A Historic Lake Tahoe Home Tour
Photography by Sinead Hastings
Always do right,” Mark Twain famously espoused. “This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” That was the case when Gary and Susan Clemons—who are not related to Samuel Clemens despite the similarities in their last names—purchased and renovated an historic abode on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe in Glenbrook, Nevada.
A welcoming front porch offers a relaxing spot to enjoy the outdoors and watch the activity on Lake Tahoe, where steamboats once ferried visitors to the former Lake Shore House.
Built in 1863 as a planing mill, the building was moved to its current location in the 1870s, where it served as a boardinghouse called the Lake Shore House. Twain himself is widely rumored to have stayed there, and luminaries such as John Muir, Ulysses S. Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes also graced its halls. In the 1980s, after serving a variety of purposes, the beloved building was converted into a single-family home.
The years took a toll, however, resulting in thick pile carpeting, Formica countertops and other dated interior finishes that belied its classic character. After buying the house in 2013, the Clemons recruited architect Dennis Zirbel and interior designer Natalie Zirbel to bring it back to its former glory. “They wanted to restore its historic integrity,” Dennis Zirbel says.
With the help of general contractor Al Chambers, they did just that, gutting the interior, adding attic dormers to create a spacious third-floor bunk room and replacing an awkward, non-historic rear addition with a new two-story one that contains a family room and two bedrooms.
Separated by a historic hyphen structure and distinguished by slightly different siding and window fenestrations, the new section speaks its own language while complementing the original architecture. “Somebody who knows historic structures would look at this and have a better understanding of what was added on and what was original,” Dennis explains.
One of owner Susan Clemons’ favorite spots, the cozy dining nook features a custom wood table designed by Natalie Zirbel and made by Thomas Built Cabinets.
To fulfill the Clemons’ desire for a bright and cheerful interior, the designers placed windows strategically to enhance the natural light while still being historically accurate. In addition, they eliminated a wall between the living room and kitchen, creating a spacious, open great room with white shiplap walls and antique heart pine flooring—a material palette that flows throughout the home. “Antique heart pine has a warm glow that helps the interiors come to life,” Natalie Zirbel says.
Antique furnishings from the owner’s collection and colorful artwork complement the shiplap walls in a bright and airy guest suite.
Next to the stairway, a built-in wet bar fabricated by Thomas Built “turned out to be a lovely little space that works well for entertaining,” interior designer Natalie Zirbel says.
A colorful impressionist painting by Melanee Sylvester hangs over the bed in the light-filled guest suite—one of six bedrooms with private bathrooms.