by Furnishly | Mar 3, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Name: Vanessa Oliveros and family
Location: Running Springs, California
Type of home: Cabin
Size: 660 square feet
Years lived in: 9 months, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We have a beautiful cabin that we purchased as a vacation home. We rent it out on Airbnb when we are not there. We are a family of five: husband, wife, and three young children. The cabin is located among beautiful pine trees. We lovingly refer to it as the treehaus. The great forest treetop views from the front deck are the epitome of relaxation.
This home serves as my retreat, and I am blessed to share it with others. The space represents what I was looking for. At the time, mid-pandemic, I wanted an escape — one where I feel relaxed, peaceful, and comfortable.
The home represents these feelings as it is welcoming with a warm color palette bringing in earthy tones and vibes.
What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room is the living room/dining room. I love these rooms because they really complement each other. The rooms flow and they are inviting. The rooms are cozy, accommodating, and charming.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Warm and cozy
Any advice for creating a home you love? My advice for creating a room I love is to incorporate colors that make you feel good, personalize the space with items that mean something to you, and make sure each item has a function and that it all flows.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
by Furnishly | Jan 24, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Name: Steffy Degreff and Matt Degreff along with our two sons, and our dog Claude
Location: Upstate NY
Size: 800 square feet
Type of Home: Tiny A-Frame home
Years lived in: 1 year, owned
Our home is a 1974 A-frame located in the woods of upstate New York. We fell in love with the shape of the home first, but we also loved the location (it’s very central to many of our favorite towns in upstate New York, like Kingston and Hunter. We also love the property that it sits on — a ½ acre of land with a small creek, a large shed, and a gazebo. Our home is on a street that has a wonderful homeowners’ group, and we share a common outdoor space with other neighbors a mile or so away that has a swimming hole and a rec room, which is a huge perk!
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: My decor style is always based initially off of a warm color scheme — I usually am attracted to a mixture between mid-century modern and Scandinavian design, and I love to mix woods with interesting textures and too much brown, orange, and green.
Favorite Element: Oh there is SO much. The first thing I love is the bright color of the outside — we intentionally picked something that is loud, since the outside square footage of the home is so small, it was fun to play with that color. I love the cabinet color of the kitchen — “Current Mood” by Clare Paint; in my opinion the perfect green for upstate NY. I also adore the freestanding tub upstairs, along with the triangle window in our bedroom that we added in. The view through the window in the fall is absolutely breathtaking.
Biggest Challenge: Our largest challenge has always been the shape of the A-frame roofline, and the nature of an A-frame home having few internal walls and very little insulation. Every oddity we’ve done is due to the shape of the home. To list a few — when we added out upstairs bathroom, the only wall that the toilet could sit on was an exterior wall. So there’s a toilet near our exterior door. But it was the only option! We also have a pipe that is along our exterior wall that became an issue in winter with freezing, because the insulation is so thin on A-frame exterior walls. Every piece of furniture was picked with the pitch of the roof in mind, and we had to build out dummy walls to create a flat surface to mount our pedestal sink and A/C unit to in the upstairs room.
Proudest DIY: I think I am most proud of the marble countertop DIY — it looks soo real and has held up so nicely!!
Biggest Indulgence: The largest cost was for replacing the windows and doors, and it was 100 percent worth it. It modernized the entire look of the home, and it also helped with a lot of the seals in the winter.
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? We found a way to fit laundry into our second bedroom in the closet! We ordered Bosch units that are only 24 inches wide!
What are your favorite products you have bought for your home and why? I absolutely love all of the EQ3 furniture we added to the space — it is so sleek and modern, and really looks great with the white painted wood-look. The table is a nice light-colored wood, and their swivel chair has such a gorgeous Scandinavian look to it.
Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: Our best tip is to consider wall space your friend for hanging things. We have a little ledge and some wall space in our kitchen that we use to hang pots and pans, and we store our silverware in little mason jars in a place where they’re out. We also only have what we need — we only have four towels, and four pieces of silverware — one for each of us!
Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Never walk into a store blank — I always have an idea or inspiration in mind! If I mindlessly purchase something without a place for it to go, it never ends well!
Thanks Steffy and family!
This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
by Furnishly | Jan 12, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Name: Caley Kevlin, husband, two kids, and dog
Location: Mariposa, California
Type of Home: Cabin
Size: 1200 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We retreated from busy city life to settle in the majestic Sierra mountain foothills to raise our family of two young boys, Fynn and Bodhi. And our sweet but mischievous dog, River. Our home is set on five acres of magical mountain paradise. Nestled next a river and a few large granite rockpools, we can swim in the summer, catch frogs in the spring, and enjoy spectacular sunsets everyday. It’s our little piece of Yosemite. It was built in 1987 by a local musician, who tragically died in a car accident a few years ago. Rumor has it he was a nudist and cultivated one of the most beautiful properties on the entire area. We fell in love with the extremely unique home and have slowly pieced together details about it from neighbors. Supposedly, he designed it to look like a large boulder, to fit into the granite landscape.
It boasts 30-foot ceilings in the main living area and a wrap-around deck that overlooks the river. It is the most unique house I’ve ever seen. And there is something that just feels special about the property. It’s hard to put into words. We put an offer on it the day we saw it and have been so happy to be able to continue the musical spirit of the house. We’ve kept the inherited piano as a feature in our living room and plan to teach our boys how to play it. We often host musical gathering with our friends and play music into the night around the fire. This house was a bit of a diamond in the rough. We did a ton of painting and DIY projects to transform it, like pouring a concrete countertop over tile in our kitchen and painting the tile floors.
Music is a huge influence in my life. I play many instruments and am fascinated by how universal and fundamental music in every culture on earth. In our home, I pull inspiration from the rich colors, patterns, and cultures of the instruments I collect. The instruments themselves become the building blocks of the interior. I build everything to complement them. I have a variety of drums, guitars, mandolins, flutes, ukuleles, and a piano, that I have hung in ever room of the house, that serve more than decoration. These are an invitation to create. And to participate in a universal human experience. I love it when someone comes into my home and says “I have always wanted to learn to play music.” I always take it as an opportunity to grab an instrument off the wall teach them a basic chord. I love being able open people’s eyes and hearts to their own inner musician.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Eclectic bohemian inspired by music
What is your favorite room and why? It’s a toss up between our main living area or our outdoor clawfoot bathtub. In our main living area, the high ceilings create a feeling of spaciousness and creativity. But while the room is expansive, it feels cozy at the same time. I love afternoons with the large sliding doors open, watching the hummingbirds, and listening to the gentle flow of the river. We built a deck with an outdoor clawfoot tub with running hot water overlooking a river and granite rock pools… what else need I say?!
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? We are constantly weaving in natural elements that we find on the property into our home. In the master bedroom, we recently created two matching bedside tables from a large fallen pine tree.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Be authentic. Choose objects that feed your soul and then build your home around those things. Also, don’t be afraid to paint tile.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
by Furnishly | Dec 25, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
Who hasn’t dreamed of running away to the woods to live a simple life? With remote work more common than ever, it’s becoming an attainable reality for some. And for others, they’re simply keeping an eye on these incredible renovations and waiting for them to hit Airbnb.
From A-frames in California to log cabins in North Carolina to mountain hideaways in the Catskills, these quiet retreats show what’s possible with DIY skills, creativity, and, sometimes, a lot of white paint. Almost every one of these homes started with a complete renovation project and the results are jaw-dropping. Join us on this jaunt through the woods with these 11 stunning cabins and A-frames.
1. The ‘Art of Doing Nothing’ House
Named the Niksen House, this asymmetrical “Scandinavian modern minimalist” cabin in Oregon embraces “niksen,” aka the Dutch concept of doing nothing. Here, the bedroom begs you to crawl into bed early and watch the stars through the skylight above your head, then wake up early as you watch the sunrise. It’s a retreat that encourages you to disconnect from it all and find a bit of peace among its modern design elements.
2. A Cheerful Spot in the Woods
When you think of an A-frame cabin, you probably don’t imagine pops of pink set against a white backdrop. But that’s exactly what you’ll find in this “vintage modern” California home named “Little Apple A-Frame.” Designed to maximize every inch of its 830 square feet, this house is a bright, cheery spot in the woods with pink stairs, pink doors, and vibrant accents in every room.
3. A Campy ’70s Mountain Chalet
Imagine taking a cozy three-bedroom/one-bath cabin in need of a lot of love and turning it into a spacious, airy, four-bedroom/four-and-a-half bath lodge, perfect for a family full of adventure-seekers. That’s exactly what was accomplished in this Northern California A-frame. With lots of wood and textiles and loads of “campy ’70s mountain chalet vibes,” it feels like stepping back into a nostalgic campsite — in the most stylish way.
4. Whimsical, White, and Family-Friendly
Whimsical touches, like robin’s egg blue kitchen cabinets and bunny wallpaper in the bathroom, are unexpected in a rustic A-frame cabin — and that’s exactly why this home in California’s San Bernardino Mountains is so special. Its sloping walls soar with light, and somehow, it’s both almost all-white and kid-friendly at the same time. It’s a dreamy space in the woods for families to get away.
Many of the A-frames on the market are weekend rentals, but not as often is there one that’s a long-term home. This stunning 1,200-square-foot A-frame cabin is the long-term rental unicorn, nestled among the redwoods outside San Francisco. Its residents have totally leaned into the wall-to-wall carpeting, retro kitchen, and wood paneling by embracing mid-century silhouettes and a warm color palette.
6. A Colorful Surprise in the Mountains
This log cabin in the mountains outside Asheville, North Carolina, may remind you of an old-school home, but once you step inside, you’re hit with bold colors and modern design elements. You’d expect nothing less from the founders of East Fork Pottery, and their home is a wonderful collection of color, texture, and objets d’art.
7. Cozy, Airy Simplicity With Spectacular Views
Black paint outside and white paint inside did the trick for preserving the woodsy feel of this formerly run-down mountain retreat. With incredible views of the Colorado mountains at 10,000 feet, this home is cozy, bright, and airy — the result of painting the wood paneling white and installing rich, wide-plank hardwood floors. With local touches and intentionally chosen furniture, this is mountain simplicity at its best.
8. Vintage-Minded Cabin Vibes
A 1950s summer cabin with “360-degree wood” was 95 percent renovated with just a coat of white paint to brighten up the space. But this isn’t a “make-it-all-white-and-modern” renovation. Instead, the home has been lovingly restored using local vintage pieces that evoke the history and craftsmanship of its home in the Catskill Mountains of New York.
9. A Pacific Northwest Paradise
Mice, spiders, and a foreclosure didn’t stop this rustic Washington cabin from becoming the warmest, most welcoming family home. Working with, rather than against, the wood beams and cedar ceilings that make this space a woodsy retreat, the light walls and low-profile, loungey furniture make the home feel like a modern mountain retreat — or a contemporary and comfortable tent hidden away on 28 acres in the woods.
10. Honoring History at Hemlock House
Honoring the original 1920s cabin architecture of this California home was the inspiration for a complete renovation. The owners of Hemlock House looked at old black-and-white photos to recreate and salvage many of the same elements that would have been in the original home and have decorated with their grandparents’ antiques to keep it feeling authentic to its original era. However, they chose to go with modern fixtures and materials to keep it from feeling stale.
11. A Cozy, Intimate Oasis
An extensive DIY renovation that involved hours upon hours of sanding and staining made for a cozy bohemian retreat in the middle of the Catskill Mountains. With 16-foot ceilings and soaring windows in the living room, bedrooms that layer monochromatic textures, and plants around every corner, this oasis in the woods launched a beloved trio trio of Airbnbs.
by Furnishly | Sep 20, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Name: Connie Matisse, Alex Matisse, Lucia Matisse (4), Vita Matisse (6), Kitty Nacho Amy
Location: Henderson County, North Carolina
Type of Home: Cabin
Size: 1300 square feet
Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned
Popular pottery company East Fork is known for designing, manufacturing, and selling earthy, sturdy ceramic dishware that looks as good on a table as it does on open kitchen shelving. Connie and Alex Matisse, along with John Vigeland, founded the company, and for awhile Connie and Alex had been renting a house just outside of Asheville, where the company is based. When it looked like a quarantine was going to happen, the couple and their two kids, Lucia and Vita, headed to the woods. Specifically, to this cabin about 40 minutes south of town.
“The original cabin was built in the mid-1800s in South Carolina and moved up north where it was eventually purchased by our genius friends, Helen and Josh Nissenboim, of the creative agency Fuzzco, and remodeled so artfully,” says Connie. “We can’t take credit for really anything but the stuff inside and the landscaping.” Connie explains of the cabin, which the couple purchased from their friends last year.
“Alex, my husband, had a vision for the outdoor spaces and worked with a native plant specialist to surround the property with rhododendron and ferns and blueberries and wildflowers. I can’t wait to watch them all grow in and cocoon us year after year.”
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Objects, aesthetics, color, texture, beauty, pleasure are a guiding force in my life and always have been, but I never really have developed language to describe my personal style outside, perhaps, of it being deeply personal. I’m called to fill my home with objects rich in meaning and nostalgia, and only if I feel viscerally drawn to them. The things in my home that are most special to me are the things I saw and had an almost animal desire to be near to, to hold, to smell, to sit on, to wrap myself in. Very Venusian over here.
Inspiration: I never know how to answer questions about style inspiration because while I’m undoubtedly influenced by other things I see the people doing, I don’t track that consciously or go to places, people, publications, or what have you for inspiration. I don’t have any language for design or shelter, really, and I can’t point to designers or movements and speak fluently about anything. I guess right now if I had to put an inspiration mood board together it’d read something like: Baby Spice, big snakes, teen angst, the Virgin Mary, psychedelics, the woods, the desert, the ocean, my husband’s pottery, my grandma and grandpa’s little Tiffany’s blue kitchen in the house we grew up in under the 405 freeway and their big laughs, sopapillas and buñuelos, fried hot dog wrapped in corn tortillas, nopales and homemade pizzas, and the 11-foot tall opuntia cactus outside their window in full fuchsia bloom.
Favorite Element: The path through the woods down the Hungry River.
Biggest Challenge: The house looks big from the outside but it ain’t, it’s tiny, and the kids take up about 1/3 of it. I miss my big-ass bed and one day I’d love to add on to the house so Alex and I aren’t sleeping on top of each other anymore. All in time, I hope. Right now I just wish the satellite internet would let me stream TikToks.
Proudest DIY: Alex rented a tractor and drastically changed the landscape of the property, moving dirt around until we had a spot for a garden, a place to park a car, a flat spot to have picnics, and a level patio. All glory and honor to him, though. He did an amazing job!
Biggest Indulgence: These high-backed, Baroque-style couches in the living room were the biggest splurge I’ve ever in my life made. The room was so small and I felt needed impactful furniture and it was early in quarantine and I’d committed to not buying a single new article of clothing the whole year (I made it six months). So I saw these on 1stDibs, grabbed a measuring tape, and made an offer. Honestly they’re not very comfortable at all but looking at them fills me with a sense of calm and scratches an aesthetic itch at the back of my skull.
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? We live in the woods! I spend a lot of time outside, lying on my back, letting my eyes go fuzzy looking at the stars, and listening to the cicadas and the frogs and the crickets. I’d known for a long time that work and social life obligations and doing stuff in the evenings was keeping me from slowing down enough to start tuning in and attending to my actual needs for solitude, healing, quiet, loneliness. My home has helped me retreat into myself in a way I — and my daughters — so desperately needed.
Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: I have no useful tips! I feel like I spend a lot of time trying to organize my space and it’s just an absolute shit show three days later! I think I’m ready to accept the fact that I have a 4- and 6-year-old and I like stuff and I’m never going to have my drawers be as sparse as I’ve dreamt of them being.
Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? My decorating advice is the same as my everything advice — everyone’s gotta really get to know yourself. Like really, really know yourself. What makes you feel safe? What threatens your safety? Where in your body do you feel yourself making decisions from? Who are you influenced by and how do those people hold power in your life? Building a home is such a deeply personal experience and what works for one person isn’t going to work for another. Know you so you can do you.
This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
Adrienne Breaux
House Tour Editor
Adrienne loves architecture, design, cats, science fiction and watching Star Trek. In the past 10 years she’s called home: a van, a former downtown store in small town Texas and a studio apartment rumored to have once been owned by Willie Nelson.
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