B Y C Y N T H I A B E M E N TP H OTO G R A P H Y B Y V I R G I N I A M C D O N A L D

A cozy, lakefront guest cottage combines Swiss chalet romance, dual national heritage and a smart � oor plan to provide a year-round getaway for a young family of six.

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A cozy, lakefront guest cottage combines Swiss chalet romance, dual national heritage and a smart � oor plan to provide a year-round getaway for a young family of six.

A cozy, lakefront guest cottage combines Swiss chalet romance, dual national heritage and a smart � oor plan to provide a year-round getaway for a young family of six.

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Nbut close enough to Canada’s largest city to serve as a weekend escape for its dwell-ers—lies Muskoka, a popular vacation area containing 1,600 lakes, often referred to by lake-loving Canadians as “cottage country.” When New Yorker-turned-Toron-tonian Anne Hepfer, her German Canadian husband and their young twins set out to realize the dream of lake living for themselves, the charm and nostalgia of Muskoka beckoned them too.

“My husband was very passionate about Muskoka, and it was really important to us to raise our children in the city but to have access to the great outdoors,” Anne says. “Muskoka is close enough that we can get to it quickly, but once you’re there it’s remote.”

BUILDING A (SPACE-SAVING) BUNKIEThe property they purchased had been

in the same family for several generations and had three buildings—a main house, a guest house (often called a “Bunkie” by Ca-nadians, which means sleeping structure) and a boathouse—none of which were winterized, which was a major obstacle for the young family who wanted to use their lake home on weekends year-round. First, they tore down the existing Bunkie and built their own, which the family of four (about to be six, with another set of twins on the way) moved into while the main cottage was being built.

Completed over a winter, the Bunkie is a 650 square-foot, L-shaped, fully winterized cottage, consisting of a master bedroom, a full bath, a bunkroom, a kitchenette and a living area. Hepfer and her husband worked with their builder to carve the most space out of the modest square footage. Drawer storage was built into the

orth of Toronto—far enough to feel like a real vacation destination

INTIMATE FAMILY TIME. The dining area has served up countless cher-ished memories for Anne, her hus-band and four children, who all cozied up to its diminutive table when the kids were tiny. Here the rough wood beams that run throughout the home can be seen; they’re uplit at night with a warm glow, Anne’s special touch for extra cottage coziness.

WAY TO THE HEART. Dining with her young family in the Bunkie are some of Anne’s favorite lake-life memories. She designed the kitchenette cabinets made of reclaimed oak with seeded glass door insets. Honed Carrara marble counter-tops and a porcelain farmhouse sink with bronze faucets are some of her favorite details; they give the small space a relaxed but warm and elegant feel.

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INTIMATE FAMILY TIME. The dining area has served up countless cher-ished memories for Anne, her hus-band and four children, who all cozied up to its diminutive table when the kids were tiny. Here the rough wood beams that run throughout the home can be seen; they’re uplit at night with a warm glow, Anne’s special touch for extra cottage coziness.

IT’S EVERY CANADIAN’S DREAM TO OWN A COTTAGE—IT’S A HUGE PART OF THE CANADIAN CULTURE, AND IT’S WHERE THEIR SPECIAL FAMILY MEMORIES ARE CREATED ON THE WEEKENDS.

GRACIOUS SPACE. Symmetrical bookcases fl ank the rough-application granite fi replace in the living area. The TV is cleverly hidden behind the bead-board panel atop the fi replace mantel. A carefully mixed medley of red, white and blue prints gives a patriotic nod to both the U.S.A. and Canada, while pro-viding an understated color scheme reminiscent of Swiss décor that doesn’t compete with the lake views from the large picture window.

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master’s bed base, and two peaked ceilings were incorporated—one in the mas-ter and one in the living area—to create the illusion of more space. Smart use of vertical space, too, came into play, including a small, perfect-for-a-nap loft atop the walls separating the living area and kitchen, symmetrical bookcases � anking the � replace in the living room, and a bunk room complete with sturdy ladder for tiny climbing feet.

SWISS DETAILSWith the goal of creating a timeless, cozy feel for the interior while infusing the

spaces with personal meaning, Anne looked for design inspiration around her, at the Muskoka region itself; behind her, to both her American and her husband’s Canadian family heritages; and beyond her, to the romantic ski-chalet décor touches of Switzerland. “My husband wanted a Swiss cabin in the woods with beautiful views of the lake,” says Anne. “The idea was to create a building that looks like it’s always been there, in the old Muskoka style.”

With that goal in mind, Anne incorporated reclaimed and rough wood, a hallmark of Swiss design, as a main feature throughout. White-painted pine beadboard is on the walls, reclaimed oak forms the cabinetry in the kitchenette, and purely decorative reclaimed beams lend warm charm throughout. Also typ-

BURROW IN. The master bed-room is an artful mix of traditional Chelsea Edition prints on the quilt, headboard and window treatments, and more rustic accents like the deer-antler chandelier and soft and cuddly fur throw, all of which combine to beckon one under the covers for a long fall or winter’s nap. When she was a baby, Anne’s mother rocked her to sleep in the rocking chair by the window.

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ical of Swiss design, a large picture window renders stunning lake views on one living area wall, next to a pair of French doors that lead right out into it.

HONORING HERITAGEContributing to the traditional, cozy

warmth of the home’s décor are pieces either carefully selected or historically signi�cant to both Hepfer, who is now an American with dual-Canadian citizenship, and her husband, a Canadian born of German parents. “We very carefully collected American and Canadian farmhouse antiques, and included pieces from my parents and my German in-laws,” says Anne. A rocking chair in which Anne’s mother used to rock her to sleep when she was a baby sits sentry in the master bedroom.

LAYERING IN COZYPrinted fabrics and accents lead the way to

inviting warmth that says “come snuggle up.” The master bedroom’s quilt, shams, window treatments and upholstered headboard are traditional Chelsea Edition prints. A warm fur throw is folded on the end of the bed, and �owers adorn a hand-painted wooden chest opposite the bed, echoing those on the quilt.

Perhaps Anne’s favorite example of coziness in the Bunkie is the dining area. “It’s small, cozy and warm—so family friendly,” she says. Though now when the family weekends and vacations in Muskoka they are at the property’s main cottage, the Bunkie still plays an important role, not only housing many of the family’s early lake-life memories, but also providing the backdrop for visiting family and friends to make some of their own.

No matter who’s residing in the Bunkie, it will always represent Anne’s vision of her ultimate family lake house. “Back in the beginning, when we had really young babies, we were just all happily nestled in this little cottage in the woods.”

|OPPOSITE| BURROW IN. The master bed-room is an artful mix of traditional Chelsea Edition prints on the quilt, headboard and window treatments, and more rustic accents like the deer-antler chandelier and soft and cuddly fur throw, all of which combine to beckon one under the covers for a long fall or winter’s nap. When she was a baby, Anne’s mother rocked her to sleep in the rocking chair by the window.

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CLIMB THE WALLS. A loft between the living area and kitchenette provides the perfect perch for a late fall afternoon snooze. Beside the loft ladder, an open game cabinet stores not just games but also vintage quilts for chilly nights, stows stray items out of the way in woven baskets and anchors a small gallery wall of framed prints.

COZY UP. “It’s designed to be a nice place to cuddle up in the wintertime,” Anne says of the bunkroom. She designed the bedframe’s evergreen tree cutouts. Quilts in tiny green checks bring in a traditional fl air and reinforce the evergreen vibe in the room.

IN AN ATMOSPHERE THAT’S ALL ABOUT

KIDS, DOCK PARTIES, LAKE LIVING AND

APPRECIATING NATURE, ANNE

HEPFER EXPERTLY MIXES CLASSIC

SWISS CHALET STYLE WITH CHERISHED

FAMILY HEIRLOOMS AND ANTIQUES

FROM THE UNITED STATES AND

CANADA, FOR A TRADITIONAL LOOK

THAT’S JUST RELAXED ENOUGH FOR

CLOCKING IN ON LAKE TIME.

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