From Subfloor to Sanctuary Cabin Click: 005

From interiors to exteriors, this is the week the cabin began to extend beyond its walls.

Apr 23, 2026

But first things first. We got the rocking chair up to the cabin, and she’s literally oh so good. Just look at her! Remember when I spotted her on my birthday trip to Palm Springs back in March? From the distressed camel leather to the chunky-but-refined joinery and that perfectly slim profile - she feels like she’s always been here. I can already tell this is where I’ll end up every night, gently rocking in front of the fire.

But here’s the thing: renovations are constantly about lots of tiny steps forward - then one day, there’s a shift that happens during a restoration that no one really talks about. At first it’s:

Derelict rooms
Cracked tile
Exposed walls. Peeling paint
Sub floors. Leaky faucets.
Broken Fixtures.

Too many decisions, DIY projects to tackle, purchases to make, and endless construction.

Then one day, you suddenly have a major win - it’s like a breakthrough!

My goal of having new floors didn’t happen in time for Valentine's Day, but it did before Spring - and I will take it. Our NEW hardwood floors are in, and I feel like I can breathe again. Just take a look at them in the glow of the afternoon sun. My heart is filled with a profound sense of joy and a giant sense of relief.

It was oh so nice to walk barefoot on them over the weekend, play around with different layouts for the interior furnishings, and start pulling together the styling. This is where things get really fun.

The thing is, I was aggressively intentional about keeping the floors lighter than the redwood ceiling and wainscoting; it opens up the space and helps bounce that filtered forest light deeper into the room. When both planes are dark, the room can start to feel heavy or cave-like, but that contrast creates lift, balance, and just enough tension to let the mixed wood finishes and architecture shine. You never want things to matchy-matchy. Mix materials, even your woods.

Hardwood floor progress. Look at the craftsmanship of the bathroom transition and the wonderful wood contrast to the redwood

We still have to stain the baseboards and add top trim, sourced from the same local lumber mill that’s been operating for almost 70 years. But I’ll take the win. We’re getting there. We really are. I feel like I can say it for real now.

So today I’m taking a moment to soak up with y’all. We have floors!

But, like all things, Renovation… You step outside and realize that the land matters just as much as the interior. Especially at a cabin. So…

As soon as I celebrated the flooring, I ran into the yard, and that’s where I’ve happily been this entire week.

Because as much as the cabin is coming together inside, the bed, the floors, the shift from “camping” to truly living, it’s the landscape outside that’s going to equally define what this place really becomes, and it deserves just as much thought and care.

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I want the yard to be:

Not manicured.
Nor overly designed.
Something quieter. More wild
Grounded, yer carefree
Something that feels like it’s always been here.

Which led me to…

A Meadow, Not a Lawn

My clover field lawn lush and thriving with minimal water

Let’s get real. We’re on a well, after all, so we have to be pragmatic about how and what we plant, and the more time I spend here, the more it becomes obvious.

This landscape wants to be a meadow, fueled by clover and all the benefits that a clover field provides to the ecosystem.

In fact, I’ve sown clover in both the meadow and the central “lawn” between the artist studio and the cabin itself. It’s eco-friendly, supports pollinators, and needs far less water - frankly, I think it’s more lush and beautiful. You should give it a try for a natural lawn-like look, but way better. Plus, I just love the little flowers and covers that fill in the dry, patchy areas where a lawn would fall flat. The joy is endless when you see how it brings life back to the soil, fueling the land rather than taking from it.

When I daydream about the surrounding areas, I’m constantly plotting pathways that should be aimless yet intentional. Paths that just force you to slow down and find rhythm with the land.

Grasses that move with the wind
Native wildflowers that dance in the wind
Blooms that come and go
Textures that shift throughout the year

It’s what’s often called a meadowscape, and it feels exactly right for this place. Lately, I've been pouring of the landscape approach, and the more I learn, the more I realize this is exactly what the cabin wants, and who am I to deny her that?

Why Meadowscaping Just Makes Sense

Beyond the aesthetic (which I love), it solves so many real problems:

Beautiful and Lush with low water use is critical when you’re on a well
Low maintenance is ideal, less mowing, more observing
Supports pollinators, bees, butterflies, all of it
Feels natural to the land, not imposed onto it

It’s not about controlling every inch.
It’s about guiding it.

And honestly, that mindset feels very 136home to me.

Designing Something That Doesn’t Feel Designed

The challenge, and the fun, is restraint. Something I apply to my interiors, too.

Because it’s easy to overdo it, but this type of landscaping does best in the wild, and there’s a certain sense of joy and peace that comes to mind when you sit down and think about it.

Meadowscaping mood board with set circular hot tub

So I will be leaning into:

Loose pathways of stone, gravel, and railroad stakes cut through taller grasses
A few anchored moments ( a water feature, a swing, a fire pit, maybe a bench)
Native plant clusters that feel organic, not planted in rows
Letting certain areas just… be

Almost like the cabin is placed within the landscape rather than sitting on top of it.

What This Means for the Cabin

Current cabin and future look painted tricorn black

This changes everything. Again…and that’s okay. There’s no rush here.

The exterior color (yes… still leaning black) suddenly makes even more sense against soft, sun-bleached grasses. I love the inspo I pulled above.

The windows feel more intentional, like frames into something living.

Even the idea of sitting outside with coffee in the morning feels different when you’re not looking at a lawn… but a field.

It becomes less suburban.
More retreat.

And two years later, I realize that escaping here is even more important to me than ever. All this talk of the yard reminds me of my apple trees…

Gravenstein Applesauce Fritters

My famous applesauce fritters made with Gravenstein apples from my tree

There’s something about my applesauce fritters that just feels like home, the kind of recipe that lingers long after the last bite. Golden, crisp edges. A soft, spiced center. And that unmistakable scent that makes the whole kitchen feel like fall… even in the middle of a San Francisco summer.

At the cabin, this one hits different. Made with Gravenstein apples from one of the ancient apple trees on the property, it’s the kind of recipe that turns a quiet morning into a ritual: coffee brewing, batter coming together, and that first fritter straight out of the oil (you know the one).

It’s quick, it’s nostalgic, and it’s one of those recipes you make once… and suddenly it’s part of your life.

If you love fritters and apples. You have to try my applease sauce fritters recipe. We make these all apple season long. You should too!

A Mattress That Changed Cabin Sleep

One unexpected upgrade that made a huge difference:

The mattress.

After months of sleeping on an air mattress during construction, we finally upgraded to the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever owned - the Leesa Reserve from West Elm.

The best part?

It ships straight to your door. No hauling anything up winding cabin roads.

Which, if you’ve ever tried to move furniture in the redwoods, you’ll understand why that matters. But it’s literally the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever owned. Even better than our San Francisco bed.

Get $50 OFF. Use code: 136HOME50 at checkout.

I’ll share the full details soon because, honestly, it transformed the bedroom overnight.

A Sofa for the Ages

So one of the biggest small wins lately has been restoring a vintage black sofa we found on Etsy.

The lines were perfect, the frame was solid, and it had that quiet character that new furniture rarely does. You know this already. But I can’t stop screaming about it. Just look at the silhouette. This ain’t your grandpa’s overstuffed leather La-Z-Boy couch.

I’ve been slowly bringing it back to life. Just you wait and see. The process has been:

Deep conditioning and cleaning the upholstery with Leather honey
Restoring worn areas, including resewing the four of the most perfectly pertained cushions
Wood filling dings in the walnut legs

There’s just something magical about slowing down and patiently restoring things. I love it, but if you’re here, you know that, and I take it that you enjoy a little DIY too. Just look at the torn, distressed cushions.

This is the kind of statement piece that gives a room its vibe. It really feels like it has always belonged in a cabin - almost as if it’s been around for decades, listening to old vinyl records, resting near the fireplace, waiting for us to discover it again. Having these NOW repaired cushions is everything.

And after months of floor living, I can confidently report that having a place to sit is a luxury that I am not going to take for granted any longer:

A real (handsome) sofa changes everything. Excuse me while I sit facing the fire with an iced cold foam latte, staring out the restored cathedral windows for (literal) hours. I earned this! And yes, iced, sitting in front of a fire, judge me later - if even for just a moment I pretend that I had nowhere else to be.