1172 Main Street, Frontenac Islands, Ontario K0H 2W0

The Unhurried House is a deeply sustainable 1745 sq. ft. Wolfe Island farmhouse, now at the back end of a meticulous six-year transformation. Used by Retrofit Canada as a case study, original and new materials have been blended in a remarkable net-zero-ready rebuild. The result lands like a salt-fresh oceanfront cottage married to a post and beam interior, and demonstrates a rare blend of remarkable patinas, wabi-sabi character and exquisite custom detail. A grand entrance leads to a bright, open-concept living space and a chef’s kitchen with a 10-foot island and concrete countertops. Upstairs are two bedrooms (each with sinks), a clawfoot tub in the primary bedroom, a heated-floor bathroom, and a spacious loft that can serve as a third bedroom, studio, or creative space. Built with a steely focus on both efficiency and aesthetics, the house features R35 continuous exterior insulation, airtight construction, German-engineered HRV ventilation, a rainwater harvesting system, two 12K low-temperature heat pumps, a 560-lb Italian cast iron cookstove, double-glazed LePage wood windows, brand new septic system, a new 24-foot shore well, and a 200 AMP panel. Phew! (And that’s not even mentioning the hand carved wooden sinks with tiny Portuguese brass taps, or the 150-year-old windows installed in strange places). The property offers expansive Lake Ontario views, wraparound porches, a covered pergola with twinkle lights, a greenhouse and raised beds, flagstone walkways and rock walls, and all of it at the heart of a happening, community-minded island village just two blocks from the free 16 minute ferry to downtown Kingston.