This Lahontan treasure designed for all-season use inside and out proves that a spec home doesn’t have to be cookie-cutter

Building forms create space for a private backyard with a lawn and cascading water feature, as well as an ideal location for the primary bedroom, photo by Farr Photo

That oft-repeated line about the most important aspect of real estate—“location, location, location”—may sound cliché these days, but it does serve as a reminder that exactly where a home is built remains as important as ever. Buyers in Lahontan Golf Club, for example, are choosing the area specifically. It’s a beautiful mountain community near Lake Tahoe, which means something special to lovers of nature in all its seasons. 

Dan Mellon, principal at Trailside Builders, keenly understands that fundamental truth of this unique spot on the globe.

“I value quality outdoor spaces—specifically, covered outdoor spaces,” he says. “I see many beautiful homes with outdoor areas, but they’re not covered, so they just get piled with snow in the winter. And when it’s sunny and hot in the summer, without any shade, you’ll get fried by the sun.”

Creating that cover provides shade during the hottest months and allows for the installation of gas heaters, which keep scenery-lovers warm when the temperature drops. This simple focus ensures they can enjoy the beauty of the seasons while getting up close and personal with the nature they’re seeking—all without suffering in the elements.

So how big did Mellon go with the outdoor space? This Lahontan home he completed on spec in July 2025 features 6,000 square feet, with an additional 2,600 square feet in covered living areas open to the air. Almost every room opens to its own covered patio.

The main outdoor living area sits under an expansive roof supported by steel beams and canted steel columns. Concrete bench walls line the perimeter to accommodate additional seating, photo by Joseph Reinero

Even the home’s entry with a pivot door is designed to invite guests to focus on what surrounds the structure. The immediate view through a glazed sliding glass panel is a lawn, with a boulder-lined water feature and wooded terrain as a backdrop.

“You’re not entering into the living room like most home designs do,” says architect George Mock, owner of Meraki Modern. “As you enter this home, the backyard is right in front of you, with the forest beyond.”

The daring entry also serves to break up what would otherwise be a single bulky structure, connecting two separate halves of the home. Mellon says the double-size lot with a huge building envelope gave them “the freedom to really spread out,” resulting in a design known as split massing.

Mock explains that Lahontan guidelines require centralized massing, which would have resulted in a blob-like form due to everything this house was intended to hold. By splitting the mass of the structure into two—with an RV garage and guest suite wing complete with an elevator on the left, and the living room, game room, kitchen and more bedrooms on the right—Mock was able to satisfy the requirements while avoiding creating a behemoth.

“It has this unique look. From the street, its massing is similar to two separate homesites,” Mock says. “But it elegantly balances the amount of programming put into the home by spreading it out.”  

The centered great room fireplace is surrounded by glazing on all sides and supported by exposed steel frames, photo by Joseph Reinero

The house contains some clever design work inside, including a triangular-concept living/dining/kitchen space. Rather than creating a linear feel for the entertaining heart of the home, Mock configured the areas intended for socializing as a connected trio so the owner could keep guests together in the space. A game room and media room provide opportunities for more structured indoor activity, but the appeal of the outdoors is always present thanks to carefully situated rooms and their windows.

Mock says the main goal of the design was to maximize the potential of the homesite by capturing its mountain views. The owners are treated to the sight of the Carson Range in the distance, visible everywhere from ground-level bedrooms to a hallway bridge that overlooks the living room. Over a series of site studies, Mock found where the views of the natural corridor were best between the trees or set back on the property.

“During construction, once the house was framed in with the window openings, the owner shared with me, ‘I had no idea that this lot would have views like this!’” Mock says. “We really captured them all.”

Of course, every Tahoe-area resident is at least going to spend some time indoors, which is where Mellon likes to reveal a particular skill.

“People often ask me who the interior designer was for this home,” Mellon says. “The answer may surprise them, as I do all of the interior selections myself.”

The great room, kitchen island, breakfast nook and dining room are adjacent, creating an inviting social and entertaining space. A bridge with a glass railing above serves as a hallway to second-floor bedrooms, photo by Joseph Reinero

For this project, he rejected the notion that all fixtures—whether faucets, lights or cabinets—have to be the same throughout the house. Instead, for fun, he decided to play with various finishes. He estimates there are seven or eight different faucet finishes, including copper, bronze, charcoal and silver. There’s a similar count on cabinets, and unique light fixtures ensure that each room has its own aesthetics and identity. 

Mellon balanced the novelty with consistent looks for doors and flooring, as well as ceilings featuring a hand-selected mix of reclaimed elm, ash and hickory.

One more element that sets this house apart is its unique floor plan, as most of the thoughtfully spacious social areas are in the heart of the home, creating an inviting atmosphere. At the same time, the house features plenty of areas to escape in privacy. 

“I’m finding more frequently that if you’re looking at a homesite, the views are important. But privacy has become equally as important now,” Mellon says. “A little more than half the buyers, if they have to choose between better views or privacy, they will choose privacy.”

Award: Mountain Elegance

Building Design: Meraki Modern

Builder: Trailside Builders

Interior Design: NA

Landscape Design: NA

Square Feet: 6,000