My Houzz: Natural, Autumnal Cabin Style in California
Rich seasonal hues and rustic decor and materials create an inspiring home for an Ojai, California, color consultant
Color consultant Nancy Pepper relocated from Los Angeles to Ojai, California, after lunch with a friend turned into a property-scouting adventure. After viewing five other houses, six turned out to be her lucky number: a quiet home surrounded by nature and gorgeous views of the Topa Topa Mountains. "My personal style is heavily influenced by nature, and if I could live anywhere it would be in the forest," Pepper says.
Pepper helps her clients discover their individual color palettes based on the four seasons. While designing her own home, she used her personal colors as a source of inspiration. Being an "autumn with a bit of winter," Pepper chose rich, vibrant hues; heavy textures; and natural elements, giving her Ojai abode a cabin-inspired style.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Nancy Pepper and her two mini Labradoodles
Location: Ojai, California
Size: 2,800 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, studio office
That's interesting: Famous potter Otto Heino's studio and former home is right up the street.
Pepper helps her clients discover their individual color palettes based on the four seasons. While designing her own home, she used her personal colors as a source of inspiration. Being an "autumn with a bit of winter," Pepper chose rich, vibrant hues; heavy textures; and natural elements, giving her Ojai abode a cabin-inspired style.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Nancy Pepper and her two mini Labradoodles
Location: Ojai, California
Size: 2,800 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, studio office
That's interesting: Famous potter Otto Heino's studio and former home is right up the street.
Pepper chose earthy hues of red, orange, green and teal as the main color palette for her home, and they work in harmony with her nature-inspired decor.
Unique mixed-media artworks such as this piece by Trevor Norris, titled Diagonal Down, blend in with the colors of the home.
Aiming to make the home feel more like a cabin, Pepper designed with real logs from Oregon, brought down by a former neighbor. She used both finished and unfinished pieces, such as this log column in the kitchen, to provide texture and contrast. The kitchen cabinets are made of recycled Douglas fir.
Knowing that Pepper likes to make use of recycled items, a friend salvaged a box of old railroad spikes for her. After much contemplation about how to integrate them into the design, Pepper decided to use them as handles for her kitchen cabinets and drawers.
Pepper's orange and green counters are a bold color choice, but they are one of her favorite features of the home. Orange is one of her favorite colors. "It makes me happy to look at it," says Pepper. The cheerful hue is ubiquitous throughout the house, extending even to the orange trees outside.
Countertops: Caesarstone
Countertops: Caesarstone
Pepper brings out her vibrant countertops' full potential by displaying matching decorative accents such as glass bell peppers and glassware.
The wood lining and the legs of the kitchen island are also made of logs from Oregon. Pepper stained the logs to give them a more finished look as well as more durability in a kitchen setting.
The sides of the island are lined with wood from the home's former hardwood floors. Pepper's contractor found 100-year-old pipes from an orange orchard in Santa Paula, California, to use as a footrest.
Bar stools: Cowhide Western Furniture
The sides of the island are lined with wood from the home's former hardwood floors. Pepper's contractor found 100-year-old pipes from an orange orchard in Santa Paula, California, to use as a footrest.
Bar stools: Cowhide Western Furniture
Pepper had an oddly shaped piece of wood left over from the Oregon delivery and couldn't let it go to waste. She saw it as an opportunity for another one-of-a-kind piece for her home and had her contractor craft it into this rustic side table.
For Pepper, designing is all about doing what you like. Her home has an eclectic feel, with items from different styles and time periods. She has collected various pieces over the years, such as this chair that she has had since the '60s, and this table made out of an antique door, which still has its original hinges and keyhole.
The vibrant chair blends perfectly with the teal vases and kilim rug draped over the table.
The vibrant chair blends perfectly with the teal vases and kilim rug draped over the table.
It took Pepper two and a half years to decide the final layout of her living room. When she first bought the house, the living room sat where the dining room is now, and the dining room was a small extension off the kitchen. With the intent of opening up the space to make a more social setup, Pepper swapped the two spaces and extended the home outward, creating a large, spacious living room.
The inviting sectional sofa is by designer Elizabeth Alexander, with needlepoint pillows made by Pepper.
The inviting sectional sofa is by designer Elizabeth Alexander, with needlepoint pillows made by Pepper.
Alexander originally suggested that Pepper put a seating area in front of the fireplace, but Pepper found that she loved the open and spacious feel of the room. She says, "It's a great place to do yoga."
Pepper's design philosophy is "make it bulletproof." She wanted low-maintenance floors that would stand up to her two dogs' playful antics. She chose materials that would satisfy her love of texture and nature: a gorgeous slate for the living room and kitchen, and pine hardwood floors for the rest of the home.
Table and chairs: Elizabeth Alexander Interior Design, Ojai
Pepper's design philosophy is "make it bulletproof." She wanted low-maintenance floors that would stand up to her two dogs' playful antics. She chose materials that would satisfy her love of texture and nature: a gorgeous slate for the living room and kitchen, and pine hardwood floors for the rest of the home.
Table and chairs: Elizabeth Alexander Interior Design, Ojai
The outdoors makes its way into the master bedroom via the rock fireplace, pine floors and decorative ferns. Pepper added splashes of color to the neutral tones with rugs from Oaxaca, Mexico, collected over the years and a subtle green wall hue.
One of Pepper's favorite pieces, which she has had for many years, is her calla lily bed, designed by Suzanne Geismar.
Wood paneling and a slate bathtub make the master bathroom feel straight out of a cabin deep in the forest. The window overlooks the gorgeous backdrop of Pepper's landscaping and the surrounding mountains.
The bed in Pepper's guest room originally belonged to one of her sons, who decided that it belonged in his mother's house because of its wooden pillars and cabinlike style. Pepper contrasts the natural elements with bright bursts of color.
Pepper's bright and cheery home studio is where she does her color consulting with clients. She sits them down on the stool and analyzes their hair, skin and eyes to find a suitable color palette. She consults on makeup, clothing and even home decor. The studio is full of color swatches and illustration boards for each palette, such as the autumn board shown here.
Pepper uses a white backdrop for her studio so she can start with a blank slate when consulting with her clients.
The chosen colors extend to the patio overlooking the gardens and pool.
The backyard is full of hardscaping, which Pepper broke up to add more greens and gardening space. The area is used often for family gatherings and enjoying sunshine by the pool.
Pepper matched her dining room table, found at Wachters in Ojai, with Paris bistro chairs from Ojai interior designer Elizabeth Alexander.