Our family planted their roots in Lake Arrowhead in the 1940s. Lauri grew up spending an extensive amount of time with her grandparents that had built a family lodge in Lake Arrowhead. She loved experiencing the magic of a place so different from, yet so close to, her home of Los Angeles. The beautiful pines, the Alpine lake, the hidden swimming and fishing holes, and most of all the mild four seasons are just 90 minutes away.

The well-traveled couple knew they wanted an escape to raise their children around nature and a simpler life. And when Lauri showed Lake Arrowhead to her husband Bort, they landed on what they thought was a temporary home, but after 20 years they have been through two other cabin renovations. Loving a true challenge, they purchased the Hemlock House for its vintage elements and the mature trees that command the property.

The original home was built in 1928 as an Alpine mile high summer escape from Los Angeles. The fireplace was added in 1930, allowing the home to be used in the fall. In 2007, we discovered the home and overgrown property in its poorly maintained state, and could see through the ill-conceived improvements to what it once had been and what it had the potential of becoming. With that, we acquired the property and began researching its history.

The plan was to create a Huckleberry Finn opportunity for our young twin daughters, family, and friends. A mile high Alpine lake a 90-minute drive from our Los Angeles home seemed like the solution. What was immediately appealing were the original 1920s cabins built by pioneering Los Angeles residents who were faced with navigating mountainous dirt roads with Model A style vehicles. Finding one of those original cabins became our quest, and honoring the effort and difficulty those original custom builders faced. We attempted to build with the same thoughtfulness and integrity as they had done.

Our Style: Juxtaposition of early 1920s cabin architecture and contemporary design and materials.

Inspiration: Honoring the difficult origins of constructing a custom mountain home in the remote mountain community of Lake Arrowhead, California in the 1920s. Much of the home is now decorated with antique items inherited from grandparents who had personally constructed their home in Lake Arrowhead in the 1940s. Many local finds as well as treasures collected from a life well traveled.

Favorite Element: The original custom-made French-style doors, and windows, custom hardware fixtures, and local quarried stone fireplace from when the home was built in 1928. We loved looking at the original 1920s black-and-white photos of the house and having those same custom elements that we then restored and continue to live with today. They have a warmth that only comes after being used for ninety years.

Biggest Challenge: Blending the new 21st century materials and custom ingredients, such as an eight-foot high commercial metal and glass entry door with custom local saw milled 12-inch wide pine plank floors in a way that keeps the integrity and purpose of the original home and yet supports our modern lifestyle of a big family, friends, animals, entertaining, Wi-Fi, etc..

How we overcame our biggest challenge… hours of research in regards to blending 21st century materials and contemporary design with vintage elements and constant maintenance is an aspect that never ends, but always keeps you satisfied in having a new vintage home.

Proudest DIY: The metal rod collar tie beams in the cathedral ceiling living room and master bedroom. Custom made seven-foot metal-framed French-style garden doors. Salvaged 1920s eight-foot wide leaded-glass kitchen window. We wanted to mix modern structural elements with the original cabin feel, and therefore came up with metal rod collar tie beams rather than the traditional wood, which are superior for supporting mountain snow loads on the roof. We worked with a local metalsmith to fabricate the system we designed. Together, he and Bort installed them in a very challenging 20-foot ladder event. We love that they allow the rooms to be open and airy, and add a modern architectural element, yet they structurally serve as one of most important elements of the house.

Biggest Indulgence: Bertazzoni range and oven and custom metalwork: French doors, stair railings, collar tie beams. Heated custom marble floors in the bathrooms!

Best Advice: Use salvaged elements when possible, and local artisans and local materials! Take enough time to insure your work will survive for as long as it did before you got there.

ENTRY
Art – Vintage Oil and Large colored pencil circa 1980-James Soderholm,
Pottery – Extensive collection of Von Bruggle, Desert Sands, and Italian Drip pottery.
Table and Chairs – Mag.Pi Shop
Rugs — Family collection.
Hats — Mag.Pi Shop

FAMILY ROOM
Linen Sofa — Custom
Wing Chairs – Vintage
Bamboo Side Table – Vintage
Pillows – Communite, Marfa for Mag.Pi Shop
Lake Arrowhead objects / books – Vintage

LIVING ROOM
Couch – Vintage – Jean Micheal Frank (Design within Reach)
Rug – West Elm
Coffee Table – Custom
Floor Cushions – West Elm
Chairs – Vintage, recovered
Paintings – Vintage
Tree Photograph – By Songs of Absolution at Mag.Pi Shop
Lamps – Vintage
Pottery – Vintage
Linen High Back Love Seat and Pillows — Mag.Pi Shop
Mesh Lighting — Mag.Pi Shop
Blanket –In 2 Greene, Mag.Pi Shop
Books — Mag.Pi Shop

KITCHEN
Island Stools – Restoration Hardware
Oven/Stove –Stainless Bertazzoni
Island – Gray shale patterned marble
Cabinets – Home Depot
Cheese Board — Mag.Pi Shop
Wine Decanter — Mag.Pi Shop

MASTER BEDROOM
Bedding — Frette/West Elm and Custom
Side Table — Bali
Chairs — Vintage, recovered
Pottery – Early 1900s vintage van Briggle

BUNK ROOM
Custom Hand-stained Poplar Captains Beds
Bedding — IKEA/Target/Nikuku
Chairs — Vintage, recovered
Dog Bed – Bon, Tucson

BATHROOMS
LAKE Hooks – Anthropologie
Towels – Pendleton
Mirror – Custom from Mag.Pi Shop
Handmade Cement — Mission Tile
Hand-cut Calacatta Marble Basket Weave Patterned Floors

OUTDOOR
Table – Custom-milled heart cut 4 foot wide cedar
French Bistro Chairs – Target
Nautical Table Linens – Thomas Paul
Army Cot – Vintage
Pillows – Sir Madam and Custom Mag.Pi Shop
Embroidered Textile — Mag.Pi Shop

*4/8/19 Some quotes were wrongly attributed to Dani Rosenthal, who submitted this home’s story to Apartment Therapy. Lauri Carleton wrote the whole survey.

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