If you've ever dreamed of waking up to the sound of a river just outside your door, wood stove crackling, and sunlight pouring through modern French doors — this story is for you.
In this interview, we sat down with Lyndsay Malenfant, a Toronto-based DEN fan who built her own riverfront cabin retreat in Ontario. Using the Barnhouse Retreat from DEN's catalog of modern cabin plans, Lyndsay customized her home with key upgrades like a Scandinavian-style wood stove, French doors opening to the river, and a cozy, minimalist layout optimized for comfort, light, and off-grid charm.
What started as a dream to build a vacation rental in Ontario turned into a personal passion project — one that balances form, function, and style while remaining energy-efficient and budget-conscious. This conversation is packed with insights for anyone considering a cabin build in Canada, especially if you're looking for modern, affordable alternatives to custom architecture, energy efficient cabin ideas, and real-life examples of DEN plans in action.
You can find Lyndsay's cabin on Airbnb, and follow it on Instagram: @petite.retreat.cabin
Finding Riverfront Land for a Modern Cabin Build in Ontario
Mike: Hello, here we are at another DEN podcast interview. We're joined by Lyndsay. Let's start with some quick background — who are you, where do you live full time, where did you build your DEN, and which design did you build?
Lyndsay: Hi, I am Lyndsay. I live full-time in Toronto, Canada, Ontario. I built my DEN about two and a half hours east of Toronto, in a little area called Marmora — out in the country, on the river. It's gorgeous. And I built the Barnhouse Retreat, the two bedroom with a few modifications. In my opinion, for me and what I was looking for, it's the perfect size. It's just a really easy-to-manage project, and it ended up working out perfectly.
Mike: Tell us a little bit about that region — what about that area and this specific parcel really attracted you to it?
Lyndsay: When I decided I wanted to do this, I knew I was going to buy some vacant land and build something from scratch in Ontario. There are a few really prime real estate locations for a cottage or vacation property. The main one is Muskoka — which even in the US a lot of people have heard of. That has gotten so outrageously expensive. Then east of Toronto there's Prince Edward County, which over the last ten years has become this sort of cool, hipster weekend-vacation area. Since that's gotten so popular, land value there is also insane.
Lyndsay: So I just started looking everywhere in between. My only real criteria was some form of water. In Ontario, if you want to be on a lake, that's also going to be super prime real estate no matter where you are in the province. Land with any type of water is super expensive and hard to come by. So I knew I probably wasn't going to get a lake — I was aiming for a river, or a tiny stream. I just wanted to wake up and go outside and hear like a bubbling creek. That was my main criteria.
Lyndsay: I wanted it to be private, a little secluded, out in the country. And I got really lucky. I bought the land at the very end of 2020, and I finished building last August of 2024. The build itself really didn't start happening until probably November or December of 2023, so a lot of other stuff happened before the build.
Lyndsay: I'd only looked at a few parcels. Nothing felt right — there wasn't really anything popping up with water in my price range. And I stumbled across this magical little lot. I still can't believe I got lucky enough to find it. I put an offer in the same day I saw it. I think one of the reasons I found it was just because I wasn't pigeonholing myself in terms of area. I was really open to it being anywhere within two to three hours of Toronto in any direction.
Why the Barnhouse Retreat Cabin Plan Was the Perfect Fit
Mike: And you ultimately pursued the Barnhouse Retreat. What attracted you to that design?
Lyndsay: What I loved most about all your designs is just the really clean, simple lines. It's such a stylish — and I don't mean to say you're mass producing them because anyone can buy it — but it doesn't feel like a cookie-cutter, builder-grade plan or house. It just has that Scandinavian vibe I was going for.
Lyndsay: When I first decided I wanted to build something, I've been following DEN for forever. I think it was before you were even called DEN — you had the little, I think it started with a W... like Willard or something?
Mike: Oh wow, holy smokes.
Lyndsay: Like for ages, I've been following you guys. I loved those little prefab kits you had for tiny houses.
Mike: Yeah, that is an OG DEN reference. I used to work for WeWork and I started a side project while I was working as an executive there — after building a cabin in the woods. I called it Meet Walden. The W you're thinking of is from that name. It was the market test for what would become DEN. I spent a year learning about the customer and the market. I remember when I got the first sale, I was like "holy shit, it's working." We launched DEN at the start of the pandemic, but it wasn't thought up in some venture studio — there was a home built and then a year's worth of in-market research. That's what created the right amount of readiness to achieve very fast product-market fit.
Lyndsay: Yeah, for sure. It's this weird connection. I had images of those little houses saved — this was before I even thought this would be something I'd do in the next 10 or 15 years. It was like a subconscious thought of "wouldn't it be cool one day to have a little thing out in the woods." And I still have those images saved on an inspo board somewhere.
Mike: The Barnhouse Retreat also has a smaller bedroom with bunk beds. Did you opt for the bunk beds or something else?
Customizing a Small Cabin with French Doors and River Views
Lyndsay: I did not opt for the bunk beds. I loved the bunk beds in principle, but I made a few revisions. I actually purchased the plans with the full architectural files so I could hand them over to a builder or engineer and any revisions could be made really easily — which ended up happening.
Lyndsay: I made the bedrooms the same size by moving one bedroom wall. Then, based on the landscape of the property, the room that had the bunk beds ended up becoming the master bedroom. And I did walk-out French doors in that room, facing the river.
Lyndsay: The other bedroom ended up getting two XL twins, not in bunk bed form. Since I mentioned the plan came with bunk beds, a few friends were a little disappointed I didn't keep them. But I thought: if my parents come to visit, they're not going to want to sleep in bunk beds. The twins can be pushed together if you want, but everyone gets their own bed.
Building a Vacation Cabin in Ontario: Contractors, Engineers, and Cost-Saving Tips
Mike: You're Canadian, you built in Canada — and everyone always asks if DEN plans work in Canada. Tell us a little about that process.
Lyndsay: I ended up finding my contractor locally, and that was really important to me — both for cost and practicality. Using contractors from Toronto would be significantly more expensive for so many reasons. So I wanted to use local to the area I was building in.
Lyndsay: Because I had the plans ready to go, I was able to send them out to a few different contractors to get quotes. I ended up going with my contractor — he was the only one who came out to the site, spent a few hours with me asking questions, so he could give me a really accurate quote. Most of the reason that was possible was because I had the plans. He then sent them to his own engineer and architect, who adjusted them. The cost on that was really affordable.
Lyndsay: I always thought I'd do a pre-made plan for the first house I build, then get all this experience and design something from scratch next time. But it was such a smooth process and I'm so happy with the look of the final house, that I would absolutely — I don't even think I want to design from scratch if I ever do this again. I would totally go back and buy another DEN model.
Why Buying DEN Outdoors Cabin Plans Beats Custom Architecture
Lyndsay: People don't realize how expensive custom architecture is. Even for a small property, you could be looking at minimum $10,000 for design, and that's if you're not changing your mind and going through revisions. And the cost may be different depending on where you are.
Mike: I was like, "I wanted to build like a black minimal box in the woods and architects were quoting me $20,000 to $30,000 design fees." And I'm like, "guys, this is a small building."
Lyndsay: Yeah, it's insane. You just think, "oh yeah, I'll just get designs." And some people don't even factor that into their budget. They're just thinking "here's my budget for the build." But when you start out — buying the land, putting in the well, getting things designed — it's a huge chunk of money. So anywhere you can save $10,000, $5,000, $20,000 — it's good to do it. And yeah, I was thrilled at what it costs to get a fully finished set of plans that I could just hand over to a contractor.
Minimal Revisions, Easy Compliance: Building an Energy Efficient DEN Cabin in Canada
Lyndsay: For Ontario, we didn't have to change much from what was on the plans regarding building codes. I think we adjusted the insulation — and I changed the foundation, but that wasn't a code issue, just a decision about whether to have a full foundation with storage space under the house versus being on pylons.
Lyndsay: In terms of building code adjustments, I don't think there was anything. If there was, it was a really simple thing my contractor switched on the plans at no cost. It really does come as this nice clean slate that you can build pretty much anywhere in North America.
Lyndsay: All of my revisions were just personal preference. I took out the second half bath and swapped bathroom locations based on where I was putting the master bedroom. That second half bath became a washer-dryer, entry closet, storage space — for me and friends and family, I didn't mind having just one bathroom. Then it was just placement of doors and windows based on the landscape of the lot. Super easy changes that hardly cost anything to provide.
Life at the Cabin: Wood Stove Warmth and Riverfront Mornings
Mike: Presumably you've stayed in the house a fair amount at this point.
Lyndsay: I go up every chance I get. The first few months after it was done, I thought I would rent it out right away to capitalize on August, September, October bookings. But I just loved it so much and it turned out so much better than I was expecting — I wanted to have it for myself for a few months and just make it home first.
Mike: What is your favorite place in the house?
Lyndsay: My favorite place is the main room — it's open concept, kitchen and living room — and I put in a wood stove. I have this little lounge chair beside the wood stove and it gets the most amazing morning light that comes through the French doors, looking out down to the river. Crispy mornings beside that wood stove with the sun coming in — I cannot imagine a better place to be. That's my favorite place in the entire house.
Mike: The tiling is amazing. The fireplace with the tiled pedestal is amazing.
Lyndsay: I had a few key visions I had to work through with my contractor. He'd walk me through based on his experience where I might run into issues. For the wood stove pedestal, I was like, "yeah, we need this tile thing, like a box, and then the fireplace is gonna go on it." He said "okay, I don't understand the purpose of it. We can do it, but that fireplace is gonna be way too small for your house." And I was like, "Nope. This is the fireplace for me."
Lyndsay: That fireplace — I don't know if you know the Morsø brand — if I don't have the heat on, it still heats the whole house. If I had gone with a bigger one, it would be a sauna. They're such good stoves. They're a little more expensive than your basic wood stove, but I highly, highly recommend going for it. It's totally worth it.
Mike: I also have a Morsø 6148. The installation of the stove pipe is like perfect.
Lyndsay: I got so lucky with all my trades. I want more friends in the area. The trades are amazing, the area is amazing, land is relatively cheap — guys, you gotta move up here. But yeah, the fireplace installer was just a young guy, so good and so thorough. He executed it exactly as I envisioned.
Permits, Bedrock, and a Dream Construction Experience in Ontario
Mike: What was your favorite moment in construction? What stressed you out most?
Lyndsay: I'm going to start bottom — and I want to say this is probably not the norm for people doing any type of build. I think it's due to my contractor. There wasn't anything bad that happened during construction. Nothing that stressed me out. Nothing that went over budget. I feel like it's like it never happens. It's unheard of.
Lyndsay: If I had to pick the most stressful part, it was pre-construction. In Ontario, because I was building on the water, I had to go through the whole permitting process twice — local conservation authority, plus the municipality. Everything had to be resurveyed to get updated high watermarks. The building envelope had to be adjusted a few times to make sure I was following all the bylaws on setbacks from the river and from the road.
Lyndsay: My lot had this naturally cleared area when you drive in — so I didn't have to envision where to clear the trees. It was this nice open rocky area, all exposed bedrock, which I thought was so cool. But because of that, I had to get geotechnical surveys. That came back okay, but they'd identified some little holes or cracks in the bedrock, so I had to get a secondary survey and a Karst report to make sure there weren't any big rocky caves under the surface that might collapse if we built on it. Each survey and report took months at a time. That first few years was really just going through one by one to the next one. I got really lucky that everything worked out.
Lyndsay: The most exciting construction moment was when the framing went in, the outer sheathing went on, and the roof went up. That was the first time I could walk in, there was a doorway, there was a roof, there were walls. Up until then it was still hard to visualize what it was going to look like. Once it was house-shaped on the foundation — yeah. That was a really exciting moment.
Mike: If you had a friend endeavoring to do this with a set of DEN plans, what advice would you give them?
Lyndsay: Do your research, get multiple quotes, be patient — everything is going to take a little bit longer than you think. The plans on their own are so thoughtfully done. There's something for everybody, and they're so well thought out in terms of floor plan and efficiency. I would say: make minimal changes. There's not a lot you need to change. It's such a good foundation plan. Just be prepared for that to be the easiest part. Buying your plans, picking your plans, getting your plans — just be patient with everything else. In terms of the actual DEN portion, I don't have a lot of advice. That's probably gonna be the easiest part of your journey.
"In terms of the actual DEN portion, I don't have a lot of advice. That's probably gonna be the easiest part of your journey." — Lyndsay Malenfant
Build your own riverfront escape — the same plans Lyndsay used for the Petite Retreat in Marmora, Ontario.
View the Barnhouse Retreat Browse all cabin plans