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Yosemite Park never gets old for Tristan Prettyman. “Every time I go there, I’m blown away,” the folk musician and songwriter says. Her first visit in summer 2021 had come about from an invitation by a friend who had a house in the area and, after that, the SoCal native couldn’t stop going (it didn’t matter if it was winter—she was always up for a cold plunge). Naturally, she got curious about the local real estate market and an agent gave her the inside scoop on a soon-to-be-listed A-frame. The house was “1990s-riffic,” as Prettyman recalls, but having grown up with a contractor for dad, she knew how to spot good bones. “When I walked into this house, it felt like such a yes,” says the artist.
She wanted the 3,200 square foot house to be indestructible; a place where the furniture was spill-kid-and-dog-hair-proof. She also wanted it to feel a lot more cabin-y with mixed woods, stone, and nods to nature. A friend introduced her to Susana Simonpietri, the creative director of NYC-based studio Chango, and the two hit it off on the long drive from the airport to mountains. Simonpietri was ready to get to work: The house had already been demoed and she saw an opportunity to bring back some character.
Ahead, Prettyman and Simonpietri, along with Chango’s design director Kate Lundberg, give us a tour around the rustic retreat.
Simonpietri: There was a lot of back and forth with the contractor on finding those new batches of stone and figuring out how much we should fill it in. When they put the mortar up, I just kept looking at it and I was like, ‘I think we need to go back and do one more layer.’
Lundberg: Mostly, we focused on sourcing vintage furniture from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. Surprisingly, a lot of the pieces we bought are from Europe and Scandinavia. It’s a very different place than Northern California but they share that relaxed aesthetic. | Paint Color, Simply White by Benjamin Moore; Coffee Table, Faithful Roots; Custom Sofa in Elitis fabric; Side Table (next to sofa), 1stDibs; Art by Josefin Tolstoy, Partnership Editions; Rug, Temple Studio; Vintage Esko Pajamies for Asko Armchairs covered in Larsen Fabric; Floor Lamp, Ancora-T via 1stDibs; Banquette Fabric, Holly Hunt; Staircase and Oak Wood Trim by Van’s Cabinets and Doors.
Lundberg: We created a piece with contemporary fabric, but we were really trying to give a nod to ’70s conversation pits with the style.
Prettyman: Those cushions configure into three twin beds, so kids can have a big sleepover up there. | Custom Daybed in Sien + Co and Zak + Fox Fabrics; Millwork, Sierra Architectural Products; Rug, Chairish; Sconce, 1stDibs; Bookcase Sconces, Visual Comfort; Hanging Art, Uprise Art.
Simonpietri: Originally, the bed was under the eaves. But who wants to sleep in the lowest, most oppressive portion of a room? Moving it in front of the windows gave us the opportunity to do millwork on either side (a bench and built-in cabinets). Tristan also wanted good blackout curtains, so she can walk behind the headboard and access those. We added another layer of curtains to add some interest and give her that opacity when she wants it. | Headboard Fabric, Kravet; Bed Frame Fabric, Rosemary Hallgarten; Nightstands, Brian Paquette x Lawson Fenning; Art (above bed), Carolina Jimenez via Alison Bradley Projects; Drapery, Clarence House and Decortex.
Prettyman: They told me they were going to make it even better by doing full beds on the bottom and twin beds on top. When families come to stay with us now, that means adults and kids can have their own beds. There’s space for everyone! | Panelling installed by King Builders; Beds by Sierra Architectural Products; Blankets, Pendleton; Bedding, West Elm.
We were able to work with all local woodworkers on the millwork. The cedar on the lower level came out beautiful—it makes the whole house smell like a cabin (and it happens to deter the bugs, which is great). | Panelling sourced by Sierra Architectural Products and installed by King Builders; Custom Sofa in Nobilis, Otis Textiles, and Maharam Fabric; Ceiling Lights, And Objects; Photograph, Casey McCallister via Hem and Oar; Sconces, Cedar & Moss.