When three generations of the Schipper family escape their urban homes to gather at Lake Rosseau in the Muskoka region of Ontario, they don’t just live near the water — they live on the water, in a boathouse.
The two-story structure, which is supported by a steel pile dock, has an indoor boat slip on the first level, along with a sauna. The top floor contains a pine-paneled living unit of about 750 square feet with three compact bedrooms and soothing views of water and forest.
The vibe is relaxed. However, realizing the structure came with plenty of stress, as the family’s dream of owning such a cottage almost sunk.
The journey to building the current boathouse began more than a decade ago. Stuart and Jayne Schipper, who live in Toronto, already owned a modest cottage of about 1,100-square-feet perched on land above Lake Rosseau when their neighbor decided to list the adjacent lot, which had a primitive boathouse at the water.
