Sarah is a staff writer at Apartment Therapy. She completed her MA in journalism at the University of Missouri and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Belmont University. Past writing and editing stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and several outlets local to her hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
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In my head, the platonic ideal of a cozy cabin is an A-frame. Something about the sloping walls feels like a giant hug, and the tall ceilings make sure they feel uncramped. And this one, sequestered in the woods of Lake Arrowhead just a couple hours outside Los Angeles, has all that charm and more. Plenty of beautiful, mature trees surround the home and a small stream even winds through part of the property depending on the season.
The interior, thankfully, is designed to cherish the idyllic outdoors. Walk into the living room and a massive bank of windows that stretches up to the vaulted ceiling will greet you, including a sliding glass door that leads out onto a deck. A fireplace and antler-esque chandelier create a lodge-like atmosphere, and if you’re in love with the eclectic mix of plaid and velvet furnishings, you’re in luck — most of the furnishings are included in the sale.
Olive green kitchen cabinets echo the green accent wall in the primary bedroom, which has its own ensuite featuring heated floors and a heated towel rack to ensure you stay toasty even when temperatures start to fall.
Are you on the house hunt, or just the type of person who loves browsing real estate listings, even when you’re not in the market for a new home? Property Crush is a column where we feature actual real estate listings that get the Apartment Therapy seal of approval in regards to style (we haven’t done home inspections or anything, so don’t sue us). Know of a great house on the market? Email the listing to repitches@apartmenttherapy.com.
Name: Lynn Pechuekonis and husband, Christian
Location: Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Type of home: Cabin
Size: 730 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: Our 1941 vacation cabin (“Knott Cabin”) is located on nearly three wooded acres. The front porch is faces east, so you get the morning sun coming up, and through the trees you can just see a glimmer of the Potomac River, which is less than 200 yards away. Inside is an open concept floor plan that includes the living room/bedroom/kitchenette/dining room. The hardwood floors are pine. An open staircase leads up to a loft with twin beds. A barn door conceals the bathroom, which has a very modern open shower with rainfall showerhead and heated tile floor.
The decor is a fun mix of mid-century modern furniture, and vintage camp style accessories (including an antique wood cabinet and vintage fishing poles, lures, a minnow bucket, and creel). On the console table behind the couch is a mustard yellow princess phone just for fun and an old-school CD player (we have a whole library of music CDs from the past 30 years). On the side of the cabin opposite the road is a sweet stone patio with a fire pit, eating area, and a gas grill. We live about 20 minutes away in historic Harpers Ferry and share the cabin with our Airbnb guests.
Christian and I love vintage everything, and we appreciate a whole variety of styles. The previous owner of the cabin started the mid-century modern vibe, and we’ve enhanced it with a new couch and accessories. Mostly, we think about comfort and what our guests will need to most enjoy their time in our place. Our home is a 1920s American Foursquare, and we respect its history while not trying to decorate “period.” We have a third-floor guest suite that is very cottage/shabby chic, a basement guest suite that is industrial-vintage and a little bohemian, and a tiny cabin with a 1940s National Park Service vibe. We don’t favor one era or style but like to try out lots of different looks.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Mid-century modern — vintage camp fusion
What is your favorite room and why? I love the living room area of the main floor. When I sit on the couch, I take in the high ceiling, the sleek lines of the furniture, the colors of the patterns on the throw pillows, Pendleton camp blanket. The look is clean but made homey with fun vintage accessories.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Rainfall showerhead and Moroccan throw pillows (Needful Things in Charles Town, WV)
Any advice for creating a home you love? Color is very important, whether it’s a painted table or a pillow or wall art. We could never do monochrome.
My husband and I are both collectors. We surround ourselves with vintage stuff — some family hand-me-downs and others we buy. We find ways to reuse and repurpose things whenever we can. We try not to buy any vintage “treasures” unless we have a use for them.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
With multiple-offer situations taking place all over the country and interest rates flying high, it’s a struggle to buy even one house. But if you land this single-family for sale in Los Angeles, you get two bonus buildings with it. One is a Quonset hut, an arched single-room structure made of corrugated galvanized steel. Two sets of glass doors fill the space with light, making for a sweet yoga studio, writer’s den, or standalone living room. Right next to it, a few steps lead up to a darling blue wooden cabin with its own front porch. Inside, calming pine-colored walls and a vaulted ceiling make for a quaint home office (with the world’s quickest commute).
The three-in-one deal is a huge draw, to be sure, but the main single-family home is lovely enough for a closer look. The bathroom, with a clawfoot tub, subway tiled walls, and geometric blue-and-white flooring is a highlight — with a shower window looking out into the palm tree-blessed backyard to boot. And the kitchen, filled with sunlight sparkling stainless appliances and a farmhouse sink, makes me want to cook up a big brunch and lay it out in the adjacent breakfast room.
Of course, California living means plenty of time spent outside. This home’s backyard, complete with a pergola-covered patio, tons of lush plantings, and a stone path leading from the front yard to the cabin in the back, is all the motivation I’d need to get outside.
Are you on the house hunt, or just the type of person who loves browsing real estate listings, even when you’re not in the market for a new home? Property Crush is a column where we feature actual real estate listings that get the Apartment Therapy seal of approval in regards to style (we haven’t done home inspections or anything, so don’t sue us). Know of a great house on the market? Email the listing to repitches@apartmenttherapy.com.
Name: Nancy Revis
Location: Forestville, California
Type of home: Cabin
Size: 1,100 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: Our cabin is 100 years old and nestled in the Redwoods, near the Russian River in Forestville, California. We recently purchased it and are are slowly improving it, yet keeping the charm as best as possible. It’s our second home and weekend getaway.
I was born in the early ’70s, so I LOVE the ’70s style. In the main cabin, I am decorating in boho chic, and in my studio beside it, it is more of a ’70s retro den. I have been decorating by upcycling off Facebook Marketplace or recovering furniture I have owned for over 20 years. I have been collecting ’70s art, decoupage, embroidered art, alpaca rugs.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: ’70s Boho Cabin Escape
What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room is the studio. It’s like a ’70s disco room. Eventually, I will be putting in a disco ball. But, I love every room, really. Each bedroom is fun and is a work of art every weekend that we are able to enjoy it.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I have mostly purchased on FB Marketplace, Poshmark, or had local upholsterers recover furniture I purchased years ago. I recently recovered an ottoman by using a Serape blanket, a staple gun, and whip stitching the sides in thick turquoise thread.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Try and make each wall or corner an art piece. I own a funky high-end optical shop in Petaluma, California, and I recreate each area of my shop almost quarterly. I redress my display windows every month. I am that person that demands change and stimulation. I am fueled by nostalgia.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
This piece is part of Throwback Month, where we’re revisiting vintage styles, homes, and all kinds of groovy, retro home ideas. Boogie on over here to read more!