A Miracle of Modern Design

No two remodels are the same, and the scope of each project can vary wildly. To simply call the transformation of this lakefront mountain home a “remodel” doesn’t do it justice. This was a complete reinterpretation – a time traveling transformation that brought a 40-year-old relic screaming into the 21st century. A complete reimagining of every facet of the home, remodeling it to fit our modern lifestyle and sensibilities.

The 4,000-square-foot home in question sits on the shores of Donner Lake in Truckee, and was a bit of a unicorn (to put it nicely). Legend has it the former owner was a contractor and every time he completed a job with leftover materials, he would repurpose and install them in his own home. The result was a cobbled together, hodgepodge design, like something out of a Wes Anderson movie.

In the wild and crazy 70s the eccentricity (including a bedroom jacuzzi) had a certain charm, but it sticks out like a sore thumb in modern times. Enter Megan Bristol and her team at Tahoe Modern, who set out to make this home better suited for a 21st century family of five.

What really sets this home apart is the perfect blend of styles, into what Bristol calls “West Coast Mountain Modern.”

To that end, the color palette draws from the lake house vibe with lots of blues and grays, darker cabinetry and rich leather chairs. But there’s also a mountain feel thanks to elements like boucle fabric. You could say it’s the best of both worlds – perfect for this modern era of everything everywhere all at once.