Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Cozy Mountain Retreat Near Lake Tahoe
An observation deck, a gourmet kitchen and generous helpings of windows make this California vacation home a storm watcher's paradise
Sheltered in heavy timber and steel outside, cedar and stone inside, this family mountain retreat near Lake Tahoe, California, has a 270-degree view of its surroundings, making it the perfect place from which to watch storms brewing in the distance. The home's hardy exterior is softened by curvy midcentury pieces and whimsical touches, all clues that an active and young family lives within its walls.
Architect Paul Warner designed the house with significant consideration of its natural setting, and great care was taken to preserve the trees on the nearly half-acre property. Part of the home was prefabricated in a factory in Utah and shipped and craned onto the foundation, while the dining area and great room were built onsite, making the home what Warner calls a prefab hybrid. The prefab construction method enabled the construction time to be cut in half, important in the Lake Tahoe area, where weather plays a huge role in a home's construction costs and schedule.
Houzz at a Glance
A second home for: A French baker and his family
Location: Martis Valley, Truckee, California
Size: 3,250 square feet
That's interesting: Only 3 trees had to be removed to accommodate the home; at least 20 others on the property were preserved.
Architect Paul Warner designed the house with significant consideration of its natural setting, and great care was taken to preserve the trees on the nearly half-acre property. Part of the home was prefabricated in a factory in Utah and shipped and craned onto the foundation, while the dining area and great room were built onsite, making the home what Warner calls a prefab hybrid. The prefab construction method enabled the construction time to be cut in half, important in the Lake Tahoe area, where weather plays a huge role in a home's construction costs and schedule.
Houzz at a Glance
A second home for: A French baker and his family
Location: Martis Valley, Truckee, California
Size: 3,250 square feet
That's interesting: Only 3 trees had to be removed to accommodate the home; at least 20 others on the property were preserved.
The house is surrounded by a forest of ponderosa pines and white firs. Cedar, heavy timber and native stone allow the structure to look at home in the forest.
A heavy timber roof assembly and hot-rolled steel framing reduce the possibility of ice damming in the winter; they also reduce the cooling load in the summer. The exterior materials were picked to protect the home from the harsh climate. The house is in a fire zone, so the exteriors are fire resistant, with heavy timber and steel overhangs, tempered glass in all the windows and vents that keep sparks and embers from entering the home.
An observation deck off the loft facing south provides a 270-degree view of the mountains and is a great place to watch the stars from, says Warner.
An observation deck off the loft facing south provides a 270-degree view of the mountains and is a great place to watch the stars from, says Warner.
Another vantage point from which to watch the stars is the great room, swathed in unadorned glass windows and walls to allow the outdoors to blend with the interiors. The fireplace, made fully of stone, retains heat from the fire and southern sun throughout winter; it also grounds the great room with its sheer size.
"The home has a lot of windows to bring in natural light, but [the windows] also act as great portals to view the powerful winter storms," says Warner.
Dining table: Cross Extension Table, Design Within Reach; upholstered dining chairs: Ligne Roset; chandelier: Candelaria by Robert Abbey, Lumens
"The home has a lot of windows to bring in natural light, but [the windows] also act as great portals to view the powerful winter storms," says Warner.
Dining table: Cross Extension Table, Design Within Reach; upholstered dining chairs: Ligne Roset; chandelier: Candelaria by Robert Abbey, Lumens
A baby-blue Womb Chair takes up most of a corner space in the great room, making it the perfect reading and storm-watching nook. Sliding glass doors that disappear behind the media cabinet open up an entire corner of the great room onto the patio.
The television echoes the rectangular frame of the fireplace and blends in with the rest of the space.
Sofa: Dune Sectional, Poliform; Saarinen Womb Chair: Knoll
The television echoes the rectangular frame of the fireplace and blends in with the rest of the space.
Sofa: Dune Sectional, Poliform; Saarinen Womb Chair: Knoll
Interior materials such as cedar and slate converge in this image. The contrast between the sleek slate floor and the cedar ceiling is simply stunning.
Fireplace surround: Falls Creek Ledgestone; tile floors: Molten Palace, American Slate; ceiling: T&G clear cedar
Fireplace surround: Falls Creek Ledgestone; tile floors: Molten Palace, American Slate; ceiling: T&G clear cedar
The tractor-seat bar stools throw the angular kitchen a few curves. The stools' walnut finish makes a great layering material to the cedar ceiling and wood cabinetry; the stools also give each member of the family a seat around the island table. "The gourmet kitchen allows the family to gather around the large island while the baker prepares fresh bread and pastries," Warner says.
Backsplash: Steel Silk, Walker Zanger; stools: Tractor bar stools in walnut, Design Within Reach; light pendants: Meridian Pendant Lamp, Sundance
Backsplash: Steel Silk, Walker Zanger; stools: Tractor bar stools in walnut, Design Within Reach; light pendants: Meridian Pendant Lamp, Sundance
This bedroom makes a warm and airy resting area for friends and family who are looking for a place to rest after a day of hiking, biking and skiing.
Manana floor light: Design House Stockholm; bed: Atlantico, De la Espada; floors: Olde Dutch in European white oak, Du Chateau Floors
Manana floor light: Design House Stockholm; bed: Atlantico, De la Espada; floors: Olde Dutch in European white oak, Du Chateau Floors
Although summer temperatures average in the 80s, the home doesn't have air conditioning. Instead, it has a heat-recovery ventilation system (vents pictured here) designed to draw in nighttime air to help cool the home.
A large mudroom works hard for the family, with storage for winter boots, hats, gloves and jackets on both sides of the entry.
Part bath, part sculpture, this oval freestanding tub contrasts the gray and blue tones of the limestone wall and floor tiles.
Tub: Blu Bathworks; wall tiles: chenille limestone, Daltile; shower floor tiles: lagos blue, Daltile
Tub: Blu Bathworks; wall tiles: chenille limestone, Daltile; shower floor tiles: lagos blue, Daltile
The house is peppered with large midcentury furnishings, but the more interesting pieces come in smaller sizes: a whimsical and delicate pair of Scandinavian Vedel bird toys ...
... and a family of wooden Japanese kokeshi dolls.
Fondly called the bunk room by Warner's clients, the kids' room is made a private place for play and rest with sliding barn doors that look and feel at home in this mountain retreat.
This gorgeous nighttime photo shows the home's different levels; it also highlights how the structure uses the natural grade of the landscape to "step up the home," Warner says. The lower-level rooms (mudroom, garage and storage) were buried into the grade so that the upper level would be at grade and allow a better connection between the indoor and outdoor environment.