When it came time for Vivian and Dave Kania to buy a house, it’s no wonder the creative couple chose to retreat to the charming mountain town of Lake Arrowhead. As a fashion and prop stylist, Vivian has an eye for design and has outfitted their 1940s A-frame (and former brothel of Bugsy Siegel) to match the charm of the home’s original design, with a twist of mid-mod and ’80s deco.

Dave and Vivian’s saccharine sweet pink-and-green A-frame cabin is said to have a salacious past. It sits on a lot with a series of identical A-frames, all which used to be used as brothels for the infamous mobster Bugsy Siegel. Vivian chose to design their home around the ironically innocent 1940s country charm that the original architecture was steeped in. From scalloped doorways to darling floral wallpaper that looks straight out of Adam and Barbara Maitland’s “Beetlejuice”-free home (seasonally appropriate reference drop), it’s hard to believe the scandalous activities that used to take place in and around the peaceful tree-lined property.

Our Style: Vintage cottage chic meets mid-century mod.

Inspiration: The history of the home gave me the decor inspiration; in the ’40s this home was one of famous mobster Bugsy Siegel’s brothels.

Favorite Element: My favorite element of the home is the original wall paneling and scalloped details of the kitchen entrance. It is quite charming.

Biggest Challenge: Lighting. Since we are surrounded by very tall trees, it gets quite dark inside the home. We got a custom door with glass in the center to let light in, and lamps in every corner! It helps a little.

What Friends Say: Friends say our home is like a cute little curated vintage museum, and they all love the kitchen the most.

Biggest Embarrassment: At the moment, the wood railings outside are quite embarrassing. It snows here a ton in the winter, so paint just will not last. The wood railing is very chipped up and needs to be repainted, but we are planning to wait until next spring to attack that project.

Biggest Indulgence: The biggest indulgence is the vintage apartment size 1950s Wedgewood Holly original pastel pink stove! It is so cute and was a rare find!

LIVING ROOM
Krover Apartment Sofa — Joybird
Rose Pink Tyley Chair — World Market
Handmade Wool and Jute Rug — RugsUSA
Coffee Table — Vintage Stool from Shop Road Trip, Cedar Glen, California

KITCHEN
Vintage Hotpoint Fridge — Vintage55Restorations
Vintage Wedgwood Holly Stove — Carolinas Antiques
Le Creuset Accessories

BEDROOM
KOPARDAL Bedframe — IKEA
Bed sheets — Ralph Lauren
Throw Blankets — Novella Royale; LL BEAN; Pendleton Woolen Mills
Heart Throw Pillows — The Small Shoppe, South Dakota
Dresser — Loveseat San Diego
Mirror — HomeGoods
Round Pouf Stool — Loveseat San Diego
Wood Hairpin Leg Bench — Overstock

⇒ House Tour & House Call Submission Form

See More:
⇒ Recent House Tours
⇒ House Tours on Pinterest