Fire-rated plywood doesn't get much attention until someone actually needs it and by then, it's usually because a building code inspector, an insurance company, or an architect has asked for it by name.

The Leisure Island boathouse sits on a boat-access site on Lake of the Woods, sheltering a single Bayliner beneath its soaring black roofline. The design brief called for something far from the traditional boathouse look.

A well-placed fire pit, a modest deck, a pergola for your morning coffee, or a run of cedar planters to frame: there's no shortage of DIY projects you can accomplish on a weekend at the cottage.