This 2,400-Square-Foot Whimsical Idaho Lake Cabin Sleeps 19

When it came to renovating her lake cabin retreat in Sagle, Idaho, designer Heather Lucas of Lucas Browning Design had one major goal in mind—for there to be enough space to host her extended family. It had to have places to sleep for her four siblings and 11 nieces and nephews who live 90 minutes away in Spokane, Washington. In addition to that goal, creating a home that was a comfortable and happy space to relax was also key.

Jessica Alexander

The 2,400-square-foot house hadn’t been updated in the ‘70s, so it was out of date and the bedrooms felt tired and dark. “We wanted to make some practical updates (electrical, heating, air conditioning, and appliances) but also wanted to update surfaces to brighten everything up,” she says. “The views are incredible and we wanted something fun and colorful.”

Jessica Alexander

For the design, fun wallpaper and bright fabrics were a jumping-off point. Heather thought the bold, bright colors would give the home a “vacation” feel. “I wanted the home to feel bright and happy,” she explains. “The home was built in the ‘70s and I kept that in mind with some of the furniture and lighting choices that are nods to this decade. I would describe the design as whimsy, modern lake-cabin chic.”

Jessica Alexander

Heather and team scraped the ceilings, updated the flooring, painted the entire interior and exterior, and replaced all the lighting. Each room in the home was refreshed, while some of the home’s original details were emphasized.

Jessica Alexander

In the kitchen, they kept the existing cabinetry but painted it a mossy green as an ode to the foliage outside. The cabinet hardware, appliances, sink, and faucet were replaced, while a pendant was added above the kitchen sink. The stainless steel countertops were swapped out for an inexpensive laminate from Home Depot that looks like soapstone. They also removed the upper cabinets above the peninsula to open up the space.

Jessica Alexander

The entire great room—including the vaulted ceilings and beams—were painted a warm, bright white. A custom cloud sectional sofa, ottomans, and swivel chairs were added and provide plenty of seating options for guests. “The Cedar & Moss sconces above the staircase remind me of flowers and have a ‘70s feel to them,” Heather adds. “The dining table and chairs and sideboards are original to the house from the ‘70s, and we added fun oversized turquoise lamps on the sideboard from Arteriors.”

Jessica Alexander

The primary bedroom features a custom white oak bed with St. Frank fabric, a noir dresser, Arteriors sunburst mirror, Regina Andrew lamp, Faithful Roots nightstands, Lostine leather sconces, Soho Home shell pendant, and a Rush House rug.

Jessica Alexander

There are three different guest bedrooms, each with a different vibe. “The Boat Room” is the upstairs guest bedroom and features an Abnormals Anonymous Summer Breeze Wallpaper that has a toile pattern of boats and water skiers. The custom bed has a bright, striped outdoor fabric from McLaurin & Piercy with Soho Home bedside lamps and a Pinch pendant.

Jessica Alexander

Jessica Alexander

“The Ski Room” is a downstairs guest bedroom with green paneling that fits a queen bed and a single bed. There’s also a big closet that they turned into a nook that holds a double bed—and they added Apres Ski wallpaper by Katie Kime to create a cozy feel.

Jessica Alexander

And the second downstairs guest bedroom is the “The ‘70s Room,” which has a boucle bed, Soho Home nightstands and bedside lamps, Arteriors pendant, and St. Frank wallpaper.

Jessica Alexander

To add even more sleeping space, Heather and team reconfigured the storage room and office to become a bunk room and cubby room for the kids. The bunk room aptly features Pacific Northwest wallpaper from Chasing Paper and has enough bunk beds and pull-out beds to sleep eight children. The room next door has 14 cubbies for storage.

Jessica Alexander

“It’s so fun designing for yourself because you can take risks that clients sometimes aren’t willing to take,” Heather says. “There is also something about a second home that allows you to make fun choices you may not make in your primary residence.”

Jessica Alexander

Now the home has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a bunk room. Heather is so happy with how it all turned out and she had a blast executing it. It’s a fun and playful place that’s set up for memorable family vacations.

Jessica Alexander

“In the summer we go up for a couple months and have family and friends out to stay on most weekends,” Heather says. “We spend the summer wakesurfing, jetskiing, paddleboarding, fishing, and roasting marshmallows by the fire pit. We have two bald eagles who live in the tree above our house and often see deer, moose, wild turkeys, and fish. In the winter we come up for Christmas and New Year’s. Our cabin is 45 minutes away from Schweitzer Mountain where our family enjoys skiing.”

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