Every summer morning at the cottage when I was growing up, my cousins and I would crouch in the bushes like little spies, eyes fixed on my grandparents’ balcony. We were waiting for one thing: the orange towel. When it appeared on the railing, we knew they were ready for us. Breakfast was on. A quiet ritual that said “you’re welcome now.”
When I think back to my childhood, cottaging was all about community. Neighbours knew not just your name, but how you liked your coffee. Kids learned to swim together, paddled side by side, and built friendships that lasted generations. Somewhere along the way, we lost that.
Now it’s just full calendars and nowhere we actually want to be. A hundred Slack channels. No one to share a meal with. Even at the cottage, we’re hosting friends and family and trying so hard to make it meaningful that we’ve forgotten what it was like when community just happened.
I’m Kat. I founded Sheertex, the company that made unbreakable tights out of ballistic-grade fibres. When my time there ended rather abruptly this year, I decided to take my overactive mind and apply it to something utterly unscalable: creating the type of community we’ve been searching for at our Lake Muskoka home. We’re calling it Sunday House.
Sundays from July 6 to August 24, 8AM to 3PM, my husband and I are opening our home for eight Sunday gatherings. Not a resort. Not a camp. Not a restaurant. A weekly ritual where families can rediscover what we’ve been missing, that sense of belonging somewhere beautiful.
My husband Zak is the extrovert who’ll ruin all other food for you forever with his wood-fired artistry, hand-rolled croissants, artisanal espresso, everything prepared over open flame. I’m the introvert who overthinks the playlist. Together, we overdo everything. Our two-year-old Fynn is our compass; when he’s wet, happy, and wonderfully wild, we know we’re creating something magical.
Members join for the season and everything is included. From weekly instructor-led paddling and swimming lessons, to impromptu dockside yoga sessions, dockside lounging and artisan-prepared eats (because life’s too short for mediocre anything). And on the 5th Sunday we’ll host the Sunday House Regatta & Dance, where parents become competitors and kids become champions.
How it worksSunday House welcomes cottage families and lake-lovers through a short application process. Spaces are extremely limited and we begin July 6th. Membership is $750 per person for the season (for all group members age 2+). There are no drop-in or single weekends passes, because community is about seeing familiar faces and building lasting relationships. You don’t have to be there all day or every week, but Sunday House should become part of your summer rhythm. Think of it as the place you pop by on your way into Port Carling, your weekly swimming lesson, or standing Sunday lunch plan.
We’re not doing this to make a profit; honestly, we’ll probably lose money. We’re doing this because we believe cottage families deserve summers that matter. Because we want our son to grow up knowing what real community feels like, the kind our parents had, the kind we’re desperate to recreate.
Don’t let this summer be another blur of “we should have…” This is your chance to give your family something extraordinary.
At Sunday House, every Sunday begins the same way. There’s no bell. No loudspeaker. No formal announcement. Just one orange towel, hung to dry on the railing. That’s how you’ll know: the house is open, the espresso machine is ready, and the day has begun.
Orange towel? It’s Sunday. Let’s go.
Applications are being reviewed now for our July 6th start. Once our small circle is complete, that’s it for the summer. If after your first visit it’s not the right fit, we’ll happily refund the rest.
With love and optimism,
Kat, Zak & Fynn
