As a Los Angeles native, designer Sara Simon grew up visiting Big Bear Lake, a charming mountain town about two hours from the city. With a ski resort, campgrounds, and (of course) a fish-filled lake, the alpine destination was ideal for her outdoorsy family. Her father and brother even developed rock climbing sites in the area, becoming something akin to local celebrities.
So when Sara, the founder of LA- and NYC-based design firm Handsome Salt, decided to open a small boutique hotel, Big Bear Lake was the obvious place. “It used to be under the radar, but it’s so close to LA, and it has every season, so obviously it boomed during the pandemic,” Sara explains. “My whole motto is bringing hospitality home, so I thought it would be cool to bring my residential design to a place where people can stay.”
Sara and her husband made the idea a reality when they purchased a 1980s property with seven cabins and a lodge, then completely gut-renovated the structures, painted the exteriors dark green to blend in with the surrounding trees, and added modern concrete patios to each. The couple also built out a communal space with picnic tables, barbecues, hammocks, and horseshoe pits.
The best part, though, is the very personal inspiration behind the retreat’s interiors: the couple’s own grandparents and their distinctive identities. At Noble+Proper, Sara adds, “every single unit has its own name and theme behind it.” Let’s take a closer look and gather ideas to borrow along the way.
Photography by Jenny Swiegart, courtesy of Noble+Proper.
1. Consider a dark exterior.
![each cabin got a fresh coat of regent green by benjamin moore, a moody hue that 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0223-733x489.jpg)
2. Experiment with 3D art.
![in orville\2\17;s lodge, a 3,000 square foot house with four bedrooms, p 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0019-733x1100.jpg)
3. Mix unexpected patterns.
![maria\2\17;s cottage channels sara\2\17;s husband\2\17;s e 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0196-733x489.jpg)
![another kitschy cottage kitchen—this time, in fran\2\17;s flat, w 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/noble-and-proper-big-bear-lake-js-733x489.jpg)
4. Try a bright trim.
![in many ways, fran\2\17;s flat is a classic example of grandma chic styl 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0086-733x1100.jpg)
5. Bring back colorful toilets.
![the vintage pink toilet and sink set is the highlight of lucille\2\17;s 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0158-733x1100.jpg)
6. Source vintage furniture.
![otto\2\17;s chalet, much like the rest of the units, is furnished with a 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0189-733x1100.jpg)
7. Craft custom headboards.
![sara designed custom headboards for every unit, with specific shapes and fabric 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0042-733x489.jpg)
8. (Really) commit to a theme.
![sara committed to a theme more literally in joseph\2\17;s hut: dogs can 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0061-733x489.jpg)
9. Match the backsplash to the floors.
![in elfriede’s haus, an ode to sara\2\17;s husband\2\17;s g 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0103-733x489.jpg)
10. Rethink antique runners.
![who says a stair runner has to be uniform? sara combined multiple vintage rugs 27](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0188-733x1100.jpg)
11. Add extra patina.
![to give joe\2\17;s tavern a historic air, sara added sheeted brick to a 28](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0141-733x1100.jpg)
12. Go bold in the bathroom.
![compact baths offer an opportunity to go unapologetically bold with color. in f 29](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0100-733x1100.jpg)
13. Never spurn wallpaper.
![it\2\17;s no secret that sara believes in the transformative powers of w 30](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/js-nobleproper-bigbearlake-0026-733x1100.jpg)
More in the way of grandparent-chic style:
- Grandmother Chic in Portugal, with Rooms for Rent
- 6 Favorites: Sturdy, Old-Fashioned “Grandmother-Style” Cotton Sheets for Winter (or Any Other Season)
- A Visit with Tricia Rose of Rough Linen, the Original Coastal Grandmother
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