Architect Lake House

Designer Getaway with Mid-Century Modern Vibes on Lake Orford's Gleaming Shores

Strategically located for expansive views across Lake Orford, this 3,200sqft, newly constructed beauty faces the water, the lake gleaming enticingly outside its living and dining rooms, kitchen and bedrooms. Giant windows cover the architectural home’s facades, spanning 55 feet across and flooding the living spaces with natural light. A central skylight overhead adds to the illumination, and the garden-level bedrooms continue the theme, each featuring large panoramic windows and direct access to the terrace.

A few meters above the lake’s shore, the waterfront lodge’s dramatic central living area is set under cedar-clad cathedral ceilings anchored by a sleek modern fireplace of smooth travertine. Rich, warm wood gives the home its mid-century modern bent, appearing in ceiling coverings, paneled room partitions, and the double-height stairwell. The mid-century vibe continues in the home’s spacious rectilinear volumes, built-in wood furnishings like the recessed library, flowing draperies, geometric windows, sliding doors, and classic, flat-roofed form.

Built into a green berm above the lake’s shore, with a private pier and verdant lawn, the home is a quick walk from hiking trails and near golf courses, ski slopes and numerous vineyards.

Around

Set in the Mont Orford area of Quebec’s Eastern Townships, the property is a great base for exploring the great outdoors both on site, with Lake Orford steps from the door for all the swimming, boating, fishing, splashing and sunbathing you’d like, and in the greater region at large. The Eastern Townships is crossed by well marked bike paths where cyclists can discover lakes, mountains and picturesque villages via paved pathways free of other vehicle traffic.

Mont Orford National Park is the preferred destination of hikers, with numerous trails leading to lookout spots. The Mont-Orford Ski station serves as a trailhead, and there are also two beaches within the park that are great spots to relax on after a day of invigorating elevation gains. Lake Stuckley, inside the park, is a water sports enthusiasts’ mecca, with sailing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming and fishing available in Jouvence, an Eastern Townships resort community on the lake’s shores. Lake Memphrémagog greets the yachting set aboard cruisers that tour its waters, complete with brunch, lunch, happy hour or dinner. The nearby marshland known as Le Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises is a woodland bog and swampland that’s home to birds, mammals and amphibians and a fascinating ecosystem across its five miles of stilted trails. And the Abbey of Saint Benoit du Lac overlooks Lake Memphrémagog and welcomes visitors to its sanctuary and its shop filled with monk-made cheeses, ciders, compotes and jellies.

The region’s hills and valleys are lined with vineyards, and the Estrie Wine Route welcomes tasters and tourists eager to visit the wineries by car or bike. Winter visitors can enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, hiking and Nordic ski trails within the National Park. There’s an ice skating path in downtown Magog alongside Lake Memphrémagog and aprés skiers/outdoorsmen will appreciate the area’s wide number of spas and health centers, with thermal and Nordic baths and more available in the region.

Location

Nearest airports: Montreal (95km), Burlington, VT, USA (115km)

Best time to visit

Year-round, depending on activity