Create Your Dream Contemporary Cottage
with SMPL Design Studio
Looking for a Contemporary Cottage in Ontario?
A modern cottage is a contemporary retreat designed for lakeside and country living. Clean architectural lines, expansive glazing, and thoughtfully crafted spaces celebrate the surrounding landscape while offering the comfort, functionality, and simplicity of modern living. Every home is tailored to its setting and designed for the way you gather, relax, and recharge.
Recent Contemporary Cottage Projects
Explore our collection of modern cottages designed to embrace nature, maximize views, and create a place to truly unwind.
What Defines a Contemporary Cottage
Modern cottages are defined by simple architectural forms, clean rooflines, and expansive windows that frame the surrounding landscape. Natural materials, open-concept living spaces, and refined detailing create homes that feel bright, welcoming, and effortlessly modern. Designed for every season, they balance comfort, connection to nature, and timeless design.
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Our Services
One of our greatest strengths is giving you peace of mind that we have every part of your home covered. Our team manages the whole process, from first concept to permits to interiors.
Residential Design
Modern homes inspired by the styles you love—from Scandinavian to mid-century modern. Every home is thoughtfully designed around your site, your lifestyle, and your budget, creating a home that is distinctly yours and ready to build.
Interior Design
We design interiors as part of the home from day one. Every decision—from light and materials to layout and flow—is considered together, creating a calm, cohesive home that feels complete inside and out.
Planning, Permit & Conservation Approvals
We manage the approval process—from zoning and site plans to building permits and conservation approvals—creating a seamless path from design to construction.
Engineering
We coordinate structural and mechanical engineering into one complete, builder-ready construction package, ensuring every detail is coordinated before construction begins.
Contemporary Cottage Design: Common Questions
What is a contemporary cottage?
A contemporary cottage combines the relaxed spirit of traditional cottage living with clean architectural forms and modern functionality.
Simple rooflines, expansive glazing, open interiors, and natural materials create homes that feel connected to nature while offering year-round comfort and contemporary style.
How much does it cost to design and build a contemporary cottage?
Every project is unique, and costs vary depending on the property’s location, complexity, home size, structural requirements, and selected materials.
Whether you’re building on a lakefront property or a rural site, we design each home with both beauty and long-term value in mind.
Is a contemporary cottage right for my lifestyle and property?
Contemporary cottages are ideal for homeowners seeking bright, open spaces that embrace the surrounding landscape.
The style adapts beautifully to waterfront, rural, and wooded properties while providing the flexibility needed for seasonal retreats or full-time residences.
How do you design a contemporary cottage that's uniquely mine?
We begin by understanding how you plan to use your cottage throughout the year.
Every design responds to your property’s unique characteristics while creating spaces that support gathering, entertaining, relaxing, and making lasting memories with family and friends.
Do I need an architect for a Contemporary Cottage home?
Most custom single-family homes in Ontario don’t require an architect—they require a BCIN-qualified residential designer. At smpl Design Studio, our qualified designers lead the design, documentation, and permitting process for almost all of our custom Contemporary Cottage homes. When the size, complexity, or intended use requires additional regulated professionals, we assemble and coordinate the appropriate team on your behalf.
Explore Other Home Styles
Compare related SMPL style pages and see which design direction best fits your property, lifestyle, and vision.
Are you ready for your Contemporary Cottage home to make a statement?
Schedule a consultation with our team to discover how we can bring your modern home dreams to life, from concept floor plans to builder-ready drawings.
We love what we do and are constantly pushing the envelope with our modern, bold designs. We thrive on each project being unique; you’ll never see the same design twice! If this sounds like an adventure you’re ready to start, we’d love to hear from you.