Wilderness Cabin

California

Among the soaring mountaintops and towering pines, this remote chalet creates a peaceful home in the High Sierra.

The cabin’s tinplate peaks reach toward the prodigious mountains overhead, while thick cedar walls and the speckled terne roof glisten and reflect in the still waters of the adjacent lake. 

Living spaces are intentionally small—with a modest environmental footprint to match—as it’s a destination where most of your days are spent outdoors. Solar panels and propane allow the cabin to function completely off the grid, minimizing its impact on the land. 

Exposed, rough-hewn beams complete the lofty ceilings, while monolithic blocks of granite are built into the home, forming areas like the soaking tub and fireplace surround. The stone is a canvas for the lichen growth and patina slowly acquired over the 100-years it sat aging, being perfected for its second life. 

Inside, simple details celebrate the overwhelming beauty of the forest. Weathered steel outlines the many capacious gridded windows looking out to the surrounding vistas. On snowy winter evenings, it’s hard to resist curling up in one of the cozy, built-in fireplace niches. And on sweltering summer days, relief comes by way of a quick dip in the mountain-fed lake.

“The cabin was a labor of love—a jewel box made of wood, stone, and steel, nestled up high in the mountains.”
Kathy Scott, Partner, Walker Warner

Project info

Architecture

Principal

Project Manager

Architectural Staff

Marshall Schneider

Collaborators

Interiors

Stone Interiors

Landscape

Garden Architecture

Construction

Mark Nolan General Contractor

Photography

Cesar Rubio

Press

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