When it comes to laid-back, California-cool design, Jenni Kayne is the undisputed It girl. So when Fan spotted, on Instagram, a white-washed cabin on the shores of California’s Lake Arrowhead that was recently re-done by Jenni and her team, we took note—and asked Jenni herself for the inside scoop.
“We fell in love with the cozy serenity of Lake Arrowhead from our first visit, and more specifically, with this home,” Jenni told us. “Nearly every room has a view of the lake, with endless potential and opportunity to create something special to enhance its natural environment.” Plus, the cabin wasn’t far from the company’s base in LA and, Jenni adds, the team had been eager to take on a house renovation ever since they revamped a vintage Airstream to mark the launch of the Jenni Kayne Home collection a couple years back.
But while the cabin’s setting was appealing, but the interiors were not—just check out the before photos here. “When we found the house, it was dark, dated, and totally untouched,” Jenni says, “but I could immediately see how we could transform it into a light, airy lake home.” With the views from each window as inspiration, the team—including CEO Julia Hunter and her husband, Ray—set about transforming the house to embody the company’s trademark neutral, no-fuss style.
Now, the house is a study in lakeside ease, “a place to relax and recharge.” P.S. It’s currently for sale, in case you’re in the market. Join us for a look.
Photography by Tessa Neustadt, courtesy of Jenni Kayne.
Above: The three-level cabin, tucked lakeside, sleeps ten and has a separate bunkhouse and private dock, according to the listing. Above: “I’ve always had a very clean and natural sense of style,” Jenni says of her trademark aesthetic. “I truly believe in living well and to me that touches everything, from your daily uniform to how you’re entertaining and cooking to what your home looks like. In the Lake House, our goal was to keep everything light and bright, replacing dark, dingy tile with calming whites and state-of-the-art trimmings.”
Here, the mudroom and entryway is fitted with a hard-working sink, a row of hooks, and Jenni Kayne Home’s own Oak Day Bench. The paint color throughout is Farrow & Ball’s All White No. 2005, “a super classic white,” Jenni says (and one of our 8 Favorite Pure White Paints).
Above: Though the team modernized and whitewashed the interiors, “we wanted the lakeside space to still feel like a cabin, so we kept details like the original fireplaces in the living room and master bedroom,” Jenni says. Above: The original fireplace, painted white, is paired with layered rugs and a generous stack of firewood. The wall-mounted candle holders are from June Home Supply. (They’re favorites of ours, too; see Old-Fashioned Iron Candle Holders for Long Winter’s Nights.) Above: In the living area, the Dune sofa and Hayes chairs are both from Maiden Home. Above: The team re-envisioned a dark and cramped kitchen into a compact but open-feeling space. The cabinets are custom, made by a local carpenter and painted in a subtle earthy tone, Farrow & Ball’s Light Gray. “We decided to use simple wood cabinetry with chicken wire instead of glass panes to make it feel more rustic,” Jenni adds. The countertops are marble. Above: In the revamped dining room, a simple wood table is surrounded by Jenni Kayne Home Oak Rope Chairs. Above: The ground-floor master bedroom and its original fireplace also got a fresh coat of white paint. Just off of the room are steps that lead directly down to the dock. Above: “I am consistently drawn to neutrals, in both my wardrobe and home design, because they feel timeless, natural, and relaxing,” Jenni says. “My trick is to focus on texture and feeling, introducing different natural materials to create a richness that never feels dated or too busy.” Case in point: A mix of textures here includes woven baskets, dried grasses, and painted wood cladding. Above: In this and many of the bathrooms, dingy tile was replaced with Heath Ceramics’ Classic Field Tile in white, a much brighter (and Californian) option. Above: The toilets are Aimes Washlets by Toto. Above: An airy upstairs bedroom has a reading nook with views of Lake Arrowhead. Above: A bunch of fresh flowers under the eaves. Above: Thanks to white walls and linens and windows left bare, a twin-bedded guest room looks spacious and open, not cramped. Above: In one of the bathrooms, a slab of marble left over from the kitchen counters was re-fitted into a sink. Above: A built-in sitting area makes use of a nook beneath a window. Above: The framed print is by Tennessee-based artist Kate Roebuck via Uprise Art, which provided art throughout the house. Above: Last but not least, the lakeside dock, ready for lounging.
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