As prodigious builders of custom homes in the Tahoe area, the team at Mark Tanner Construction often assigns names to their projects during the construction process—something clever and fitting that encapsulates the home’s distinguishing qualities.

They captured the essence of a newly completed Martis Camp build particularly well: “Farmhouse Family Oasis.”

A large stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glass are among the highlights of the great room

The farmhouse aesthetic is apparent on approach from the sweeping driveway, with gabled roofs and gray nature-aged Trestlewood siding defining the exterior design. Upon arrival, a closer look reveals the thoughtfully family-friendly nature of the home and its guesthouse, which combine a sense of rustic comfort with modern luxuries suited for generations to come.

“When you have four children, the primary objective of just about any project you undertake is family,” says Mark Tanner, whose team worked with SANDBOX Studio, along with Dovetail Design Works and Moxie Design Studio. “The homeowners’ children are on the older end of the spectrum, ranging from teenagers to college graduates, so the idea was to create a family retreat where everyone could gather and relax together.”

While embracing this social theme, the owners also wanted their home to provide ample space for guests to spread out and enjoy some privacy at the end of the day. The resulting product is a roughly 6,200-square-foot home and 1,200-square-foot guesthouse nearby, each with its own indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces and strategically located bedrooms.

The main home includes two outdoor fire pits, a bocce court, hot tub, indoor recreation room with a pool table, a spacious kitchen and a soaring great room, which features a large stone fireplace and forested views through a wall of glass. The home also houses a sizable exercise room complete with equipment and weights, a sauna, wooden lifting platforms and a rubber floor emblazoned with the family logo. The workout space connects to a sunken Japanese soaking tub set in a bed of rocks.

Outdoor gathering spaces abound, from a bocce court to fire pits and cooking and dining areas

Perhaps most impressive, though, is the sheer size and number of outdoor gathering spaces, from the guesthouse’s own private fire pit and grille to a covered dining area off the main home, which includes retractable motorized screening. A large deck off the media room on the second floor provides another ideal hangout spot.

Aside from the family-focused design, the owners had a specific style in mind for their mountain farmhouse, described by interior designer Katy Chudacoff of Dovetail Design Works as “ancient modern.”

“From the handmade tiles to the custom cabinetry to the personal artifacts and furniture that have sentimental value to the family, everything was carefully selected to preserve that natural feeling of the old world mixed with the new,” says Tanner.

Examples include handcrafted Ann Sacks tiles, modern shaker cabinets and a sleek built-in hutch, as well as an assortment of pieces from Asia (a nod to the family’s time living overseas) and the owner’s native Nashville. Even on the exterior, the stone siding appears in blocky squares and rectangles, described by Tanner as not traditional and not contemporary, but “the sweet spot right in between.”

In the end, the design-build team achieved every detail on the owners’ wish list, creating a luxurious mountain farmhouse that is sure to endure as one lucky family’s oasis in the woods.

merit Award: Mountain Farmhouse

Building Design: SANDBOX Studio

Builder: Mark Tanner Construction

Interior Design: Dovetail Design Works (main house); Moxie Design Studio (guesthouse)

Square Feet: 6,214 (main house); 1,199 (guesthouse)

Year Complete: 2021