GREAT LAKE STUDIO
Little Dipper
A small rustic cabin on a rugged lakefront site in Muskoka, Little Dipper has a single goal in mind: to transport visitors into an immersive wilderness experience, drawing upon the property’s full range of natural features.
Location: Muskoka, Ontario
Design Team: Great Lake Studio
Images: Mike Yoshimura
From the water, a path ascends the steeply sloped terrain to an entry ramp traversing a split in the bedrock. The building rests gently on the land, scribed to its natural contours, and is entered through a sheltered porch and storage area – a transitional space that extends and enhances one's experience of arrival.
Moving inside, the building reveals itself slowly, unfolding along a circuitous route with thoughtfully framed views of forest, sky, and water at every turn.
The main living space is divided into split levels: a combined Kitchen & Dining area set-up for social group meals overlooks a sunken Lounge. With built-in seating and wood burning stove, the Lounge nestles back into the trees while opening widely toward the Lake – a cozy, intimate space for reading, playing games, and casual hang outs. Both extend outward to a long, cantilevered terrace overlooking the lake.
An upper-level loft offers an escape from the main living area, with south facing clerestory windows that funnel daylight into the cabin through all times of day.
Continuing onward, an enclosed bridge leads to a separate sleeping cabin, private and quiet, with bedroom views extending deep into the woods. The journey ends back outside at a peaceful reading terrace tucked away in the trees.
