Little House In The Big Woods

Interiors KD imagines a Lake Tahoe retreat that suits the sophisticated sensibilities of a Los Angeles couple

A Los Angeles couple had fallen in love with Lake Tahoe’s wild beauty and its active lifestyle. So when a piece of land just down the street from their rental home became available, they grabbed
it, commissioning architect Ryan Borman to conjure up a modern three-story home. “Here
we blended Tahoe’s rustic charm with modern efficiency and natural materials to create a subtle, sophisticated hybrid,” Borman shares. Expansive windows, seamless indoor-outdoor connections and a flexible floor plan allow regular hosting and provide space for the couple’s newborn son. “We also accommodated the area’s seasonal shifts, integrating features like built-in benches, fire pits, sunken spas and fully covered outdoor areas,” he notes.

Sylvestre Huerta of Interiors KD, who had created the couple’s earthy, rugged, downtown L.A. loft, took charge of the interiors. “It was a very modern house, which is unusual for that area—it’s pretty traditional—and the clients wanted to run with that,” Huerta notes. It fell to him to soften the home’s clean lines, ensuring that the house would feel cozy and welcoming. “Given the home’s magnificent views, it was obvious we should bring in the exterior’s color, textures and patterns,” Huerta explains. He knew the clients were not interested in the kitschy aspect of cabin decor. “The question became, how could we mix in custom and designer pieces, vintage finds and great art with organic, natural elements and do it in a way that would feel sophisticated?”

The lighting fixture that hangs over the din- ing room table is one arresting example of how Huerta solved this dilemma. “From day one they’d asked for a custom chandelier for that spot,” Huerta remembers. He turned to Fuse Lighting to create a dramatic design that would take advantage of the room’s beautiful light and its tall ceilings. “The result is a striking piece, christened Caleb after their new baby, created from brushed antique brass branches that balance cascading layers of alabaster shades,” Huerta notes. “What we didn’t realize until after we hung it was that, because the stone is translucent, and because of the angle at which the sun streams in through the windows during the day, it would cause the stone to glow in this amazing way even when it’s off.” Its geometry is echoed in a sculpture by Mirena Kim, which hangs on a wall nearby. “Interestingly, she created it from shredded paper that actually came from our offices,” Huerta laughs. “So it’s like this idea of craft but elevated.”

“The trick here was to balance high style with extreme comfort,” Huerta emphasizes. In the living room, that meant B&B Italia’s Ray sofa, a simple, strong and linear piece. “It’s really deep and slouchy so it makes a great spot for watching TV or hanging out with the baby,” Huerta says. “It’s paired with an oversize comfortable chair, reminiscent of an old baseball glove. And the pattern on the rug is almost like birch bark.” The kitchen’s sleek white oak cabinetry is washed with a custom stain that echoes the wood of the nearby trees, amplifying the room’s intimacy and emphasizing its subtle masculinity. In the primary bedroom, Fuse Lighting’s furry Clifton lamp and a bed set against a slatted wood screen are Huerta’s nod to mountain decor. That’s also true of the downstairs den, where B&B Italia’s sprawling Tufty-Time sofa and a nubby cream-and-black rug is paired with a playful side table and an exuberant abstract painting that suggests sleepaway camp. “We took these ideas from the setting and the architecture and who they were and how they live and stirred them together,” Huerta says. “The result is something fun and comfortable but very refined.”

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