental goal of CedarCoast design. To help the family visualize along the way, 3 dimensional drawings and visits to the construction site, when feasible, assist the new home owners to assess the fit, flow and volume of each space.

Follow one couple's journey in our blog post, A Perfect Fit on Lake Muskoka in which they tour their lakefront cottage during the construction phase - for a view no floorplan can give them!

START NOW! Download our SMART PLAN !

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Families love our unique custom cottage building experience!

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 21:34:58 GMT

Meet the Muskoka cottage builders who listen first.

At a recent log construction event, Patrick Bongers shares insights with a skilled craftsman and a potential customer.

Friendly experts

When you and your family first meet Bert and Patrick Bongers, brothers and Partners of CedarCoast, you will quickly notice a difference. These are approachable, respectful, considerate people. Fashioning their company in their own image has naturally placed pleasing customers at the epicentre of everything we do.

You will quickly realize it’s not about retrofitting your family into pre-existing floorplans and pre-scaled drawings. At CedarCoast, we don't think you can fully appreciate the proportions of the home from plans nor can you anticipate how the home will mirror and expand upon the way your family aspires to live.

Family planning

Looking over stock diagrams , family members invariably ask, 'Where's my room? ' or ‘Where do I fit in?’

The experts at CedarCoast have a better way. They will help you envision the perfect home for your family… and then discuss the perfect way to design and build it. It’s that simple.

To get at to the heart of what matters to you, they might ask questions, like ‘ What’s everybody doing when it rains at the cottage? How do you celebrate? Relax? Entertain? Will this become your retirement home?' Answers to these questions can lead to innovative, perhaps unconventional design ideas like the children's reading nook currently being featured on our home page.

Why choose CedarCoast?

They will ask relevant questions, such as ‘What's your property like? How can we best utilize its features?’ Or, 'How can we help with your planning?' Later, upon visiting a prospective property, Bert might ask, ’ Which is your favourite view?’

When considering a custom home builder, think about the all-important relationship that is so pivotal to your overall building experience. CedarCoast is proud of the friends they have made and helped over time. They will introduce completely finished homes and their 'over the top' happy homeowners, when appropriate, all around the lakes.

CedarCoast Design Team

At every step the CedarCoast Design Team will ensure that you are completely on board with what's being proposed and will review any construction alternatives, as the real planning of your home commences. They will help you through every decision during the d esign phase, and later on, whenever possible, they will walk you through ongoing development in the home itself. To see one couple’s experience visiting their anticipated cottage, read our blog post ‘A Perfect Fit on Lake Muskoka’ .

How do we measure success?

CedarCoast measures success by the happiness we are able to build for our customers. Our homes are tributes to the spirit of each and every family that places their trust in us. That's why our homes and cottages are so diverse!

CedarCoast designs and builds homes as expressions of family living that could be cozy and traditional - or quite thoroughly modern - and literally every variation in between! Please see our post describing one couple's favourite view and their inspirational home - designed to showcase nature's wonder - that blends classic and contemporary design influences seamlessly.

The CedarCoast mantra:

‘Families love our homes.

We plan them that way!’

25+ years of building excellence!

Brothers Bert and Patrick Bongers will share over 25 years of building experience in the Muskoka region and around the world. They are proud to approach each project with their signature ‘multigenerational design’, in which easy accessibility is a guiding principle. Read our 'Look Mom No Steps' blog post.

Construction takes advantage of the very latest ‘green’ building techniques. For more on this aspect of CedarCoast’s depth of expertise, please refer to Green Building + Architecture magazine's feature article entitled,

‘CedarCoast is ‘all inclusive’.

START NOW! Download our SMART PLAN !

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

This Family Absolutely Loves Their Custom Lakefront Home!

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 23:19:34 GMT

One family comes together in this non-traditional beauty.

A modern, cut stone fireplace meets traditional timber frame style in this Great Room designed by Bert Bongers.

A balanced approach

A savvy couple, experienced in the renovation and construction business, took their hopes, dreams and design preferences to Bert Bongers of CedarCoast.

This scenic home is the happy result of the collaboration between the husband, who likes a traditional cottage look, and his wife who prefers a more modern approach.

Their two frames of reference meld seamlessly in this wide-open concept beauty, with the design inspiration of CedarCoast of course!

Say hello to your favourite view

The couple planned to move their principal residence from King City to their lakeside property. Upon seeing the existing cottage already there Bert asked, “Where is your favourite view?” Envisioning the placement of the new home led to a realignment of the construction, enabling the magnificent, custom windows in the Great Room to showcase as much of the natural panorama as possible.

These oversized windows and the 6’ sliding doors in the Dining Room are triple pane, permitting the large interior space to remain warm throughout the winter months, yet stay cool in the summer.

Placing the home 'just so' on a sloping rocky shore

Two aspects of the new design must be acknowledged.

First, while blasting the bedrock to accommodate the walkout building, the overall lay of the land was incorporated into the plan. The outside areas slope gently down to lake and easy boathouse access. There’s 43 feet from the walkout level all the way to the top of the cupola.

A custom fit for the entire family

Second, this CedarCoast design incorporates their signature ‘multigenerational approach’. Once built, The residence must accommodate the entire family, with son and daughter’s (future) families welcomed in comfort. This means second floor suites for each, with separate bathrooms, and full access throughout the home now, and into the future. See our blog, ‘Look Ma, No Steps’ for a more detailed exploration of these visionary ideas.

This second floor bedroom is perfectly designed for an expanding family. Note the wide corner windows. Views are strategically placed to facilitate the best vantage points around the home.

A large en suite bath and convenient dressing area just off the master bedroom. This main floor oasis allows the parents quiet, rest and relaxation.

She did it her way

In true CedarCoast fashion, the design team collaborated with the lady of the house, leaving much of the interior finish and and furnishings to her sensational sense of taste and style.

Timing is everything

Late in the build, the couple’s primary residence was sold. As a result, they moved into their boat for the duration of the construction. SIP’s (Structural Insulated Panels) enabled the crew to close the building 10 days sooner than conventional roof trusses. In short order they were able to take ownership as the family celebrated Christmas in their new home.

Second level seating presents an unbroken vista, with furniture truly reflecting the diverse tastes of the owners. The openness of the plan is the perfect setting for the expansive scenery... under a timber ceiling that’s ‘all drama’.

CedarCoast families, like this one, love their homes - just as they love the experience designing them.

We plan it that way!

Muskoka Boathouse

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 01:47:34 GMT

The Quality of Design Decisions make this a Superior Addition. Family friendly CedarCoast designed and built this waterfront cottage in 2007.

Today the family, thrilled with their existing custom home, is thinking ‘Muskoka Boathouse’.

Now the exterior shows a lovely patina. How will the addition of a boathouse change their beach landscape? How can we minimize the negative effect on neighbour’s views? How will CedarCoast match the existing design?

Details like the custom metalwork and striking, bell-curved cupola enhance the simple elegance of the design. The recognizable wood arches of the cottage behind are matched to great advantage in the elevations of the smaller boathouse. The structure was designed with two large beams to support the lifting of the boat out of water for storage.

The quality of these design decisions , with the details in conversation submitted back and forth to families, make CedarCoast Timber Homes the builder of choice for many Muskoka cottagers. Owners thoughts, ideocyncracies and lifestyles, form the foundation of the design. Successive plans are submitted to the family, including many 360 degree computer drawings so each elevation, front, back and sides, can be thoroughly envisioned. No surprises.

Interested? Get familiar with this innovative way of family planning, in which family plans become the floorplans of your new venture. Say ‘Hello’ to CedarCoast, the truly customizable cottage builder. You can tailor the vision, planning and construction of your cottage and boathouse building to fit.

If you can imagine your perfect day or your perfect vacation… you can design your family’s new CedarCoast home.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

A Perfect Fit on Lake Muskoka

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 23:50:44 GMT

On their first visit through the framing of their new cottage, this couple can feel the ‘volume’ and actually walk their custom designed floorplan for themselves.

Why did you choose CedarCoast?

We asked the couple pictured here, visiting their construction site for the first time. Why did you choose CedarCoast? The rather self-effacing, innately honest, straight-forward style of CedarCoast’s owners sealed the deal. “Not like other builders!” , the customers say.

When you first meet brothers and partners Patrick and Bert Bongers, their thorough knowledge and gracious hospitality shines through.

The entire CedarCoast Design team are experts in more than design and materials, they approach the whole family engagement in a noticeably different way.

‘ Family Planning ’ with CedarCoast includes questions like, “Where’s your family when it rains at the cottage?” Questions designed to help build not only the perfect cottage, but the best experience designing, constructing and finishing your new custom home.

In this case, both new owners remembered growing up in Muskoka’s Lake Country and wanted to recapture that spirit in their new home. The lady wanted a layout ‘one room deep’, a horizontal configuration in which every room has an expansive, unhindered view of the lake. No hallways. Likewise, no sand…. Her dream cottage must rest on the famous Muskoka rocky landscape – to match her warm memories.

In this manner seeking the perfect fit becomes a story not only of one family and their fresh expression of relaxation and fun, but the alignment between expectant customers and CedarCoast, the customizable builder. Even the rules of engagement are specifically built for you.

Interested? Get familiar with this innovative way of family planning, in which family plans become the floorplans of your new home. Say ‘Hello!’ to CedarCoast, the truly customizable cottage builder. You can tailor the vision, planning and construction of your cottage to fit, perfectly!

Visiting their custom cottage, customers actually feel the ‘volume’ experiencing the results of their planning for the first time.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

The Muskoka Soul Story

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 22:00:58 GMT

Lakehouse Retreat Becomes Income Earner.

For Sandra Crossman and Bruce Parlette, building their perfect cottage in Muskoka may have only been a dream had it not been for their vision of having the design work for the rental market as well.

Their strong background in marketing and a keen eye for detail has made this venture a great success.

The cottage is aptly named Muskoka Soul because of the feeling you get when you experience the beauty and tranquility of the place. It was the CedarCoast team that created the initial layout and design but then Sandra and Bruce worked with an interior decorator to give each room, as well as the cottage as a whole, a true flavor that makes it the extraordinary private rental retreat that it is today.

Design

To design this cottage and make it look and feel like a family cottage while at the same time being able to accommodate rentals and corporate retreats took a bit of planning. It all started with a glass of wine on the deck of the old cottage. Looking out at the vista of Lake Muskoka.

Through a collaboration of the client’s efforts and the CedarCoast team, the project was pulled together very quickly.

Challenges

There were two main challenges with this project. Sandra and Bruce wanted a 5-bedroom luxury cottage with a library loft, a large media room, a screened porch and all the other typical spaces.

Given the width of the loft at the building location and the required setbacks from each side, this presented a challenge. This is why a 2-storey design was chosen and certain architectural features still allowed the building to sit low to the property and blend in. The other issue was with the proximity to one of the neighbouring cottages.

Again, the design was carefully crafted using angled walls and window placement to direct the visitors focus away from that side of the property and out to the open lake.

Welcome to Muskoka Soul

Muskoka Soul is a two-story, five-bedroom 3 bath, luxury cottage built with CedarCoast’s signature timber frame structure supporting the expansive roof. With soaring architecture, breathtaking views and the conveniences and amenities of modern construction, Muskoka Soul provides all the luxuries of a boutique hotel.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Wolf Lake Story

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 21:36:25 GMT

“Choosing CedarCoast was an excellent choice…complete turn-key operation, quality work and always there for us years after completion for upkeep and service”. – Gus G.

The idea of being off-grid and environmentally self-sustaining appealed to Gus & Sam when we explored ideas for a cottage on their recently acquired acreage abutting a small lake near Parry Sound. The solar array installed on a metal rack away from their cottage is barely noticeable yet provides all the power required to run their log cottage complete with all modern systems and conveniences.

The cottage is enjoyed year-round. Winter months allow for a hockey rink on the lake so that Gus can host his buddies for a game of pick-up, along with snowshoeing and sliding down the hill. Canoeing and paddle-boating in summer allows for taking in nature around the lake as well as hiking the trails on the property.

Sam is very in tune with nature and as special gift to her, we had a wolf head carved that is prominently displayed on the deck facing the moon rise.

Design

Gus & Sam did not want a large cottage but they wanted it spacious enough to accommodate family and friends. The CedarCoast team came up with a design that had the master bedroom and a bedroom for their daughter on the main floor, with guest accommodation in the lower level walk-out basement. This kept the footprint fairly small but allowed room for everyone.

Challenges

Some of the challenges on this site included constructing and finishing the entire cottage without electricity during this winter build.

The other one was keeping the almost 1 kilometer driveway looking like a quaint trail during the movement of heavy equipment and materials.

Features

The hand-scribed log walls have character and are each unique and very artistic
An off-grid system consisting of an 18 panel solar array averaging 14 Kw per day
A rooftop solar water collector for domestic hot water heating
In-floor radiant heat on both floors powered by a propane gas boiler

Separate solar panels power each security gate
Custom kitchen cabinets with different colours made to look like individual antique cupboards
Impressive audio / visual system as well as security and live cameras throughout the house and property
Front door with carved wolves sheltered by an artistically crafted log entry porch
Yoga studio located in the space above the garage

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

The Colenbrander Story

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 21:19:50 GMT

Originally, the Client contacted an outside design firm.

Client tendered the design to 5 Construction Management companies. While CedarCoast’s bid was one of the two highest, CedarCoast was selected because it fixed the majority of construction costs and provided the most detailed materials and quality specifications.

This home features a contemporary interior design with a large proportion of glass paired with wood accents/trims. The main floor walls and ceilings were finished with painted, v-joint material as can be found in updated, Olde Muskoka cottages common to the area.

One of the challenges was the very narrow and steep building site which required a great deal of advanced construction planning. Working around the mature trees on site took great care as well. The garage, located on the third level of this vacation home, required additional structural engineering.

Stats

Located on Sparrow Lake, ON
One and a half story cottage on a full walkout foundation
Total of the finished living area on the three levels: approximately 6,000 sq ft
Started Sept. 2013, clients moved in July, 2014.

Features

Ground Level: recreation room with fireplace, bedroom, office, bathroom, utility room, shop/storage room.
Main Floor: foyer, powder room, great room (kitchen/dining/living room with fireplace), master bedroom with ensuite bath & walk-in closet, den, laundry room.
Second Floor: entry from attached garage, two bedrooms each with a bathroom, kitchenette, crafts room, additional sitting room.
Large deck off main floor with glass railing and Red Balu decking

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

The Walkers Point Story

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 20:53:07 GMT

Long-Time Muskoka Cottagers Build 6-Bedroom Dream Cottage.

After 20 years of raising their three children in the old seasonal cottage, our clients wanted to be meticulous about the planning of their cottage property development. We looked at many possibilities of how to best utilize, yet preserve, their beautiful waterfront overlooking Lake Muskoka.

They are the kind of client who wants to explore all conceivable ideas and then see what our team thought of them. It was really quite fun exploring all those options and possibilities. In the end, they settled on a one level cottage with a walk-out basement so that it better fit in with the land. A big question was whether to finish the basement area and in the end, the thought of having plenty of space for their three children as well as guests and future grandchildren, won out. We wish them many years of great family gatherings and to the future generations yet to come.

Our Process

We started with the detached garage. Collecting is a passion, including a nice 1968 Jag, and space was needed to have an organized tool bench. So the garage was created to fit among the trees adjacent to the existing auxiliary driveway so that it is tucked away but still accessible. Attic storage provided for collectibles and a spot to store items from the old cottage while the new one was being built.

We started with the detached garage. Collecting is a passion,

This couple loved the planning process and we spent many Friday afternoons exploring all possible design options. After razing the old cottage and salvaging precious keepsakes such as their favourite old wallboard, we blasted some of the bedrock to allow the cottage to nestle into the property. The foundation was completed in mid-November and the family moved in the next July.

Next year the plan is to build the Bunkie and boat port!

Features

The few trees that did have to be removed for the new cottage were milled on site and were used to craft a new dining table as well as the kitchen island top and wall finishes in the entertainment room.

The cottage features 6 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths, a Muskoka Room, an entertainment room and a private office, among other spaces. Including the Muskoka Room, the total finished space is 4,000 square feet.

They wanted the Muskoka Room to be a unique room with a different feel from the rest of the cottage. It was designed with rough-sawn pine timbers and wall finishes. It was also decorated with a casual, moose-centric motif! A beautiful cedar-strip kayak hangs from the peak to add to the outdoor theme.

The space under the Muskoka Room was closed-in for storage. It is complete with large windows and a roll-up cedar door custom-sized to allow for the Hobie Cat sailboat to be easily wheeled in.

The interior decorating was done beautifully and can mostly be attributed to the lady of the family along with some help from Breanna at CedarCoast and the talented people at Pioneer Handcraft in Severn Bridge.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Your Muskoka Cottage - Fall Colours

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 00:41:26 GMT

AFTER A BLISTERING SUMMER the glory of fall colours shines through.

This is the comfort and relaxation your family imagines and deserves.

Now when others have gone back to the city, your Muskoka cottage and your family’s chosen lifestyle come into sharp contrast.

This is the outdoor life we choose – now set off with the blazing panorama of October in Ontario. This is the comfort and relaxation your family imagines and deserves. These are the views you enshrined by placing windows just so, all around your home.

WHO KNEW THAT INVESTING IN YOUR FAMILY could set free so much emotion?

WHEN YOU PICKED YOUR VIEW, your little piece of forest or shoreline, you called Bert Bongers to help envision your Muskoka cottage right from the start. Bert, brother and partner Patrick, together with the rest of the CedarCoast Design Team worked with your family to keep your cherished view as a central focus within your home.

EVERY TIME YOU STEP ROUGH THE DOOR you are reminded why you chose this ideal spot for this beautiful cottage with this incredible builder.

CEDARCOAST IS THE ‘CUSTOMIZABLE COTTAGE BUILDER’ whose engagements and construction opportunities are as varied as their spectacular results. Not only will you love the stylistic elements you choose, you appreciate the different ways to plan, construct and manage the contract on your terms.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

A Home for All Seasons

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 02:35:24 GMT

After a spectacular summer, September brings thoughts of going ‘home’.

Many take the hint and decamp. But our home, designed with every season in mind, carries us through. We sought out Muskoka custom home builder CedarCoast to design a home for all seasons. We’re thinking September might be something special this year!

While sunny days may still bring the simmering heat it takes to swim September nights tend to chill. Campfires give way to cozy fireplaces, barbeques to perfectly modern kitchens and parties on decks come inside to view sunsets through picture windows specifically designed to appreciate our piece of sky.

Our family designed this home not just for every season, but for every year. For toddlers and our grand old folks, both strollers and walkers, visitors of every kind, in the best of shape, or not. Our home takes care of the kid’s wet swimming gear just as easily as it will care for Dad’s snowy boots.

Ever try to get into the house with kids, a stroller, grocery bags, backpacks… and the family dog in tow? We thought about making entry easy when we designed our wide doorways and smooth hallways, with the gracious, knowledgeable help from the CedarCoast Design Team, naturally.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Custom Homes in Muskoka | Our Hard Rock Life

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 01:23:06 GMT

THIS IS ONTARIO WHERE SUMMERS ARE SHORT and this year HOT!

We savour every minute out here in nature’s garden. Sailing through inlets and bays, the rocky Canadian Shield ,all around us cedars clinging to the shores… we see the Maple Leaf flying everywhere.

ARE WE LUCKY? NO DOUBT. With days on end in the 30’s, this year reminds us of summers gone by, perhaps on family vacations, that seemingly stretched on forever.

WE DON’T LIKE TO THINK OF SEPTEMBER COMING SO CLOSE …but we’ll be there soon enough. Before Ontario’s chilly seasons hold us tightly we must celebrate what we have, what our families share and how liberating it feels to summer where gods kiss the earth.

WE DESIGN AND BUILD SPECTACULAR TIMBER COTTAGES AND CUSTOM HOMES IN MUSKOKA to suite every family’s taste and situation. Then we unleash our happy customers of every age to boat and swim, have supper on the rocks, or go on family adventures through a summer like this one. It’s what we do.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Boathouse Design in Lake Country

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 02:16:37 GMT

CedarCoast invites you to a 360 ° view of your new boathouse.

We do more than plan for your family’s future, we help you envision it all ‘round, enabling views from every angle, so you can anticipate every little touch – down to the last detail.

This means you can literally see your new boathouse design as it comes closer to reality, helping you and your family to make every little decision clearly and with informed intent.

Hidden from these views perhaps is access to all the exciting boating and sailing opportunites our beautiful Ontario shores afford.

Our aim is to thrill even the most discerning enthusiasts of classic wood craftsmanship.

CedarCoast meets with families to discover what will fit their needs now, five years from now and into the future.

We call this ‘multigenerational design’ and yes, it comes with multiple views of your family’s future on the lake of your choosing.

Let’s start with downloading the SMARTPLAN . Or get personal, call 1-800-563-5647 or email Bert Bongers today!

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Wish every day was a sunny day, at the family cottage?

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 02:32:29 GMT

On a spectacular day in June, every family cottage is perfect. Every day is a celebration.

Sunny days are wonderful here in summer, on the lakes, under the blue skies of Canada. Isn’t this what having a family cottage is all about?

On a rainy day however, families have to make their own kind of fun. Rainy day fun.

So let’s do a little family planning, CedarCoast style.

Every CedarCoast cottage is designed precisely for rainy, snowy and yes, even for the sunniest of days. That’s because we build our plans around your plans, and we design our homes around your family.

Bert and Patrick Bongers, brothers and partners in CedarCoast, ask in the beginning “What’s your family’s version of fun, relaxation and adventure?” Is there a budding chef, a young reader, or a tub-in-the-timbers soaker?

We build smart, forward- thinking family homes. Energy efficient, green built and free spirited homes. We design homes to fit every family member, from toddlers right on up.

So when it rains in July or snows suddenly in October everyone continues to feel right, at home. Let’s start with downloading the SMARTPLAN .

If you share this vision and would like to explore your own family friendly version, expressed in natural woods of course, call 1-800-563-5647 or email Bert Bongers today.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Green Building + Architecture: CedarCoast is ‘all inclusive’

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 03:50:38 GMT

“CedarCoast homes can provide full accessibility and welcome everyone” says Green Building + Architecture magazine.

The Winter issue of Green Building + Architecture Magazine , Ontario’s only magazine for sustainable building and architecture, recognizes the ‘all-inclusive’ design spirit at CedarCoast.

This says that homes manufactured by CedarCoast are built with environmentally sustainable technologies and are welcoming to people of every generation too.

When families first meet the CedarCoast Design Team, their message is clear. It’s the wish of every family to live in their new home or cottage forever. That means sustainable building. At CedarCoast, ‘forever’ is much more than a dreamy concept. It means the home design we begin today must meet your family’s needs tomorrow.

Kids grow up to bring home children of their own. Parents predictably transform into grandparents. Children march into their teenage years with newly acquired takes on ‘fun’. Considering your family’s future home requirements is what CedarCoast calls their ‘multi-generational approach’ .

Perhaps your family will celebrate around a dining room table that wouldn’t be complete without assorted high chairs and wheelchairs. ‘That’s life’, as the song goes. Be prepared.

Let’s consider generous floorplans that feature wide hallways – so people can walk supporting arm in arm or enter easily with a stroller in tow. Let’s plan ahead to remove steps so we can achieve smooth access from the very front of the property right through to the backyard patio. Let’s plan to be ‘ramp-free’ so our house says ‘welcome’ without shouting out its ‘accessibility’. Let’s design kitchens, closets and bathrooms so they can be used to their fullest potential by everyone – all the time. This is what sustainable building is all about!

‘Forever’ also dictates technical features and design innovations that are uncommon today, but will become tomorrow’s standard. Features that keep the airflow clean and fresh, yet allow the home to ‘breathe’. Higher insulation levels in ceilings and walls that protect those inside from our Canadian environment’s worst: storms, heat, sun, wind and water. Exceeding today’s environmental standards keeps nature outside but invites nature’s spectacular displays inside. This is the design spirit that makes CedarCoast Timber Homes unique among custom home builders.

“We’re talking about a very energy efficient home,” says partner Pat Bongers. “There are R30 walls, a R60 roof, a 98% efficient furnace – all Energy Star designed and independently tested. There’s an air tightness rating of less than 1.5, which is far better than Energy Star standard.”

Interested in CedarCoast’s all-inclusive approach to building your timber home of tomorrow? Let’s start by downloading the SMARTPLAN . Or call toll-free 1-800-563-5647 and ask for Bert Bongers today!

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

The Customizable Cottage Builder

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 03:00:24 GMT

Bert and Pat Bongers will tailor your contract to suit your family’s hopes, dreams… and budget!

At CedarCoast, ‘fit’ is a two way street. When your family first meets custom cottage builder CedarCoast one thing becomes perfectly clear. Most people want to live in their new home forever. This means we will design a cottage that fits your family now and far into the future.

Partners and brothers, Bert and Patrick Bongers take the concept of ‘fit’ to heart. They will tailor their services to fit the engagement that suits you best.

We are a full service design and home builder.

When you consider custom cottage builder CedarCoast, please review these three options:

DESIGN and MATERIALS: Family Planning is a distinguishing feature of CedarCoast Design. It’s part of our DNA! When the design phase is completed, CedarCoast will help you choose a company to construct your new home or cottage. We will then provide the highest quality materials in coordination with the building project.
DESIGN, MATERIALS and SHELL: CedarCoast will design, source the materials and build the exterior or ‘shell’ of your home. This allows you the freedom to finish the interior as you choose.
COMPLETE TURN-KEY SERVICES: Greater than the sum of its parts, CedarCoast’s synergy in design, materials selection, construction and management expertise benefits the entire project.

Start planning today! How to approach the design of your new cottage?

Gather your thoughts and dreams together, and click on the ‘ SMARTPLAN ’ from CedarCoast. Or just call Bert Bongers at 800-563-5647 for a little chat.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Looking for that absolutely perfect home design?

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 03:20:37 GMT

Start with your family, then consider home design.

Ask yourselves, “What makes a perfect day for us?”

Are we entertainers? Adventurers? What about water sports?

What little personal touches mean ‘home’ to us?

Where do we go for a little quiet time?

CedarCoast asks, ‘What happens if it rains on your perfect day?’ Rain, acts of nature and other unintended facts of life should be part of every cottage planning process. What your family does when it rains is an indicator of the functionality, or fit, of your prospective home design.

We are a full service design and home builder.

If fun, relaxation and togetherness is what you’re after, consider what family gatherings might look like in ten years… or twenty!

Your children could be grown up and living independently. Perhaps they’ll have kids of their own. Wow. Tough to figure…? Will your cottage be newborn and toddler friendly? Ask yourselves if just getting through the front door with strollers, groceries, the family pet and perhaps a senior parent or two will become an ‘issue’.

How you plan for these and other eventualities can determine how often the cottage is visited.

The new home should be able to welcome, and continue to accommodate, everyone in your extended family.

Will the home displ the stories and character of the family? Sometimes just visiting becomes a shared experience of cherished memories and values passing from one generation to another. Some shared dreams may hinge on recreating a perfect beach day from years past.

Maybe the cozy cottage today is destined to emerge as your ideal retirement home tomorrow.

Many of meandering goals can be smoothly blended into that perfect home design by embracing CedarCoast’s all-inclusive design approach. We know the effects of current decisions may compromise planning that’s already in place.

What happens when a larger fridge moves in… and inexplicably, there’s less room for the fireplace?

Our experience in dealing with unforeseen design ramifications allows us to rethink plans quickly, to realize the effects of each decision in real time.

Easy conversations grow into an agile collaboration, between customers and the expert design and build teams at CedarCoast.

Please note these dreams and ideas do not spring naturally from generic, predated floor plans! Now, most people love the experience of looking at house plans. See them as potential blueprints of your family’s favourite activities! It’s important to note how the flow of rooms and views contributes to your family’s perfect day. Is it difficult to imagine fun and relaxation as your eyes glaze over boxes, room dimensions and diagrams?

At CedarCoast, we start with family.

We listen to all your hopes, dreams and activities. Together we plan the ideal home to bring those dreams to life.

When the design experts at CedarCoast first meet new customers, one message stands out loud and clear. Everyone wants to live in their new home forever.

It starts with the simple act of getting everyone in the door.

So, the fewer the stairs the better. Doors are wide, hallways too. You might want to walk two by two, arm in arm someday. Then again, you might just achieve real peace in spaces specifically designed for relaxation, areas tucked away to encourage quiet reading and reflection. You might want to see your favourite view on full display – through unobstructed windows -every time you open the front door.

You might enjoy that ‘Just say Ahhh…’ moment when you realize once again why you planned it all this way in the first place. Any number of considerations may arise and be addressed – if we stop at the beginning to ask for help from an experienced, creative partner. Enter CedarCoast.

Gather your thoughts and dreams together, and click on the ‘ SMARTPLAN ’ from CedarCoast. Or just call Bert Bongers at 800-563-5647 for a little chat.

Are you planning a new home or cottage?

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 04:00:00 GMT

When people consider a new home or cottage, the conversation quickly becomes a family affair.

A whirlwind of questions inevitably comes to mind. How do we plan for everyone? How can we envision what our family members will want or need? How do we anticipate what’s coming down the road? When families first meet the CedarCoast Design Team, one thing quickly becomes crystal clear. Most families want to live in their new timber home forever. How do we plan for that?

CedarCoast doors swing wide open, welcoming all. Expanded hallways and entrances invite people to walk side by side. We envision a mother’s struggle at her front door with a toddler, the obligatory stroller, throw in a briefcase or a shopping bag… or two. Even a small step up into a utility room can hinder or even trip the unsuspecting visitor, putting the lie to ‘easy access’. Bringing in the family dog on a rainy day? You may experience wet chaos just getting into your home. Planning for daily occurrences in today’s multigenerational homes is part of our family friendly design rationale.

Multi-Generational Approach

Nowadays, the family hug can reach around four generations. The young mother’s scenario at the front door fits those at one end of the spectrum. With grandparents and even greatgrandparents, uncles and aunts eager to remain in their home or visit yours, we face remarkably similar issues. Substitute canes and walkers for strollers, and simply living in the average home can present steep challenges. CedarCoast considers it all, not to guard against the future, but as a necessary element to modern home design.

Consider real life not as a perfect picture, but as a vision that quite naturally includes accidents, illness and aging. Frank, wide-ranging discussions often lead to surprisingly helpful details: lower handles, easy-access wash rooms, where everything in the home is handy to all, all the time.

Imagine inviting close friends over for an afternoon, or a week at the cottage.

The same spirit of easy entry demands level entrances, unhindered exits and free, easy approach to the car, garage and driveway. The lack of steps is worked in smoothy, without visible ramps, without announcing ‘wheelchair’ to those passing by. This easy walk through continues right through the entire house. Outside, the back yard slopes beautifully and flat paths flow naturally. Features like these help anticipate a family’s inevitable bumps in the road.

Building the Thoroughly M odern Timber Home

Today, home design relies on an understanding and acceptance of modern family living and on techniques, equipment and environmental strategies unheard of even a few years ago. Ideas frequently start with the CedarCoast knack of turning customer families into friends through easy but well guided conversations.

Our SMARTPLAN process helps families discuss eventualities and puts the path to your future on solid footing. It is never intrusive, but we do manage to learn both of big family intentions and of the myriad of small details that go into planning of your new home.

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Call Bert at 1-800-563-5647

CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Multi-Generational | Muskoka Custom Built Homes

shane@shaneserra.com (Shane Serra) — Sat, 10 Jun 2017 01:49:32 GMT

Custom home builders CedarCoast present
The Multi-Generation Approach.

Planning a new home? It’s no easy task. People are living longer. The traditional family hug may now stretch to embrace four generations.

Picture this: Mom maneuvering baby’s stroller at the front hall; Toddlers on tricycles racing down the paths; Grandparents, even Great-grandparents moving through the kitchen on canes and walkers.

Today, CedarCoast builds homes that welcome everyone.

ARE WE LUCKY? NO DOUBT. With days on end in the 30’s, this year reminds us of summers gone by, perhaps on family vacations, that seemingly stretched on forever.

When your family first meets Bert, Pat and the rest of the CedarCoast design team, some principles become crystal clear. Most purchasers want to live in their home forever. No one wants to think of challenges, of times of ill health, of visiting friends or family members in times of stress, but ‘that’s life,’ as the song goes.

Here’s how we plan for the actualities of everyday living, not as a safeguard against the future, but as an integral part of good, accessible home design.

WIDE - We plan the views around our CedarCoast homes to be large-scale and inviting. This same spirit of easy access demands level entrances, smooth driveways and unhindered paths. There are no stairs, no ramps and no stops. The lack of steps is incorporated smoothly into the curb appeal.

This easy walk is planned right through to the rear yard, barrier free from the front to the back. Everything slopes beautifully and flows naturally. Again there are neither ridges nor steps. Features like these help mitigate the future’s inevitable bumps in the road.

OPEN - Wide-ranging discussions often lead to surprisingly helpful details: lower handles, easy-access cabinets and handy drawers. Big doors that swing wide open, so people can walk side by side through every part of the house. Accessible showers, spacious hallways, even canine-friendly mud rooms will help your family – and your dripping family dog – through every rainy day.

A frequent CedarCoast question is ‘What’s your family doing when it’s raining at the cottage?’ We may ask as well, ‘What activities do we take for granted living year around in the home?’

DESIGN - Building a thoroughly modern timber home relies on techniques, equipment and environmental strategies unheard of even a few years ago. Ideas frequently start with the CedarCoast knack of turning customer families into friends through purposeful conversations.

Our SmartPlan experience turns families from dreamers into key holders. It is never intrusive, but we do manage to learn about both big intentions and tiny details that go into making your new home right for everyone.

Our multi-generational approach brings timeless benefits for everyone. Begin to plan now. Download the CedarCoast SMARTPLAN . Or get personal, call or email Bert Bongers today!

If you are planning a new custom cottage, even in the very first stages of your thinking, we would love to speak with you.

Find out why our customers tell us, "You're not like other builders!"

Boathouses, Boat Ports too

What It Takes to Build a Family Cottage on Leech Lake’s Rugged Shoreline

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

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CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

5 Features Every Family Cottage Needs!

Here are five must-have features that make a family cottage feel like home.

1. A Gathering Space With a View

2. A Kitchen That Brings Everyone Together

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

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CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

What 'Modern' Means for Muskoka Cottages

When you picture your family cottage, what do you see?

What 'Modern' Means for Muskoka Cottages

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The Seasons Christmas Show

Tradition Meets Innovation

Your Modern, Your Way

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CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Cottage Life on the Water with this Boathouse Beauty!

A custom boathouse offers an unrivaled lifestyle, blending ultimate serenity with water sports of every kind.

Design your boathouse your way.

We have 30+ years of experience on the Muskoka Lakes.

Have a burning cottage question? Swing by the booth to ask our editorial team.

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The Seasons Christmas Show

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CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

How Would You and Your Family Design a Fully Accessible Lakeside Cottage Retreat?

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The Seasons Christmas Show

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CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Building an Accessible Cottage on Camel Lake

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The Seasons Christmas Show

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CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Cottage Construction Begins on Lake Muskoka

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The Seasons Christmas Show

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CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

The Perfect Cottage for an Extended Family in Muskoka!

A rare renewal project for CedarCoast!

So much space! So many possibilities!

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CedarCoast is a Custom Cottage Builder Serving Muskoka & Area

Why Happy Muskoka Cottagers Stay Loyal to CedarCoast

"We are honoured to have made the permanent sign!!"

The Joys of Loyalty Explained

Trust and Quality Craftsmanship

﻿ Beyond Exceptional Customer Service

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Personalized Design Experience

Community and Connection

Beyond Exceptional Customer Service

Emotional Connection and Satisfaction

A modern family cottage is a respite from busy city living. The atmosphere should be as carefree as possible!