Designer Jacqueline Blum and her husband Brent have worked on a slew of remodels on all types of houses over the past decade—everything from Victorians, to Spanish-style, to quintessential beach bungalows. “Renovating and designing is our strange love language,” jokes the designer, who handles the design-side of their projects while he manages the business. (On their first date in 2013, he mentioned having a new home in San Francisco, and she asked to see the floorplan.)

That decade of experience led Blum to launch her own firm, Jacqueline Blum Design in 2022, working for clients, and more recently, for the couple to add a classic A-frame to their list. “The form itself we found fascinating, as well as the design and renovation challenges that come with that,” says Blum. “The only way to approach an A-frame is with a beginner’s mind.”

The couple are now based in San Diego, and had been looking for a cabin in the San Bernardino Mountains for a while, when they saw this listing pop up on their way to a family vacation in Joshua Tree. They promptly turned around to see it in person. “When we were in San Francisco, we'd go to Tahoe, but here, we drive to Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead,” says Blum. “We had never heard of Arrowbear.”

$395,000 Land	$1,505 Insulation	$1,687.34 Wall finishes
$4,326.64 Tile	$1,200 Flooring	$1,500 Roofing
$2,788 Hardware	$11,000 Electrical	$4,918 Plumbing
$4,645 HVAC	$730 Custom woodwork	$1,000 Landscaping
$4,070 Glass railing	$1,469 Kitchen/Bath fixtures	$4,449.80 Lighting
$18,040 Cabinetry/Countertops	$4,100 Appliances	$7,063 Windows/Glazing
$1,920 Doors	$35,525.12 Furnishings/Decor	$7,339 Hot tub/Spa
$1,460 Permitting	$42,411 General Contractor/Labor	$900 Drafter
$1,500 Demolition	$750 Waste/Debris removal	$1,650 Surveyor
$8,995 Other
Grand Total: $571,941.90

So-named for being halfway between Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, Arrowbear Lake is off the beaten path, with a population of about 700 people, National Forest and lake access, and this 620-square-foot cabin, which the couple bought for $395,000. Shortly thereafter, they learned the home’s unique history when the previous owner sent them a letter. The 1955 home had been hand built by a high school woodworking teacher and his friends and family, and is purportedly the oldest A-frame in the area.

When it came to the remodel, Blum wanted to embrace the home’s strengths, such as the existing wide plank wood floors and wood-lined walls. “We didn't want to completely create a blank slate,” says Blum. “We want it to feel like it has this rich history, so let's keep these paneled walls in place, then modify some of the areas where it can really help to improve the visual interest and ambiance.”

Blum started the process like she would for any client, coming up with a statement to guide the design. “It was going to be the type of place where you want time to stand still,” says Blum. Think: “Luxurious fabrics and textiles, while also being surrounded by the natural world.” Or put another way: “Moody...like you've stepped into this old speakeasy from another bygone era.”

The designer traded out the expected, things like heavy slate tile and a preponderance of bear-themed decor—“All of these little cabins are, for the most part, full of bear motifs,” says Blum—for sumptuous wallpaper and handmade tile, sculptural furnishings, and spaces that embrace the dark corners A-frames are known for.

“The bathroom barely had any light at all, so we kept it that way,” says Blum. “It’s almost as if the entire place, at certain times of the day, is lit by candles. It just has that type of mood.”

Blum saved in the budget by keeping the structure intact, not moving walls or plumbing, or adding drywall, other than upgrading the insulation in the floor, and refinishing the wood. Splurges are via materials that visitors will come into contact with on a regular basis, like the zellige tile ensconcing the shower, custom living brass faucets in the kitchen and bath, and brass light switch plates.

“All the light switches are Buster + Punch, because they feel antique and old,” says Blum. “We could have just thrown up a regular light switch, but we approached this project as every single thing in there needs to add to the story.”

The biggest lesson is one that can be taken for granted in other types of homes. “Our electric was pretty expensive for how small the space is because you would typically poke some holes, run wires, and patch it with drywall, but you don't have the ability to do that in an A-frame,” says Blum. “You have to be super creative about how you're going to hang light fixtures, because you don’t get to place them wherever you want.”

Same goes for the television, which can’t be hung easily on a wall that’s not flat. Blum opted for a Samsung Frame TV in a custom deco frame, then mounted it to a nearby beam, and added a console beneath so it doesn’t just look like its floating alone in space.

“I wanted it to feel like very soulful, comforting, and a little bit mysterious here, like a place where people would sit and tell stories and maybe whip up a really good cocktail,” says Blum, adding: “A dark and mysterious feeling, because A-frames are kind of like that. They're these interesting and weird structures. I wanted to embrace the strange, lean into that experience, and create a place people have nostalgia for.”

More Budget Breakdown stories:

A Bay Area Couple Turn an A-Frame Near Yosemite Into a $600-a-Night Rental

They Gave a Bland ’70s Cabin a Psychedelic Glow-Up for $120K

A Family of Five Gut Their Rustic A-Frame Themselves—for $77K

Project Credits:

Builder: Nate Norton

Interior Design: Jacqueline Blum Design / @jacquelineblumdesign

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Budget Breakdown: One of the Oldest A-Frames In Arrowbear Lake, CA, Gets A Moody Makeover for $177K