In the Tahoe area, interior designer Antonio Martins envisions the perfect mountain getaway fit for entertaining.
Near the charming Tahoe town of Truckee, close to some of the best ski resorts in northern California, this vacation home was designed to host as many friends as possible. A passionate skier, the owner entrusted this project to interior designer Antonio Martins. “I had previously worked with this client in two homes in San Francisco and in his office downtown,” the interior designer says. “He is now a married, successful attorney, but at the time of the project, he was a single bachelor that was looking for a weekend home to entertain and host his large group of friends and family. It was a no-brainer to do this project!”
The perk of the long collaboration between this client and designer is the perfect understanding of preferences and tastes. Still, Martins presented the overall concept and budget for approval before having carte blanche from then on. “The house had been built several years before my client purchased it and when he took over, no construction or major remodeling was required,” Martins says. “It was purely a decorative project.”
The ground, main floor comprises a guest bedroom with a bathroom; a powder room furnished with a floating shelf and adorned with a Jacques Adnet mirror and custom Union Square wallpaper by Crezana; and a large (indoor-outdoor) entertainment area with a floor-to-ceiling, cold-rolled steel fireplace that contrasts with the yellow Pixel Deer created by artist Jihoon Choi, a leather Restoration Hardware sectional, a pair of 1960s-era Thonet swivel chairs, photography by Sharon Montrose and a mixed-media collage by Tim Weldon on a wooden door. Surrounded by the Cab armchair by Mario Bellini (from Cassina), the 7-foot recycled wood square table in the dining area accommodates up to 16 guests.
Four additional bedrooms with accompanying bathrooms are located on the upper floor. Noting the home’s entertaining bona fides, Martins says: “It has wonderful bones, a very ‘mountain’ look but with modern finishes such as steel beams and concrete floors.” Rustic and industrial elements combine throughout in a mix of high and low, and new and vintage pieces with textures. “We wanted a cabin aesthetic but with a twist, and something masculine and strong,” Martins explains. “We used a lot of leather, steel, raw woods, burlap.” For color, the interior designer used a lot of browns highlighted with reds and oranges. “These are the client’s favorite colors and, coincidentally, mine too!” he confesses. “It works well with the sunset of the mountains.”
Designed to spend quality time with family and friends while being surrounded by a majestic landscape, this project was clearly inspired by nature. “Its tones and textures were brought into the house to create a beautiful background to the celebrations that were about to happen in the home,” says Martins.