Historic hunting cabin in Mill Valley is beautifully transformed in a redwood forest

Cedar shingle home with rectangular pool, wood deck, and lounge chairs surrounded by redwood trees

❤️ Would you like to save this?

We'll email this article to you, so you can read it later!

By saving, we'll email this post to you for later. Unsubscribe anytime.

A historic hunting cabin in Mill Valley, California, was reimagined into a four-bedroom house with an ADU by Richardson Pribuss Architects together with Heidi Callier Design. The home is nestled in a canyon, surrounded by redwoods and next to a creek.

The setting shapes this home, with tree canopies and running water providing a beautiful and private backdrop for the house and garden. Built in 1896 as a hunting and fishing cabin, the house has been expanded several times over the years.

DESIGN DETAILS

ARCHITECT Richardson Pribuss Architects
INTERIOR DESIGN Heidi Callier Design
LANDSCAPE Imprints Landscape Architecture

Gravel path winding between towering redwood trunks toward a cedar shingle cottage

With so many renovations and additions over time, the main challenge was to unify the house into a single, cohesive space. The architects were asked to create a four-bedroom home for a family of five, along with a new multi-purpose ADU.

Modern glass entry door set between cedar shingle walls with a covered walkway

Because of the home’s age, the renovation started with a major foundation retrofit to stabilize the structure. The team also carried out extensive flood mitigation across the property to help the house last for many more years.

Landscaping and Garden Design in a Redwood Canyon

Two white lounge chairs on a lawn backed by a stone retaining wall draped in lush greenery and fairy lights

What We Love About This Home

This stunning renovation shows that a century-old foundation and bold interiors can be paired beautifully. Every room bursts with layered pattern, rich color, and a collected sensibility that feels lived-in rather than designed. We love how the project team embraced the home’s quirky, evolved history rather than erasing it, connecting spaces that feel distinct yet cohesive. The redwood forest is part of the experience, glimpsed through kitchen windows, reflected in the pool, and lit up with fairy lights at night… when can we move in?

Tell Us: What details do you love most about this home transformation project and what would you do differently if this were your own home? Let us know in the Comments below!

Note: Be sure to check out a couple of other fascinating home tours that we have showcased here on One Kindesign in the state of California: Step inside this bright and airy modern farmhouse home in Mill Valley and Charming countryside home in Mill Valley gets inspiring transformation.

Stone steps with black iron railing alongside a cedar shingle wall, flanked by lush garden plantings and fairy lights

Gravel garden path between redwood trees with fairy lights, leading to a wooden gate

Cedar Shingle Exterior and Redwood Forest Setting

Cedar shingle home exterior with gravel path, stone edging, and towering redwoods

Close-up of cedar shingle facade with dormers, white-trimmed windows, and gray roof between redwood trees

Mudroom, Laundry Room, and Home Office

Mudroom entry with brick floor, green painted door, colorful abstract artwork, and a distressed wooden bench

Laundry room with mustard yellow floral wallpaper, front-load washer and dryer, brick floor, and French doors

Farmhouse sink with unlacquered brass faucets against bold mustard yellow floral wallpaper

Green French doors opening into a home office with dark paneling, woven shades, and mustard floral wallpaper

Open Plan Living and Dining Room with Bold Wallpaper and Pattern

Dining room with teal painted wall, bamboo shades, mixed wood chairs, and a bold patterned tablecloth

Open plan living and dining area with teal accent wall, eclectic patterned furnishings, and a floral chandelier

Dining table with bold indigo patterned cloth, mixed wood chairs, and wildflower arrangement beneath a decorative chandelier

Living room staircase with delicate printed wallpaper, scalloped stair skirt, and layered patterned upholstery

Redesigning the interior stairway helped connect the different parts of the house. Since the tall redwoods make it hard to get natural light inside, a skylight above the new staircase brings daylight into the heart of the home.

Bright living room with white beadboard walls, floral chandelier, layered vintage furnishings, and dark study beyond

Staircase detail with printed wallpaper, scalloped baseboard trim, rattan chair, and a black ceramic table lamp

White Kitchen Design with Butcher Block Island and Farmhouse Sink

Large kitchen island with butcher block top, white cabinetry, brass hardware, and breakfast nook beyond

In the kitchen, large floor-to-ceiling windows continue the focus to bring in valuable daylight. Reconfiguring the ground floor also allowed for a home office, laundry room, and mudroom, meeting the lifestyle needs of this home inhabitants.

White kitchen with butcher block island, farmhouse sink, brass faucet, wood stools, and garden views

Breakfast nook with built-in bench seating, rush seat chairs, oval wood table, and brass chandelier

Pantry shelving with deep red painted shelves, floral wallpaper, and an eclectic mix of kitchenware and cookbooks

A Dark and Moody Library

Moody dark navy library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, patterned sofa, and layered vintage seating

Dark paneled study with built-in bookshelves, patterned sofa, striped ottoman, and yellow throw

Cozy dark-walled sitting area with two red floral chairs flanking a round pedestal table and bamboo shades

Built-in window seat nook with dark paneling, striped cushion, patterned pillows, and a brass articulating sconce

Dark library with patterned sofa, pink wildflower arrangement, built-in bookshelves, and red accent chair

Dark paneled room with blue plaid armchair, brick fireplace, window seat, and still life painting above mantle

Dark teal built-in bar with open shelving, glassware, spirits bottles, wood countertop, and brass sink faucet

Powder Room with Bold Botanical Wallpaper

Powder room with bold navy botanical wallpaper, skirted vanity, dark wood mirror, and brass wall sconces

Owner’s Bedroom and Bathroom Suite Design

Primary bedroom with black four-poster bed, cathedral ceiling, woven rug, and botanical prints on pale blue walls

Upstairs, the bedrooms were rearranged to create a primary suite, three bedrooms, and a full bathroom for the children. The new owner’s bedroom suite was expanded to reach out toward the garden.

Bedroom nightstand detail with purple wildflowers, floral lamp shade, and pink floral pillowcases against blue-gray shiplap

Blue-gray hallway with built-in desk nook leading to a sitting room with floral armchair and linen drapes

Pink bathroom with freestanding soaking tub, brass fittings, tall linen cabinet, and slate tile floor

Pink primary bathroom with clawfoot tub, brass floor-mounted faucet, bamboo shades, and redwood tree views

Double marble vanity with brass hardware, twin black-framed mirrors, and brass sconces on blush pink paneled walls

Bedrooms with Statement Wallpaper

Guest bedroom with all-over floral wallpaper continuing onto the ceiling, sage green bed frame, and striped roman shade

White-tiled bathroom with wall-mounted sink, brass fixtures, brass flower sconces, and black-framed mirror

Guest bedroom with bold blue-and-white toile wallpaper floor-to-ceiling, four-poster bed, and matching curtains

Blue toile bedroom corner with tufted armchair, matching curtains, open casement window, and white wildflower arrangement

Attic bedroom with all-over branch wallpaper, woven headboard, blue patchwork quilt, and small writing desk

Bathroom vanity with sage green subway tile, brass-framed mirror, and porcelain sink on brass legs

ADU Guest Cottage Design with Wood Paneling

Entry mudroom with small-print wallpaper, brick floor, antique bench, and view into wood-paneled dining room

All-wood dining room with scallop-trimmed sideboard, carved oak chairs, brass chandelier, and teal painted door

Wood-paneled guest cabin living room with blue patterned dresser, rattan chairs, live-edge coffee table, and landscape painting

Wood-paneled bathroom vanity with shield-shaped mirror, brass wall-mounted faucet, stone countertop, and white candle sconces

Deep green square-tiled shower with brass rainfall showerhead, wood stool, and oak door frame

Terracotta-walled bedroom with draped linen curtains, blue woven bedspread, and vintage fish print

Children's bunk room with two beds, patchwork quilts, blue gingham pillows, and wood-paneled upholstered headboard wall

Close-up of bed with colorful patchwork quilt and blue gingham pillowcases against a linen and oak headboard wall

Cedar shingle guest cottage at dusk with open sliding doors, string lights, fire pit, and deck seating

The architects built a new ADU on the north side of the property. This flexible space connects to the main house via a new glass entry foyer that frames a view of the lush yard. The ADU’s unique shape is a result of its location and various zoning rules, including requirements for fire-safe cladding throughout the home.

Cedar shingle home rear exterior with lap pool, raised wood deck, and redwood forest backdrop