A new mountain-modern home subtly stands out while seamlessly blending in with its old Tahoe neighborhood

A covered outdoor space off the great room affords year-round enjoyment

It’s not uncommon for a builder to ascribe a nickname to a project. An affectionate, descriptive moniker is a way to distinguish a house from others that might be underway simultaneously, but it’s also an effective way to characterize the form and scope of a residence with a single word or two. Soon after taking on the commission to build a 2,359-square-foot house on Tahoe’s West Shore, Jude Gavigan came up with a name for it. 

“I started calling the house ‘The Yacht,’ because it required such a high level of construction and detail in such a small footprint,” says Gavigan, owner of In House Builders.  

Gavigan refers to the nearly quarter-acre plot of land, the size of which also presented significant infrastructural and staging challenges, though he was able to finish the home in under two years. 

“Just like building a yacht, the house involved incorporating so many high-end details in a confined space,” Gavigan says. 

In keeping with the metaphorical reference, it is now smooth sailing for the homeowners and their family, although their residential “yacht” of sorts remains well anchored in a bucolic site surrounded by pines and fir. Meanwhile, a Lake Tahoe marina, where they keep their actual boat, is a mere two blocks away. 

The home was carefully integrated into its site in a West Shore neighborhood

Architect Ryan Borman, who is based in Denver, says the owners purchased the lot more than a decade ago, aware that they wanted children someday and would eventually leave their Los Angeles home and relocate to Tahoe. When the time came to make the move, the couple gave Borman the go-ahead to start designing their residence.  

“This is an unconventional house because it’s a split-level,” Borman says. “That’s rare nowadays. The form allowed the house to take full advantage of its tight footprint, while adhering to the TRPA’s strict restrictions on the height a house can take.” 

By having a portion of the structure dug into the site and cutting back only select trees, the home assumes a modest profile from the road. 

“People are so impressed with how big the house feels when it’s really not that big,” Borman says. 

Adds Gavigan: “The house utilizes the lot to its maximum potential. It really sits properly on the lot.” 

Custom steelwork, integrated furnishings and warm, layered interiors by Los Angeles-based Interiors KD provide a seamless continuity between architecture and decor

Indeed, the couple wanted Borman to fashion a home that would be decidedly contemporary and distinctive while also seamlessly integrating into the neighborhood.

“Their main concern was that they wanted a house unlike any other, but they didn’t want it to stand out,” says Borman. “They didn’t want the neighborhood hating them for building a big modern home,” he adds with humor. 

The resulting dwelling sits gracefully on its site, defined by large expanses of glass and clear western cedar, a material that works its way effortlessly from the outside into the interiors and soffits and ceilings. 

“When you drive by the house, it makes such a quiet and calm appearance that you might pass it without noticing it,” says Borman, explaining that, in an area where many new homes are big, the intention here was to remain modest but classy. This is a home that celebrates the natural light that shines on it throughout the day, that respects its wooded site and that allows geometric forms to work a kind of aesthetic magic. 

“There’s nothing overbearing about the house or any sense at all that it’s taking over the neighborhood,” says Gavigan.

Borman and Gavigan were the perfect team for the project. Gavigan, who estimates that In House Builders has constructed more than 30 houses in the Tahoe area, is known for creating a special kind of residence. 

The split-level design of the home as revealed from the front entry

“We have a niche market for mountain-modern homes with a high level of detail and collaboration with the design team and owners,” says Gavigan. “We treat our projects as one-of-a-kind, with cutting-edge detail and mechanical systems as well as efficient building envelopes.”   

He knows how to get large expanses of glass to align perfectly with rooflines, how to work with vast expanses of powder-coated structural steel and how to build in such a way that flat roofs can accommodate large snow loads. 

“Ryan was an expert in designing a home that interacts with the landscape around it,” Gavigan says. “He designed a house that is perched up in the trees, so that the living spaces always remain above the snow. The occupants never feel that they’re living in a snow cave.” 

And Borman understood, from inception, the aesthetic concerns of the couple. 

“They’d been living in a concrete loft in L.A., and they wanted a contemporary home here,” he says. “They knew well the style I had been producing and designing, which matched exactly what they envisioned. They didn’t want to compromise their ideas.” 

A cohesive palette of dark wood, blackened steel and board-formed concrete allows the home to settle naturally into its forested site

While Borman had near carte-blanche control over the exterior design, he says the clients were especially involved with the materials, fixtures and colors inside. Borman cites his custom-designed white oak kitchen cabinets treated with a gray stain; cedar wall paneling; the rustic wide-plank white oak stairs; the ribbons of clerestory windows that brighten rooms and frame forest views; and a dramatic expanse of a kitchen backsplash whose stonework reveals veining on par with some of the home’s minimalist artworks. 

Borman was largely responsible, too, for the lighting effects, with special white glass globes interspersed throughout, and a series of arresting teardrop-like lights set over the kitchen island that provide both task and mood lighting. Meanwhile, interior designer Sylvestre Huerta of Interiors KD brought select artworks whose hues both complement and enliven rooms. Bold pops of color appear sparingly, but to great effect, as in a multi-hued plexiglass coffee table in the media room. And with nature all around, what’s outside appears inside as decor.  

Gavigan was pleased, too, that the owners were so involved in the building process. 

A lower-level media room features pops of color amid comfortable amenities

“This is a home that was very much owner-influenced, and that dynamic always makes for an extra-effective project,” he says. “They watched us build the house and they were also thoroughly involved in the design process. A successful build is about the impact the clients have on the process and how they are able to help select something suitable for what they like. This house was a classic true team effort.” 

Given its multiple levels, the house not only functions well for the family and honors its site, but it’s also sheer joy to occupy the rooms. Every space is unique, defined by details and natural light that keep the house animated and integrated with its locale. The split-level—a one-time conventional residential form—has been reinvented here for today. 

“The moment people spot the house, they see that it’s bold and striking, but quiet and elegant and reserved,” says Borman. “It has a great movement across the elevation.” 

While the house is not in actual motion, it assumes the poise and grace of, perhaps, a yacht coursing smooth waters.

Award: Site Integration

Building Design: Ryan Borman Architecture

Builder: In House Builders

Interior Design: Ryan Borman Architecture; Interiors KD

Landscape Design: Rock & Rose

Square Feet: 2,359