For over a decade now, Lischkoff Build has been creating homes and cottages that dreams are made of. Founded by James Lischkoff after an impressive 35-plus year career at a successful engineering firm in Toronto, Lischkoff Build Design takes a calculated and functional approach to home and cottage construction throughout Muskoka and surrounding regions.
“We‘re one of the few builders who takes care of everything,” says Sam Hisey, James’ partner in the full service design-build firm. “If you come to us to build your cottage, we have the team to create a totally custom design with in-depth budgeting and full-scale project management. We design based on your budget to balance your wants and needs with your overall spend. We capture the entire cost of the project from the start of the planning stage to when you move in. No surprises!”
The Lischkoff team is composed of senior and junior designers, architectural technologists, experienced construction experts and client representatives to keep you informed and up to date along the way.
An elegant example of the company’s full in-house expertise and craftsmanship will be coming up for sale in July on the shores of Mary Lake. The property is more than four acres and sits on 275 ft of frontage. “It’s a large, five-bedroom bungalow-style house with a walkout basement, two-slip boathouse and a million-dollar view,” says Sam.
Senior designer Chris Lischkoff says the build incorporates a number of innovative design ideas. “I wanted to make this place a home that can function well as a full-time residence, with a bent toward feeling connected with nature, out in the country, with incredible views from everywhere.” Chris has been in the design business for more than 20 years and has a deep understanding about how to incorporate the exterior elevations and interior flow.
Chris notes that COVID-19 has changed where people work and live, and this design was created to encompass those shifts. “Even when things open up, people are still going to spend more time with family and do things locally as opposed to hopping on a plane and flying off all over the world. I wanted this house to feel sophisticated in the sense that it could be a city home build, but the design of the details is reflective of the environment that it’s in.”
A gathering place
The cottage was designed and built with family and friends in mind. “There’s space for people to come up and stay for a while,” says Chris. The cottage has a big gathering area for groups of friends or family, so the design itself works on the connections that have been lost over the last year and a half.
“I know a lot of people have fled the city. They’re accelerating their retirement plans; they’re changing their work-life balance as well as how they work and relate to their teams, and they’re figuring out how all of this works with their families.”
The home’s main floor is separated into two wings. One side is given over to public spaces, with a great room, kitchen/dining room and a Muskoka room making up the social gathering and entertainment area of the house. The other side is a more private space with a bedroom wing on two levels and a den.
“The den is situated so that you can go up there and work all day and you’re separated from the noise or the busyness of the house but you still have views,” says Chris. “If you want some quiet time, there is space away from it all. It allows for the best of both worlds.”
Even the bathroom on the lower floor is an experience and boasts an amazing view. “We’ve got a view from everywhere you want a view from.”
The kitchen isn’t just a fabulous place to gather, it’s also a cook’s dream. “If you love to cook, it’s everything you want,” says Chris. “If you don’t like to cook, your caterers will be happy.”
One with the landscape
The cottage was designed to nestle into the environment and take advantage of the natural slope in the rock, as well as the views from the lot.
“All the rooms and orientation of the house are situated so that they take advantage of the views of Mary Lake,” says Chris. “It’s a unique and captivating lot. You’ve got light all day as the sun travels from east to west and all the principal rooms look down the lake. You’ve got fantastic views of being elevated on the lot and you have a bit more of a panoramic view of the lake.”
The point of living outside the city is to feel more connected to nature and the things and people that matter to you, Chris says. “While the home’s design is sophisticated and elegant, I wanted it to play second fiddle to the magical elements of our environment.”
TEXT KARI KLASSEN
