Bright Colors and Sleek White Oak Fill This Playful Lake Tahoe Loft
Designer Vicki Simon’s creative brief for a gut renovation she took on in Lake Tahoe’s Squaw Valley came from the homeowners’ 10-year-old son. “Make it look like an Apple store,” he said.
As a family of four that covets cobalt blue and clean, modern lines, they turned to Simon to renovate their 912-foot vacation loft that sits in a classic condo development near the ski resort. The final result is a small but airy, lighthearted space that’s filled with smart built-in storage elements and furnishings that are bursting with character.
Though all the surfaces were updated throughout the space, Simon preserved the structural beams overhead. The Ploum sofas—designed by Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset—are upholstered in a cobalt blue quilted blend fabric, while the Womb Chair—designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll—is finished with a bold magenta fabric.
Photo by Kat Alves
Shown here is a sketch that Simon created at the beginning stages of the project. It shows how she planned to combine the living, dining, and kitchen areas into one long and lean space.
Courtesy of Vicki Simon
The custom cabinetry is made with bleached rift-cut white oak and is finished with mirror pulls. Created by David Amble Cabinetry, the cabinets were designed to be put to serious use—one holds extra folding dining chairs while another hides a Murphy bed.
Photo by Kat Alves
The cut-outs were added into the bedroom walls while the bed is outfitted with one of Marimekko's classic duvet covers.
Photo by Kat Alves
When the family visits the vacation home, the kids sleep in custom bunk beds in the open loft.
Photo by Kat Alves
The bathroom was completely remodeled and features large glass tiles that read as one single surface material. The floors are made with unfinished poured concrete.
Photo by Kat Alves
A cobalt blue door leads directly into a small entryway that’s lined with custom cabinets for the family’s skis, hats, boots, and jackets. Also created by David Amble Cabinetry, the trough is lined with copper so that they can put their wet skis inside.
Photo by Kat Alves
As a rug designer, Simon planned out the large blue dot on the bright blue Tretford carpet. Simon explains that this tough flooring material is made with ribbed goats hair and has recently made a comeback after being a popular wall covering material in the 1970s.
Photo by Kat Alves
Because of the loft’s specific layout, they decided to maximize the space by creating as much storage as possible on the available walls. Shown here is one of the walls that’s lined with flush-mounted cabinets by David Amble Cabinetry. The dining table is surrounded by Arne Jacobsen Series 7 Chairs.
Photo by Kat Alves
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