Cover Monolithic concrete walls anchor the grand double-volume living room with grounding earthy-coloured furnishings
Monolithic concrete walls anchor the grand double-volume living room with grounding earthy-coloured furnishings
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Designed by ACDO, the sprawling Ontario lakefront home responds harmoniously to the picturesque seasonal landscape
In Canada, where summers often prompt an exodus from city life to lakeside cottages and mountain lodges, the owner of a lakefront property was drawn to the concept of a holiday retreat amidst the picturesque peninsula of Eastern Ontario.
Sprawling across 10,000 sq ft, the three-storey contemporary new-build by Vandenberg & Wildeboer Architects is divided into two wings, featuring a grand double-volume living room with adjoining dining and kitchen areas, as well as five bedrooms, each with its own ensuite and changing room for guests.
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Nestled among abundant wildlife visible daily on the grounds, the holiday residence also houses a cinema, a wine cellar, and a detached boathouse that incorporates an additional outdoor kitchen and living area.
Above The lodge-inspired residence spans across three storeys through natural and layered, spaces that feel both grounding and restorative
The lodge-inspired residence spans across three storeys through natural and layered, spaces that feel both grounding and restorative
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Abe Chan and Sam Khouvongsavanh, co-founders of Toronto-based design studio ACDO, explain that the homeowner envisioned a lodge-inspired residence expressing quiet luxury through a natural, layered, and comfortable atmosphere in spaces that feel both grounding and restorative.
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“The client’s background was in engineering, and approached design with a methodical precision that is purpose-driven and efficient,” recall the co-founders, who first met the homeowner online during the pandemic.
“But beyond logic and structure, they possessed an appreciation for something more elusive: the emotional resonance of space, the way a well-considered room can evoke memory, atmosphere, and feeling.”
Drawing from Ontario’s culture of cottaging and the yearning to reconnect with nature
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Consequently, Chan and Khouvongsavanh’s team drew inspiration from the rugged elegance of nature itself, considering Ontario’s culture of cottaging and the yearning to reconnect with the natural world throughout the seasons.
“We embrace the property’s distinct lakefront setting, adopting an inside-out approach that weaves together spaces for leisure and connectivity through natural, honest and organic materials,” they reveal. “Narrative played a central role, with each room designed to evoke a specific emotion, a carefully orchestrated balance between visual beauty and human comfort.”
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Earthen dialogue
Above Canadian artist An Te Liu’s Tropos sculptures reflect the evening sun in the wood-panelled entry gallery
Canadian artist An Te Liu’s Tropos sculptures reflect the evening sun in the wood-panelled entry gallery
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With an architectural foundation anchored in concrete and glass–materials that convey precision and permanence–the interior is characterised by raw, natural materials indigenous to the region and responds harmoniously to its surroundings.
With sophistication and elegance as guiding principles rather than mere aesthetic choices, a dialogue between craftsmanship and materiality permeates the home through Ontario’s native soapstone and accents of tactile quartzites.
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Above Monolithic concrete walls anchor the grand double-volume living room with grounding earthy-coloured furnishings
Monolithic concrete walls anchor the grand double-volume living room with grounding earthy-coloured furnishings
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Meanwhile, an earthy colour palette dictated by key architectural finishes unifies the space with the natural backdrop. Rich suedes in furnishings introduce vibrancy into each area, telling individual stories that foster diverse experiences as one moves through the property.
Custom rugs with intriguing layout patterns and textures by Creative Matters and The Rug Company embody the region’s different seasons while offering tactile quality to the surfaces.
Above Monster Flower by Polish artist Marcin Rusak tucked in the corner of the living room against the lakefront backdrop
Above A 2,000-sq-ft rug combines four different designs to subtly divide four seating groups within the grand living area
Monster Flower by Polish artist Marcin Rusak tucked in the corner of the living room against the lakefront backdrop
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Above The colours and contours of the surrounding nature
Above An emphasis on grandeur without sacrificing warmth
The colours and contours of the surrounding nature
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In the double-height living room–a soaring space demanding both drama and intimacy–a 2,000-sq-ft rug combining four different designs is stitched together to anchor the four seating groups within this majestic area.
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“Bringing a human scale to the volume, each grouping was arranged with intent, offering guests the choice to engage in conversation or retreat into the quiet, their view framed by the lakes beyond,” Chan and Khouvongsavanh elaborate.
“The goal was to emphasise its grandeur without sacrificing warmth, ensuring it remained the welcoming heart of the home,” they continue.
Above The kitchen area with soapstone cladding native to Ontario
The kitchen area with soapstone cladding native to Ontario
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Above The dining area is part of the majestic living area in the heart of the property
Above A dialogue between craftsmanship and materiality in the stone-clad countertop
The dining area is part of the majestic living area in the heart of the property
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On the upper levels, where a language of tempered warmth through wood joists and wire-brushed smoked oak panels softens the acoustics and lends a sense of rhythm, varied rugs and palettes bestow distinct identities to each bedroom, with every palette inspired by the seasonal variations in Eastern Ontario.
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Into the woods
The study room
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ACDO also collaborated closely with art curation collective Hanabi to develop an art-filled narrative echoing the natural landscape, ensuring the interiors feel not only refined but intrinsically connected to the world beyond.
Inspired by English writer and environmentalist Roger Deakin’s quote: “To enter a wood is to pass into a different world in which we ourselves are transformed,” the narrative conveys the concept of transformative passage–the transcendence from everyday life to another realm in a tranquil sanctuary imbued with nature’s beauty.
Above The bathroom is a carefully orchestrated balance between visual beauty and human comfort
The bathroom is a carefully orchestrated balance between visual beauty and human comfort
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Above Raw, natural materials indigenous to the region
Above A calm respite that serves to revitalise
Raw, natural materials indigenous to the region
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“A story told in a contemporary and sophisticated visual language, we commissioned artists–both local and international–who were exploring natural shapes, raw materials, and refined interventions in their practice,” explains Jamie Stagnitta, principal and founder of Hanabi.
He continues: “Specifically developed for the project to reflect the clients’ interests and convey elements of their personalities, we sought artists who were exploring the tension between nature and technology, machine made versus handcrafted.”
The colour palette of each bedroom drew inspiration from the seasonal variations in Eastern Ontario
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This is exemplified by Polish artist Marcin Rusak’s Monster Flower in the living room–an oversized cast aluminum floral sculpture that examines genetic manipulation and our desire to seek perfection in nature.
“Rusak has taken all the ideal qualities that we desire in a flower and merged them into one hybrid floral creation that is transient, emotional and inspiring,” Stagnitta elaborates.
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Above Varied rugs and palettes bestow distinct identities to each bedroom
Varied rugs and palettes bestow distinct identities to each bedroom
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Above Furnishings that correlate with the lush landscape outside
Above Tempered warmth of wire-brushed smoked oak panels
Furnishings that correlate with the lush landscape outside
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Alongside other art pieces dispersed throughout the home, each work of art possesses a unique otherworldly aura that invites conversation and examination, creating a calm respite that serves to revitalise and engage family and guests through contemplation of the mysteries of the natural world.
“Guided by a commitment to refinement, each space was not only tailored to their needs but also aligned with a distinct, curated vision,” conclude the ACDO founders. “The result was a home that felt both deeply personal and effortlessly sophisticated–a seamless intersection of intention and elegance.
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Credits
Photography: Scott Norsworthy
Celeste Goh is a senior writer covering architecture and design. Based in Malaysia, she reports on emerging architectural and home design trends, as well as insights by local and international architects and interior designers.
Previously, she covered men’s lifestyle, fashion, music and entertainment.
