This warm mid-century mountain home near Lake Tahoe Is a dream

Cedar-clad mountain home at dusk with a timber-framed covered entry, stone steps and tall pines

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Ryan Group Architects designed this rustic mid-century mountain home in Truckee, California. It sits on the 14th fairway of Lahontan, a private golf community. Jim Morrison Construction then brought the design to life. Lahontan lies in a quiet Sierra Nevada valley, just a short drive from Lake Tahoe. The architects, therefore, shaped the house around that setting.

A 1950s-inspired plan for a mid-century mountain home

The owners, a San Francisco couple, wanted a home that felt sensible, practical and understated. They also wanted clearly separated zones and plenty of natural materials. In addition, the living spaces needed to suit two people rather than a crowd. As a result, the architects turned to the simplicity and function of 1950s design.

Most of the 5,076-square-foot house sits on a single level and stretches out horizontally. Because of this layout, nearly every room looks out to Lookout Mountain and the Pacific Crest. Meanwhile, apart from a few gables, low-pitched shed roofs keep the house modest against the landscape.

Open great room with a yellow leather sofa, Eames lounge chairs and a cedar ceiling with exposed beams

Above: The yellow leather sofa is by Los Angeles maker Cisco Brothers, and the coffee table is by IZM.

Living room: natural finishes with pops of orange

The house balances open, airy rooms with spaces that feel cozy and sheltered. This balance starts at the entry, where a daisy-shaped wood-veneer pendant sets a playful tone. Beyond it, natural finishes and muted tones wrap the living areas. In addition, bursts of orange appear throughout.

Living room at night with a stone and steel fireplace, corner window seat and golf course views

Mid-century classics fill the great room of this mountain home, including a pair of Eames lounge chairs with ottomans. Molded plywood shell chairs and a low walnut coffee table also complete the look. The fireplace combines stacked stone with a blackened steel surround and a wood mantel. Meanwhile, a built-in window seat wraps the corner windows and looks out over the fairway. Overhead, a cedar plank ceiling and exposed Douglas fir beams run the length of the room.

Stone fireplace with a blackened steel surround, wood mantel and two Eames lounge chairs

Dining room and kitchen

The dining area sits beneath a grid of exposed beams and skylights. Here, an amber linear pendant hangs over a walnut table with black leather chairs. A striped rug also anchors the space. Similarly, four clear glass pendants with glowing amber and orange cores light the kitchen’s wood-topped peninsula. Maple cabinetry, dark granite counters and a stainless range keep the palette warm. In addition, a built-in desk nook tucks into one wall.

Dining table with black leather chairs under an amber pendant, with the living room fireplace beyond

What We Love About This House

This home strikes a rare balance between wide open and warmly enclosed. The design team clearly worked closely together. As a result, careful details show up in every room. Finally, with tall pines all around, it’s easy to picture living in this mid-century mountain home.

Tell Us: Would this be your ideal mountain home? Tell us in the comments below!

Note: Check out a couple of other amazing home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the state of California: Dramatic hillside home with modern yet warm feel in Marin County and Mountain modern home in Martis Camp with indoor-outdoor living.

Maple kitchen with four amber glass pendants over a wood-topped peninsula with bar stools

Above: Layered lighting keeps the kitchen bright after daylight fades.

Kitchen island with a dark granite counter and orange glass pendants, opening to the dining room

Bedrooms and bathrooms

The owner’s bedroom has a linear fireplace set into a steel surround. It also has sliding glass doors that open to a balcony among the pines. Nearby, maple drawers and open shelving line the walk-in closet. One bedroom has a cushioned window seat in a corner of glass facing the golf course. Another, however, tucks the bed beneath a row of clerestory windows. Finally, in the powder room, a waterfall faucet spills into a sculptural white vessel sink against deep teal walls.

Hallway with large Lake Tahoe landscape photographs, a cedar ceiling and wood floors

Primary bedroom with a linear fireplace in a steel surround and sliding doors to a balcony among pines

Above: The owner’s bedroom has a raised fireplace and a private balcony overlooking the golf course.

Primary bathroom with a maple vanity, forest-view window and a doorless walk-in shower with hexagon tile

Above: The owner’s bathroom pairs a maple vanity and dark granite counter with a doorless walk-in shower finished in hexagon tile.

Walk-in closet with maple drawers and open shelving, a cedar ceiling and a window at the end

Bed beneath a row of clerestory windows, with a maple headboard wall, sconces and a walnut-topped nightstand

Powder room with a waterfall faucet over a white vessel sink, teal walls and a slot canyon photograph

Bedroom with corner windows, a cushioned window seat and views of pines and the golf course

Bedroom with maple built-ins, a lakeside canoe photograph above the bed and a cedar ceiling

Staircase and family room

A maple handrail leads up the stairs past a large photograph of autumn aspens. Meanwhile, the family room is the coziest spot in this mid-century mountain home for movie nights. It features a linear fireplace in a stacked-stone surround and a TV framed in blackened steel. Built-in shelving and a bright orange loveseat also add warmth.

Staircase with a maple handrail, carpeted treads and a large autumn aspen photograph

Family room with a linear fireplace in a stone surround, an orange loveseat and leather armchairs

Outdoor living at this rustic mid-century mountain home

In the backyard of this rustic mid-century mountain home, a fire pit area links indoors and out. An L-shaped timber bench anchors the space, and its chunky posts and steel connectors echo the house’s structure. In addition, a covered patio with an outdoor kitchen sits just off the great room.

Fire pit patio with an L-shaped timber bench and lounge chairs beside the cedar and stone house

Above: Basalt fieldstone, cedar siding and hot-rolled steel panels suit the alpine setting. However, the home’s mid-century lines keep it from reading as typical “mountain modern.”

Timber-framed corner of floor-to-ceiling windows above a stone base, glowing at dusk