Birch plywood and linoleum are among the cost-effective materials used by design-build firm Sheet/RockLA to update a collection of rustic cabins on a forested site in the San Bernardino Mountains.

The rentable cabins form the Colorado Lodge, which is located about two hours outside of Los Angeles in the small town of Big Bear. Encompassing about two acres (0.8 hectares), the lodge offers five updated cabins that were originally built in the 1920s.
The property, which is near a ski resort and lake, is owned by architecture studio Sheet/RockLA and landscape architecture firm Terremoto, both based in LA.

When the architects embarked on renovating the property, they wanted to ensure they respected the past and embraced the alpine landscape. They drew cues from Scandinavian design to create dwellings that depart from the local vernacular. "The project is a rare example of modernity and minimalism in an area known almost extensively for log cabin design," the team said in a statement.

The gabled-roof dwellings vary in size, with the largest containing two bedrooms. Every unit has a bathroom, kitchen and living space and comes stocked with linens and dishware. One cabin offers a cosy sleeping loft.

The buildings' facades were kept mostly intact. New windows were installed, and wooden shingles were painted jet black.

Major work occurred indoors, where layouts were reconfigured and finishes were replaced. The team used a simple palette of cost-effective materials tha...