There are log cabins and there are log cabins. Then there's Aaron Paul's Idaho log cabin.
The Better Call Saul actor and Emmett native lives full time in Los Feliz, LA with his wife Lauren and their daughter Story Annabelle and son Ryden Caspian. But when they can, the family of four likes to escape to McCall, Idaho, for some much needed R&R.
And, with the help of Pearson Design Group, they've built themselves the perfect retreat there: an elegant rustic five-bedroom home with sophisticated, pared back cabin decor in five acres on the shores of Payette Lake. Yes, the Payette Lake, famed for its Loch Ness-like monster.
The interiors are notable. Designed by one of Homes & Gardens' favorites, Jake Arnold, whose clients include John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, and who is known for his use of raw materials, natural textures and soothing color schemes, they are the ultimate in frontier cabin style. We take the tour.
The living room, which is dominated by an enormous hearthstone in Montana moss rock, rumored to weigh 13 tons, is made for socializing – by design: the couple loves to entertain friends and family at the cabin.
'This has been a nearly four-year labor of love working from the ground up on every last detail of this dreamy cabin getaway with these incredibly creative and beautiful humans,' says Jake Arnold on his Instagram. 'I am humbled and I am grateful for this experience, one that I dreamt of since I knew what it meant to be a designer.'
Jake is rightly proud: the house blends beautifully with its surroundings thanks to his clever use of natural materials. Aside from the stone, wood features heavily, with reclaimed Wisconsin barnwood forming the rafters of the living room ceiling. Both purposefully connect the Pauls to the natural world outside.
Aaron Paul describes himself as an architecture and design obsessive, but there's more to this house than just design precision. The home he calls 'Camp Pretty Bird' is close to where his grandparents lived, so when he visits from LA, he's also taking a nostalgic journey back to his childhood.
Jake Arnold has deliberately employed a light touch with the interiors, maintaining the integrity of log cabin style, but infusing the space with a more sophisticated appeal, using hand-crafted, bespoke pieces alongside sleek, contemporary furniture, as seen in the kitchen (above), with its concrete countertops and ceiling beams, which display evidence of ax marks.
The dining room continues with this combination of hand-hewn and contemporary classics
'When choosing materials and the palette for the home we wanted to incorporate plaster with the Montana rock and reclaimed clad ceilings and walls to keep the spaces feeling a little more edited and a touch more refined,' says Arnold.
The dining room trestle table (above) contrasts beautifully with the ceramic pendant lights by Natalie Page for BDDW; available at Visual Comfort.
'Hallway of dreams,' is how Jake Arnold describes this transitional space (above), and it's a perfect example of his approach to the design: pared back yet layered, textured yet neutral. But don't let the modesty of the design fool you: the house has heated concrete floors, which keep it cozy, even in the depths of winter.
Finally, to the guest suite bedroom (above), which, like the other spaces, uses fabrics such as faux fur for comfort and linen for the drapes. Dreamy.
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