Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Couple spends $1M to renovate cabin
Modern mountain retreat lists for $1.6M
SET against the stunning backdrop of Mount Charleston peak, Amanda and Nick Toors’ mountain retreat is an incomparable escape.
“This place is called Echo View,” Nick Toors said. “It’s the highest area on the mountain for residential. Here, we have these amazing views of Mount Charleston and Cathedral Rock.”
Their cabin, Nick Toors said, provides the rare opportunity to be nestled amongst the pine trees while being close to Las Vegas, capturing a true sense of tranquility.
“When you come up here, it calms you down,” Nick Toors said. “It’s so quiet and peaceful.”
The modern-designed cabin, at 246 Seven Dwarfs Road, is listed for $1.6 million through Angie Tomashowski, broker of Mount Charleston Realty Inc.
Avid mountain hikers, the Toors discovered the area during a Valentine’s Day excursion to Mount Charleston.
“We fell in love with the mountain,” Amanda Toors said about the 2016 trip. “It was snowing and so beautiful and picturesque. We were like, ‘Maybe we should get a house up here.’”
Their search led to an incredible, oversized 0.37-acre Echo View
lot bordering national forest land. The property included a small 2,000-square-foot cabin, built in the early 1990s.
“I would describe it as your grandma’s old cabin,” Nick Toors said. “I don’t know who designed it, but it did everything to hide the views.”
Although the cabin needed renovation, the property offered everything the couple desired, including incredible mountain views, pine trees and a gradual slope.
“This is such a unique piece of land,” Nick Toors said. “We couldn’t replicate it anywhere else.”
Roughly a year after purchase, the couple began renovating the existing structure. Capturing its views was essential for their remodel, as was creating a dog-friendly environment for Rani, Pico and Marina, the couple’s three dogs.
“All the furniture can be a dog bed,” Amanda Toors said, smiling about the cabin’s soft furnishings. “Our dogs absolutely love it.”
Enlisting the help of Emily Taylor of Paddiwack Designs, the couple worked to bring their vision of a modern-designed mountain retreat to life.
The project began by taking the interior down to the studs.
By removing a sunroom, bedroom and upper-level library with a spiral staircase, the couple enlarged the closed, fragmented main living area.
“When you start a project, you think you’re going to do a few things,” Nick Toors said. “Then when you get into it, you make one thing look good and everything looks worse in comparison, so you can’t stop.”
The result features an 1,858-square-foot, three-level cabin rich with open living space throughout its kitchen, dining and formal living room.
“We’ve spent over $1 million dollars renovating this place,” Nick Toors said. “We absolutely love it.”
Adding a floor-to-ceiling wall of glass allowed natural light to flow in while capturing stunning vistas and dramatic sightlines of Mount Charleston peak and surrounding mountain landscapes.
“It’s all about the views,” Nick Toors said. “We wanted to see the views all the time.”
Large pocket doors open to an expansive, upper-level Trex deck built around a mature pine tree. A conversation piece, the tree-framed deck provides for easy indoor-outdoor living.
Incorporating natural earth-toned materials, the simple, uncluttered interior features gray wood-grained porcelain tile, reclaimed wood vanity and stone sinks. Splashes of color and comfortable furnishings enhance the modern aesthetic.
“All the fabrics we used are very soft,” Amanda Toors said. “We wanted it to be a place where you can just relax.”
The cabin’s intimate gourmet kitchen features quartz counters, two-tone cabinetry and granite-encased farm sink.
A black tile floor-to-ceiling fireplace surround serves as the focal point for the main living area.
“I love this living room area,” Amanda Toors said. “I think it’s a great place after a day of hiking with friends to come back and sit by the fireplace.”
The private upper-level master suite features a bank of windows, automatic blinds, barn doors and an intimate seating area showcasing incredible views.
“That was Amanda’s idea,” Nick Toors said of the seating area. “You wake up in the morning and see this amazing mountain view.”
The lower-level family room features additional seating and a big-screen TV. The room leads out to a deck and tiered yard with hot tub, fire pit, seating area, water feature and comfortable hammocks. At night, more than 300 lights illuminate the exterior landscaping.
“We’ve spent a lot of time and effort on the landscaping,” Nick Toors said. “With all the lights on, it looks amazing.”
The new, dark gray, vinyl exterior siding blends with the alpine surroundings.
“We didn’t want the house to detract from the beauty of the place,” Nick Toors said about the exterior.
Located in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the area boasts of more than 40 miles of trails. The couple, with their friends, who also bring their dogs, spend most of their free time exploring the area and hiking different trails.
“We have a lot of friends who are avid hikers like us,” Nick Toors said. “If you do the Mount Charleston hike, for example, it’s an all-day hike. When you come back you don’t want to drive back so people end up crashing here. It’s a great spot for those who love the outdoors.”