Incline Village, Lake Tahoe — A Hillside Reinvention

Incline Village, Lake Tahoe, NV

Architect: Elise Fett & Associates
Landscape Architect: Bell Design, Inc.
Landscape Contractor: Green Thumb Grounds Care

Four years of planning, permitting, and construction culminated in the complete reconstruction of our Incline Village project overlooking Lake Tahoe. The clients had relocated from New York City during Covid in search of fresh air and a new rhythm of life, ultimately purchasing an older home perched on a dramatically steep hillside. The property held tremendous potential, but unlocking it required a full rethinking of both the house and the landscape.

Bell Design guided the clients through the entire renovation process, collaborating closely with a local architect to transform the 1970s structure. The home received a full exterior facelift including new decks, an updated color palette, refined façade lighting, and reimagined driveway and parking areas. Across the site, we introduced new outlook terraces, children’s play areas, and a series of interventions that make the hillside both accessible and inviting.

Working within the stringent TRPA jurisdiction proved challenging but ultimately rewarding. The project incorporates advanced water‑quality best management practices and a planting palette rooted in native and adapted species. Stone for the extensive dry‑stacked retaining walls and steps was sourced locally from reclaimed material, grounding the project in its regional geology.

The landscape blends Tahoe classics—Incense Cedar, Quaking Aspen, Penstemons, Wood’s Roses, and Festuca—with accents of Amur Maple and Lilac for seasonal color and softness. The result is a resilient, ecologically attuned hillside garden that feels both contemporary and deeply connected to place.