In Flagstaff, interior designer Abby Kremer crafts a summer home for family and friends.

Drained by months of heat in the desert, Abby and Curt Kremer looked for a summer retreat in Flagstaff. Abby, an interior designer, and Curt, a developer, found a property in a pine-filled community and then worked with the builder and architect on the existing plans to fine-tune the home to their needs.

Taking the lead on the project, Abby put together an interior that’s a modern twist on mountain style, perfect for themselves, their two young sons and for family and friends who vie for invitations to come up and escape the Valley’s triple-digit temps.

Here, she shares some strategies for putting together a stylish setting meant for relaxing.

The great room’s two-story volume led Abby to match its scale with two large sofas, plump swivel chairs and ottomans and a “massive” coffee table to fill the space. “This room was designed to seat a lot of people,” she says, “and the coffee table is big enough for board games, which we play a lot up here.”

• The built-in cabinets that flank the stone-clad fireplace were also a deliberate decision, says the designer. “This is, first and foremost, a family home, so the shelves are for family photos, books and mementos, while the cabinets store our games.” A cushy area rug, plenty of throws and soft accessory pillows—not to mention the fireplace—take the chill off a cool evening.
• The antler chandelier brings down the ceiling height. “I didn’t want to go full log cabin,” says Abby, “but the antler chandelier reminds us that we’re up north. I painted it black for a more modern look.”

Abby’s advice:
“My husband and I love to host our friends here for the weekend. Putting a multipurpose bar into the dining area makes it easy for entertaining without having to walk all over the house.”

Black accents, such as the metal strapping for the bar’s shelves and the dining table’s light fixture, add a clean, linear touch against the home’s stone and wood backdrop. “Putting a light quartzite backsplash behind the shelves makes everything pop,” says Abby. “We also had very specific storage needs that I designed into the bar’s cabinetry.”

• Glass-paneled beverage fridges hold Curt’s beers on the right and Abby’s seltzers on the left, making it easy to see what’s available. A pull-out ice maker and trash can are hidden behind cabinet doors, while the middle drawers hold the fun stuff. “In someone else’s house, these might have held embroidered table linens,” laughs Abby, “but here, one drawer holds Curt’s Koozies, which he collects during bicycling events, and the other is for mini liquor bottles that we can grab and go when we golf because our course up here doesn’t have a bar cart.”
• The deep espresso dining table’s live edge reiterates a subtle woodsy touch and is big enough for large gatherings and games, while leather chairs are timeless and easy to clean.

For the primary suite, Abby went for a more modern look, using simple lines and black accents. The bed is a contemporary riff on a traditional canopy bed, its form echoing the beam work on the balcony. A soft area rug and draperies make things cozy. “I love draperies in bedrooms,” says Abby. “They give you a sense of warmth and privacy, especially if they’re blackout drapes like these. I chose wool and a plaid pattern because they echo the mountain setting.”

• Large mirrors above the nightstands reflect light and views, while the harlequin-patterned dresser is an unexpected touch. “I think a room always needs something unique—a risk,” says Abby of the piece. “If you play with patterns and scale correctly, it will fit.”
• For the bathroom, the “risk” is a spiky light fixture made of bronze rods hanging above the soaking tub. Putting the small brass table next to the tub makes it easy to grab bath salts or enjoy a candle. Abby chose black leathered granite for the vanity for its modern look and specified that the cabinets have electrical outlets, so toothbrushes and blow dryers are kept handy but out of sight.

The key to designing a bunk room is to make it permanent and not so child-oriented that kids will outgrow it, says Abby. “This room works for kids and grownups,” she says. “I did two queen beds below extra-long twins, so the room can sleep up to six adults comfortably.”

• Simple bed frames and steps have a classic style, augmented by tufted plaid headboards, reading lights and niches with outlets for phones and devices. The upper bunks have draperies for extra solitude.
• As a final touch, Abby referenced mountain taxidermy traditions with PETA-approved brass animal heads for one wall. The space has been a hit with guests. “A lot of our adult visitors would rather stay in the bunks rather than our guest bedroom.”

SOURCES

• Architectural designer: Carlos Leyva, C. Leyva Design, Prescott, leyvadesign.com.
• Builder: Mountain Town Homes, Flagstaff, mountaintownhomes.us.
• Interior designer: Abby Kremer, George Oliver Design, Phoenix, georgeoliver.com.

GREAT ROOM

• Sofas: Pacific Seasons, Scottsdale, pacificseasons.com.
• Chairs: renecazares.com.
• Coffee table: rh.com.
• Cabinetry: Copperstate Cabinet Company, Phoenix, copperstatecabinet.com.
• Fireplace stone: Solstice Stone, Scottsdale, solsticestone.com.

DINING ROOM

• Leather chairs: rh.com.
• Cabinetry: copperstatecabinet.com.

PRIMARY BEDROOM

• Bed: rh.com.
• Chair: norwalkfurniture.com.
• Bench: Pacific Seasons, Scottsdale, pacificseasons.com.
• Nightstands: noirfurniturela.com.

PRIMARY BATHROOM

• Tub: vandabaths.com.
• Plumbing fixtures: kallista.com.
• Light fixture: visualcomfort.com.
• Cabinetry: copperstatecabinet.com.
• Floor tile: Craftsman Court Ceramics, Scottsdale, craftsmancourt.com.

BUNK ROOM

• Beds and steps: Peter Thomas Designs, Phoenix, peterthomasdesigns.com.
• Plaid fabric: Kravet, Scottsdale, kravet.com. Sconces: visualcomfort.com.