Is Shane’s cottage from Heated Rivalry a real place? Details about the stunning filming location, revealed

When Heated Rivalry’s emotionally charged sixth episode dropped, fans were instantly captivated by the breathtaking backdrop that features one of the series’ most pivotal moments.

Shane’s lakeside retreat isn’t just a narrative device in Heated Rivalry but a stunning visual escape that transports viewers from the high-stakes world of professional hockey to surreal natural beauty that feels almost dreamlike. While the cottage itself belongs to the fictional universe of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, the gorgeous estate that stands in for Shane’s private haven is grounded in reality.

While a cottage conjures an image of an intimate house tucked away in the woods, Shane's multi-million-dollar cottage was more like a Scandinavian-style dwelling, entirely built with glass and nothing like a quaint lakeside cabin its humble name suggests.

Here are all the details about the real-life filming location of Shane's cottage from Heated Rivalry.

Exploring details about the real-life cottage from the Heated Rivalry finale

As much as we would have liked to spend a few more days with Shane and Ilya at The Cottage, HBO Max's series wrapped its sensational debut season run with a heartwarming and satisfactory finale set entirely at Shane's cottage. While Mr. Businessman always had this private retreat to unwind after a hectic hockey season, this was the first time he invited his fellow arch-rival turned 'lover', Ilya, for an idyllic two-week getaway away from the eyes of their teammates and media.

While Shane and Ilya's time at the cottage was as idyllic as it could get, Heated Rivalry fans have found their new obsession now that the show is over. Shane's beautiful cottage is making rounds on the Internet, with people eyeing it as their next romantic getaway. If you are also one of those eager fans, we hate to break it to you that Shane's cottage is a private residence designed as a contemporary “four-season” retreat by Toronto-based architect Trevor McIvor.

Creator Jacob Tierney and the crew did not film Shane and Ilya's romantic hideaway on a soundstage but on the stunning Barlochan Cottage, a real-life cottage located on Lake Muskoka in Ontario. A few days ahead of the finale, McIvor took to his Instagram to reveal this stunning filming location, as follows:

''Make sure to catch up in time to see our beloved project, Barlochan Cottage take centre ice on the big screen!''

Surrounded by Lake Muskoka (where Ilya likely had his cold dip) and 'Stupid Canadian Wolf bird', the Heated Rivalry cottage became the couple's vacation spot, setting the perfect atmosphere for their much-anticipated love confession and vulnerable conversations.

The process of finding the perfect cottage for the Heated Rivalry finale

While Barlochan Cottage became the perfect setting for Shane's cottage in the Heated Rivalry finale, the process of finding it was 'tricky' as Jacob Tierney revealed to Collider:

''It's not just about the house. It's about how far down the road it is. Can we get the trucks down there? Is there room for a base camp? Can we put people up around there? It's a lot. Cottage country is tricky to shoot at. But then, when we saw this house, I loved it. I was like, “Can we make this work?”

Seasoned Reid readers would attest that The Cottage holds significance for Shane and Ilya, as it becomes their perfect hideaway spot, an annual tradition they wholeheartedly accept and embrace. Now that Heated Rivalry Season 2 is confirmed, Tierney teased a return to the cottage in the sophomore season.

Spilling details about the process of finding the perfect spot, the creator revealed how Barlochan Cottage instantly felt like a place Shane would build for privacy, which will likely be featured in the upcoming season:

''The truth is, it was smaller than I had in mind, but as soon as I saw it, I was like, “Oh, this feels like a place Shane would build.” When I thought about it, it was like, he wouldn't build a five-bedroom house. He’d build a small place for himself...It was a beautiful house, and God willing, we can go back there next year.''

You can stream Heated Rivalry on HBO Max in the US and on Crave in Canada.

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