Cook’s Cottage: Luxury Lake Stay & Cooking Classes

Cook’s Cottage is a boutique, upscale lakefront retreat on the shores of Lake James, created for guests who want more than an empty vacation rental. This is a place to slow down, reconnect, and enjoy time together—whether that means cooking, swimming, reading your favorite book on an oversized bean bag, relaxing by the fire, or watching the sun set over the water.

The cottage is thoughtfully designed for comfort and ease, with a sandy swim area, private dock access, outdoor dining, and a chef’s kitchen that invites connection rather than rushing. Guests enjoy exclusive use of the primary living space, including the kitchen, living room, bedroom, library nook, deck, yard, and clear sandy swim area.

What truly sets Cook’s Cottage apart is the option to elevate your stay. Guests may add private, chef-led cooking classes customized to their tastes—turning an evening into a shared culinary experience rather than a meal out. May through October, guests can also book a relaxing historical boat tour of Lake James, departing directly from the dock, for a perspective of the lake most visitors never experience.

The owners live on-site in a fully separate attached suite with a private entrance, however the space you are renting (everything pictured) is not shared. Interaction is entirely optional—many guests enjoy complete privacy, while others appreciate handcrafted complimentary lattes, local recommendations, or curated dining experiences added to their stay.

Whether celebrating an anniversary, marking a milestone, or simply escaping the noise of everyday life, Cook’s Cottage is designed to be calm, personal, and memorable—an experience to be savored, not just a place to stay.


A Boutique Cottage With Intention
We describe Cook’s Cottage as a one-bedroom boutique lake cottage, best suited for couples, small families, and thoughtful travelers who appreciate quality, hospitality, and attention to detail. Every space has been designed with comfort and ease in mind—without excess, noise, or distraction.


Kitchen (A True Culinary Space)
The heart of Cook’s Cottage is the chef’s kitchen, designed for cooking, gathering, and lingering.

Highlights include:
Large island with seating for up to 14
Gas range with griddle
Vitamix blender, espresso machine, waffle maker, margarita machine, sous vide, and more
Pop-up outlets and wireless charging

Living Room
The open living space features:
Two oversized LoveSac couches
Gas fireplace (primary winter heat source; surface becomes hot)
55” TV with Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, and NFL+
A cozy reading nook with desk, small library, and oversized bean bag chair offers a perfect place to unwind with a book or morning coffee. High-speed WiFi (700-900 Mbps) supports streaming and remote work with ease.

Bedroom (Please Read)
The sleeping area is located upstairs via a narrow staircase (24” wide), typical of cottages nearing 100 years old and is one long room that runs the length of the cottage.
Upstairs features:
One queen bed (lake side)
One queen bed (back side)
One twin bed (middle)
6’3” ceiling height in an A-frame style room
LoveSac loveseat and 42” TV
A pack-and-play is available upon request. The bedroom door includes both a keyed lock and interior chain lock.

Outdoors & Lake Access
Guests enjoy:
Lakeside deck with shaded dining for eight
Traeger Smoker/Grill (available May–October)
Fire pit with Adirondacks (firewood available for a nominal charge)
Yard space for lawn games
Dock space for one guest boat or watercraft
Sandy swim area and one guest kayak (use at own risk)
Two complimentary off-street parking spaces are provided. No street parking is available.
All bookings must agree to sign our rental agreement & upload a Gov. ID to complete your booking.

A $500 security hold will be placed until 2 days prior to arrival and released 7 days after departure, if no damages are reported.

Must be 25 years or older to rent.

No Animals. Since the accommodations you are renting is also our primary residence per federal ADA law we do not allow service animals, ESAs or pets of any kind at or in the property. III-1.2000 Public accommodations.
- Places of lodging (e.g., inns, hotels, motels) (except for owner-occupied establishments renting fewer than six rooms);

Smoking is allowed OUTSIDE ONLY. Any smoking, vaping, etc. in the house is strictly prohibited. If you are smoking on the deck, please make sure the windows are closed. If violated, the cost of ozone treatment to remove smoke odors and residue will be charged to the guest at a minimum of $1000.

No fireworks.

No parties or events of any kind.

Only registered guests listed in the reservation are allowed on property unless approved in advance with Hosts. No exceptions and violation of this will cause immediate cancelation without refund.

Do not take food upstairs or in the bedroom(s).

The hosts do live in an attached suite connected to the home and have their own entrance to their part of the house which is not to be accessed by guests.

Please be respectful to the neighbors and keep noise levels reasonable. Quiet hours are from 10PM-8AM.

When leaving the property during your stay, be sure that all windows and doors are locked for your security and the security of the property.

LAKE RULES - You are welcome to fish or swim off of our dock during your stay, but please stay off all other docks in the neighborhood (they are private property). If you are fishing, please make sure you have a license if applicable. We have tools available for cleaning and cooking fish which must be done on the metal table on the back concrete porch.

Swimming on the left side of our dock where we park our boat is prohibited. Please stay off of the boat and do not allow guests to climb or swim around the boat. We provide boat tours on the lake, and many times our boat will be uncovered parked at our dock. We need to keep it clean and ready to go, so we kindly ask our guests to please respect this.

Parking is free and for registered guests only. Up to 2 parking spaces are available. There is no other parking available in the area and no "on street parking". If you have more than 2 vehicles, please reach out in advance and we can offer some suggestions for additional vehicles.

There are security cameras outside both entrances of the home for your safety as well as ours that actively record. Do not tamper with or disable the cameras.

If you use the kitchen, please clean up afterwards.

Please do not clean or fry fish inside the home, we can supply tools for cleaning fish as well as a deep fryer for use outside on the concrete back porch.

DECK/GRILL: PLEASE DO NOT SPRAY BUG SPRAY OR SUN TAN LOTION WHILE STANDING ON OUR DECK. It bleaches the deck and does not come off. Please apply in the grass away from the deck if you need to spray - thank you!

Please do not move couches or furniture.

No wet swimsuits/towels on any inside furniture (the chairs outside are swimsuit friendly). Swimming towels can be hung over the sides of the deck in summer to dry. There are also hooks in the bathroom for towels.

Any damages, missing items, etc. will be charged to guests accordingly.

We are on a septic system and if anything other than TP is flushed and this requires a service call by the sewer district or a plumber, you will be responsible for all of the charges related to this service call (to clear and pump out the tank ranges between $400 to $1200). No flushable wipes or feminine products.

Checkout is at 11AM. Often we have new guests checking in the same day you're checking out and we need ample time to thoroughly clean and turn over the house.

Any violation or disregard for the rules will result in being asked to vacate the property prior to your departure date. Any early termination based off of non-compliance with the house rules will not be eligible for a refund for the remainder of your booking.

Please treat our home as if it was your own and leave the space as you found it.