The North Star

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HSH Interiors and Laney LA customize a ski retreat with modernity and materiality

The entry features a rug from Beni Rugs and a mirror from Last Ditch Designs. Photos by Stephanie Russo.

High above the road at Northstar, carved into a steep Tahoe hillside, a contemporary mountain home quietly emerges courtesy of collaborative design between Holly Hollenbeck of HSH Interiors and Anthony Laney of Laney LA. Designed as both a present-day retreat and a future primary residence, the house reflects a thoughtful collaboration rooted in trust, shared sensibilities and a deep respect for place. “The clients were big fans of Tom Faulkner’s work, but apparently he was booked for the next 3 years,” Hollenbeck recalls. “HSH suggested bringing on Anthony Laney of Laney LA, with whom our team had worked several times before, and whose clean contemporary style aligned with the client’s tastes.”

In the living room, the team covered the mantel in a Terrazzo from Clastic Designs. The coffee tables are from Maiden home.
Photos by Stephanie Russo.
The kitchen features plumbing fixtures by Brizo, a chandelier by Contain, the appliances are by Thermador and the slabs are by Caesarstone. Photos by Stephanie Russo.

The homeowners, two East Bay–based attorneys with a teenage son, purchased the lot with the intention of making it their family’s second home for ski weekends and holidays for years to come, eventually transitioning into a full-time residence. Function, longevity and comfort were paramount—but never at the expense of beauty. “The clients sought to build a home that would function as a second home for the next several years, then become a primary residence when they are ready to retire,” Hollenbeck notes.

The powder room vanity Terrazzo countertop and backsplash was found at Clastic Designs. The pendant is by Vantot. Photos by Stephanie Russo.
On the ‘social patio’ the furniture comes from Restoration Hardware. Photos by Stephanie Russo.

Responding to the site was both a challenge and an opportunity. The lot rises steeply from the street, requiring the home to step back into the hillside rather than sit atop. Considerations like roof shedding, circulation and access were crucial. “On this steep hillside site, the clients challenged us to engage the terrain across all three levels in a way that felt natural and intuitive,” says Laney. “This required the home to step back into the slope rather than sit atop it. As a result, circulation was designed to terrace through the house, allowing the stairs to unfold gradually instead of stacking vertically.”

The result is a terraced three-level home that feels anchored to the land. Movement through the house unfolds gradually, with stairways that guide occupants through the architecture rather than stacking spaces vertically. Like many Tahoe homes, the main living spaces occupy the top floor, where panoramic mountain views take center stage. Here, the kitchen, living, and dining room come together as the heart of the home. A wall of expansive sliding glass doors opens fully to the surrounding landscape, blurring the line between inside and out. “Aesthetically, the clients sought a thoughtful departure from the traditional Tahoe Lake vernacular,” Laney recalls. “More meaningfully, they wanted to create a home that reflected their family’s legacy of mountain living. Their goal was to honor the past while creating a place where future generations would feel deeply at home.”

A secondary patio was designed around an inset hot tub by Hotspring. Photos by Stephanie Russo.
The stairwell is clad in wood planks from Reward. Photos by Stephanie Russo.

Throughout the home, material contrasts are carefully balanced. A dark, pigmented concrete podium defines the lower levels, grounding the house visually and physically into the slope. “I think the kitchen-living-dining is the most important room in the home,” Hollenbeck remarks. “Featuring a huge wall of sliding glass doors facing a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains, the room features bespoke stained cedar wood cladding that flows inside and out, lime washed ceilings, oak plank floors, and bespoke custom created terrazzo on the fireplace and bar.  All the materials work together, reflect nature and warmth, create interest but flow in a way that does not compete with the views.”

Functionality was as carefully considered as form. The primary suite is located on the same level as the kitchen and living spaces to allow for aging in place, while an elevator connects all three floors. A second laundry room on the main level sits conveniently near both the primary suite and the outdoor hot tub. Lower levels house a bunk room with twin XL beds for teenage guests, a guest suite, gym and home office—spaces that allow the home to feel intimate for a family of three, yet comfortably accommodate up to ten guests during ski weekends.

Sconces by Wired Lighting add contemporary edge in the primary bedroom. Photos by Stephanie Russo.
All plumbing fixtures in the primary bathroom are by Brizo, the sconce was found on Etsy.
Photos by Stephanie Russo.
Photos by Stephanie Russo.

The clients were deeply involved throughout the design and development process, enabling the home to take a more personal shape. That collaboration is evident in the finished result.

In the guest bedroom, sconces from West Elm hang over a custom bed frame that is positioned perfectly next to a picture window to enjoy the views. Photos by Stephanie Russo.
In the bunk room, sconces from Lumens hang above each of the custom bunk beds. Photos by Stephanie Russo.

Now complete, the house is already entertaining multiple ski weekends, quiet mornings and long views across Truckee’s mystical surrounds. More than a second home, it is a place designed to endure, ready to carry the family’s story forward for generations to come.

Photos by Stephanie Russo.