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ClassicTahoeA lakeside estate undergoes a masterful remodel at the hands of its owner and the award-winning architecture firm of Ward/Young.

TEXT BY STEFANIE LINGLE BEASLEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASA GILMORECONTRACTOR: BRESNAHAN CONSTRUCTION | ARCHITECT: WARD/YOUNG ARCHITECTURE

A s your car wends down the driveway ofthis beautifully wooded estate, you marvelat the mountain air and the lush greenerythat surrounds you. Then, at the end of the

drive, you are treated to the visual feast that is Lake Tahoe, in allits sparkling glory. This piece of property, with its humble cabin,appealed to its homeowner over 30 years ago when it was first pur-chased. But even then, the land was the prize, not the house.“We knew we’d need to tear it down and start all over someday,”she recalls. The subsequent decades found the house in and out ofuse as the family grew up.

Ultimately, she realized, “I just wasn’t using it enough becausethe house was so cold—the heating and wiring were all in need ofreal repair.” It was uninhabitable during winter and thus it wentunused for months at a time. “About 15 years ago, I started toreally think about remodeling,” she recalls, and finally took theplunge in 2004. Armed with stacks of design ideas clipped frommagazines and shelter books on Adirondack cabins, she began tohunt for an architect and a builder who would understand hervision. She discovered them in contractor Dennis Bresnahan ofBresnahan Construction in Squaw Valley and the team atWard/Young Architecture and Planning in Truckee.

Along the way, she had filled a storage space with furnishings,artwork, and accessories—all saved for that “someday” when thelake house of her dreams would be realized.

Seven years later, this home—a true labor of love—is nearly com-plete. As of press time for this article, all that remained was theinstallation of a seven-foot-tall headboard for the master bed-room. It will be the last masterful addition to a house that isalready extraordinary.

The homeowner divides her time between a sprawling Mediter-ranean-style residence in Los Altos Hills, a cozy cottage in Carmel,and now this lakeside Tahoe retreat. Each home is unique.

“I really wanted a Tahoe cabin,” she recalls. “So many of thehomes up there now are too big and too formal. I wanted it to be’mountainy,’ casual, and warm.” And, most importantly, shewanted it to look like it belonged, “that it had always been there.”

At first the project was going to be a remodel, but as time woreon, it became an almost complete tear down. A former garagebecame a guest cabin and the main house rose again from theoriginal foundation—this time with an improved floor plan, sturdyconstruction, and wonderful finishes. The most striking design ele-ment of the new home wraps around the porches with wildabandon. Beautifully twisted branches form railings reminiscent of

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The main house (this page) features a wall of glass to take advantages of the panoramaof Lake Tahoe.

The cozy guest cottage (opposite) was formerly the property’s garage.

“I really wanted a Tahoe cabin,” she recalls. “So many of the homes up there now are too big and too formal. I wanted it to

be ’mountainy,’ casual, and warm.” And, most importantly, she wanted it to look like it belonged, “that it had always been there.”

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The living room/dining room boasts a spectacular wall of windows to capture the astonishing view.

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antlers. It’s an unexpected touch, but one that defines the home’sstrong sense of place.

Inside the house, reclaimed red barn wood discovered in Indi-ana lines the walls. Designer Michael Burg, who keeps offices inNapa and San Francisco, is responsible for this special touch,recalls the homeowner. The wood lends a rustic feel to the inte-riors—instantly giving them a sense of history. Many of thefurnishings from the original cabin were put to work again in thenew space. A few were reupholstered and restored, but manywere reintroduced as is—complete with the patina of time.

The homeowner glows when she discusses her kitchen with itsred AGA stove and custom hood. “The zinc counters are justmarvelous, so easy to care for,” she says. Overhead in the kitchenare hand-hewn beams. “The original cabin had them and I lovedthem, so we continued them in the new house.”

Bay Area-based master craftsman Carlos Campos did the iron-work on the front door to the home. To illuminate Campos’work, a hay baler was electrified and two antique English carriagelanterns placed on either side of the door. Once through the entrydoor, guests are awed by a striking painting of a Native American.The homeowner laments that the painting was one of a pair that

she spotted on a visit to a gallery in Carmel. “I should have boughtboth,” she says wistfully. Beneath the painting, an antique massiveconsole table is topped with an antique salmon purchased at theSan Francisco Fall Antiques Show.

Dotted throughout the house and guesthouse are antiqueNavajo rugs and blankets from the homeowner’s extensive collec-tion. She even employed several as curtains. “If you look closely,you’ll see the curtains don’t match,” she points out. “Several peo-ple thought the idea was crazy.” But it is as visually appealing as itis unorthodox. Unafraid to take design risks and backed by thecourage to follow through on her vision, the homeowner embarkedon the construction of the massive stone patio that leads guests fromthe house to the lake. “I hand picked each of the boulders surround-ing the patio,” she notes. She also worked with the team ofcraftsmen who built the outdoor fireplace. “They wanted to makeit perfect and symmetrical and I wanted anything but,” she recalls.After much trial and error, they were able to achieve precisely therough look she was after.

Now that the project is complete, the homeowner and her grownchildren are thrilled with the results. “We’re up here all the timenow,” she says. “Enjoying every minute.” ■

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A wide stone patio provides ample space forentertaining. The homeowner personally selectedeach of the boulders surrounding the terrace.

Views of the guesthouse living room (opposite);the entry hall with an antique totem pole, and oilpainting of a native American and the kitchencomplete with reclaimed red barn wood paneling..