When doctors Camille Deshaies and Alexandre Dow bought their property in rural Quebec, it came with an unusual feature: a homemade castle. The previous owners had spent years building the fairytale structure, complete with full-size statues and grand exterior staircases—but by the time Camille and Alexandre took over, the romantic vision had deteriorated beyond repair. “It was a creepy place, but the site was amazing,” explains architect Romy Brosseau of Montreal’s La Shed Architecture, who the couple contacted for a new build.

No amount of crumbling turrets could detract from the raw potential here. “The first time we went to visit, it was raining, but we still went into the woods,” says Camille. “We were walking around and we could smell the cedar, and the views were great. It’s just this wonderland.” (The five-minute drive from the hospital where they work didn’t hurt, either.)

Demolishing the castle revealed a hidden treasure: a massive exposed rock formation that had been partially visible inside the original structure. The architects used this bedrock as the foundation for their design approach. “We could see that there was a big rock underneath it,” Brosseau explains. “That was our starting point—to rebuild the house sitting on that existing rock, and expose it even more.”

The new 3,800-square-foot home embraces the rural context with a simple rectangular plan and a gable roof that echoes the form of traditional barns in the area. The natural eastern cedar cladding with LifeTime wood stain will gray beautifully over time, while white oak engineered floors and white cedar ceiling cladding bring warmth inside.

“We wanted it to fit in the spirit of the landscape,” Camille says. “It’s very rural with a lot of farming in the area, so it looked almost like a barn to us. We didn’t want it to stick out or be ultramodern.” The three-level layout has a tight footprint to preserve the dramatic site. Living areas occupy the middle level, which connects directly to the exposed rock through floor-to-ceiling windows and a long wooden terrace.

“From any space at the ground level, you can get out on this long terrace,” notes La Shed coprincipal Renée Mailhot. It’s a feature appreciated by Camille and Alexandre’s two kids—Madeleine, now five, and Leonard, who was born as the home was nearing completion. “The kids love it—they run with bicycles on it and have a lot of fun,” says Mailhot.

Inside, the open plan creates perfect routes for active children, too. “There’s two long runways in the kitchen, around the island and our dining table,” Alexandre explains. “The kids just run from one end to the other on the main floor.”

It’s a design that accommodates both family fun and functionality. The pantry is ideal for processing game (Alexandre hunts on the property) and making preserves. The durable concrete countertops are by local company Béton Johnstone, and a woodstove and outdoor firepit bring the countryside spirit into daily life.

Though the contemporary cabin marks a fresh start for this special piece of land, there’s still one nod to the building that was here before: The family preserved several statues from the demolished castle and hid them throughout the cedar forest.

A statue of the previous owner watches over the new house from the trees, and Madeleine loves to visit and give him hugs. “One day during construction, the builders put the statue up looking at the house as a joke,” Alexandre explains. “Then we moved it back into the wood line. I think he’s watching over us.”

More projects by La Shed Architecture:

A Couple’s Getaway on a Windswept Island in Quebec Riffs on Tradition

An Optometrist’s Midcentury Ranch House in Montreal Gets a Clear-Sighted Renovation

There’s a Surprising Twist at Every Turn in This Montreal Townhouse

Project Credits:

Architecture and Interiors: La Shed Architecture / @lashedarchitecture

Builder/Contractor: Sequoia Constructions / @sequoiaconstructions

Structural Engineer: Génibois / @genibois

Cabinetry Installation: Atelier Notre-Dame / @atelier.notre.dame

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They Built a Fairytale Home on the Grounds of a Crumbling DIY Castle