Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

This Pristine A-Frame Cabin Glows Like a Lantern in a Redwood Forest

This Pristine A-Frame Cabin Glows Like a Lantern in a Redwood Forest

A bright-white interior breathes new life into a dark, retro cabin in Western Sonoma’s Redwood Forest.

San Francisco–based architects Brit and Daniel Epperson transformed a 1974 A-frame into a bright and airy getaway tucked away in the woods. Located seven miles from the coast in the Sonoma County township of Cazadero, the A-frame is perched on Austin Creek, a fish spawning tributary that meanders its way into the Russian River.

"It’s almost impossible to buy a home in San Francisco," Brit says with a laugh. "This is a way for us to get this out of our system."



The 1,088-square-foot A-frame is located about an hour-and-a-half drive north of San Francisco in Western Sonoma County’s Cazadero township.



The cabin’s redwood siding is painted a custom Sherwin-Williams black with green and blue undertones. The exterior face-lift also introduced additional plantings and rehabbed and extended the deck.



Brit, founder of Studio PLOW, and Daniel, the design director of Rapt Studio, used the project as a way to experiment with design concepts and explore their joint creativity.

Over the course of 18 months, the couple spent their weekends working on the house. They did most of the renovation themselves, although they had family and friends help out here and there. For instance Brit’s brother Barrett Karber, a San Francisco–based furniture maker, built the carpentry and furnishings.

Brit and Daniel embraced elements that were original to the A-frame-like the wood stove.



In the all-white space, the architects defined gathering places with the use of black tones. In the living room, they created a fireplace surround by cutting and arranging 2' x 4' tile into a geometric quilt pattern.

"It had great bones. The structure hadn’t been compromised, and it was true to the original idea of an A-frame," says Brit. "The negative to that is that we had to gut everything, pull out all the old finishes, and strip it down to give it a nice fancy face-lift."



The couple took their time cherry-picking furnishings, decor, and art.



The staircase’s redwood handrails were stripped down and reused as exterior window trim. Underneath the stairs, a little cutout was created for the couple’s cat.

The couple were originally drawn to the cabin because of the old-growth redwood timber that was used to construct it. "It was in great shape," adds Brit. "We didn’t have to do much to the shell."



The kitchen features hacked IKEA cabinets-Brit and Daniel built custom fronts and side panels out of Valchromat, a recycled engineered wood. The cabinets are topped with black steel, which extends up the wall as backsplash. "We wanted to find an inexpensive way of doing a really terrific kitchen," says Daniel. "The metal, which is a cold-rolled sheet of blackened steel, is a unique material that will develop a patina over time, but will also be super durable-and again, very cost effective."



The blush-colored Rojo Alicante marble table in the center of the kitchen doubles as a dining table and kitchen island. A Craiglist score for $200, the table is another kitchen hack conceived by the architects. "It was really a diamond in the rough. Originally, it was a rectangle shape, in a weird ’90s, Italian kind of style, covered in a thick, resin-like finish that made it look almost orange," says Daniel. The table was honed down to soften its color, and its top was reshaped with rounded corners.



Black fixtures and Fisher & Paykel appliances blend seamlessly into the cabinetry. The lack of a large fridge helps give the kitchen its streamlined and minimal appearance. The couple carefully integrated appliances to make the small space fully functional for entertaining. Two CoolDrawers are tucked under the counter to chill wine and store enough food for the weekend. Two ovens allow home cooks to bake bread and roast meat simultaneously. "It just works really well for us," says Daniel. "Our counter space is at a premium, and we just didn’t need a giant refrigerator. This way, we can have the L-shaped counter. That was a very strategic decision-it doesn’t need to be more than what it is."

The 1,088-square-foot cabin originally had two bedrooms and one bath. A contractor was brought in to frame and drywall a bathroom on the lower level in the second bedroom’s closet.



A hammock swing that the couple picked up on a trip to Mexico hangs in the lofted bedroom.

The Eppersons’ overall goal was to transform the dark cabin into a bright and airy space. "It is very shaded by the trees, which is beautiful," says Brit. "But we wanted to make it more of a lantern of light in the middle of the woods. That is what drove a lot of our design decisions-trying to make it as open and bright as possible."

After the cabin was gutted, Brit and Daniel painted the walls and wood ceiling in Sherwin-Williams Alabaster to reflect the natural lighting that filters through the forest. Light European oak floors warm up the all-white space.



The lofted bedroom is outfitted with soothing textiles, a WO & WÉ light fixture, and IKEA cabinetry.

"Having this brilliant white box in the woods allowed us to maximize the effect of any sunlight we could bring in," says Daniel. "So that became the shell within which we were working, and we could play with contrasts or soft tones of color."

The blank canvas also gave the couple the opportunity to display their collection of artistic furnishings. As furniture lovers, the couple took time to cherry-pick exactly which pieces they wanted to showcase in the space.



Custom furnishings are found throughout the home. In the downstairs bedroom, an ash bed frame is paired with a side table by Barrett Karber. A WO & WÉ fixture provides lighting for reading in bed.

"Those were marital negotiations between two designers," says Brit with a chuckle. "We both love furniture. It was a slow process. Everything is really personal."Most of the furniture was built by the couple or Brit’s brother Barrett. Other decorative elements were collected over time-and through their travels. The art on the walls comes from Creativity Explored, a nonprofit art organization for developmentally disabled artists, where Brit sits on the board of directors.



In the downstairs bedroom, a closet was transformed into a full bath.

To create warmth and intimacy within the all-white space, the Eppersons used black architectural details to delineate the kitchen and living room as cozy gathering areas.



A Duravit sink is paired with a Kohler faucet.

"The key to the design ended up being the spaces where the fire is lit, where the people gather, and where the warmth is," says Daniel. "In those areas, we wanted to have a kind of ‘inverse beacon,’ where the dark calls from the light."



Above the Kohler toilet hangs a custom cabinet by Barrett Karber. The contemporary mirror and shelf were also made by the furniture designer.

A black stone fireplace surround extends 18 feet to the ceiling, and black cabinetry, countertops, and backsplash envelop the kitchen. The juxtaposition of rustic white with sleek, modern black creates a striking and sophisticated visual tension.



A small, dilapidated 10' x 12' neighboring structure was brought back to life and is now used as an art studio and guest cottage with a Murphy bed. In total, the property can sleep 10 people comfortably.

While modernizing the cabin was the couple’s main priority, Brit and Daniel also worked to keep some of the A-frame’s original details, such as the wood-burning stone and the wood ceiling, in order to highlight the structure’s origin.

"A-frames are so nostalgic," says Brit. "We are drawn to them. It was great to find this place and feel like, ‘Oh good, we can work with this.’"

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×