§ 01 — THE DESIGN
A Garage That Earns Its Place
What we design matters. When the Hoodstown clients came to us, the garage brief was simple: space for vehicles, storage, and a covered area to live outside in. What we built is something more — a structure that holds its own beside the main cottage, in the same language, with its own logic.
Dark vertical board-and-batten siding from Muskoka Timber runs the full height. Heavy timber posts and beams frame the entry — Douglas fir, exposed, no apology. The structure references the boathouse and dock vernacular without copying it. It sits in the fall landscape like it was always there.
§ 02 — THE STRUCTURE
Post, Beam, and Nothing to Hide
The exposed timber structure at the entrance is the moment that defines this building. DeKoning Group handled the engineering. Tamarack North built it. The result is a timber portal that frames the covered outdoor space, carries the roof, and makes the walk from the driveway feel intentional.
Every fastener is visible. Every connection is made properly. That’s the contract with exposed structure — you don’t get to hide the work, so the work has to be right.
§ 03 · THE TOUR
Watch the Full Walkthrough
Navigator Visuals captured the reveal — exterior approach, covered porch, interior, every detail. Watch the full tour before reading the breakdown below.
§ 04 — THE FINISH
Siding, Masonry, and the Right Subcontractors
The material palette is tight and deliberate. Muskoka Timber supplied the vertical board-and-batten siding — a material that weathers well and holds colour through the seasons. Stepping Stone Masonry handled the stone base and detailing. Rockscape designed the landscape that ties the building to the site.
Hilltop Interiors worked on the interior — storage solutions and finished spaces that serve the family’s actual use. Muskoka Roofing completed the envelope. Every trade was chosen to match the level of finish the project required.
§ 05 — THE THROUGH-LINE
It's Not a Garage. It's a Building.
We approach every structure on a property as architecture. The garage, the boathouse, the bunkie — they don’t get a pass on design just because they’re not the main building. Every door, every eave, every material choice contributes to the experience of arriving at this property.
When the right garage sits at the top of the driveway, it does something important: it tells you what the rest of the project is going to be.
