“Rooted in Fantasy,” This Modernist Vermont Vacation Home Is a Playground for Kids and Adults Alike
Words by Olivia Lidbury
Photography by Lindsay Brown; Design by Avery Cox Design
Bold color doesn't have to be scary.
Just ask the owners of this Vermont Modernist cabin, where a cranberry-red dining nook and hunter green bedroom prove that daring palette choices can feel both adventurous and utterly at home. This isn't your typical vacation rental—it's a masterclass in fearless design.
When Austin-based designer Avery Cox took on this one-of-a-kind project, she had a clear philosophy: "The big open spaces should be light and bright, while the smaller, more intimate rooms called for a darker palette to create a cave-like feeling." Fortunately, the new owners—who wished to preserve architectural integrity and create as many spaces as possible to host guests—needed nothing more than a moodboard to sell them on the idea. “Because it's not their permanent residence, it could be a little bit more rooted in fantasy,” explains the Expert.
Photography by Lindsay Brown; Design by Avery Cox Design
“It’s like cooking,” explains the designer. “You need acid to brighten the whole dish. I always bring in a high note.” —Avery Cox
Like Avery, the clients are based in Texas, and their primary residence (which they also worked on together) skews much more traditional. The climate and landscape between the two places couldn’t be more different, so for this house, they channeled the lush New England landscape into spaces like the verdant primary bedroom and splashed hints of bold colors throughout. “It’s like cooking,” explains the designer. “You need acid to brighten the whole dish. I always bring in a high note.”
Photography by Lindsay Brown; Design by Avery Cox Design
The property itself has a serious design pedigree. Hand-built in 1968 by local architect Carl L. Bausch, Jr. as an off-grid retreat for himself and his artist wife Maize, it boasts cantilevered skylights and original wood details throughout. By 2022, when the current owners got their hands on it, decades had taken their toll.
Photography by Lindsay Brown; Design by Avery Cox Design
Photography by Lindsay Brown; Design by Avery Cox Design
"The building needed saving," Avery explains. Her goal: quiet the mishmash of retrofitted amenities layered on over the years—the property originally had no electricity—and address a chaotic mix of six different flooring materials creating jarring transitions throughout. She painted replacement windows to blend into walls, repositioned lighting and electrical elements, and installed cost-effective cork flooring throughout to create continuity with the home's varied finishes.
Photography by Lindsay Brown; Design by Avery Cox Design
Taking the viewpoint of a mid-century artist, Avery drew from the late sculptor J.B. Blunk's California home, where found materials are paired with dazzling shots of color—like a flash of blue—which inspired the Marmoleum kitchen flooring, a material authentic to the cabin’s 1960s era. She staged minimal intervention for preserving charming original features: the wood-edged, tiled countertop in the powder room remains, and cabinet fronts for the kitchen’s open shelving were carefully crafted using the same material.
Photography by Lindsay Brown; Design by Avery Cox Design
The double-height living room serves as the "big, open-breath crescendo" Avery envisioned. Here, she preserved the spaciousness essential to a vacation home while anchoring the room with carefully chosen artwork. The owners commissioned their friend, Austin-based hyper-realist painter Kelti Smith, to create a piece referencing original owner Maize's work, selecting hues from a Rothko painting that resonated with the designer's overall vision.
Photography by Lindsay Brown; Design by Avery Cox Design
Since the house is available to rent, every design decision had to balance beauty with durability using a high-low approach. For example, antique rugs with rich coloration were chosen for their ability to mask dirt, while vintage furniture (like the living room cabinet, sourced at Round Top) already bears a patina from decades of use. An off-the-shelf washable linen sofa offsets other splurges: “It's not eight-way hand-tied, but it does a good job of anchoring the space,” explains Avery. Custom elements, like the statement fabric headboard in the guest room, add luxury without breaking the budget.
Photography by Lindsay Brown; Design by Avery Cox Design
Meanwhile, the bunk room, wrapped floor-to-ceiling in foliage-print wallpaper, transforms what could have been a cramped afterthought into a magical hideaway for young guests. “We made this tiny room feel special,” says Avery. The Expert’s approach proves that embracing color doesn't require abandoning good sense. For anyone hesitating to go bold, this Vermont retreat offers a compelling case study: when rooted in intention and balanced with restraint, even the most daring palette choices can create spaces that feel both adventurous and utterly at home.