INSPIRATION & RESOURCES
TO CRAFT A COTTAGE LIFE

We’re Lee and Dave, a designer and an engineer, and we’ve spent the last decade working on homes inside and out.

Steep Hill is what we call our cottage in Muskoka, Ontario. It’s our home and our ongoing project; a place we’re designing and building ourselves, with care, over time.

The Studio is a membership where we share that work.

Each week, we publish a new entry drawn from what we’re doing and noticing: design insights, job site updates, garden notes, and a peek into our life. Some are technical, some practical, some personal but all are grounded in our belief that a home is made slowly, thoughtfully, and with attention to detail.

What we offer here isn’t a course or a set of how-tos. It’s a body of work, a collection of real decisions, quiet lessons, and lived-in patterns from a cottage that’s being built to endure.

If you’re drawn to craft, to designing with restraint, to building in a way that reflects your values, you’re in the right place.

WHAT’S INSIDE THE STUDIO?

Inspiration for vintage design

Room layouts, palette ideas, and timeless details for cottages with soul.
Advice for building better

Join us on site to learn about our approach to crafting a home that will stand the test of time.
Notes from a northern garden

Observations from our Muskoka garden, plus recipes, planting guides, and seasonal rhythms.
When the tools are down

A look at lakeside living: the hobbies, rituals, and patterns that shape cottage days.

WHAT’s NEW?

Tune in to the latest from the Steep Hill project.

Featured

THE ROUGH IN SERIES - PART ONE - HVAC

THE BEST FRIDGE PICKLES EVER (CRUNCHY, TASTY, EASY)

HOW WE SAVED $26,000 ON CEDAR SIDING

GARDEN PROTECTION THAT LOOKS AS GOOD AS IT WORKS

THE ONLY COTTAGE FENCING STYLE WE RECOMMEND

WE TRAVELED 1000 KMS FOR A VINTAGE COUCH

SEE WHAT ELSE IS NEW

A WEEKLY RHYTHM

We share new work every week. One story, one lesson, one detail at a time.

Built like STEEP HILL cottage itselF, carefully and WITH INTENTION.

GAIN INSTANT ACCESS TO:

Over 25 videos (and counting) including:

Sourcing vintage furniture
Designing veggie garden protection
Ongoing rebuild updates
Turning an old driveway into green space again
Our global garden plans
The dahlia garden tour
Building the Sleeping Cabin
All episodes are in the library

All episodes of our Steep Hill Fireside Chats, an informal audio series where we:

Answer all your questions on topics including: countertops, flooring, building timelines, challenges and successes
Talk through our building and design philosophy, process, and what we’re learning along the way.

A growing set of building detail guides and sources including topics like:

Sources for lighting, hardware, plumbing fixtures & tools
Cedar Bevel Siding
Split-rail fencing
Crafting Custom Cottage Doors
Implementing high-quality pocket doors
Our exact vintage wainscoting and trim design
The sliding barn-style garage doors we built
Critical roofline elements

Create a style definition for your home with our step-by-step workshop:

Learn about established architectural styles and how to identify key elements
Take the interior style quiz to get a sense of what style suits your taste and home
Dig into the defining features of interior design styles and how to convey them in your space.
Leave with a deeper sense of what you need to create your space with confidence.

INTRIGUED AND KEEN TO TAKE A PEEK INSIDE THE STUDIO?

We’ve curated a selection of posts, videos, guides and a fireside chat from the past year to give you a sense of what’s on offer inside the membership space.

Don’t miss the bonus at the end!

SAMPLE THE STUDIO FOR FREE