The rethinking of a traditional cabin from the ground up results in a spectacular new home that stays true to its Tahoe roots

In place of an old cabin on Dollar Point that had lived out its life, architect Dennis E. Zirbel designed an attractive new home in the traditional Tahoe style

By some accounts, traditional Tahoe style tended to focus more on the “cabin” and less on the “Tahoe.” The structures that remain may have rustic charm, but many also feature little in the way of windows, giving them a darker feel. What glass they do have is divided into smaller panes by mullions to avoid having to use a single large sheet for each opening—and even then, they don’t exactly wow anyone looking outside.

“A lot of times, they didn’t even face the lake,” laments architect Dennis E. Zirbel.

When he was referred for work on a Dollar Point cabin overlooking Lake Tahoe that needed an update, Zirbel decided to shed some light on that murky “Old Tahoe” style. 

Noting the original home had lived out its life and didn’t have the sort of “great bones” that would warrant a remodel, he drafted a design for new construction from the ground up, being sure to include windows, windows and more windows to showcase the geographic star of the area.

“The lake view was really important,” Zirbel says. “Pretty much everywhere in the house, you can see the lake. Even in the laundry room, you can see the lake.”

An expansive deck on the home’s second level boasts lofty views of Lake Tahoe

He did keep one design element as a nod to that classic construction, translating a formerly functional necessity into deliberate form: Almost all the windows are divided by at least one horizontal and one vertical mullion, bringing character to the glass without detracting from the blue of the water beyond.

Old-style cabins that didn’t prioritize views had to focus on something, which often meant directing attention to the fireplace. Then, over the years, TVs began to compete as the focal point for family gatherings. The owners of this home wanted a large stone wood-burning fireplace, but they also had a TV, of course, and those lake views were non-negotiable.

“It’s all really fighting for the same wall, basically,” Zirbel says. 

Rather than leave any element out of the central gathering space, he “opened that corner to where you can observe all of it at the same time.” The fireplace isn’t the central focus, but it’s still right there to provide heat and that crackling, glowing ambience whether those in the room are watching a show or admiring nature. Zirbel also took the old log mantel from the original house and used it for the mantel in the family room downstairs.

Interior designer Natalie Zirbel created a cozy vibe in the family room with an oversized sectional and soft, textural upholstery materials like sheepskin and velvet. A Hubbardton Forge chandelier gives the rustic space a contemporary edge

The warmth and light are carried throughout the rest of the home through reclaimed Douglas fir. Zirbel says it makes sense for mountain-style designs to include detailing that’s “a bit chunkier.” 

In other words, the project team—which included Greenwood Homes as general contractor and Natalie Zirbel as interior designer—used larger and thicker pieces of wood for the walls, but aimed for a patina that avoided an oppressive or heavy feel. As for the doors and cabinetry, they worked to not completely match the walls, but instead complement them with white oak that was stained and distressed.

“They wanted to have a true cabin feel and Tahoe style, so we used a lot of reclaimed materials, warm tones and natural stone,” says Natalie Zirbel. “That cabin feel really drove the interior design. For lighting, we incorporated iron and bronze, keeping with that more traditional Tahoe style.”

She also highlights a stacked stone wall in the powder room, where the vanity features a live-edge wood slab. To keep from sinking fully into the past, however, the interior finishes feature some modern twists. Painted cabinetry plays with color and texture, as do more modern wall coverings.

The wood-clad recreation room includes a wet bar with a kegerator and billiards table

“We painted a lot of the vanities in the house just to not have so much natural wood,” Natalie says, adding that they aimed to use more contemporary colors to achieve a “fresher” vibe. “The master bath has a modern freestanding tub, which you wouldn’t find in ‘Old Tahoe’ style.”

Other unique touches include William Morris wallpaper, with details that “reflected the style of the clients, and didn’t look like some regurgitation of the past,” Natalie says. 

Outside, the original cabin featured a spa for relaxing under the stars. Unfortunately, the spa was positioned poorly and bore the brunt of any rain or snowmelt pouring off the roof.

“One of [the owner’s] requirements: He wanted a spa where a roof wasn’t draining on it,” Dennis says. “I kind of joke around that that drove the whole design.”

Requirements can add up quickly. The cabin as imagined by the owners needed multiple spaces with specific uses, including the expected bedrooms and bathrooms, the family room and the recreation room, plus that well-positioned spa outside, a gym, a tack room for outdoor gear and more.

The three-story home nestles into its forested site

To get everything in, Dennis needed to design a three-story house, which took the form of a day-lit basement and two floors above that. He notes that the owners originally had an idea for a smaller house, but “we showed them that it just wasn’t really possible.”

Despite the vertical approach, the home itself doesn’t have a stacked feel. Most of the spaces are on the entry level, with a deck sitting snugly on top of a portion of the lower floor.

“If a deck came out past the lower floor, it would make that space feel much darker,” Dennis says. “With it just on top of it, you don’t get that feel. You just basically have a roof.”

In addition to the deck, the expanded house design built over the garage and under the main part of the house. With these clever concepts that tucked and stuck spaces into innovative areas, as opposed to cramming them somewhere or leaving them out entirely, they were able to include all the necessary requests.

Clever uses of space appear in other areas as well. Almost all the windows have automated blinds or shades that required the creation of cavities in the roof structure, while a desire for air conditioning prompted some interesting solutions. The cabin is hydronically heated, but not the cooling, so ducting needed to be carefully woven throughout the entire home.

Wood flooring continues into the primary bathroom, which features calacatta gold marble countertops, a wallcovering by Morris & Co. and a soaking tub with a view

“It was tricky to get all that mechanical in there without it being obvious,” Dennis says. 

To achieve the illusion of minimal-to-no infrastructure while still allowing for maximum cooling where desired, ducts were hidden within false beams or secreted above slightly soffited ceilings. 

Another strategy for avoiding a cluttered feel was to take a measured approach to furnishings. Natalie says the home has so much detailing and movement, they decided to streamline the furniture, keeping it simple so it wouldn’t “overwhelm the eye.”

With this thoughtful design, the owners and their guests can instead focus their gaze on what so many cabins throughout history missed: the lake, and all the world beyond.

Award: Tahoe Style

Building Design: Dennis E. Zirbel Architect

Builder: Greenwood Homes

Interior Design: Natalie Zirbel

Landscape Design: Ed Haag

Square Feet: 4,252