A family home on the shores of Lake Sacacomie, shaped by fire

Showcasing an s16-H 78

[1] Can you tell us about your project?

Aile Noire took 4 years to bring to life, from purchasing the land to driving in the final nail. It’s a family home nestled on the shores of Lake Sacacomie in the Mauricie region, designed to feel like it belongs to the landscape rather than imposed on it. Inspired by mid-century and Scandinavian architecture, we wanted to create a home that lives in conversation with its surroundings preserving every possible tree and orienting each line toward the view. Living here already feels like an escape.

[2] Why did you choose to include a wood stove?

Choosing a life rooted by the lake, a wood stove simply felt essential. It’s part of living here fully and honestly: most of the wood we burn comes directly from our own land. But our Stûv is much more than a pleasure feature, it’s a crucial heat source. With its expansive windows, our home is exposed to the harsh Mauricie winters. In January, during the coldest stretches, the Stûv runs around the clock without missing a beat. We were first drawn to it for its design, which blended seamlessly with our clean, minimal interior, but we quickly came to appreciate its performance just as much. For us, the two were inseparable.

[3] Where and how did you integrate it into the space?

Our stove sits in the corner of the main living area, framed by two large windows. That placement was intentional: it’s the natural focal point of the room, where your eye instinctively lands, with direct views of the lake and forest beyond. In our pared-back interior, defined by warm and understated lines, the Stûv feels completely at home: both sculptural and functional. From that corner, we watch everything unfold: birds passing by, shifting light, sunsets setting the lake on fire. The stove and the landscape answer each other beautifully: one warms, the other calms.

[4] What do you appreciate most about it? Anything you didn’t expect?

What we didn’t expect was how much the Stûv would become part of our family rituals. Cutting, stacking, and preparing the wood has turned into a seasonal tradition we genuinely look forward to. We burn as much wood from our property as possible, and when we source it elsewhere, we choose it carefully. It becomes an experience in itself.

Then comes the first fire of fall. The moment the Stûv reaches full combustion and begins radiating its heat is deeply satisfying. When we burn cedar, its scent slowly fills the room and the flames take on a soft blue hue, almost hypnotic.

And then there’s the nighttime ritual: waking up to feed the fire, slipping back into bed, and catching a glimpse through the layered windows of the Stûv’s glowing red core flickering softly in the dark. It’s something we never get tired of.