Some places are rarely found on lists of favorite vacation destinations, but look into Lake Tahoe and you’ll wonder why you’re not already on a plane. Or better yet, why your entire household isn’t already in a shipping container. This paradise, 35 minutes from Reno and two and a half hours from the annual Burning Man event in the Nevada desert, has everything for a wonderful life amid untouched nature.
Incline Village, a small town on the north side of the lake, is the icing on the cake. It’s the Beverly Hills of Tahoe. The town has about ten thousand residents, three private sandy beaches, and its own ski resort owned by the residents.
It took three months to find my dream house in Incline Village last year — a rare, 'eighties architectural gem.' Three hundred fifty square meters, a rock-solid structure, and this beauty had so much potential that I knew a few improvements would make it shine again. Furnishing a house in the mountains isn’t the same as a city villa interior or beach house. I worked harder on the design for this property than any other — but it paid off.
The starting point was finding the perfect tiles (Tile Bar) to match the surroundings, so a connection formed between inside and outside. The sunken section of the living room with the fireplace and the six-meter-high windows was made for my minimalist, chic seventies style.
I also brought together my art collection from LA, Ibiza and London — as well as my beloved collection of West German ceramic vases from the sixties and seventies. I didn't have to purchase many new pieces even though the house is bigger than the London and Ibiza properties. I searched intentionally for pieces which would make a statement in their new rooms like the large floating walnut-and-travertine cabinet in the living room, the bedside tables and cork bed in the guest room, and the big leather eighties Marco Zanuso sectional sofa in the TV/billiard room. The bones of the house were so great that it just needed a 80s mind and touch to elevate this simple yet elegant mountain contemporary chalet.
An obsession for travertine stone which I have had since a little girl, was finally achieved in reality. The primary bathroom and guest bathrooms were fully remodeled and new stone bathroom designed.
Stark cream carpets replaced the old 80s ones, and a new minimalist kitchen with Taj Mahal stone slabs gave the downstairs room a fresh yet functional look. Because of the open space room, I did not like the idea of painting above the kitchen cabinets and chose to do something I had never done which is to install stone slabs above the cabinets. Bingo!
The walls in the TV/billiard room were covered with Philipp Jeffries wood wallpaper (Jeffries has been a staple of mine for over a decade), as I was not sure I would enjoy more wood panelling and wanted to make that very large room cosy and chic.
It has been such a creative journey to do this house in the trees, to let its former glory shine, and create this indoor-outdoor connection flow, effortlessly.
