A Designer Transforms a Sonoma Cabin Into a Chic Forest Retreat

Inspired by the cozy vibe of a lazy Sunday, designer Anya Dinovich creates vacation rentals for design-minded travelers.


Homeware designer and Airbnb owner Anya Dinovich creates vacation rentals for “design-minded travelers.” She draws inspiration for her Sonoma properties — one in Kenwood and one in Cazadero — from the cozy vibe of Sundays and a quote from dancer and choreographer Mark Morris: The goal of Sunday is to leave my home as little as possible.”

Dinovich is also a fan of lazy Sundays at home; of doing nothing or spending time with family and friends. “For me, that means being cozy,” she says. She creates pom pom pillows, sheepskin rugs and wool wall hangings to enhance that Sunday feeling; she even named her online boutique Seven Sundays. “I believe that being surrounded by beautiful things affects our mood and sense of well-being,” she adds. 

Dinovich wants to create a cozy environment in which people can relax and enjoy themselves, while having a rich sensory experience. 

“When designing an Airbnb you don’t have to worry about the functionality as much as you do when it’s (a) home you live in everyday,” she says. “It becomes a bit of a fantasy; a dreamy place where you can lounge by the fire, enjoy another’s company, read, relax, daydream.” 

Homeware designer Anya Dinovich rests her head on one of her fiber creations. (Seven Sundays Studio)
Shower at Casa Anush. (Seven Sundays Studio)

The homeware designer’s Kenwood Airbnb, a three-bedroom home named Casa Anush with an adjacent geo-dome, showcases her approach to interior design. Large pom pom pillows add a soft and playful look. The bathroom shower has black hexagonal tiles that create a dramatic backdrop for plants. Woven lampshades and leather vases add interesting textures. A giant geo-dome provides an unusual space for sleeping. A pool area has a covered sofa with wispy drapes for sheltered lounging.

Her Cazadero Airbnb, the Sequoia House, is a 1970’s marvel of a cabin nestled among redwoods along Austin Creek. Dinovich has used the particular geometry of the cabin to enhance each space.

Upstairs, an a-frame ceiling creates a cozy, tent-like sleeping area with a patterned wool blanket and fluffy pillows. The richness of the wood-paneled walls is brought out by a white fiber wall hanging and a sofa with sheepskin blankets in front of it. A fireplace in the center of the room does double duty as a source of heat and a decorative design piece while floor-to-ceiling windows connect the indoors and the outdoors. (The Sequoia House was featured on Netflix’s “The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals.”) 

In addition to selling her textiles through her online store Seven Sundays, Dinovich also sells the pillows, wall hangings and blankets in her vacation rentals directly to clients who stay at her properties. Products from her second company, Hooga Hooga (inspired by the Danish practice of “hygge,” or “cultivating coziness”) are also displayed and sold at the properties.

“I hope that by sharing my creations with people who want to have unique, handmade items in their home, I also get to share the sense of calmness and joy that we all need now more than ever,” she says. 

Dinovich’s textiles are available at Seven Sundays Studios, seven-sundays-studios.com and Hooga Hooga, hoogahooga.com. For information on the vacation rentals, visit sequoia-house.com, and instagram.com/casaanush.