Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Home for All Seasons on Lake Tahoe
A designer adds whimsical woodsy touches, chic dashes of plaid and a nostalgic feel to a weekend home
Foxes, geese, botanical prints, natural textures, plaids and even creatures that look something like a cross between a dog and a horse bring a woodsy, whimsical and summer-camp-inspired atmosphere to this home on Lake Tahoe. While giving the vacation house a full remodel, interior designer Alison Davin instilled it with a balance that feels breezy during the summer and cozy during the winter. And because the family of four wanted to be able to accommodate its large extended family, the house now sleeps 16 people comfortably.
In the family room, Davin continued the tongue-and-groove paneling around the walls. She spruced up the original fireplace by painting the bricks black and adding a reclaimed-wood mantel that wraps around both sides. She also installed new white oak hardwood floors. And she was allowed to replace the doors and windows to improve the views and meet California’s updated building codes.
“I’d worked with these clients several times before and they just said ‘Go,’ ” the designer says. She added many whimsical touches she knew they’d appreciate while keeping things chic. One example is the fabric on the window treatments. “It’s sort of a dog-horse creature in the pattern, kind of like you’d see on cave paintings,” Davin says. “You can’t tell what it is until you look at it close up.”
Hire a local fireplace pro
“I’d worked with these clients several times before and they just said ‘Go,’ ” the designer says. She added many whimsical touches she knew they’d appreciate while keeping things chic. One example is the fabric on the window treatments. “It’s sort of a dog-horse creature in the pattern, kind of like you’d see on cave paintings,” Davin says. “You can’t tell what it is until you look at it close up.”
Hire a local fireplace pro
“My clients use the house year-round, so I wanted to make it fresh and airy for summer and cozy and warm for winter,” Davin says. She struck this balance by using light-colored walls and mixing different wood tones on the furnishings and architecture. She also used plaids, which bring in summer camp nostalgia in a sophisticated way while at the same time adding a cozy winter vibe. The snowy photo by Japanese artist Tokihiro Sato also brings the winter to the summer-winter balance. The deep woodsy green armchairs swivel so they can face the sofa views of Lake Tahoe through the glass doors.
This room is about conversation, reading and enjoying the view. (The TV is in the newly finished lower level below, where Davin dug down to create a media room and guest suite.) The designer added a sofa table, providing a good spot for two ceramic lamps for reading atop it.
A few steps up from the family room is the kitchen, where an eat-in area is partially open to it. In order to open up the house, Davin removed many structural posts that made the interiors feel awkward and replaced them with steel beams. This photo shows the only remaining post, which Davin used to anchor the eat-in space and visually divide the two rooms.
The homey dining table is a Swedish antique. Davin styled a sofa as a banquette and had it covered in a botanical print from Timorous Beasties that’s full of forest creatures such as squirrels.
Browse oval dining tables in the Houzz Shop
The homey dining table is a Swedish antique. Davin styled a sofa as a banquette and had it covered in a botanical print from Timorous Beasties that’s full of forest creatures such as squirrels.
Browse oval dining tables in the Houzz Shop
At the other end of the kitchen, a high island runs perpendicular to the dining table. “I went with army green for the range for the camp-y feel and niched it in,” Davin says. She repeated the tongue-and-groove paneling on the walls and reclaimed-wood accents she used in the family room. The backsplash is zellige tile, which has a handmade feel.
White oak open shelves make it easy for guests to grab their coffee mugs and cereal bowls in the morning. The countertops are soapstone.
In the mudroom, Davin included large custom built-ins for ski gear — the tall cabinet holds skis, and there are racks for boots and special drawers for helmets. The bench provides a spot to take off snowy boots before entering the rest of the house.
The media room on the lower level is popular with all the kids staying in the house. “Everyone needs to be able to find some personal space, even when there’s a full house,” Davin says. Finishing the basement gave the family enough room to spread out. Built-ins contain the TV and other media equipment. A palette that includes greens, tans, wood and plaids continues the camp look. Faux beams bring in the reclaimed wood used elsewhere in the house, while a jute-wrapped surfboard adds another whimsical touch.
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
This entry on the lower level offers easy access to the lake. Davin hung a few hooks and added a chair to create a mini landing zone.
In the lower-level guest room, Davin revved up the calm and neutral color palette with deep mustard yellow accents and a botanical print. She chose a low platform bed and nightstands to make the ceiling seem higher.
Up on the second level, the layout was an odd configuration. “There was an office and a bathroom and a closet, all in weird places on the lake-facing side, and none of the rooms got the awesome views,” Davin says. She reconfigured the layout to give the primary suite the best views. Now the bedroom has its own private balcony.
The dark wood, rushed headboard and botanical prints add natural touches to the primary bedroom, while the light palette maintains an airy look.
The new layout gives the bathtub in the primary bathroom a stunning view. The tub’s black exterior provides strong contrast to the marble mosaic tile floor and white walls. Cute cafe curtains lend the camp feel.
Shop for a freestanding bathtub
Shop for a freestanding bathtub
The top level is a kids’ haven. A big part of being able to sleep 16 is a room full of trundle beds. “And kids are smaller so they do better with the lower ceilings up here,” Davin says.
Flying geese cover not only the walls but also the ceiling. And the mix of the dark wood and plaid rug with the light walls hits the winter-summer balance.
Flying geese cover not only the walls but also the ceiling. And the mix of the dark wood and plaid rug with the light walls hits the winter-summer balance.
A custom angled door leads to the kids’ bathroom.
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
House at a Glance
Who lives here: This is the vacation home of a family of four
Location: Tahoe City, California
Size: Five bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
Designer: Alison Davin of Jute Interior Design
The homeowners, who have two children, were very familiar with the property, as they’d bought it from the husband’s parents. “He had grown up going there so this was nostalgic for him,” Davin says. This view from the family room through the trees to the lake illustrates why they loved it so much. But the interiors were dated and a full renovation was in order. In addition, the clients wanted room for their extended family to stay overnight.
“This house was built in the late 1960s or early 1970s, and there were strict rules about changing the exterior and footprint of this house,” Davin says. “So we had to dig down and create a full lower level to gain more space.” The added space includes a guest suite, a media room and a large storage room for canoes and other water gear. Because the property is on a slope, the lower level is walk-out. The designer also made the most of the attic, which had been semifinished and mostly used for storage.
Find an interior designer on Houzz