Inspired by the dynamic landscape of the Rocky Mountain West, we bring the visions of owners, architects and craftsmen together to create exceptional handcrafted custom homes. Teton Heritage Builders integrates the quintessential elements of the regional palette – stone, timber, log, glass and steel – to craft high-quality homes that reflect the character of their distinctive surroundings. At the intersection of rugged wilderness, rustic aesthetics and timeless elegance, building unique homes with a deep connection to place is our passion.
BIG SKY | JACKSON
Visit thb.luxury to start building your dream.
LUXURY AWAITS
photo by: Steve Hall
Photography by Roger Davies
13 MIDDLE RIDER, BIG SKY
$8,100,000 | #398593
Contemporary mountain retreat featuring floor to ceiling windows framing Lone Peak with ski access to Big Sky Resort.
BEDS: 6
BATHS: 5.5
SF: 4,492 ± ACRES: 1.625 ±
6120 DANA’S POINT DRIVE, HELENA
$2,790,000 | #30031111
Lake Living! 500 ft. of private lakefront on Hauser Lake. Updated main home, modern guest apt, & exceptional boathouse with easy lake access. Stunning views!
BEDS: 4
BATHS: 4.5
SF: 3,484 ± ACRES: 12.1 ±
33676 HILLTOP TERRACE, BIGFORK
$1,900,000 | #30036421
Spacious home with Flathead Lake views and stunning sunrises and sunsets, close to Bigfork.
3890 ENCORE WAY, HELENA
$925,000 | #30039125
Discover this 4-bedroom, 3-bath executive home in a desirable neighborhood near local amenities. Built in 2018, this 3,669± sq. ft. modern home is located on over 1/2 acre corner lot.
BEDS: 4
BATHS: 3
SF: 3,669 ± ACRES: .604 ±
BEDS: 3
BATHS: 4.5
SF: 3,026 ± ACRES: 8.38 ±
5275 RIVERVIEW DRIVE, HELENA
$4,850,000 | #30026798
Welcome to The Ting, a spectacular Mediterraneanstyle estate that brings together stunning lake views, fantastic amenities, and luxurious accommodations.
BEDS: 5
BATHS: 5.5
SF: 7,410 ± ACRES: 20 ±
1030 CHIEF JOSEPH CLUSTER, MISSOULA
$2,750,000 | #30010098
3.99% Seller Financing Available* This 4-bed+, 5-bath residence offers contemporary living in a country setting and with stunning views of the Missoula Valley.
BEDS: 4 BATHS: 4.5
SF: 5,119 ± ACRES: .584 ±
517 CASCADE AVE, WEST YELLOWSTONE
$1,174,000 | #30031542
This stand-out 6-bed, 4-bath residence with attached and detached garages is located in an area packed with activities for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike.
BEDS: 6
BATHS: 4
SF: 4,300 ± ACRES: .404 ±
Principal Architects: Hans Berglund, Stephanie Lord-Johnson & Adam Gilmer
Experience the serenity of sweeping mountain vistas as you gaze across the working open space of Greenhills Ranch to the Bridger Mountains and beyond. This two story home, constructed in 2021 by the master craftsmen at Ebbighausen Homes, combines dramatic design with an incredibly flexible and functional floor plan. The central focus of the main level is the open concept living area with dramatic great room featuring extensive beam work & masonry fireplace, and stunning gourmet kitchen with Thermador appliances. The grand mountain views from the office and master bedroom rival the rest of the home, and the private secondary en suite bedroom on the main level provides a great escape for guests. The upper level features two additional bedrooms and a large flex/bonus room. Gorgeous outdoor spaces, three car garage and whole house generator.
This beautiful custom-built home by renowned local builder J&K Contractors sits on a large estate lot in Greenhills Ranch. Built in 2016, the timeless elegance of this Montana masterpiece is embodied in details such as the 8 ft. doors, Knotty Alder trim, extensive beam work, custom stonework, and three fireplaces. The expansive single-level floor plan offers a large master bedroom with two additional en suite bedrooms and an office. The well-appointed kitchen features high-end stainless appliances with 42” 6 burner commercial cooktop, commercial range hood, and double ovens. Perfectly designed outdoor living boasts a wood-burning rock fireplace and built-in grill. Adjacent to open space on two sides for great privacy and views to the Tobacco Roots and the western sunset.
STAR M BARN
Nestled in the picturesque Springhill area of Gallatin Valley, the Star M Barn—a historic, hand-raised barn originally built in 1917—has been meticulously restored and renovated into a rare gem that seamlessly blends history and luxury. Set on 33 acres with breathtaking Bridger Mountain views and a seasonal creek, this estate offers both serenity and convenience, just 8 miles from Bozeman and 10 minutes from BZN/Yellowstone International Airport.
Currently operating as a seasonal wedding venue, the barn itself is a masterpiece, offering an unforgettable setting for events, gatherings, or private retreats. The estate also features three beautifully updated residences, a heated 40x60 shop, a renovated office, and an RV pad with full hookups. Open space, stunning views, and the quiet hum of nature make this an extraordinary place to call home. Star M Barn is more than just a property—it’s a legacy waiting to be embraced. This estate is truly one of a kind. Schedule your private tour today.
STAKE YOUR CLAIM
AUTHENTIC POST & BEAM BARNS
[ COLE HAUSER × THE BARN YARD ]
122
LYRICISM OF THE LAND
A Jackson, Wyoming home embodies at tributes of its mountain-tomeadow setting
Wr itten by Chase Reynolds Ewald
Photography by Matthew Millman
136
WESTERN PATINA
A home in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley shines with unique custom details achieved by a collaborative team willing to embrace contemporary designs paired with materials for the ages
Wr itten by Melissa Mylchreest
Photography by Whitney Kamman
148
MOUNTAIN MODERN M ASTERPIECE
A Bridger Canyon retreat in Montana reflects the owners’ passion for color, texture, and purposeful design
Written by Corinne Gaffner Garcia
Photography by Audrey Hall
160
LIFE HAPPENS HERE
A couple’s guest home in Montana’s Yellowstone Club will be a family gathering place for generations to come
Wr itten by David Masello
Photography by Whitney Kamman
170
SOUL OF THE TETONS
In Driggs, Idaho, an artfully simplified home celebrates the natural beauty of its setting
Wr itten by Norman Kolpas
Photography by Roger Davies & Brandon Huttenlocher
182
DISTINCT FEATURES
An award-winning remodel in downtown Bozeman, Montana breathes new life into a hidden jewel
Written by Michele Corriel
Photography by Whitney Kamman
194 MAKING MEMORIES, M AXIMIZING VIEWS
A family builds a modern Montana ski home in Whitefish
Wr itten by Christine Phillips
Photography by Gibeon Photography
206
A PLACE TO LOVE
A family home with water and Bridger Mountain views is thoughtfully designed to embrace Montana functionality and fun
Written by Dana W. Todd
Photography by Whitney Kamman
218
ELEVATED AESTHETICS
Inspired by natural surroundings, a home i n Big Sky, Montana blends cutting-edge materials with time-honored techniques to create a space both striking and serene
Wr itten by Norman Kolpas
Photography by Matthew Millman
230
WHERE STRUCTURAL M EETS SUBLIME
A home in Montana nestles into a mountain, yet arcs to the sky
Wr itten by Laura Zuckerman
Photography by Whitney Kamman
240
RAMMED EARTH FOR T HE 21ST CENTURY
In Freedom, Wyoming, Ward | Blake
A rchitects updates an ancient building method
Written by J. Michael Welton
Photography by Gabe Border
250
VALLEY VIEW
A newly constructed Jackson, Wyoming home sits in serene seclusion on the West Gros Ventre Butte
Wr itten by Dana W. Todd
Photography by David Agnello
264
PARADISE AT GRANDMA A ND GRANDPA’S
Inspired by nature, this mountain retreat celebrates family and the great outdoors
Written by Christine Rogel
Photography by Gibeon Photography
Ona Magaro explores the structural science of
Written by Jessica Bayramian Byerly
A
WRJ
Written by Sean Vincent O’Keefe Photography by Roger Davies
Wr itten by Kristen Pope
Wr itten by Stephen Camelio
by Nick VanHorn
Elements Concrete in Bozeman, Montana elevates concrete to decorative art Wr itten by Laurel Delp
A
From “Lyricism of the Land,” photo by Matthew Millman. THIS PAGE FROM LEFT: From “A Beautiful Experience,” photo by Roger Davies; from “The Mechanics of Mastery,” photo by Jessie Moore; from “The Timeless Getaway,” photo by Whitney Kamman. PREVIOUS PAGE FROM LEFT: From “Soul of the Tetons,” photo by Brandon Huttenlocher; from “Distinct Features,” photo by Whitney Kamman; from “Paradise at Grandma and Grandpa’s,” photo by Gibeon Photography.
Energy 1 is a full-service engineering, consulting, and contracting firm, specializing in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and oxygen solutions for residential and commercial projects. Our culture is built on collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to client success, ensuring every project is designed with both performance and sustainability in mind. With a team of over 40 engineers across six locations, our design and install teams work seamlessly to deliver high-performing systems tailored to our clients' unique needs. At Energy 1, we don’t just build systems—we create sustainable legacies that drive efficiency and long-term value.
Blue Ribbon Builders has proven itself as the premier custom homebuilder, for decades, in Big Sky, Montana, and surrounding areas. Whether the scope is a custom dream home or an extensive remodel, Blue Ribbon Builders has the knowledge and resources to design and construct the most complex and ambitious projects.
Big Sky Journal HOME is published annually and is available in regional airports, retail outlets, and from the Big Sky Journal office.
BIG SKY JOURNAL, LLC
Jared D. Swanson ceo
SUBSCRIPTIONS: 800-417-3314 bsjcs@magserv.com
www.bigskyjournal.com
e-mail: admin@bigskyjournal.com
P.O. Box 1069 Bozeman, MT 59771
tel 406-586-2712
fax 406-586-2986
Printed
We create timeless houses. You create priceless legacies.
WATCH THE DOVETAIL STORY
Coming Home
DESIGNING AND BUILDING a home, on its surface, is a fundamental procedure. One must compose a structure that provides for primary needs — shelter and warmth — while offering s p aces to store necessities, prepare food, and sleep. Yet, in meeting these universal needs, homeowners, designers, and builders often test the boundaries of imagination — arranging spaces, applying materials, and outfitting a house in innovative ways that bring depth to the experience a home offers. An overarching structure emotes safety through color, texture, and siting; a kitchen inspires everyday communion through practical elements and accessible flow; a bedroom soothes the senses with softness.
Truly bespoke homes lend themselves to creativity as homeowners work closely with their design-build teams. While complex, t he process is distinctly gratifying for those motivated by exacting functionality and elevated artistry.
This annual HOME edition showcases the satisfaction of a job not only well done, but exceedingly so, with projects designed for the array of life experiences that make up mountain living.
Whether crafted for diversion, steeped in sustainable principles, inspired by natural surroundings, or built in homage to the construction legacy of the past, the homes in this issue come to life t h rough the passion and precision of their makers.
Joy of the craft is self-evident. Visionary architects, builders, and interior designers collectively aspire to redefine the structural, to create a welcoming retreat — a uniquely informed emotional and physical respite — from four mere walls and a roof. And teams of artists, craftsmen, and artisans leave their fingerprints on the final forms, endeavoring to explore the full realm of their varied mediums, ever expanding on what came before, propelling toward something new. The result is a marriage of the utilitarian and the aesthetic, good bones and inspired beauty. The result is home.
GIBEON PHOTOGRAPHY
CONTRIBUTORS
For photographer David Agnello, architecture, interiors, and the people that move th rough both are his ideal subjects, and the interactions between nature, structure, light, and the human interface is the driving force behind his work. Bikes, skis, his wonderful girlfriend, and a couple of ra mbunctious dogs keep Agnello busy when he’s not behind the lens.
Freelance art writer, teaching professor, and author Michele Corriel earned her master’s degree in art history and her doctorate in American art. She has received a number of awards for her nonfiction, as well as her poetry. Her latest book, Montana Modernists: Shifting Perceptions of Western Art (Washington State University Press, 2022), won four aw ards, including a national award from the Western History Association.
Davies is an
living in California’s Laurel Canyon. Over the course of his more than 20-year career, his work has appeared on the covers of Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, and Vogue Living, a mong others. Davies’ fi rst monograph, Beyond the Canyon: Inside Epic California Homes, focuses on his work in the Golden State and includes rarely seen architectural gems by Tadao Ando, John Lautner, and Frank Gehry and showcases the homes of Drew Barrymore, Elton John, and more.
Chase Reynolds Ewald been writing about Western design, food, art, travel, and rustic style for more than 25 years. A consultant, editor, and freelancer, her books include American Rustic; Cabin Style; At Home in the Wine Coun try ; and, with photographer Audrey Hall, the multi-awardwinning Bison: Portrait of an Icon . Her latest book, West, is coming in 2025; chasereynoldsewald.com.
Peter and Kelley Gibeon began their path of collaboration in 2003. Based in the Mou ntain West, this husbandand-wife duo specializes in lu xury architectural and interior design photography. Featured in numerous publications, their passion for their clients and craft shines
appeared in outlets around the country. He loves blending his passion for the outdoors with his architectural photography. When he’s not working, he can be found spending time in the mountains, whether snowboarding and splitboarding or bi king and backpacking.
Kamman is an architectural photographer based out of Bozeman, Montana. Her love for architecture came naturally growing up w ith an architect father and interior designer mother. Kamman’s work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, Robb Report , and Mountain Living , among others.
David Masello writes about art, architecture, and culture for many publications, including Milieu , of which he is the longtime executive editor. He has written three books about art and architecture and many of his one-act plays and monologues — which he often performs — have been produced by theater companies in New York City and Los An geles. He is on the board of New York City’s National Arts Club.
Corinne Gaffner Garcia is a Bozeman, Montana-based freelance writer, editor at large for The Land Report, and former editor-in-chief of Big Sky Journal She has also contributed stories to Marie Claire, Country Living, Women’s Health, and Martha Stewart Living, along with many other national outlets.
Visual artist Audrey Hall is known for her poignant landscapes, evocative images of wild places, and luxurious interiors. Her art is part of the TIA Collection, whose unique purpose is lending significant works to museums and institutions. She brings the rigor of her fine arts and architectural background to the challenges of creativity, resulting in a growing collection of celebrated books, features, and creative projects.
Based in Aspen, Colorado, Brandon Huttenlocher is an architectural and design photographer whose work has
From his base in Marin County, California, Norman Kolpas writes about art, architecture, travel, dining, and other lifestyle topics for magazines, including Western Art & Architecture and Southwest Art. He’s a graduate of Yale University and the author of more than 40 books, the latest of which being Foie Gras: A Global History. Kolpas teaches in The Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension, which named him Outstanding Instructor in Creative Writing.
Millman has been photographing architecture and interior design for over 20 years. His work has appeared in a wide range of publications — including The New Yo rk Times, Dwell, Architectural Digest, Interior Design, El le Decor, Luxe , and Architectural Record — and books, such as Art House, West Coast Modern, Collected Cool , and Inner Spaces . Millman’s personal work focuses on various su bjects, from architectural abstractions to a 10-year project of portraiture and re portage in Haiti.
Roger
Englishborn interiors photographer
Whitney
Matthew
Melissa Mylchreest is a freelance writer and artist based in we stern Montana. When she’s not at her desk or in the studio, she can be found enjoying the state’s public lands and rivers with her two- and four-legged friends and family.
Christine Phillips is a freelance writer based in Whitefish, Montana. She enjoys writing about art, architecture, design, health, and outdoor recreation. When not playing with words and working with her clients, she loves hiking, biking, snowboarding, taking care of her two little dogs, and teaching Pilates.
Writer Christine Rogel is the editor-in-chief of Western Art & Architecture and the copy editor for Big Sky Journal . Her fi rst book, a collection of New Mexico ghost and folklore stories, is available from Rowman & Littlefield; christinerogel.com.
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture, and fine art subjects for magazines across the country. She spends her free time dreaming up the next design project to renovate her home. She also has an addiction to golden retrievers, particularly her English golden retriever, Happy.
J. Michael Welton is the author of Drawing from Practice: Architects and the Meaning of Freehand (Routledge, 2015). His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Me tropolis, Dwell , and The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is editor and publisher of the digital design magazine architectsandartisans.com.
Laura Zuckerman is an awardwinning journalist whose work has been published in periodicals ranging from The New York Times Magazine to Country Living
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Written by BSJ Staff Photos Courtesy of One&Only Resorts
Designed by Olson Kundig Architects in a contemporary mountain style, the private homes at One&Only Moonlight Basin feature steel, wood, and floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy the breathtaking views.
ONE&ONLY, A GLOBAL luxury hotel chain, is making its United States debut in Big Sky, Montana. As the brand’s first mountain resort, One&Only Moonlight Basin is set to fully open to guests later in 2025. The Landing restaurant inside the Sky Lodge and the gondola connecting the resort to Big Sky’s ski area are already open to the public.
One&Only resorts appear in what the company describes as some of the “most fascinating places on the planet,” including Dubai, Athens, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Rwanda. The resort in Dubai, for instance, offers Arabesque architecture, private beach access, and more than 65 acres of manicured gardens.
No two properties are alike, and in keeping with this theme, One&Only Moonlight
Ba sin is located in a mountain forest, which includes the lakes, streams, and meadows that have made Montana famous. The resort offers year-round adventure, from skiing, snowboarding, dog sledding, Nordic skiing, and snowshoeing in winter to hiking, biking, kayaking, horseback riding, and fly fishing during the warmer months.
Set within a 240-acre campus, One&Only Moonlight Basin also offers an array of luxury amenities and lodging options while preserving more than 60 percent of its land as open space. Designed by the acclaimed Seattle architecture firm Olson Kundig to harmonize with the surrounding landscape, the buildings at the resort reflect a mountain-contemporary style and highlight Montana’s views and beauty.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: In the summertime, guests can saddle up and take a trail ride across alpine meadows. • Montana’s waterways offer blue-ribbon rivers, shimmering lakes, and hidden fishing holes for the avid angler. • One&Only Moonlight Basin houses a collection of restaurants and bars, including The Landing inside the Sky Lodge, which is open to the public; Wildwood restaurant and Dear Josephine Lounge in the Main Lodge; and Moon Shack, a whiskey tavern in the woods inspired by the Prohibition era.
The resort’s design prioritizes natural materials, local artwork, cozy textiles, fireplaces, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Architect Tom Kundig employed modular construction to reduce some of the environmental impact.
There are 73 rooms and suites in the guest lodges, or, for a more secluded experience amid the wilderness, guests can stay in one of the 19 cabins. For those seeking a permanent retreat, the resort also includes 38 private homes with five or six bedrooms across two or three stories. There are also eight custom estate lots. A future phase of development will add 24 additional residences.
The resort’s Sky Lodge, which is open to the public and accessible from the One&Only gondola at the Madison Base Area at Big Sk y Resort, includes a full-service ski shop, ski lockers, a cocktail bar, and a sunny deck with panoramic views of Lone Peak and the Madison River Valley. The resort’s flagship steakhouse, The Landing, is located inside the lodge and offers elevated dining, après-ski cocktails, and event spaces. There are five additional restaurants and bars on site, including The Whiskey Shack, a 1,500-square-foot rustic tavern set in the woods along the resort’s cross-country trail system, which serves as a warming hut by day and a saloon by night.
Additional amenities include a spa with rejuvenating treatments inspired by the natural environment, a fitness center, a yoga studio, a salon, and swimming pools. A night-sky observatory will have visiting astronomers who guide guests through Big Sky’s starry skies, and the ski shop converts into a fly shop each spring, so that guests can try their luck angling for native cutthroat trout on the property’s ponds.
For travelers seeking an escape in the American West, One&Only Moonlight Basin offers guests the opportunity to stay in alpine luxury and celebrate the natural beauty and outdoor recreation that e a rned Montana its reputation as a mountain-lover’s haven. h
Tranquil Legacy Estate
952 N. Meadow Creek Road | McAllister, Montana
Discover the epitome of legacy living in McAllister, MT. This private oasis boasts a main home, guest home, and renowned artist Larry Zabel’s studio overlooking a tranquil reflecting pond. With abundant water, mountain vistas, and bordering public land, this 34+/--acre haven is an unparalleled opportunity for generations to come. Contact Dawn for details and to see this property.
The One&Only Moonlight Basin gondola takes guests from the Sky Lodge to the Madison Base Area at Big Sky Resort, which offers more than 5,800 acres for skiing and snowboarding.
Perspectives on living in the Rocky Mountain West
Written by BSJ Staff
Modern West
WRITTEN BY CHASE
REYNOLDS EWALD
PHOTOGRAPHED BY AUDREY
HALL
In their latest collaboration, Modern West, writer Chase Reynolds Ewald and photographer Audrey Hall explore the art of contemporary mountain living through 15 homes set within Rocky Mountain landscapes. From dramatic alpine peaks and quiet lakeshores to a desert mid-century design district, each home responds to its setting with a distinct interpretation of the modern West. Inspired by the limitless possibilities of place-based architecture, the book highlights how tradition and creativity converge in these spaces. Th roughout each, modern materials blend with time-honored craftsmanship, forging a dialogue between past and present, honoring the landscape and vernacular while embracing innovation and individuality.
$50 | 224 pages | September 2025
Gibbs Smith
First Additions: Strategies for Adding On
WRITTEN BY STUART COHEN AND JULIE HACKER
Produced by principal architects Stuart Cohen and Julie Hacker of Cohen & Hacker Architects, First Additions: Strategies for Adding On explores the practice of altering older st ructures. With almost 40 years of experience, Cohen and Hacker share their belief that recycling existing houses, retrofitting them to meet new energy standards, and preserving their cultural significance is the most sustainable way to practice architecture. First Additions presents a series of projects with before a nd after floor plans and photography to illustrate the transformative process of extending t he fabric of an existing house. These remodeled interiors respect the character and scale of existing homes, updating the spaces in new ways by taking cues from modern design.
$60 | 276 pages | Spring 2024 | Oro Editions
Glorious
Gardens: Private
Edens of the World’s Leading Interior Designers
WRITTEN BY DARA CAPONIGRO
Home interiors reflect a narrative, and equally, so do the outdoor sanctuaries that surround them. Glorious Gardens: Private Edens of the World’s Leading Interior Designers takes readers beyond well-finished rooms and into the private gardens of celebrated interior designers. These outdoor spaces serve as inspiration for design, whether it’s Timothy Whealon’s urban oasis above Gramercy Park in New York City, Michelle Nussbaumer’s San Miguel de Allende retreat in Mexico, or Veere Grenney’s hideout in Tangier, Morocco. Each garden reflects its creator’s specific design philosophy and is presented through brilliant photography and intimate narratives penned by author Dara Caponigro, the creative director of Schumacher and ed itor-in-chief of FREDERIC magazine.
$74.95 | 340 pages | May 2025 | Monacelli
Decorate Like a Decorator: All You Need to Know to Design Like a Pro WRITTEN BY DARA CAPONIGRO WITH MELINDA PAGE
Decorate Like a Decorator: All You Need to Know to Design Like a Pro offers tips and tricks of the trade. Presented as an accessible guide,
this book is a compilation of FREDERIC magazine’s columns through the years and is divided i nto 21 chapters that span the realm of interior design, from window treatments and upholstery ideas to lighting, trim, and paints. Decorate Like a Decorator features rooms finished by celebrated interior designers and images by well-known architectural photographers.
| 264 pages | April 2024 |
Still: The Art of Noticing
WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY
MARY JO HOFFMAN
A culmination of the author’s daily photography practice, Still: The Art of Noticing features 275 photographs that explore daily moments and reflect on the art of living. Artist Mary Jo Hoffman, a former aeronautical engineer, has taken a photograph of nature each day for over a decade. This ritual gives Hoffman a deeper appreciation for place, interconnections, and life. Still presents a
selection of Hoffman’s images, which are accompanied by deeply felt and oftentimes humorous essays that illuminate her insights garnered through the creative practice. With natural objects presented in artful displays, the reader comes to understand that no subject is too small, none too ordinary. h
$60 | 318 pages | May 2024 | Monacelli
$65
Monacelli
Regional art and design shows
MAY 9 – 11 & SEPTEMBER 5 – 7
Cheyenne Home Show
Cheyenne Ice & Events Center | Cheyenne, WY cheyennehomeshow.com
Featuring the latest in home improvement trends, this show includes displays and live demonstrations highlighting new home technologies, interior and exterior designs, remodeling tips, and more.
JULY 11 – 13
Ketchum Arts Festival
Festival Meadow | Ketchum, ID ketchumartsfestival.com
This outdoor festival features the works of more than 100 Idaho-based artists and includes food vendors and activities for kids.
JULY 25 – 27 & AUGUST 15 – 17
Art Fair Jackson Hole
Art Association of Jackson Hole Campus Jackson, WY artassociation.org/art-fair
As the largest fundraiser for the Art Association of Jackson Hole, this annual juried show a nd sale celebrates six decades of the arts with its 2025 season. The event showcases a range of local and national artists who will be
on site presenting their ceramics, paintings, furniture, photography, and more.
AUGUST 8 – 10
Sun Valley Arts & Crafts Festival
Atkinson Park | Ketchum, ID sunvalleyartsandcraftsfestival.com
This annual outdoor juried event showcases fine arts and crafts from local and national artists, offering activities for kids, food vendors, and a picnic area with live music.
MARK DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY
Rendezvous Royale Patrons Ball
FALL — DATES TO
ANNOUNCED Western Design Conference
Venue to be Announced westerndesignconference.com
This premier exhibition and sale brings together artisans, artists, collectors, interior designers, architects, and others, with works on display in an open showroom, a fashion show, daily happy hours, and curated spaces by some of the best regional interior designers. After 18 years of being held in Jackson, Wyoming, the event is relocating to a new venue in the Mountain West, with details coming soon.
A
L
SWANSON
SEPTEMBER 5 – 14
Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival
Various Venues | Jackson, WY jacksonholechamber.com
Honoring art in the Tetons, this annual event showcases Western, wildlife, and landscape artists with a series of events held at various Jackson venues.
SEPTEMBER 15 – 20
Rendezvous Royale
Various Venues | Cody, WY rendezvousroyale.org
An annual celebration of the arts, Rendezvous Royale is a collaboration between t he Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, By Western Hands, and the Buffalo Bill Center of t he West, providing a week-long arts invitational that includes workshops, lectures, c l asses, studio tours, and more. h
Western Design Conference
Jill Duzan Jewelry, Western Design Conference
ETHOS
Cushing Terrell’s multidisciplinary building design
Written by Jessica Bayramian Byerly
SINCE 1938, CUSHING Terrell has sought to bring people together through impactful design. With 17 offices in eight states and projects spanning the globe, it’s become a respected firm for all aspects of commercial and residential design. However, a focus on people — their relationships with one another and the world beyond the walls of Cushing Terrell designs — remains the central driving force for the firm. How do people move through and interact with their spaces? How do you foster social interaction with architectural features? How do you create conversations between inside and out, the security of a home and the wild spaces beyond its threshold?
Cushing Terrell Residential Director Jesse Vigil has been with the company for more than a decade and is still inspired by the impact of innovative, adaptive design on people and their sense of place. “Our passion is meeting you where you are and truly listening,” explains
Vigil. “We like to dig in to find out how you live and guide you through how these rhythms can be incorporated into your design through aesthetics and functionality. Residential design is a very intimate practice, and when the design fits, it can be impactful and memorable.”
Here, Vigil reflects on the past, present, and future of Cushing Terrell.
BIG SKY JOURNAL: Describe Cushing Terrell’s trajectory, from its founding by two visionary architects to becoming a multidisciplinary powerhouse.
JESSE VIGIL: Cushing Terrell’s founders believed that integrating architecture, engineering, and design could deepen relationships and enhance creativity. Eighty years later, this foundational belief continues to define us. Being a multidisciplinary firm means we can bring teams
The clean lines of this home in the foothills of Las Vegas offer a stark contrast to the surrounding desert landscape. The interior of the home and the pool casita open seamlessly to the patio and pool deck beyond. The energy is reinforced through the reflections off the knifeedge pool.
JEREMY BITTERMANN
of in-house experts together to collaborate with each other and our clients to create the best possible design solutions. Our firm really feels like a great big family.
BSJ: How has the company’s defining ethos evolved since its inception?
VIGIL: With a mission to discover imaginative, responsible, first-of-theirkind environments, our team members design systems and spaces that help people live their best lives, achieve their visions, and enjoy healthy, sustainable built environments. People are at the center of everything we do, which is reflected in our tagline: “Where design meets you.”
We also describe ourselves as “creative pioneers.” Our integrated, multidisciplinary approach has been there from the start and, when combined with our pioneering spirit, continues to deepen our expertise and grow our presence in more urban markets today. The focus on holistic collaboration has expanded our team to represent more than 30 in-house disciplines, including leaders in architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, interior design, and planning. Cross-pollinating our expertise impacts the scope and breadth of our innovation, from core areas of building design to decarbonization and sustainability consulting, from planning to adaptive reuse.
Our team is also driven by knowledge, which is why our design process begins and ends with research. It is both a delight and a responsibility to better understand how people live their lives within the spaces we design.
Perched on a steep slope above Whitefish Lake, this private pool-house design seeks to nest the small collection of buildings into the hillside, melding them into the natural contrasting grades.
BSJ: How does architecture and the lived-in environment impact lifestyle? What recent design features have proven the most compelling throughout the Rocky Mountain West?
VIGIL: Our mantra is to design a home or a space for the way you live. By listening to our clients’ needs and carefully considering the details of their personal and professional life rhythms and functional systems, we develop built environments customized to the lifestyles of those who will engage with them most.
Whether commercial or residential, however, we find that the best design solutions start with a thorough evaluation of the individual building site, where we gather information that will help inform and guide the design process. This approach ensures buildings are capable of seamlessly engaging with the environment by responding to a nd merging with its context.
Most of our clients seeking to build a home in the Northern Rockies are also looking to connect with nature. As such, we continue to se e a desire for designs that allow the interior and exterior to flow seamlessly from indoor to outdoor living spaces. These spaces can be designed to be comfortably accessible across all four seasons and to take advantage of changing sun exposure throughout the day.
BSJ: What are some residential design trends in the Northern Rockies, and what direction do you expect those trends to take in the future?
VIGIL: We’re seeing a continued focus on spaces tailored to clients’ tastes and personal daily routines and habits. In general, people are becoming increasingly aware of how built spaces impact daily life — both at work and at home — either supporting or hindering healthy interaction with community and the environment.
That said, timeless, elegant designs are always trending. In particular, we’ve seen Mountain Modern develop and evolve over the years. Clean, modern lines can now seem effortlessly balanced with the use of historic elements and regional materials — stone, wood, and timber — to soften the sensory experience, adding warmth and texture. The result is a clean-lined design that responds to the environment and captures light, air, and views.
The focus on health and wellness — both personal and environmental — is continuing to impact design as well, in the visual language of interior spaces, connection to the outdoors, materials, and energy use. They’re important considerations that we don’t take lightly; we’re committed to creating environmentally responsible buildings that make people feel good.
Finally, sufficient garage space and outdoor gear storage is a consistent request from clients building their Northern Rockies dream home. With easy access to outdoor recreation, there’s always a need to create a place for bikes, kayaks, paddleboards, skis, UTVs, fishing gear — the list is long and rightly so. We also build intelligent transition zones into these spaces, creating an organic flow from outdoor recreation to the core of the home.
This large screened living space extends the seasons, allowing occupants to enjoy the outdoor space and lakeside views throughout the year.
BSJ: How do sustainable measures, energy efficiency considerations, and environmental impacts inform Cushing Terrell’s approach to architectural design, particularly in areas proximal to wild spaces and sensitive ecologies?
VIGIL: Cushing Terrell is compelled to be a responsible steward of the environment, reducing our own footprint and those of our clients. This commitment to sustainable design and decarbonization of ou r built environment is reinforced through a firm-wide sustainable design initiative that aligns with the American Institute of Architects’ Framework for Design Excellence; participation in the SME Climate Hub initiative, United Nations Race to Zero campaign, and MEP 2040 Commitment; and the establishment of a sustainability service sector to enable a more rapid and comprehensive response to client needs, as well as greater cohesion and focus on sustainability across the firm’s 30-plus disciplines, seven market sectors, and 17 offices. Our vision for sustainable design is defined by balance — creating built and natural environments that aren’t just beautiful and timeless but are capable of supporting healthy futures for our clients and communities. We contribute to this balance by making sustainability foundational to our design and business operations.
BSJ: How does intentional architectural design create and support social connection within residential and commercial environments?
VIGIL: Creating a space that brings people together or “feels just right” really comes from harmony in functionality and aesthetics. By really listening to our clients, we gather more than just a visual sense of the spaces they want to build; we can see how the unique rhythms of the individual, family, or business will interact with — be supported or thwarted by — those spaces. With that information, we can curate spaces that are uniquely inspired by the individuals who will use them most. Factoring into all of that, customization is the social interaction inherent in shared spaces and our commitment to bringing people comfortably together. Effective design ensures that each moment spent in the spaces we shape becomes a memorable part of the shared experience of life. h
Helena | Missoula | Billings | Bozeman
For this residence located on a bluff above the confluence of two rivers, the main house and guest space are organized along the bluff lines, intersecting at a covered outdoor terrace.
HENRY DOMKE
BUILDING YOUR MONTANA DREAM
W EST OF THE
ELIZA CHAIR
BY CENTURY FURNITURE FROM KIBLER & KIRCH
Each Eliza Chair is made to order by craftsmen at Century Furniture, a family-owned company in Hickory, North Carolina. First created by iconic American designer Thomas O’Brien for the lobby of the 60 Thompson Hotel in New York City, the Eliza Chair is “chameleon-like,” says interior designer Jeremiah Young of Kibler & Kirch, which recently opened a retail and fine art space in downtown Billings, Montana. “We’ve [customized] the Eliza Chair in all manner of fabric and leather combinations,” he says. “You’ll be amazed at the comfort, solidity, and perfect scale of this future classic. Equally stunning as a settee, we consider this one of the greatest furniture pieces designed in over 50 years.” Starts at $4,400 | kiblerandkirch.com
LIBECO LINENS
FROM ARCHITECT’S WIFE
Libeco is synonymous with luxury. Woven in Belgium by specially trained artisans, the unique linen-blend textiles have been produced from generation to generation for over 150 years. The artisanal product line is manufactured in small quantities and includes bedding, pillows, table linens, and towels — all available at Architect’s Wife in Bozeman, Montana.
$38 – $985 | architectswife.com
PERSONA CHAIRS
BY TYREL JOHNSON
Crafted by Montana sculptor Tyrel Johnson, the Persona series combines fine art and woodworking in a bold and beautiful homage to storytelling. Johnson works directly with each client to produce a piece that captures their unique person ality through hand-burnt and hand-dyed leather stretched across a wooden frame. Each artfully designed chair features a series of curves and complex joints. “To me, it needed to feel like a violin, act as half of a bow, and have the presence of a throne,” Johnson says.
Price subject to design tyreljohnsonfineart.com
OUTDOOR SCULPTURE
BY KIRSTEN KAINZ
The natural world inspires Bozeman artist Kirsten Kainz. One of her favorite art forms is monument iron sculpture, and she often uses found metal objects to capture each item’s beauty and intrigue. Kainz’s works, which integrate both welding and sculpting, are suitable for any outdoor application, whether it’s a large yard installation intended to make a bold statement or a smaller piece set within the tranquillity of a garden.
Price subject to design | kirstenkainz.net
WALLPAPER AND TEXTILES
BY RAD GOODS
Developed by interior designer Chloe Warner, the newly launched line of RAD Goods wallpaper and textiles is based on the designer’s original paintings, featuring lush florals and crisp geometrics. Originally from Missoula, Montana, Warner is the founder and principal designer of Redmond Aldrich Design, and through her line, she explores the alchemy of vintage and new. Her decorative fabrics and wallpapers provide an elevated backdrop for daily living.
Price subject to design | rad-goods.com
ETHNICRAFT’S JACK OUTDOOR FURNITURE
FROM URBAINE HOME
A favorite of Bozeman, Montana-based Urbaine Home, Ethnicraft’s Jack outdoor collection boasts modern lines and a universal palette that suit any home’s outdoor living space. Made of teak wood frames and durable Belgian woven upholstery, the collection is built to withstand the toughest of Western winters. With pieces capable of seating up to three people and several fabric colors to choose from, the customizable set can comfortably complete any multi-season hosting space, whether a quaint patio, expansive garden, or private balcony.
$1,229 – $5,896 | urbainehome.com
CUSTOM CHEST
BY HARRIS FURNITURE
With over two decades of experience, cabinetmaker Don Harris of Bozeman, Montana-based Harris Furniture crafts bespoke furniture, cabinets, and doors employing traditional woodworking techniques that blend quality and craftsmanship. Harris says the time-honored mortise and tenon joint, renowned for its simplicity and strength, and hand-cut dovetails, known for their snug fit and intricate detailing, are central to his work and part of the critical skillset he learned during a 12-year apprenticeship crafting 18th-century reproduction furniture under master cabinetmaker Ben Hobbs. Throughout his process, Harris consults with his clients on each design element to create functional, custom pieces reflective of their unique preferences and needs.
Chests start at $3,450 | harrisfurniture.net
KICKIN’ THE FROST FIREPLACE SCREEN
BY ANNE BEARD
Artist Anne Beard was raised on a ranch in Washington and has lived in Oregon’s High Desert for the past 20 years. Both experiences deeply influence her work. With a background in fashion, she blends functional craft with contemporary style in her upholstered furnishings, which range from tailored ottomans to nature-inspired armchairs. This fireplace screen is appliquéd and embroidered by hand from wool gabardine to reflect Beard’s love of rodeo culture. It includes vintage hardware, and the opposite side of the screen incorporates a stamped-leather design.
$5,750 | bywesternhands.org
MOEDIM DINING TABLE
BY LAKE ANTLER WORKS
After building a desk for his own home, Joe Lake knew he’d found his calling, and he and his wife, Laurel, founded Lake Antler Works soon after. With Joe’s background in welding and fabrication and the couple’s passion for finding naturally shed elk, moose, and deer antlers, the focus became creating eye-catching, functional pieces with sustainably sourced materials. The Moedim Dining Table is made from black walnut, with two slabs bookmatched end to end to create an hourglass shape. The wood’s live edges highlight the tree’s natural aesthetic, adding character — cracks and all — and black resin evens out the surface. The base features three matching sets of naturally shed bull elk antlers.
$19,940 | lakeantlerworks.com
“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
ARTWORK DETAILS - Kenneth Peloke : Lovestruck ; Duke Beardsley : Red RIver ; David Frederick Riley : Low Light Glow
www.honearchitectsandbuilders.com
A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE
WRJ Design blends sense and sensibility to curate luxurious mountain lifestyle
Written by Sean Vincent O’Keefe
Photography by Roger Davies
NESTLED IN JACKSON Hole Valley, 3 Creek Ranch is a member-owned golf and fly-fishing community set amid an outdoor sanctuary, just five minutes from Jackson’s bustling Town Square. Providing a tranquil respite across 710 acres, and accessible just beyond the niceties and necessities of Jackson, the development is a collection of 135 homesites offered as cabin, estate, or ranch parcels. Interwoven with an 18-hole championship golf course, residences are surrounded by meandering creeks and native grasslands populated by trumpeter swans, songbirds, and cottonwood stands.
Having lived his whole life in southern California, 3 Creek Ranch homeowner John Caskey has experienced a novel life with his family in Jackson. “My wife, Kimberly, and I grew up in southern California. We love being outside. We raised our children going to the beach nearly daily, even in the winter,” he says. “The kids are getting older, so we wanted a vacation home. We fell in love with Jackson the first time we visited. Now, it doesn’t feel like a vacation home at all. Living here for three- and four-month durations, we are experiencing life in four seasons for the first time.”
3 Creek Ranch nestles luxury living in the lush landscape of nature’s splendor.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: WRJ Design principals Klaus Baer (left) and Rush Jenkins (right) worked diligently to see the home’s design and construction through the rigors of COVID. “Building a custom home is a very long process. In this case, three years because of COVID,” says Jenkins. “We’re very process driven and strive to make the client experience enjoyable and seamless.” • Among the many personal touches in this Wyoming home designed by WRJ Design, Finn Juhl furnishings from Denmark, which were chosen by the client, represent the care and class that white-glove service demands. • Milk-glass Leicht cabinetry, quartzite countertops, and dramatic glass pendants in black modestly say practical-chic.
Though Caskey has always lived a nature-adjacent lifestyle, enjoying nearly uninterrupted blue skies and sunny days in southern California, 3 Creek Ranch presents an altogether different experience with the great outdoors. A lifelong surfer, Caskey now has the same access to snowboarding that he enjoyed in watersports while living at the ocean’s edge. Home to a diverse ecology of some 115 species of birds and 28 species of mammals, 3 Creek Ranch brings living in harmony with nature a whole new meaning, imparting a mindful stewardship of the land that ensures it remains unspoiled.
A real estate developer with 40 years of experience, Caskey was comfortable buying property and overseeing his dream home’s development. “In 3 Creek Ranch, there are design guidelines that each house must meet to ensure it fits in with the surroundings. On the inside, however, there is complete freedom to do something meaningful, which my wife and I wanted,” shares Caskey. The home’s palette is non-precious; while fixtures and furnishings are luxurious, they are not irreplaceable. Heavy timber beams with matte-black metal accents frame the living room. And reclaimed wood introduces a different texture to the stone fireplace. Daylight and views mingle with comfy accommodations, soft throws, and local art.
“The most important thing in building a home is to assemble a team that can bring your vision to life,” says Caskey. “We were fortunate to work with Stewart Construction Services, Hoyt Architects, and WRJ Design for interiors to design and build a home uniquely tailored to our lifestyle.”
In the Caskey home, nature sets the tone for lush, luxurious finery chosen for durability as much as elegance. While browsing a lifestyle magazine searching for inspiration, Caskey and his wife came across an article about a home they adored, and they immediately agreed they’d found their interior designer. “We read the article about this beautiful home finished in natural wood and stone that was different from everything else we were seeing,” says Caskey of the epiphany. “It was a WRJ Design home. So, we didn’t even interview anyone else.”
LIKE HIS CLIENTS, Rush Jenkins has refined tastes. And he comes by them honestly; he’s a local. “Before I left the family farm in Idaho to see the world, I used to come to Jackson as a kid,” says Jenkins of life on the other side of the Tetons. Later, traveling throughout South America, Europe, and Asia, he developed an eye for the exceptional. Along the way, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in landscape architecture from California State Polytechnic University–Pomona, and then attended Sotheby’s Institute for Art in London.
“After my studies, I started working for Sotheby’s in New York City, the world’s premier destination for auctions, as the director of design exhibitions. I started WRJ Design as an exhibition and interior architecture design practice in 2003. WRJ has since designed more than 70 exhibitions, including one for the life, legacy, and couture of First Lady Nancy Reagan.”
After a few years of completing residential landscape and interior projects in New York, Jenkins acquired partner Klaus Baer in 2008. Ultimately, the duo moved the business to Jackson in 2011, opening their doors to a market ready to elevate expectations for luxury residential design.
“I love design in every form. Landscaped gardens, fine art, silver objects, furniture, textiles, metalworks, and stone are all excellent style enhancers,” says Jenkins. “The opportunities to create something special and personal are endless. Harmonizing these elements to deliver luxurious serenity for our clients gets us out of bed in the morning with vigor.”
Arriving in Jackson as a party of two 15 years ago, WRJ Design’s current team of 25 now orchestrates niche-market interiors for custom homes in Jackson and beyond.
“Like every home we work on, the Caskeys’ reflects their lifestyle. He’s a snowboarder; she’s a skier. They are here for the winter we ather, which, of course, is a very rugged time of year in western Wyoming,” says Jenkins. “We developed a beautiful, welcoming i nterior that’s not precious. We didn’t want silk fabrics. Life in this house will be filled with dogs, grandkids, and snow boots. So, it was essential that finishes and furnishings be resilient to casual living.”
Jenkins says a consistent process is as relevant as a well-refined point of view to bring a home from inspiration to realization. “Our primary focus is creating beauty. Certainly, we deliver inspired design, but it is equally important to us to deliver a beautiful experience,” continues Jenkins. “Building a custom home is a very long process. In this case, three years because of COVID. We’re very process-driven and strive to make the client experience enjoyable and seamless.”
FROM TOP + OPPOSITE: John and Kimberly Caskey knew they’d found their designer while browsing a local lifestyle magazine, saying they looked no further. • Inspired by the soft blues and sage greens of the Grand Tetons in the spring, an abundance of natural elements embellish every WRJ home. • Informed by nature and context, WRJ Design used naturally weathered reclaimed wood that once stood sentinel as snow fencing to finish the home’s interior walls.
WRJ Design’s services are white glove. Clients are taken through a questionnaire that asks about lifestyles, casual to formal; color and material palettes that resonate; and patterns, prints, and preferences on a room-by-room basis. Clients review WRJ’s style books of past work, providing a reference point for things they love, why they love them, and how similar elements might embellish their home.
Design charrettes involve hands-on interaction with fabrics, wood tones and textures, stones, tiles, and bricks, potentially sourced worldwide. “Past clients have joined us on trips to New York City, Los Angeles, Paris, and Milan to see, feel, and experience the finishes and materials firsthand,” says Jenkins. “When the design is ready, we do a comprehensive presentation of the entire house with several layers of detail to ensure we are hitting the mark.”
AT THE CASKEY residence, the material selection was informed by natural stone sourced from quarries in nearby Montana. Reclaimed, repurposed snow-drift fencing common to the Rocky Mountain West covers the walls throughout the living space and corridors. In the bedrooms, wallpapers in muted earth tones are joined by minimalistprofile furnishings. Leather, linens, elegant art, and regionally sourced furs blend in an elixir of luxury bejeweled by views in every direction.
“The design showcases the soft blues and sage greens that you’ll see in nature around Jackson as the seasons change,” says Jenkins of the finished product. “Though our work is always inspired by nature,
usbank.com/mortgage
Jeffrey Olech
Mortgage Loan Officer
Jackson Hole office: 406-232-0813 | cell: 406-579-6356
jeff.olech@usbank.com
NMLS # 400400
Personalized mortgage options to fit your financial strategy
Customized mortgage options include:
• Residential one to four units, fixed, adjustable or interest only mortgage options
• Mortgage priority process, products and scheduling to meet your loan closing date
• Primary, second home, condominium, co-op and investment one to four unit properties
• Residential single close construction, lot loan, renovation and expansion options
• Conforming, jumbo and super jumbo loan size availability
• Lending in all states (some loan types are limited to specific states)
we also want worldly materials and sophistication to inform the finished spaces and the client’s experience. Most importantly, creating beauty involves both design and the relationship you build with the client.”
A veteran of the development game himself, Caskey agrees, stressing the importance of teamwork and the personal touch that makes a house feel like a home. “We have several pieces of Finn Juhl furniture from Denmark throughout the house, which is an element I picked myself,” says Caskey, before closing wisely: “My wife chose everything else.” h
Sean Vincent O’Keefe is an architecture and construction writer who crafts stories and promotional copy based on people, ideas, and more than 20 years of experience in the built environment. You can reach him at sokpr.com.
Roger Davies is an English-born interiors photographer living in California’s Laurel Canyon. Over the course of his more than 20-year career, his work has appeared on the covers of Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, and Vogue Living , among others. Davies’ first monograph, B eyond the Canyon: Inside Epic California Homes , focuses on his work in the Golden State and includes rarely seen architectural gems by Tadao Ando, John Lautner, and Frank Gehry and showcases the homes of Drew Barrymore, Elton John, and more.
172 Owl Loop, Kalispell
$849,000 386 Racheals Meadow Lane, Kila $249,000
Gentle light, soft throws, and time gather no dust in this four-season retreat.
IN THE WORKSHOP
UP TO THE CHALLENGE
Willow Creek Woodworks builds fine custom creations
Written by Kristen Pope
JAXON CHING, OWNER and operator of Willow Creek Woodworks, didn’t set out to own a full-service woodworks mill. In fact, his journey into woodworking was quite accidental. After graduating from high s c hool in New Jersey, he joined the U.S. Navy. At one point, he was assigned the job of fixing up bunkbeds and cabinets in the barracks, which were stainless steel and assembled together with rivets. During the assignment, Ching re alized he enjoyed working with his hands and appreciated using tools and tape measures to make each furniture piece meet exact standards.
After he left the service, Ching stayed in California and found a job at a fencing company, where he learned to work with wood. Later, he ventured into a
MINDY DUQUETTE
different type of woodwork: cabinetmaking. Ching found a job in Napa Valley and quickly picked up the craft. On the side, he built furniture for his home, including nursery pieces like the crib and bassinet he constructed when he and his wife welcomed their first child.
Eventually, the family decided they wanted to live in a quieter environment where they could raise their kids. Lured by great fly fishing and the peacefulness of the mountains and rivers, they soon made eastern Idaho their home. Once settled, Ching took a position with a local cabinet shop. He thrived, not only building and installing cabinets but also working with clients and architects to perfect each order. Having become experienced with each facet of the business, Ching was encouraged by his wife to launch their own company.
The couple started Willow Creek Woodworks in 1997. As Willow Creek grew, the company established clients in various locations like Utah and Sun Valley, Idaho. But Ching realized the challenge of having clients located hours away; instead, he wanted to focus closer to home. So the team homed in on Jackson, Wyoming, where they had established relationships and which is less than 100 miles from their home in Idaho Falls. Today, the vast majority of their business is in Jackson. And they stay busy.
Bryan James, a principal of CLB Architects, works with Ching’s team frequently. “Every project is completely custom, and our clients expect the best possible products,” he says. “Jaxon honed the process at Willow Creek to elevate the level of engagement and communication to not only ensure the highest level of quality but that design intent is met and client expectations unique to each project are satisfied.”
Willow Creek Woodworks focuses on creating custom designs that often integrate metal and wood. In Jackson, a contemporary Mountain Modern style is most in demand these days, with many clients looking for interior components like flat-panel doors with grain matching and veneers using materials like oak, walnut, and a variety of exotic and international woods.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT + OPPOSITE: Solid custom dovetail kitchen drawers show Willow Creek Woodworks’ attention to detail.
• Jaxon Ching, owner and operator of Willow Creek Woodworks, oversees the production of their innovative designs.
• With horizontal planking, grainmatched for a continuous look, this kitchen range has a full marble surround and backsplash pockets that slide into the side cabinets, exposing brass shelving for convenient spice storage.
• Two plank-matched cabinets with walnut veneers wrapped with 1/4-inch blackened steel separate the dining room from the great room.
SCOTT GARDNER
SCOTT GARDNER
SADEE CHING
“Every project is special,” says Ching. “We’ve had the opportunity to work with very high-end homes with very high-end architects. … They’re all special and unique.”
Since the company’s work is bespoke, they’ve been involved in some innovative projects, Ching says. For example, he recently crafted a pivot door made out of 5.5-inch-thick bronze that was 6 feet wide on the pivot. The team is up for just about anything. “We build things that are challenging, and that’s what keeps driving us,” he says.
James agrees that Willow Creek can craft even the most unique designs skillfully. “Jaxon never backs away from a challenge,” he says. “We push the limits with inventive design work, and he has always been an effective partner in pushing new ideas forward.”
Over the years, Ching has gradually expanded Willow Creek’s wheelhouse so that his team can have agency over each element, ensuring the final product is exactly what they and their customers want. Five years ago, Ching branched into metal fabrication since many of his latest projects feature 15-, 20-, or even up to 30-percent metal. Having acquired cutting tools, waterjets, and additional tools and equipment, Ching now runs a full metal-fabrication shop in addition to working wood.
•
selected slab to create timeless pieces. •
a full metal-fabrication shop with a waterjet cutting machine and many other tools that allow them to handle metal needs in house.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A stunning blend of craftsmanship and modern design, this floating bathroom vanity showcases the natural beauty of white oak. Expertly handcrafted, its rich grain patterns and warm tones bring an organic elegance to the space. The seamless minimalist design enhances both functionality and aesthetic appeal, creating a statement piece that embodies timeless woodworking artistry.
While traveling in Ecuador, Ching was intrigued by the rich graining of the Saman wood he found. He brought around 50 slabs home and uses each carefully
Willow Creek Woodworks has
SCOTT GARDNER
Custom seating furniture designed by award-winning artist and handmade in Montana to your specifications.
He’s also delved into exotic woods and offers a selection of liveedge Saman slabs he personally sourced from Ecuador. These hardwood slabs — with reddish-brown heartwood and pale-yellow sapwood — can be used for tables, benches, and bar tops. On a trip to E c uador, Ching saw slabs for sale and worked with his cousin, an architect in Ecuador, to obtain the necessary licenses and permits. They eventually shipped around 50 slabs to his Idaho workshop, and Ching built himself an office desk made from Saman wood, which shares some characteristics with mahogany. He’s created Saman dining room tables and is also using it for a countertop in his home.
While the company started small, Willow Creek Woodworks employs around 45 people today, allowing Ching to take on bigger, more elaborate projects. He stays busy making sure each order moves along smoothly, overseeing a multiplicity of variables and components. “I’ve always been quality driven,” he says, adding that he strives to make sure that every client is satisfied and ends up with exactly the piece they set out to create.
Ching finds his work with Willow Creek Woodworks rewarding and says it’s satisfying to look back on the projects his company completes. “My favorite part is when the job is done, and I look at the completed house and can say to myself, ‘Wow, we did this.’” h
Kristen Pope is a freelance writer and editor who covers stories about mountain living, science, conservation, travel, and the outdoors for a number of outlets; kepope.com.
A Jackson Hole client loved the team's work so much that they asked Ching to build the kitchen in their San Francisco home, located in the heart of the city on the top floor of a building with a very small elevator. Willow Creek Woodworks overcame the challenge to create a stunning kitchen with cherry, flush fine-line stile-and-rail doors and coloredglass countertops.
Dune Falls, OM Studio 41944
Krios, OM Studio 42084
DETAILS
THE MECHANICS OF MASTERY
Ona Magaro explores the structural science of art
Written by Jessica Bayramian Byerly
ONA MAGARO HAS always been an artist.
Born in Enola, Pennsylvania in 1976 as the only child of parents deeply ensconced in fine food, a small-scale farm, and hospitality, Magaro spent her formative years surrounded by nature and extended family on the namesake Magaro Road. The summer before she began high school, her parents enrolled her in Buck’s Rock Performing and Creative Arts Camp, where she enjoyed 12 weeks of artistic exploration in mediums as diverse as they were numerous. There, she developed her fascination for art’s materiality, in forms both fine and functional.
After high school, she attended New York’s Alfred University, where she studied material engineering — one of the first and only programs focused on such in the country at the time — and fine arts. She spent countless hours examining various compounds’ impacts on clay, which ceramic students hand-formulated on site. Focused on the science inherent in those manipulations, she applied the same principles to glass, creating new colors, textures, and forms like a chef in a kitchen. With a mind dually inclined toward the technicality of creation and its manifestation, she found an educational home that fostered her curiosity and talented professors like sculptor Glenn Zweygardt, who challenged and influenced her commitment to knowing how each choice in a creative process impacted the whole.
“I wanted that information,” explains Magaro. “I only felt I could execute something conceptually if I knew how to do it technically. People think they’re making something new [with their art], but it’s just a new recipe. I kept feeling like if I knew more technique, it would somehow make execution easier.”
Magaro continued her education, graduating from Ohio’s Bowling Green, where she produced glass, mixed-media, and large-scale sculptures in earnest, perfecting the engineering of such creations, the skeletal system necessary to support the structure, and the mechanics behind the making.
“It comes back to the process; the joy that I get with this work is the process, not the end product so much,” says Magaro. “Working with glass? It’s magical — fragile, fluid. How do you capture the fluidity of the material in that one moment? In thinking of a bird, I might make one swoop of the underside of a wing, maybe just the movement off the top of the head to the tip of the beak — that’s line drawing in glass, not the whole bird. When I sculpt, that’s what I do. Glass looks weightless, but it weighs a ton — how do I create that [feeling of weightlessness]?”
Now, with over two decades of training, experience, and experimentation, she is still fascinated with the craft and is driven to create. And it shows.
AFTER SETTLING IN Montana and launching OM Design, first in Absarokee and eventually in Bozeman with her two children in 2015, Magaro found a home for both her heart and her work. She produces technically inspired fine art and custom lighting, fixtures, chandeliers, furniture, and decor in a range of metal and glass finishes, alongside large-scale commercial installations, sharing her lifelong passion with a growing body of collectors, collaborators, and enthusiasts.
Offering a poignant exploration of the material’s delicate beauty, Magaro’s intricate and evocative designs employ glass not just as a medium but as a storytelling tool, allowing light, texture, color, and form to narrate each visually stunning piece. While some artists
use glass as a conduit for more abstract concepts, she celebrates the medium in its own right, fusing traditional techniques with innovative approaches to transform simple molecules into masterful works of art.
Trained in a number of mediums, Magaro has developed her own methods to bring her visions to life. Each piece marries her deft handling of molten glass and dexterity with coldworking, the process by which cooled glass is sculpted, ground, and polished. Her signature works are often layered, creating a sense of depth and movement. By combining transparency with opacity, smoothness with texture — the roughness of rock or delicacy of flora — Magaro manipulates light’s play across and through the glass. Her frequent addition of color, whether in subtle gradients or vibrant hues, creates further dimensionality and mesmerizing visual interest.
Magaro’s desire to experiment with process and material is perhaps the most defining characteristic of her work. This quality renders her as more of an engineer than an artist in her eyes. Abby Lutz, M a garo’s childhood friend and founder of the clothing companies ABELINE and of_dress, might agree, describing years of collaborating in the installation of site-specific works at the renowned Fabric Workshop and Museum, an internationally acclaimed contemporary art museum in Philadelphia.
FROM TOP + OPPOSITE: From her studio in Bozeman, Montana, Ona Magaro produces technically inspired fine art and custom lighting, fixtures, chandeliers, furniture, decor, and large-scale commercial installations in a range of metal and glass finishes. • As if both landing and taking off at once, this glass sculpture captures dynamic movement in static form. • This Draping Chandelier, formed from hand-textured blown glass and handmade chain, can be customized to suit desired color, size, and number of globes.
AUDREY HALL
“Her work is solid simplicity — she is solid simplicity,” Lutz says of Magaro with a laugh. “She incorporated leather — this soft, supple material — in one of her installations and, through some alchemy of her own invention, it became solid. Her works hold space; they become sculptural. But that kind of speaks to who she is, the most solid person I know. The way she tackles her work is without hesitation, as brave as possible. She’s always pushing the boundary of art, pushing the traditional practices to incorporate something different, something new. That’s what gives her work such a nuanced style, and what draws interior designers, builders, and collaborators to her vision.”
Hillary Asay, lead designer with Bozeman, Montana-based Domaine Interiors, has worked with Magaro on custom fabrication projects for nearly a decade and has yet to produce a design problem that Magaro couldn’t solve, and solve beautifully. “She’s always willing to think creatively to find the best solution, no matter if it’s lighting or an architectural feature going into a home,” says Asay. “She’s my go-to for custom lighting, sculptures, and glass artworks, always delivering outstanding results.”
OVER THE NEXT 18 months, Magaro will focus on several large sculptural installations in public spaces throughout Montana, including the Benefis Aging Center in Great Falls; Gallatin County Justice Center in Bozeman; and Montana State University Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing buildings in Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls, Kalispell, and Missoula. Having moved to a larger studio in March to fit the massive installations’ production, she is enthusiastic about the work ahead. “I absolutely love public art because so many people get to engage with it,” says Magaro.
“As human beings, we have an interactive relationship with light and color because of our complex system of perception,” Magaro adds. “It continues to amaze me how much is being discovered about how we perceive and the evolutionary process. Color inspires us — stimulates us to experience joy, happiness, appreciation, and healing. I want to create these experiences for others.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: For Magaro, joy in the process compels the creation. • Magaro’s large sculptural installations, like this one at Benefis Women’s and Children’s Center in Great Falls, Montana, marry the vision of artistic exploration and the necessary precision of structural engineering. • The translucence and fragility of glass implies an inherent weightlessness, but the medium is actually very heavy. Central to Magaro’s approach, this interplay of contraries — the process of coaxing forth this and other dichotomies in both her utilitarian and fine artworks — fuels her seemingly boundless infatuation with experimentation.
JESSIE
And so she does. Magaro often accentuates the interplay between light and shadow, yin and yang, in works reverently meditative. The tension between fragility and strength, particularly, is a common theme within her work, and glass is a compelling metaphor for the human experience, fraught with both inherent vulnerability and graceful resilience. This play of opposites is a study of life’s impermanence, the inescapable moments of physical and spiritual fracture abutting those of power and permanence in an endless cycle of birth and death, making and unmaking.
When asked about the mark she hopes to leave on the art world, Magaro’s response is both humble and sincere. “I’m not going to, not the art world as we know it. Those who do that aren’t me. I’m kind of all over the place, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. For me, truthfully, the only impact I have outside myself is my relationships with people; I focus on the footprint I will leave. I want to raise good humans. Beyond that, if I make an impact on someone’s life for the better, that’s all I can ask for.” h
Jessica Bayramian Byerly is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in various publications, including The Montana Historian , Destination Big Sky, VIEWS , and Big Sky Journal . She also curates distinctive content for a range of regional businesses, multimedia agencies, and nonprofits. A Bozeman, Montana native, Byerly is currently the associate editor for Big Sky Journal
A custom cast-glass chandelier, though simple in style, provides an undeniably industrial vibe.
JESSIE MOORE
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SUPERIOR HARDWOODS
A Montana lumber company remains true to its roots
Written by Stephen Camelio
Photography by Nick VanHorn
I’M A WOOD junkie,” says John Medlinger, founder and owner of Superior Hardwoods in Missoula, Montana. While he says it with a laugh, the statement is definitely not a joke. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows or cares more about wood than Medlinger. For him, wood is serious business, which is why you’ll find his products highlighted in the Yellowstone Club’s Warren Miller Lodge and The Ranch at Rock Creek, as well as in the homes of countless high-profile personalities and locals alike.
Now a Montana institution in the construction and design space, Superior Hardwoods was born some 1,500 miles from its current home. Medlinger first came to the state in 1971 to attend the University of Montana when Missoula “was a small town, and you wouldn’t see any lights if you drove down the Bitterroot Valley at night,” he remembers. “But the University of Montana was quite the party school back then, so we had a good time.”
FROM LEFT: A mill worker at Superior Hardwoods in Missoula, Montana uses a wood caliper to get a precise thickness measurement on a board.
• Superior Hardwoods stocks slabs of mixed reclaimed wood sourced from all over the country, Ohio to Idaho.
Unfortunately, while Medlinger was enjoying college life, his father tragically died in an airplane crash. Soon after, he was back in Illinois, helping his mom for a couple of years. Little did he know that moving back to be with his mother would change his life forever.
“My mother owned some property in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a couple miles from Lake Superior,” Medlinger explains. “She gave me permission to go log off a load of hardwood, predominantly maple and birch, and that was the beginning of Superior Hardwoods.”
After cutting down the trees himself, Medlinger had them processed and then shipped to Missoula, knowing that’s where he wanted to live and build his business. He started out with a small warehouse where he could make flooring and moldings, and a year later, he started buying wood from mills all over the country. Slowly, he built the business while raising three children, Ryan, Cory, and Alicia, with his wife, Jan, a fellow Midwesterner he’d met in Montana.
Fast forward to today, and Superior Hardwoods has a 48-year legacy, 11 acres of lumber, 100,000 square feet of flooring, and a 4,000-squarefoot millwork shop where the team crafts building materials, including flooring, paneling, siding, beams, and antique and reclaimed lumber. The company has 10 employees; among them, Medlinger’s son Cory serves as the vice president and is a former carpenter experienced in all manners of woodworking and construction.
But Superior Hardwoods didn’t grow overnight. In fact, up until the early 1980s, the company experienced some lean years. “There wasn’t a lot of building going on here during that time,” explains Medlinger. “Montana was quiet; it wasn’t quite discovered yet.”
FROM TOP: Superior Hardwoods employees, including founder John Medlinger (sixth from left) and his son and vice president Cory (third from right), pose for the camera in the company’s retail lumber room. • A mountain home in Tahoe features reclaimed fir paneling and historic mixed reclaimed-wood flooring from Superior Hardwoods.
Things started to turn around in the late ’80s, when Medlinger bought his first shipment of reclaimed wood, lumber reused from an existing structure or product. “They were tearing down an old apple warehouse just south of us in Lolo, and we went in and bought all the old material,” he recalls. “After that, I got into contact with some folks on the West Coast in the salvage business and traveled to the Midwest to buy old barns that were being torn down.”
Soon, Superior Hardwoods became one of the country’s leading reclaimed-lumber retailers, with their stockpile including material from old granaries in Idaho built in the 1930s, a mid-century mushroom factory in Pennsylvania, log cabins dating back to the 1700s, and giant “si nker logs” that were fished out of the bottom of the St. Lawrence River, where they had been lying in a watery grave since the 19th century.
Just like one-of-a-kind antiques, these wood pieces are sought after by builders and architects looking to create homes and buildings. “Age creates an amazing patina on the wood, so if I take a piece of oak that came out of a 100-year-old barn, all I have to do is give it a pass with a wire brush, and it’ll appear like it has a rich, dark stain,” Medlinger explains. “Designers want that age because that combination of color and texture creates the character that they’re after,” Cory adds.
Not only does reclaimed wood have a unique look and feel, but using it has other benefits as well. “Of course, we thought it was a great idea to repurpose the materials and keep them out of landfills,” Medlinger says. “I’ve seen them demo buildings, and sometimes they just burn everything. I hate seeing beautiful wood go up in flames.”
Beyond recycling old material, the Medlingers are also conscious about where their new lumber comes from. “The lumber we buy from mills is crafted from trees that are selectively taken from private property,” Medlinger says. “I learned from the guy who helped me log my mother’s property all those years ago to treat the forest like a garden: Harvest with common sense, and you’ll continue to have healthy trees and a constant supply of lumber.”
The Medlingers’ diversified product catalog and sustainable approach positioned them perfectly for the building explosion that happened in the West during the 1990s. “At first, you saw growth in places like Jackson Hole, Vail, and Park City,” Medlinger notes. “Then, as those places
became popular, people decided to come to Montana to investigate, and now look at Big Sky compared to what it used to look like.”
Superior Hardwoods was well-poised to meet the needs of architects who embraced the look of the West. Designers were taking their cues from trees on the natural landscape and the wood construction that’s a hallmark of the region’s national park lodges, log cabins, and historic ranch buildings. But, as the business took off, disaster struck the company in 1995, when a fire consumed their entire warehouse and threatened to put them out of business.
“The day before the Fourth of July, some kids were playing with fireworks, and we lost everything — our wood and all our equipment,” Medlinger recalls. “We spent the next five years battling the insurance company, but I knew I couldn’t give up because I had a young family to support.” Slowly, with the help of a friend who lent Medlinger an office, they were able to rebuild the company, taking on a small warehouse not unlike the one the business was born in nearly 20 years before.
Today, in a similar fashion to the burgeoning reclaimed-lumber scene of the 1980s, the wood world is seeing an emergence of new lumber types that are captivating builders and woodworkers alike. So, Medlinger makes sure to stock them all.
FROM TOP: A mill crew member prepares an oak board using the facility’s wood planer. • The company’s warehouse is filled with all types of wood, including stacks of remilled, reclaimed white-oak and fir flooring and giant slabs of walnut. • White-oak flooring from Superior Hardwoods anchors the modern country design of a kitchen in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley.
“We also carry exotic materials like tiger wood, which is a South American product that has striking stripes, a grade-A fire rating, and is weather resistant,” Cory explains. “There’s also Ipe, a Brazilian hardwood with rich coloring and natural resistance to rot. Something new on the market is kiln-dried heat-treated lumber, which has an aged-like patina and is resistant to problems caused by heat and moisture.”
Whether old or new, domestic or imported, the Medlingers don’t discriminate; to them, great wood is great wood. Their showroom is also open to the public, unlike those of many vendors, who only serve tradespeople or contractors. “People come in to buy 100 board feet or just one board that they need for a woodworking project,” Cory says. “It’s really cool that, year after year, we see walk-in traffic continue to grow.”
Cory would know: He has taken over the business’ day-to-day operations, carrying on the legacy of knowledge and service that has been the family business’ hallmark for nearly five decades.
As for Medlinger, he’s semi-retired, which means, while he may not be in the shop every day, as he puts it, “he’s still out finding the wood.” And he wouldn’t have it any other way. h
An avid fly fisherman based in Bozeman, Montana, Stephen Camelio is a former editor for In Style magazine and has written for Fly Rod & Reel, The Drake , and Field & Stream , among others. He was a regular contributor to Yellowstone Quarterly, and he wrote the fishing chapter for the guidebook Yellowstone in a Day. Recently, Camelio wrote the fly-
fishing feature film Mending the Line , which was the number-one film on Netflix the week it premiered.
Nick VanHorn left the hustle and bustle of Fort Collins, Colorado after college in search of wide-open spaces. Since landing in Montana, VanHorn ha s worn a variety of hats, from ski patroller to bike mechanic to broadcast television professional. Whatever the task, VanHorn can be found with a camera in-hand to document the journey.
An amazing 4 acre oasis, right in the heart of Ennis… the Ennis Homestead!
by William Ennis – the town’s founder!
Superior Hardwoods’ products feature prominently at The Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg, Montana, including on the lodge building’s exterior siding and decorative timbers.
Photo by: Whitney Kamman
TIMELESS METHODS
CAST STONE
Elements Concrete in Bozeman, Montana elevates concrete to decorative art
Written by Laurel Delp
CONCRETE IS PROBABLY not the first thing that comes to mind when people conjure up a dream home. But for Jerrad Inlow, founder of Bozeman-based Elements Concrete, working with concrete, wood, and metal is art. And the architects, builders, and designers in the wide triangle around Big Sky, Park City, and Jackson Hole agree.
W h ile Elements Concrete is renowned for its sleek, seamless sinks, vanities, countertops, and interior and exterior veneers, the firm is also known for its woodworking and unique integration of metals like steel and copper into project designs. In this, Inlow is considered one of the best in a burgeoning transformation of concrete, from structural component to decorative art.
Inlow’s mother was a professional ceramicist with a home studio, and Inlow loved the medium, often traveling with her to trade shows. But when the time came to decide about his future, he majored in business at Houghton College in New York.
“ The idea of selling mugs at $10 a pop didn’t seem like much of a career opportunity,” he says, adding that he spent most of his college years in the art studio anyway. After graduating in 1998, he found himself somewhat adrift, in search of a job that would be fulfilling. Then, a friend of a friend introduced him to concrete.
“I was still really into ceramics,” Inlow says, “and I saw concrete as a similar medium — to be able to work three-dimensionally and to create functional art. And it gave me more of a potential to make a living.”
After briefly partnering in a cabinetry business, Inlow started his firm in New Jersey, wo rking in New York City and the Hamptons, often on commercial projects for companies like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.
An avid snowboarder, Inlow frequently vacationed in Montana, where he had relatives and fe ll in love with Bozeman. “I thought, if you can live where you vacation, then you should absolutely do that,” he says. So, at the height of the 2 0 08 recession, he picked up and moved to Bozeman to start again from scratch.
I n a way, he now sees the recession as a blessing. He was able to introduce himself to architects and designers who suddenly had all the free t i me in the world, and when business picked up again, he was in on the ground floor.
“Everything we do is made to order,” he says. “Everything from color to texture to shape, and we make prototypes. We’ll generate a mini version and send that over for approval, working w ith the architects and designers throughout the process, getting exactly what they want.”
FROM TOP + OPPOSITE: The fireplace surround in this Wyoming home was designed in collaboration with the client’s tattoo artist, and many of the mold pieces were different levels, enhancing the piece’s dimensions. • The completed work on the fireplace was meticulously aligned to match the drawings. The small parts are custom-cast rubber that were carefully removed after the casting. Both processes were extremely time consuming. • Bozeman-based Elements Concrete founder Jerrad Inlow transforms the most utilitarian of materials — concrete, wood, and metal — into functional art, leading a growing movement to revolutionize perspective around structural design elements.
“He does a lot of decorative concrete work for us, mostly in lieu of stone,” says Scott Payne of Farmer Payne Architects. “What’s really cool about the products he’s using, like at my house personally, is that we can do a lot of integrated things. For example, my powder room: It’s a pour of concrete that becomes the countertop, sink, basin, drain — everything. So, it’s timeless in that it’s minimal, and t here’s not a lot of parts. I guess monolithic would be the word. He has very progressive ways of building a solid piece, so it reads as if it’s a foot thick, but in reality, it’s 2 inches.”
“Some of the most difficult pieces we do don’t always look like the most difficult,” Inlow says. “Trying to make something look simple can be very complicated for one reason or another — because of the design or, in some cases, functionality.”
Recently, Inlow shaped a massive fireplace surround that the owner wanted to model after the tattoo on his back. He worked not just with the architect and builder but with the tattoo artist as well. “It was very technically difficult, a lot of shapes and ins and outs,” Inlow ad mits. “It took a lot of time and energy, but it’s an amazing-looking piece.”
FROM LEFT: These hand-troweled kitchen counters have beautiful imperfections, highlighting the honesty of the material. If you run your hands over the surfaces, you feel slight undulations. It’s one of many finishes proving the versatility of concrete. • A double primary bath vanity has integral sinks and an integrated towel bar. Concrete sinks are right at home in the Mountain West, and there’s no limit to size, shape, thickness, color, or texture.
AUDREY
HALL
GIBEON PHOTOGRAPHY
While the high quality of Elements Concrete’s work is well established, Inlow’s innovations set the firm apart. He’s a restless guy, de scribing himself as having an artist’s ADHD urge to mix things up. Currently, he’s working on cast-in-place board-form concrete veneers for both interior and exterior applications. He recently completed a project that amounted to 6,000 square feet poured right at the property. Again, the finished product looks like a solid wall but is mere inches thick.
“It’s a pretty unique product, and we’ve been getting good feedback from builders and architects,” he says. “It solves a lot of the pr oblems they have with traditional board form, which is like a 12-inch-thick wall. Sometimes builders and architects have to run plumbing and electricity through there. Our product allows them to build a traditional wall; we come in after the fact and pour our veneer. Our mix design allows us to pour in a very thin space, so it’s unique in that aspect as well. There are other companies that offer sheets or planks cast in their shop, and then they have to be installed like tile. So, our process allows us to pour infinitely large panels, and you’ve got a far superior product.”
He calls another element he’s working on “modified rammed earth.” His parents are missionaries who built a school in Tanzania, where Inlow helped on various construction projects and w h ere he first discovered rammed earth, which he describes as
“bonkers. Nothing is more beautiful. It’s such a work of art. It’s truly amazing.”
But traditional rammed earth doesn’t survive the elements of the Mountain West, he explains. “We’ve created a modified version that will survive our harsh winters and also be suitable to design into a veneer-type application. It’s quite cool: It looks exactly like traditional rammed earth, but it’s far more durable.”
As an architect, Payne is strongly committed to design that’s timeless, often employing natural materials in his work — although certain manmade materials, like concrete, steel, and glass, nicely fit t h at ethos as well.
“Jerrad’s product is so much better than everybody else’s,” Payne says. “We’ve had other products that chip and break, and there are a lot of people out there who do concrete countertops, but his are, to me, more like stone. People come in and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t even realize that that’s cast concrete.’ So, we call it cast stone. It’s the quality of t he product and the quality over time.”
And, when an architect chooses a firm to work on his own home, that firm must have something distinctly special to offer. h
Laurel Delp is a regular contributor to Western Art & Architecture, A Rare World, Town & Country, Travel + Leisure , and many more.
THE TIMELESS GETAWAY
A cabin’s place in mountain living
Written by Melissa Mylchreest
THE
QUINTESSENTIAL
MONTANA c abin symbolizes relaxation, respite, and a life lived close to the wilderness and its inhabitants. Perhaps a trout stream tumbles through the property, past a porch that demands quiet morning rituals and a warming whiskey when clear nights descend. Cabins offer a welcome step back in time, simplicity amid splendor.
Whether they restore one of the state’s many historic cabins or build from scratch, many cabin owners hew closely to the iconic for inspiration and guidance when designing their ideal retreat. These cabins — two historic and two brand new — illustrate different approaches to the perfect getaway.
BIG HOLE CABIN
NESTLED ALONG A stream in the Big Hole Valley, a small cabin that housed multiple generations over several decades recently got a new lease on life. Constructed in the mid1940s from logs hauled down from a nearby mountain, the building underwent a number of updates and renovations over the years, including the addition of vinyl siding and sheetrock. But the original logs remained underneath, as a prior owner revealed during a remodel in the 1990s. When the current owner bought it, their “primary considerations were to maintain the character of the original building while updating certain aspects to create a timeless design.” They wanted it to be “warm and welcoming with a rustic charm, without being overdone,” and to “honor the land and the history of the previous residents.”
Under the careful guidance of interior designer Laura Fedro, a charming transformation took shape. “We always start a project by just listening,” says Fedro. “In this case, we immediately knew, functionally speaking, that we’d be reworking the kitchen and two baths, updating the quality and quantity of light in all of the spaces, and doing a complete interior furnishings package.”
A well-appointed cook’s kitchen efficiently uses the small space, and skylights illuminate the room naturally. Exposed joists give the interiors a bit more height. Throughout, the original logs are juxtaposed w ith wood paneling, rich textiles, and gentle hues, a pairing that imbues the cabin with some bright elegance while retaining its rustic charm. It’s a vision that the owner brought to the project: “I wanted to marry the elements of the building that are true to its Montana roots with the design sensibility of English country cottages also frequently associated with the art of fishing.”
Utilized by family, friends, and other guests, the cabin checks all of the boxes that a good getaway should: a smaller footprint, design simplicity, and, as the owner says, “the harmony it achieves with the area, taking advantage of the views and water without disturbing the natural surroundings and wildlife.”
ENNIS HOMESTEAD
JUST OFF OF Main Street in Ennis, a large log cabin sits on a few-acre spread, flanked by massive, 100-year-old cottonwood trees and a stately lawn. Built in the late 1800s by William Ennis, the two-story, threebedroom home housed a number of inhabitants before Ennis’ iconic,
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: This Big Hole cabin renovation incorporated design elements from the classic English country cottage. • Original wood paneling brings warmth to this historic Ennis homestead. • A newly remodeled kitchen makes efficient use of the space while remaining true to the cabin’s past.
WHITNEY KAMMAN EZRA OLSON
long-time doctor, Ron “Doc” Losee, moved in with his young family in 1949. With no hospital in town for the first year or so of his practice, the cabin served not only as a home, but as a makeshift clinic.
Witness to births, deaths, illnesses, and injuries, the house still bears scars of those bygone days. “Shortly after we bought it, [Losee’s] daughter, who was about 65, came and took us through and told us all the different stories,” says the current owner. “One of them was about a guy who came in who had been shot in a gunfight, and they put him on the bed and had her stand on a chair to hold the [IV] bottle.” Eventually, someone came over and pounded a nail into the wall to hang the bottle and relieve her of the duty. “She walked over to the wood paneling and pointed at a hole in the wall and said, ‘See? Right there is the nail hole.’”
The desire to preserve the home’s long and storied history drove the owner to buy the property at auction in 2018 — well below market value and as the only bidder. And though it needed some minor sprucing up, the house was structurally sound and as solid as ever. The living room boasts a large riverstone fireplace and ample room to gather and socialize. The entire space g lows with the rich colors of aged wood. Simple, rustic furnishings invite casual relaxation and give a nod to the abundant fishing and hunting opportunities in the area.
Along with two smaller cabins built in the 1960s and a swimming pool, the property now serves as a vacation rental and event venue — though the owners still spend time there on occasion. “It’s just a really idyllic little space right in the town of Ennis,” says the owner. “And a historic space, too, dating all the way back to the Civil War. We’re very fortunate that we were given the opportunity and the honor to preserve that history.”
JEFFERSON ISLAND CABINS
BUT WHAT IF you don’t have a charming historic cabin to restore? Is it still possible to achieve that iconic cabin feel with a new build? The answer is undoubtedly yes, if you’re working with the builders at Yellowstone Traditions and the architects at Faure Halvorsen.
“The client was interested in a guest house that had sort of a trapper’s cabin or U.S. Forest Service feel,” says Chris Gilbreaith with Yellowstone Traditions. “He liked the idea of using that classic Forest Service green, so we had some fun and used it around the windows.”
Despite being new construction, the two Jefferson Island Cabins have the look and feel of old structures that have been lovingly restored and renovated. Hand-hewn logs harken back to a n e arlier era, and rough-sawn lumber appears weathered with age. They’re seamlessly paired with clean, modern elements to create a space that feels both authentically historical and pleasingly elegant.
FROM TOP: This cabin renovation blends clean, modern lines — like a glass shower enclosure — with antique motifs, such as the vanity and mirror. • Exposed joists and original logs are reminders of this cabin’s various past iterations.
OLSON
The design team embraced the challenge of building a comfortable and functional home that remained true to the small st ature of a cabin. “It’s always fun to do these cabin projects because you’re giving all the amenities and features of a fullsized house but compressing it down to 2,000 square feet or so,” says Gilbreaith. Clever details, such as pocketing fireplace doors and built-in storage flanking the fireplace, help maximize the available space. Yellowstone Traditions built all of the c abinetry and custom furnishings, including a fly-tying desk and hidden gun cabinet designed specifically to accommodate the layout of the space.
They were also willing to work within specific parameters the client requested: He wanted as many of the materials as possible to be made and sourced in the United States, and he wanted the outside of the buildings to match the inside. “He has an engineering mind and wants everything to make sense,” says Gilbreaith.
FROM TOP: A riverstone hearth and simple log furniture create an inviting and unpretentious retreat. • Hewn logs and weathered dimensional lumber give this new build the character and appearance of a historic structure.
WHITNEY KAMMAN
WHITNEY KAMMAN
“So the hewn walls on the exterior are also hewn walls on the interior; same with the 1-by material. It wasn’t in the original plan, but I think it made the end product that much better.”
Certainly, as the newly finished Jefferson Island Cabins reflect the construction of their ancestors, so too, do the restored Ennis Homestead and Big Hole Cabin, seamlessly filling the need for a calming retreat while remaining true to the quintessential elements of mountain living. h
Melissa Mylchreest is a freelance writer and artist based in western Montana. When she’s not at her desk or in the studio, she can be f ound enjoying the state’s public lands and rivers with her twoand four-legged friends and family.
Ezra Olson’s career behind the lens began in 2008 as a set photographer capturing movie-poster portraits immortalizing personalities like John Malkovich, Thandiwe Newton, Gabriel Byrne, Pe ter Fonda, and more. Olson has since expanded his unique photographic vision to include leading regional and national brands. Employing vintage cameras and alternative darkroom processes to infuse his images with nostalgia, Olson continually redefines the visual storytelling genre. Olson has called Montana home since 1997.
Whitney Kamman is an architectural photographer based out of Bozeman, Montana. Her love for architecture came naturally growing up with an architect father and interior designer mother. Kamman’s work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, Robb Report , and Mountain Living , among others.
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Hundred-year-old cottonwood trees provide shade and grandeur to this cabin in downtown Ennis.
CARRIE PENLEY
PATRICIA A. GRIFFIN
CARRIE WILD CALEB MEYER
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Solstice designed and built out our new outdoor living space which included many elements--steel stairs, screening, steel planters, pavers, fire pit area, and of course plantings. We are thrilled with the finished yard and their work throughout. The design process was fun, collaborative, and thoughtful; the build out was the same. What a great entire team of professionals to work with. Very highly recommend.
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ARCHITECTURE
CLB Architects
CONSTRUCTION
KWC Construction
INTERIOR DESIGN
HSH Interiors
LYRICISM OF THE LAND
A Jackson, Wyoming home embodies attributes of its
WRITTEN BY CHASE REYNOLDS EWALD PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW MILLMAN
A home designed by CLB Architects and built by KWC for authors, filmmakers, and music producers Tiffanie DeBartolo and Scott Schumaker makes a lyrical statement in the Teton Valley landscape. Rectilinear in plan, the main house appears to grab surrounding trees as anchors, sinking in the center and pulling upward at the corners. This dynamic quality is carried through the building’s charred shou sugi ban exterior, with its overhangs and openings.
FOR A GROUP OF CREATIVES working together for the first time on a project in Jackson, Wyoming, the pivotal moment in the design process came during a discussion of rooflines. The plan was for three structures, with a fourth to be added later, on 35 open and wooded acres with views looking north to the Tetons. The land was spectacular, and the house already promised to be stunning: a rectilinear structure running east-west and bridging a seasonal creek that would t a ke full advantage of Teton views to the north. Its blackened wood exterior — carved out in places and offset by a lighter Atlantic cedar extending i nside — would alternate with large expanses of glass. But homeowners Tiffanie DeBartolo and Scott Schumaker felt something was missing.
FROM TOP + OPPOSITE: For the living room, the architects, Holly Hollenbeck of HSH Interiors, and the homeowners worked with an artist to design the tattoo-inspired bas-relief concrete fireplace. The space includes a leather and wenge wood custom sofa by De La Vega, vintage coffee table, vintage chairs, and a Marc Phillips rug in a custom colorway. • Every detail was given thorough consideration, from the height and design of the custom Atlantic white-cedar door to the hardware, a custom blackened steel pull that is laser cut revealing brass metal below. Says DeBartolo, “It took me three months to decide on door hinges that represent us both.”
• A seasonal stream on the site provided an opportunity for the architects to design an elevated platform that transitions to a bridge inside and a deck on the opposite side. Guests walk under the branches of a pine tree as they approach the home, while subtle screening around the front door creates privacy and makes the views the focal point.
DeBartolo decided the issue was the roofline. “It didn’t surprise me,” she recalls. “I was like, ‘It’s gorgeous but boring.’ [Our architect, Eric Logan,] didn’t know whether to be offended or take it as a challenge, but I could see in his eyes that things were stirring. When he came back [with a revised drawing] an hour later, he’d nailed it.”
The 6,000-square-foot home, situated where the field meets the forest, is conceived as a geologic remnant in the landscape, its multifaceted roof hinting at the layering of experience and bold expressions of art and creativity held within. The angled planes appear to grab nearby trees as anchors, even as they sink into the center. At the corners, they lift up in a celebration of mountains and sky.
All three structures in the compound take advantage of the landscape’s natural features. The house is out in the open but tucked within existing undulations. The guest house, an angled single-story woodclad pavilion, is situated close by and partially screened by trees. The writing studio, a tower-like box with a dramatic double-height corner of steel-detailed windows, resides within its own grove of aspens.
FROM TOP + OPPOSITE: Custom oak millwork in the kitchen was stained to match the bleached cedar siding, which flows into the house from the exterior. The backsplash of leathered Orobico marble is from IRG. The countertops are custom black concrete.
• The entry bridge extends through the house, terminating on a north-facing deck that frames views of the meadow and Teton Mountains. A generous puncture in the roof allows for natural light and shadow play. In contrast to the dark exterior wood shell, Atlantic whitecedar with a custom whitewash stain is used on the carved-out portions of the house.
• In the primary bedroom, big views are balanced by warmth, texture, and interest. The De La Vega bed combines green mohair with walnut. The rope light fixture is from Brightbound; the goat-skin rug was procured through Marc Phillips.
For the homeowners — writers, artists, filmmakers, and the founders of the independent record label Bright Antenna — the collection of dwellings has proved the ideal creative retreat.
FOR ERIC LOGAN OF CLB Architects, the project offered an extraordinary opportunity. First, the architect explains, the homeowners were not only artists, but had a long-established affinity for the mountains. They’d lived in Colorado, had relatives in Montana, and had served on the faculty of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference for 15 years.
Second, their relationship with the property, which came to them by way of serendipity, was strong; in fact, they fell for it before it was on the market. Upon first meeting, Logan says, “I immediately got the feeling that their connection was deep, that they feel something about this place at a level that is meaningful. They had an obvious reverence for place.” And, he continues, the area is exceptional, even in the context of Jackson. It resides at the toe of the Tetons as they rise from the Snake River drainage at the edge of what was an old-growth forest prior to the 2001 fire. It is this rich transitional area, with some old-growth trees still standing,
that feels majestic because others that burned around them are gone. As happens in these natural events, the aspens are the first to come back, and they’re coming up with a vengeance with all their leaves and color.”
Third, designing three buildings allowed the architects to explore all of the site’s attributes.
Fourth — and perhaps most importantly — these were clients who would not just allow the architects to push the design envelope, but in fact they challenged them to do so.
Inside and out, the house has a consistently ethereal quality, established upon approach by the lifting up of the roof and the long bridge to t he entry, and carried out in impossibly high ceilings in the foyer and a wood-clad ceiling spanning broad expanses of glass that leads the eye infinitely out to the Tetons. In more intimate spaces, the feeling is maintained in sculptural lighting and floating details — such a s v anities in bathrooms and built-in furniture in the primary bedroom — while always balanced with grounding elements like the monolithic vessel tub carved from a single block of limestone in the primary suite bathroom.
The home’s lived experience is extraordinary, each space defined and illuminated by a carefully calculated interplay of shape, shadow, color, pattern, and texture. The home’s strong geometries are offset by a repeating circle motif. Bold art — seen in sculptures, paintings, neon artworks, and even in the fireplace — is unafraid to pose a question, make a statement, or, perhaps most important to these musically minded clients, introduce an element of lyricism.
Designer Holly Hollenbeck of HSH Interiors has known the clients for 15 years, having worked with them on their primary residence in the Bay Area. She helped execute many out-ofthe-box ideas, including the clients’ vision for the fireplace surround, a design inspired by one of Schumaker’s tattoos. She worked closely with the tattoo artist on a pattern reminiscent of Plains Indian motifs, Bozeman, Montana-based specialty concrete fabricator Elements Concrete, and the contractor, KWC, to create the stunning work that commands the focal point of the primary gathering space.
The drama continues to abound, especially in the kitchen and bathroom stonework, where massive, highly figured stone slabs dominate contained spaces. Innumerable
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The writing studio is designed for inspiration. Surrounded by aspens and cut off from the outside world, it is a place for reflection and unbounded creativity. The vintage desk and chairs were sourced through 1stDibs. • An owl artwork by artist Kim McCarty hangs over the Group Chaise by Philippe Malouin through The Future Perfect. • A limestone tub, custom carved in Italy by IRG, rests under a perfectly framed view of the mountains.
moments of discovery and surprise — custom rugs reminiscent of vintage cassette tape reels; an oversized custom mural of Wyoming wi ldlife executed in a soft, dreamlike style; and a hidden door camouflaging a powder room — further illustrate the magical qualities of t he home.
DEBARTOLO EXPLAINS THAT THE DESIGN process was a true collaboration. “The way it usually works, I’ll accumulate a bunch of inspirational photos, but it’s an unedited collection. Holly [Hollenbeck’s] genius is looking at all our ideas, then narrowing down and ed iting them to create rooms that make sense but also capture what we wanted to express. There’s so much emotion in it for Scott and me. We wanted something warm and inviting, and that expresses parts of us. And that’s what’s so great about working with Holly and CLB; they understood and wanted to accomplish that without letting us get carried away. I can get carried away with things I feel a connection to. I needed someone to be like, ‘OK, we need to home in on t h is.’” For example, she adds, “It took me three months to decide on door hinges that represent us both.”
A healthy creative collaboration yields a stronger result, says Hollenbeck. “Tiffanie and Scott’s involvement made it better. They have the vision, and they wanted something no one else has, something personal and iconic. It had to be different,” she adds. “Everyone had to think out of the box.”
WARRIORS ARE FORGED IN COMBAT.
In the primary bathroom, the vanity is custom white oak stained dark, with a limestone top by IRG. Dramatic Jurassic travertine was sourced through ABC Stone in New York. The custom-made mirrors were designed by HSH Interiors.
Creating a sense of place.
Photo by: Dan Armstrong Photography
Unique, Creative, Inspired
The level of expression may seem extraordinary, but DeBartolo explains, “To me, Jackson is above and beyond any other mountain town in America. It’s just so beautiful and so wild; it really puts you in your place. I love feeling that it’s not that the animals are in my backyard, we’re in theirs. Honoring and respecting that felt really important. The architects were used to clients who didn’t want something as unusual as we did. I loved that they heard us.”
The project, which has been honored with several architecture awards, is a unique representation of its owners’ personalities, passions, and pursuits. For CLB, these dream clients pushed them to think ever more creatively to conceive an original take on mountain living. “These are people who, like us, believe that architecture should make you feel something,” says Logan. “Any time we can do that, we are winning.” h
FROM TOP: The bed in the guest room was designed by HSH Interiors and custom made in a pink mohair. The chair in the corner is vintage, sourced through 1stDibs. Interior walls are custom-finished cedar. • The trio of buildings reside differently on the site. The main home sits on the edge of the open meadow for maximal enjoyment of the Teton views. The guest house is partially tucked in the trees for privacy, while the twostory tower-like writing studio is completely surrounded by aspens. A fourth building devoted to wellness is in the planning stages.
ARCHITECTURE
Faure Halvorsen Architects
CONSTRUCTION
Yellowstone Traditions
THIS PAGE + OPPOSITE: Massive windows in the great ro om of this Montana home offer striking views of the Bitterroot Valley while vintage leather furnishings exude warmth and comfort.
The home’s window frames have a living bronze finish, which will weather and patina with time.
WESTERN PATINA
A home in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley shines with unique custom details achieved by a collaborative team willing to embrace contemporary designs paired with materials for the ages
WRITTEN BY MELISSA MYLCHREEST PHOTOGRAPHY BY WHITNEY KAMMAN
SOMETIMES, THE BEST DESIGNS ARE fueled by the most disparate sources: late-night napkin sketches over martinis, old-lady potters, past lives, vintage Ralph Lauren clothing, fire towers, and fire s t ations. Mix it all up, nestle it snugly in the foothills of western Montana, and what do you have?
“The most perfectly imperfect house,” says Angelo Varischetti, a designer based on Long Island who planned the interiors of his family’s home in the Bitterroot Valley. “This house is designed to age, and get prettier as it gets older.”
Specific aesthetic goals drove the vision of the home from its earliest stages. “It was always their desire to have it be very rustic,” says project architect Kelsey Corti of Faure Halvorsen Architects, who designed the home along with partner Matt Faure. “The home includes true reclaimed and natural materials that w i ll weather and wear over time. Even the flooring is all reclaimed planks rather than tongue and groove, so it will eventually gap and separate with age.”
The owners also wanted a home that was large enough to accommodate three generations of family, with ample space to relax. “That and the views and entertaining were really the key elements that were important to them,” says Corti.
FROM LEFT: Reminiscent of an old fire tower, the “sunken turret” is a unique design feature that allows guests to socialize between the two levels. • The owners chose to eschew a formal dining room in favor of a casual built-in to accommodate their habit of congregating in the kitchen.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Weathered concrete countertops, handmade ceramic table settings, and restrained trappings lend old-world charm to the kitchen. • A piece of artwork by Ted Kurahara graces a stairwell. • The metal door behind the bar is modeled after an antique firehouse door that the owner often passed on walks through his Long Island neighborhood.
• A replica hand pump supplies water to the primary bath’s copper tub.
Another consideration was “staying true to the landscape,” says Varischetti. “I didn’t want it to look like we just came in and bulldozed everything and plunked down a house. It’s nestled down i nto the mountainside, and I wanted to use natural products that would give back to the landscape.”
With those guidelines in place, the house gradually took shape through various iterations and a collaborative process.
The family also clearly understood how they would — and wouldn’t — use the house. “There were some interesting design choices based on how they told us they live,” says Corti. For example, the original sketch included a proper dining room, but the family isn’t the dining-room sort. “We all just converge upon the kitchen,” says Varischetti. In response, “We changed it so there’s no formal dining room in the house,” says Corti, “and the integrated table in the kitchen serves as the dining room.”
They also knew they wanted spaces for socializing, leading to some creative reconfiguring. While the design initially called for a towerlike room that extended above the roofline — effectively separating it from the rest of the living area — the family envisioned something more open, allowing for interaction between the house’s two levels. “We wanted an area that you could look down from,” says Varischetti. “One night, I had had a couple of martinis and was sketching on a napkin, and I texted Matt [Faure] and said, ‘Hey, I have an idea: Let’s put
“At first, we were a little unsure about how we were going to make that work,” Corti says. “But it was great because it really pushed us design-wise, and it definitely turned out to be one of the neatest spaces in the house.”
CHRIS GILBREAITH AND RON ADAMS of Yellowstone Traditions brought their building expertise to the project and were game to tackle tricky challenges like the sunken turret. “Yeah, that turned out to be really cool,” says Gilbreaith. “It’s almost like the house is built around a fire tower.”
They were also up to the challenge of sourcing the perfect materials, from large quantities of reclaimed wood and stone to the massive lo gs that dominate the space. “The logs are such a prominent detail,” says Adams. “Finding the right logs — a lot of them are what we call character logs and have the big cat faces in them, and when they’re double stacked, you need to make sure the opposite taper fits together real well — it was quite the process, working with our log fitter.”
The crew at Yellowstone Traditions built many pieces throughout the home, either in their shop or with the help of skilled artisans. They also worked with a team of subcontractors to fulfill the vision. “All of the cabinets and doors were custom built in our shop,” says Gilbreaith. “The blacksmith that we work with did a lot of the metal detailing: all of the cabinet hardware, the door handles, the fireplace screens, the handrails.” Gilbreaith also gives ample credit to the tile layer.
Dick Anderson Construction is a General Contracting and Construction Management firm with offices across Montana, Wyoming and Arizona. We’ve been in construction for over fifty years, and are no strangers to the world of premium, custom homes and residences. Together with a
“Angelo [Varischetti] chose handmade tile throughout, which means that every tile is individual. So, we hired an installer that we use on a lot of our jobs, and we brought him over because we were confident in his abilities. It’s not easy to do, and he knocked it out of the park.”
The Yellowstone Traditions team also enjoyed the fabrication challenges that Varischetti brought their way. In the primary bathroom, a copper tub takes center stage, complete with an old-fashioned hand pump instead of a faucet. “They probably thought I was nuts,” says Varischetti. “I said, ‘Yeah, I want it to look like a water pump!’ And we wanted it to develop a nice patina, so I just told them to throw it outside.” Through some clever feats of plumbing, an inconspicuous knob on the wall controls water temperature and the pump handle controls the flow.
In a similar vein, a curious-looking metal door is tucked away behind the bar in the great room. It hides the basement stairs and provides an intriguing visual. “That door was inspired by Sag Harbor’s old fire department museum [in New York],” says Varischetti. “I was walking my dogs one day, and I saw this old iron door and thought, That is just so cool .
FROM TOP: The owners wanted the home to feel intentional and respectful of the landscape and chose the orientation to capture mountain and meadow views. • The family wanted a building for extra storage, so a barn was included in the plan. The Bitterroot Range in the distance provides a dramatic backdrop.
And when we were building the tower, I thought, That should be the door! — obviously not that actual door, but we had one made that looked just like it.”
IT’S THIS WILLINGNESS TO DRAW inspiration from all quarters that makes the home shine, and the selection of materials that feel and look comfortable, warm, and timeless further illuminates its brilliance. These touches include the simple shelves i n t he kitchen, graced with bowls and plates handmade by a potter in Connecticut; the concrete countertops that already look worn and softened; the square-cut nails in the floorboards; the window frames with a bronze finish that will patina with time, weather, and touch; and hallways of windows that glow with sunlight, framing meadow and mountain views on either side.
The space and furnishings work effortlessly together despite the project being something that Varischetti admits took him outside his comfort zone. “I design and develop houses [on the East Coast], which is obviously a very different aesthetic,” he says. “And we wanted to stay true to traditional design [in Montana].” Feeling uncertain about his footing in such a different style, a chance meeting with an energy healer gave Varischetti a nudge. “He asked, ‘What’s holding you up?’ and I told him I was really nervous about this house in Montana because I felt like I had no idea how to design it.
by Tim Lozier
Restrained furnishings give a nod to classic Western themes while highlighting three paintings from vintage books purchased in Australia.
Long story short, he said, ‘Well, you don’t need to worry about it because you had a past life there.’”
Shortly after, Varischetti stumbled across a book of old paintings, and it proved to be the catalyst he needed. “And then, it just sort of started coming naturally. You know, classic Ralph Lauren in the living room. That old leather — it’s a great look. Handwoven rugs. A lot of the pieces are vintage, so I pulled things from London and a couple of pieces from India. And then, I basically pillaged the Creamery [Antique Mall] in Stevensville, [Montana].”
While Varischetti provided many finishing touches, he’s quick to point out that it was entirely a team effort. “Matt [Faure] and Kelsey [Corti], they really laid the groundwork architecturally,” he says. “And all the work that Yellowstone Traditions did was so phenomenal. They really took what we were envisioning and brought it to life.”
The rest of the build team echoes his sentiments. “Honestly, what stands out most to me on the project was just the relationship with the clients,” says Adams. “They were great. You know, they’re just really good people who appreciated us a ton. And Angelo [Varischetti] is a talented guy, and he’s very fluid as an interior designer. It was just a really smooth execution.”
Corti agrees: “It was different, but very fun to have that input and excitement from him on a design level, not just the finished product.”
This mutual respect and collective vision enabled the project to reach its highest potential. “The thing about the house that was very fun is how much of it was customized,” reflects Varischetti. “It’s harder, I think, when you’re working only with what can be bought. But when you have an opportunity to really dream it, design it, create it — it allows this freedom in filling the house. When it’s done, it can just be really special.” h
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: An outdoor living space highlights views while the immediate area preserves an old-world aesthetic with jugs sourced from a local antique shop.
Sumptuous textures and a subdued palette create warmth while allowing the natural surroundings to shine.
The bathrooms are finished with tiles made individually by hand.
LAURA FEDRO interiors
Mountain MODERN Masterpiece
A Bridger Canyon retreat in Montana reflects the owners’ passion for color, texture, and purposeful design
WRITTEN BY CORINNE GAFFNER GARCIA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUDREY HALL
MICHAEL AND TIPPY BRICKMAN
have a deep appreciation for art and design, and for them, creating a home was more than just constructing walls — it was about curating a team that could help them realize their vision and add their own unique touches. That’s exactly what this couple did when they set out to build their dream home in the Bridger Mountains just outside of Bozeman, Montana, seeking the e x pertise of Van K. Bryan, principal of Studio Architects; Abby Hetherington, principal of Abby Hetherington Interiors; and Jamie Bottcher and the team at S c hlauch Bottcher Construction (SBC). The result, a home featured in Chase Reynolds Ewald and Audrey Hall’s forthcoming collaboration, Modern West , is a striking interplay of color and texture seamlessly woven into a contemporary architectural framework that harnesses the spectacular surrounding views.
“They had a strong point of view from the start,” Hetherington recalls. “The color palette, the tones — they knew exactly what they wanted. It was about precision, alignment, and making sure everything felt intentional.”
Introduced through their real estate agent, the architect and homeowners instantly connected. “Kindred spirits find each other,” Bryan says, recalling the chatty 25-minute ride from Bozeman to the property.
“Michael and Tippy are incredibly creative, decisive, and willing to step out of their comfort zones. That attitude set the foundation for this project.”
For the couple, who was relocating from a stilted house on the South Carolina coast, the home was the realization of a long-held dream of owning property in the mountains of Montana. “I am always in awe of that frontier mentality, of pulling up roots and putting a new stake in the ground,” Bryan says. “And the homeowners took on that attitude.”
ARCHITECTURE
Studio Architects
CONSTRUCTION
Schlauch Bottcher Construction
INTERIOR DESIGN
Abby Hetherington Interiors
ABOVE + OPPOSITE: The wood paneling used throughout this Mountain Modern home was meticulously controlled to ensure consistency in the gray tones, adding a natural touch to the interiors. The cabinets are from DeMuro Das, and the mirrors above the consoles were custom made by Old Main Gallery & Framing in Bozeman, Montana. • The homeowners requested neutral tones but were open to vibrant pops of color. Interior designer Abby Hetherington and her team pulled from the clients’ art collection to create the home’s overall color palette.
From the start, the Brickmans were able to clearly express their overall vision for the structural design. “Michael wanted something more contemporary,” Bryan recalls. “He appreciates things that are uncluttered, organized, and purposeful. If something is there, there’s a reason for it. There was no need for arbitrary decorative pieces; it was all about function and how to make sure it works in the design.”
Digging in further, they also knew they wanted something fairly simple in form: gabled structures interconnected by flat roofs. “Something simple and cohesive from a vernacular point, but with rustic materials, not only for warmth but to blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces,” Bryan says.
In addition, the home had to function as a retreat for two while accommodating gatherings with their grown sons and other visiting friends and family. “Their love for entertaining and their hobbies
played a huge role in how we approached the design,” says Bryan. “They each have their own passions, and we wanted the home to reflect that individuality while maintaining a cohesive feel.”
NESTLED IN THE FOOTHILLS ABOVE southwest Montana’s Gallatin Valley, with panoramic views of the surrounding mountain ranges, the property boasted spectacular scenery — but its terrain was anything but flat. So, one of the first architectural challenges was determining how to integrate the home into the hillside. “Interesting lots yield interesting solutions if you’re willing to investigate them,” Bryan notes. Instead of reshaping the land, he embraced its natural contours, designing a linear structure that follows the topography. This approach allowed for walls of windows to capture the sweeping mountain views across the valley. From this vantage point, the homeowners watch storms roll in to create spontaneous works of art.
Outdoor sanctuaries extend the living space into nature, with patios and pathways offering direct access to adjacent public land. “You don’t need a TV when you have these views,” Bryan says. The architecture strikes a balance between simplicity and sophistication. The exterior and interior are visually connected through meticulous detailing. Reclaimed corral boards, w ith precisely spaced grooves that align with the window mullions, cover the walls to create a harmonious rhythm. “People t h ink contemporary architecture is simple, but it’s more complex than it looks,” Bryan says.
SBC’s project supervisor, Ryan Mann, echoes this opinion. He explains the complexities faced during the construction phase.
FROM TOP + OPPOSITE: The sprawling kitchen island — made from Black Diamond leathered slabs with a matching backsplash — was designed to be a focal point, and the lacquered cabinets reflect light to help brighten up the space. The pendants are from Allied Maker; the stools are from Holly Hunt. The idea was to have the kitchen be just as pretty as the rest of the home and to blend in when it wasn’t in use. • A butler’s pantry right off the kitchen keeps storage and catering prep hidden, with doors on both ends that can be closed when hosting parties. • The great room is surrounded by walls of windows to capture the spectacular views. The contemporary lighting pendant is from Cerno, the sectional sofa from Holly Hunt was custom made, the custom coffee table and swivel chairs are by Michael Trent Coates (MTC), the custom side table is by Brandon Hay Furniture, and the custom rug is from Holland & Sherry. The corner game table was made by Ben Soleimani, with custom chairs by MTC.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The playful colors in the dining room’s rug and chairs were pulled from the clients’ artwork. The chairs are from Egg & Dart with upholstery by Osborne & Little, and the chandelier is from OVUUD. • A seating area by the stairway features a vase by Giselle Hicks, a side table from Noir, and custom swivel chairs by MTC covered in fabric from Romo.
• Architect Van K. Bryan, principal of Studio Architects, used walls of windows to harness the spectacular surrounding views.
The husband’s sleek bathroom features Dark Rullata porcelain tile on the walls, a mirror from IBMirror, a black faucet from Graff, and an integrated concrete sink and countertop by Elements Concrete in Bozeman.
“One [challenge] that stands out is that the siding has a gap detail that aligns horizontally with the window mullions,” Mann says. “To get that to wrap around the whole exterior and transfer into the interior, we had to ensure that all of the windows were at the same elevation and adjust to any slight material variances in width. As with any project, there are always challenges that arise, but nothing that couldn’t be worked through.”
The overall design successfully prioritizes function over ornamentation. Tippy, an artist, enjoys a dedicated studio and workout space, while Michael’s office provides a serene retreat bathed in natural light from surrounding windows. Shared spaces like the kitchen are designed for both daily living and entertaining. A massive island serves as the heart of the home — the place where people inevitably gather most — while a butler’s pantry keeps storage and catering prep hidden.
THE COUPLE ALSO HAD A clear vision for the interior design and embraced bold hues with enthusiasm. “Their strong point of view made this project incredibly exciting,” says Hetherington. “They wanted a neutral architectural palette — grays, blacks, and warm woods — but they also craved vibrant pops of color.”
The homeowners were particularly drawn to yellows and bright, happy shades that infused energy into the surroundings. “They asked
to see purples, pinks, and greens. When it wasn’t bright enough, they wanted more,” Hetherington says. “They were excited by color in a way that pushed me beyond my usual approach.”
In addition, as avid art collectors, they wanted the interiors to reflect and bring out the colors in their paintings. “We created a canvas throughout with the neutral colors on the walls, and incorporated their art collection into the furnishings and other pieces,” the d es igner says.
The result? Carefully selected furnishings that inject a sense of warmth and whimsy: A deep purple sofa anchors the living space, pink chairs add unexpected charm to the dining area, and vibrant accents carry color from room to room, generating a seamless visual rhythm designed to create harmony rather than chaos. “With a client this passionate about color, our role was to edit, to curate a palette that was vibrant but refined,” Hetherington explains.
The fusion of traditional and modern elements is another standout feature. Despite the home’s contemporary architectural foundation, pieces like a treasured Oriental rug and heirloom bar provide a sense of h i story and warmth. Wood paneling, meticulously controlled for consistency in its gray tones, adds a natural touch without overpowering t he modern aesthetic. “Every detail was chosen to enhance the overall experience,” Hetherington adds.
The clients wanted their primary bedroom to have a soft, organic feel. To achieve this, the interior designers chose Roman shades made from Harlequin fabric, custom swivel chairs by Barahona covered in Romo fabric, and sconces by Kelly Wearstler. The bed was custom made by Livingston, Montana-based Russ Fry Design + Fabrication.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
5:30 p.m. | Age 21+ | $65 per person
Outdoors at Museum of the Rockies
Resort Casual or Western Attire Encouraged
Celebrate the flavors, music, and culture of the West at Museum of the Rockies’ Taste of the Rockies!
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Please scan the QR Code or visit museumoftherockies.org/TOR for details and tickets
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The project’s success was not only due to the homeowners’ clear vision but also to the collaboration between the architects, builders, and interior designers. “The builders appreciated the vision a nd executed it beautifully,” Bryan says. Rustic materials add warmth and blur the boundary between indoors and out, ensuring the home feels both contemporary and deeply connected to it s landscape.
The resulting balance between rustic and modern elements also stood out to the construction team. “We have a substantial amount of corral-board wall planking, but because it’s paired with the exposed steel beams and smooth plaster, it doesn’t feel overwhelming,” Mann says. “I also think some of the interior design elements, like the vibrant art and furniture, bring a unique vibe to the home.”
FROM TOP: The wife’s bathroom was designed to be light and bright, with marble floors and a wood screen to create warmth and privacy. The tub is from Kohler with a Fantini faucet. • Lacquered cement flooring was used in the rec room to create a more casual space. The desk is from MDM Design Studio, with a chair from Eurø Style. The high-top table in the background is from MDM Design Studio, with bar stools from Kravet.
For Hetherington, the clients’ vision and true team effort made this project stand out. “They had a strong hand i n t he process but also trusted us to bring creative ideas to the table,” Hetherington reflects. “It was one of those r a re projects where every element felt aligned, where we all pushed each other to create something special.”
For Michael and Tippy, this home is more than just a mountain retreat; it’s a testament to their journey, a reflection of their unique tastes, and a bold e mbrace of a new way of living. “Every great project starts with a solid foundation — both structurally and creatively,” Bryan says. “Michael and Tippy, as a couple, brought an inspiring mix of creativity, decisiveness, and e nthusiasm, and they were unafraid to push boundaries. That strong foundation set the stage for success, and with a n e xceptional contractor and interior designers, the result was nothing short of extraordinary.” h
Surrounded by mountain terrain, the home is integrated into the hillside to capture the views.
LUXURY IS IN THE DETAILS
Service you deserve, at any price.
475 EAST TAMMANY TRAIL,
Impressive custom ranch-style residence in the exclusive Stock Farm Sporting & Golf Community! 5 bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, 6,533 square foot home with an additional 2,292 square foot guest residence.
MLS 30034540 $8,295,000
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MLS 30009952
$4,790,000
Rare Stock Farm Golf & Sporting Community building lot. This 2.46 acre lot offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and the Stock Farm common area. Stock Farm membership not included with purchase.
MLS 22300493
$2,950,000
Two building lots with stunning Bitterroot Valley views. To be built by Tamarack Construction Company, Inc. - bring your plans and build your Montana dream home! 1.83 and 1.7 acre lots with natural gas, fiber, and DEQ approval.
MLS 30015046 & 30015041
$199,000 each
Stunning 5-bedroom home built with thoughtful, strategic craftsmanship. 7,800+ square feet with panoramic views. Convenient to the Stock Farm Golf & Sporting Community and Hamilton Golf Course!
MLS 30016145
$3,989,000
This beautiful 1 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom off-grid cabin provides solar, two propane tanks, cistern, and a generator. A Rinnai water heater and propane appliances ensure comfort on 116+ acres surrounded by USFS land!
MLS 30028451
$1,490,000
Discover your own slice of Montana paradise with this lovely 5.083 acre parcel located alogn the pristine waters of the Bitterroot River. 20 gpm well, power, and a new septic permit is in place! Close to town and amenities.
MLS 30039161
$649,000
Incredible opportunity to own 40 acres with topof-the-world views of the Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountains. Daly Ditch and Skalkaho Hi-Line irrigation. Just minutes from Hamilton and all amenities, recreation opportunities, and more.
MLS 22207778
$1,600,000
HAMILTON
422 BACK NINE LANE, HAMILTON
711 FRED BURR ROAD, VICTOR
BAKER LAKE TRAIL, DARBY
STOCK FARM LOT 35, HAMILTON
279 CONNER CUTOFF ROAD, CONNER
842 & 854 SANDHILL LOOP, FLORENCE
A2 & A3 SKYFIRE DRIVE, HAMILTON
THIS PAGE + OPPOSITE: A family wanted a place to play and live prior to their main residence being built in the Yellowstone Club. The great room of their “party barn” encompasses a number of areas meant for having fun and socializing year-round. • Sited on a slope and integrated seamlessly into the land, the house assumes the form of traditional barns but with a decidedly contemporary twist.
Life Happens Here
A couple’s guest home in Montana’s Yellowstone Club will be a family gathering place for generations to come
WRITTEN BY DAVID MASELLO
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WHITNEY KAMMAN
HALFWAY THROUGH CONSTRUCTING WHAT was intended to be a two-bedroom guest house, Bozeman, Montana-based builder Rob McRae of Highline Pa rtners had a feeling that something was missing. “Everything was going well — the house was coming together perfectly for the clients, just as they wanted, but I still had this sense that there was something incomplete.”
Off site, McRae sat down for a thorough talk with the project’s interior designer, Bill Peace of the eponymous firm, and the architect, Kipp Halvorsen of Faure Halvorsen Architects. They all immediately agreed that what was missing were additional rooms. There w a s space for more sleeping quarters in a vaulted loft area, which was originally meant more for visual effect than for living. “We didn’t have to make the building envelope any bigger than it was,” says McRae. “All we had to do was use the height of the building to fit in
two more bedrooms and a bunk space. With this change, we were able to make what we were calling a ‘gathering structure’ for the family into even more of a guest house for more people.”
The team of designers knew their clients so well that they quickly convinced the homeowners — a couple with grown twin sons — to go with the expansion. “We still affectionately call this a ‘party barn,’” says the homeowner, “but it really functions, too, as a guest home, located something like 50 yards from the main residence, which is still under construction.”
The resulting three-story structure — composed almost entirely of reclaimed planks — is now one of those places the family and their visiting friends gravitate to for many reasons. The first-floor area, which is e s sentially built into a hill, contains what Halvorsen refers to as “vehicle storage,” which includes not only the garage but also all of the necessary mechanical systems, as well as a golf simulator, one of many games that reflect the family’s penchant for using the structure as a place to have fun.
Architect Kipp Halvorsen designed a fireplace with Montana moss-rock stones laid in a fashion common to this part of the state. The structure is both a practical element and has the presence of a massive sculpture. Positioned on its surface is one of many trophies earned by the homeowner; in this case, a bighorn sheep that, in its taxidermied state, still appears lifelike. Interior designer Bill Peace used European antiques throughout the house, including a glass Tiffany-style lamp that is set on the bar surface.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The views outside are never concealed, especially in the great room’s intimate seating areas.
The house, perfectly framed by towering fir trees, reveals itself from the long driveway.
From the entryway of the house, the Spanish Peaks seem to unfold, spanning the horizon. The bright space is adorned with an antique Italian antler gun-andcoat rack and Trapper with His Fire, an oil-on-canvas by Todd Connor.
“Above that floor is the gathering area,” explains Halvorsen, pointing to an expansive, open space with a pool table, saloon-style bar, table shuffleboard game, distinct seating areas, and massive stone fireplace that a s sumes the presence of natural rocky formations found in the distant Spanish Peaks.
THE HOMEOWNERS, WHO LIVE MOST of the time in their main residence on Florida’s Atlantic coast, purchased a 160-acre parcel in Montana’s members-only Yellowstone Club to create a legacy home that would last in their family for generations. “We set up a 15-acre building envelope that includes the main residence, this guest home, a smaller two-bedroom cabin, and other buildings,” explains the homeowner, a CEO of a major public company. “The rest of the property is in a conservation easement, but every one of the built structures is very accessible wherever you are on the property.”
As McRae echoes, “These kinds of extra barns or entertainment areas or guest houses, whatever they are to be called, are becoming more popular, especially on large parcels of land such as this one. It’s a nice idea to have more smaller structures on the land rather than one large house. The impact on the land and the lot itself is aesthetically more pleasing.”
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A cozy bedroom includes a queen bed with a twisted hickory motif. • The upstairs landing features vintage Navajo rugs, their colors and patterns still vibrant after more than a century of use. The 1880s French church bench is positioned beneath Meeting of the Heavy Weights, a large-scale oil-on-canvas by Kyle Sims. • The primary bath is equipped with a freestanding tub, custom-patterned floor tiles, and an antique pine dry sink that is used as a vanity. The sink is an antique brass coal holder.
Among the earliest challenges McRae and Halvorsen had to solve was the orientation of the house. McRae spent considerable time deciding which trees to clear and which to preserve. “The views from this land to the peaks across the valley are a critical part of its appeal,” he says. “We talked through a lot of options about what to take out and what to keep for issues of screening.”
Indeed, this particular structure is tucked so well into its majestic site that it remains wholly invisible from the road. The building suddenly comes into view only after negotiating a winding approach, making a powerful yet subtle architectural statement.
“The clients really love the romanticism of agrarian buildings you see throughout eastern Montana,” says Halvorsen. His response was to design a building that he describes “as really simple but with a little dash of modernism. It assumes the shape of a classic gabled barn but is updated for living now. It mimics the style of an old barn yet with even cleaner lines and a metal roof with other metal accents. It has the effect of something both durable and practical, a structure that appears to have already been there forever. There’s no need to ever create what I call ‘visual noise.’”
PEACE HAS WITNESSED HOW PEOPLE use the space and knows the versatile structure works for the family. “I’ve been in the great room when there are at least a dozen people enjoying it all at once, with a game of shuffleboard going on, a round of pool, socializing around the fire, people sitting on stools at the bar, others coming in from skiing or going out to do so.” When configuring the furnishings and decorative treatments, Peace, who is based in Atlanta but also owns a home in Bozeman with his wife and children, remained practical. He recognized a central dynamic of the guest home: “Life happens here.” By that, he means that the life lived outdoors — skiing, hiking, hunting — would also have to be accommodated indoors.
In choosing the velvets, wools, mohairs, and leathers for select furnishings, Peace knew that “everything needed to be bulletproof,” particularly considering the grown sons would be entertaining their friends for weekend stays. “Let’s start with the idea of feet on a cocktail table,” says Peace w ith a laugh. “We know that’s going to happen, so we started with furnishings that would function well, look good, but age well and gracefully — w ith feet up on them. To have a sofa out of mohair or velvet means that, in five or seven years, it’s going to look even better than it does now.”
The imposing architect-designed gateway to the house references classic Western ranch motifs.
Peace likes for furniture and accessories to be used, not just admired for effect. He was unafraid, for instance, to position vintage Navajo rugs on a floor in a well-trafficked upstairs hallway.
T hose vegetable-dyed floor coverings, dating from the 1910s to 1930s, are decidedly durable, having been weaved generations ago to cover the floors of tipis or used as horse blankets. Fine antiques from Europe — lamps, candlesticks, cast-bronze statuary, mirrors, and select furnishings — are also placed throughout the spaces.
“Antiques from France, Italy, and Portugal add a sense of history to the home,” he says.
Peace also kept window treatments minimal to highlight the views through the large glass panes. Wall colors and fabrics are neutral to establish an effective background for colorful artworks and the rooms’ most conspicuous decor: animal mounts, every one of which was gathered over the years by the homeowner and his hunter sons.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A room with bunkbeds is decorated with Morning Fire Beaver Camp, an oil-on-canvas by Nicholas Coleman; the chair is an antique. • The loft bedroom is spacious enough to accommodate two beds. Discreet lighting adds atmosphere while serving as illumination for reading. • The walls of a powder room are cleverly lined with shooting-target-patterned paper.
Both Peace and the homeowner spent considerable time plotting out the positioning of the mounts. One of the most startling co mpositions is found at the imposing stone fireplace. There, a massive bighorn sheep appears to be scaling the granite surface, pausing to assess what is now its interior landscape. The h o oves of the taxidermied animal are anchored into the stone. Like many a true conservationist, the homeowner says he honors every animal by eating the meat and then having it expertly and sensitively mounted to show off its natural beauty and presence in the region. At one end of the great room, Peace positioned a giant antlered Yukon moose shoulder mount over a custom Chesterfield-style sofa, making the specimen a visual focal point and a work of art. “We placed every one of the trophies as a piece of sculpture,” he says.
Paintings of animals figure prominently in the rooms, too. A 7-foot-wide canvas depicting two large bull elk in a forest clearing fills the wall of a seating alcove in an upstairs hallway. Scenes of wolves in the wild, a cowboy leading a herd of bison, and other phenomena of the region appear elsewhere. A tamer, if not saucier, depiction appears upstairs in a large black-and-white photo by D avid Yarrow. Yarrow is known for staging images of attractive modelesque young women in Western settings. In this work, a le ggy, fur-clad woman, a pistol in each hand, arrives in town for a showdown with period-dressed onlookers. The homeowner points out that Yarrow photographed the scene at the former Marlboro Ranch, a locale near Montana’s Crazy Mountains where Halvorsen worked as the architect. “Bill [Peace] has a super eye for art,” says the homeowner, “and he and my wife spent months looking through his art choices.”
SO ATTUNED TO HUNTING IS the homeowner that, in addition to the mounts that populate the walls, he references the sport in other ways, as well. The hammered-steel ring of a custom chandelier made by local lighting artisan Carl Pearson of IronGlass Lighting is edged with unloaded .50-caliber casings. “There’s no gunpowder in them,” says Peace, “but it’s one of those elements that adds so much to the atmosphere of the home.” Additionally, the walls of a powder room are adorned with a custom pattern depicting shooting targets.
“The owners’ lifestyles involve being outdoors and hunting. We do a lot of work in this part of the world, and some people love to hunt and some don’t. I’m there to help people realize their dreams and their passions,” says Peace. “As interior designers, we enhance people’s lives. We create the environments for them to live the way they want to live. I like to think, upon the completion of every project, that I’ve made their lives better.”
The homeowner and his wife have built other residences over the years and have worked with Peace on four of them. While the homeowner says that his main role with each residence is to work with the architect “to take care of the layout, the size, the volume, the architectural piece of it,” he says that his wife works with the interior designer. “We always hear that you should never design a house with your spouse, but we have so much fun together doing it. This house, now finished, is a love piece for us.” h
The Complete Fly Fisher is a Montana legacy lodge and a world class destination that offers a level of rustic and relaxed luxury found in very few places on Earth. Set in the heart of the greatest collection of trout fishing waters on the Big Hole River, CFF is the ideal place to escape from the intensity and pace of life found outside of the Big Hole Valley.
ARCHITECTURE
Robbins Architecture
CONSTRUCTION
Wilkinson-Montesano Builders
INTERIOR DESIGN
Herringbone Design
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Design Workshop
Viewed across a pond and ringed by native trees, this Idaho home blends in with earth tones and archetypal forms.
Soul of the
TETONS
In Driggs, Idaho, an artfully simplified home celebrates the natural beauty of its setting
WRITTEN BY NORMAN KOLPAS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROGER DAVIES (INTERIORS) & BRANDON HUTTENLOCHER (EXTERIORS)
WHEN LAURA AND BRUCE LINGER went looking for the ideal place to build a second home in the Mountain West, the many advantages offered by Tributary, a private community in Driggs, Idaho, proved irresistible. Developed around trout streams, fishing ponds, a 500-acre natural wetland fen conservancy with protected access via a boardwalk, an 18-hole championship golf course, and a well-appointed clubhouse, the location also boasted breathtaking views of the Teton Valley and Grand Tetons — all within driving distance of top ski resorts and Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. “And we wanted to be somewhere where we would have people close by and could develop friendships,” says Bruce, who, like Laura, is a financial executive based in Chicago. “This place is a melting pot, a community, with people of different backgrounds from all over,” adds Laura.
The couple, both golfers and anglers, selected two small adjoining parcels, next to the golf course and a pond, with spectacular vistas in all directions. Such a setting called for a comfortable and warmly
FROM LEFT: To the left of the entry is the two-story bedroom wing, with the primary suite’s entry just past the staircase and another guest suite beyond. • In the great room, comfortable furnishings — including custom A. Rudin sofas, a Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair from Modernica, and an open-frame ottoman in antique brass by Herringbone Design — are oriented toward a white-oak-paneled fireplace with concrete hearth and limestone mantle.
welcoming design that openly admired the views without competing with them, and they found the ideal architect in Celeste Robbins. Based near the Lingers’ primary residence in Winnetka, Illinois, Robbins is the author of the recently published The Meaningful Modern Home , and the plan she devised for them ingeniously fulfilled the promise of that book’s subtitle: Soulful Architecture and Interior s. “We just really tried to keep the structure simple, natural, and low-key,” says Robbins, “with a clear floor plan and clean lines that nestle in with the mountain peaks and the valley and the colors and tones of the landscape. We weren’t trying to stand out. We wanted it to be contextual.”
Seeking an analogy to sum up the main elements of her design, Robbins, who worked in tandem with senior project architect John
Janda, summons an apt description: “They’re like Monopoly houses.”
The home’s three main structures — one containing a great room and kitchen; the second, a two-story form with four bedrooms; and the third, a two-car garage and upstairs rec room — echo those archetypal rectilinear, pitched-roof forms. Glass-walled passageways connect them: an entry foyer between the bedroom and living structure, and a mudroom linking the garage to the kitchen pantry. The resulting layout, she concludes, “is diagrammatic and clean, with the glass links adding artistry and a little bit of quirkiness” — not to mention the fact that they offer tantalizing glimpses of surrounding vistas that the home’s main rooms openly admire. “Celeste did an extraordinary job of bringing into view as much of the outside as possible,” says Laura.
•
TRANSFORMING ROBBINS’ PLANS INTO REALITY fell to the team at Wilkinson-Montesano Builders, led by owner Joe Montesano and project manager Dave Durtschi. “Our half a dozen employees, plus a team of more than 40 other people from nine different subcontractors — from carpenters to cabinetmakers, heating people to glazing people to stonemasons — were hyper-focused on making happen exactly what Laura, Bruce, and Celeste wanted,” says Montesano. That concerted attention to detail is evident in the first impression of the home’s exterior, with a standing-seam steel roof and walls clad in vertical cedar boards that were custom finished with a mix of transparent and semitransparent stains, “so you can still see some of the grain,” says Montesano.
Beyond a custom glass entry door, the warmly welcoming yet refreshingly understated interiors showcase the work of two more key participants in the home’s creation: Jeffrey Botwin and Philip Howlett, principals of Herringbone Design, which is based in Los Angeles and on the Spanish island of Mallorca. As Laura recalls, “When we sat down with Celeste, we talked about how important it was to us that the house felt high quality but very comfortable,” not to mention dog friendly for the couple’s pair of Welsh corgis. Or, as Robbins describes, “They wanted it to be modern and clean-lined, but with warmth.”
FROM TOP: Viewed from the great room, the kitchen’s furnishings and finishes echo tones of earth and sky, with blue-gray upholstered Saarinen bar stools by Knoll and a Heath Ceramics tile backsplash in an LM-1 Chalk-Gunmetal finish. The concave wall sconce is by Herringbone Design.
Architect Celeste Robbins positioned the built-in dishware cabinet and serving counter in between the indoor and outdoor dining areas and aligned with the kitchen island.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Located for easy access from both the primary suite and the great room, the hot tub features a retractable cover to shield it from the elements. A low, board-formed concrete wall separates it from the natural plantings beyond. • A slate walkway leads from the driveway and alongside the garage on the right to the glass-walled entry foyer.
• Just off the kitchen and in view of the great room’s window wall, the board-formed concrete patio dining table comfortably welcomes gatherings of as many as a dozen guests.
Seen from its northeastern corner, the house’s bedroom wing takes in eastward views through generous windows in both ground-floor and upstairs bedroom suites. The landscaping by Design Workshop seamlessly interweaves plantings adjacent to the house with native vegetation, including aspens and spruces, along with grasses like fescue, wheat grass, and rice grass.
To help zero in more precisely, Robbins showed the couple reference photos from a wide variety of residential projects, including homes designed by other architects. Laura says they repeatedly gravitated toward images of the “lighter woods and warm, comfy chairs” they saw in interior designs done by Herringbone for the clubhouse and Ocean Suites at the renowned Tara Iti Golf Club on New Zealand’s North Island.
It was a cinch for Robbins to connect with the designers, as she and Botwin had a friendship going back to their days as architecture students at Cornell University. “Philip [Howlett] and I think of interior design architecturally from the walls inward to the furnishings, so this project with Celeste felt seamless, a marriage made in heaven,” says Botwin. “As designers, we strive to enhance the architectural form rather than compete with it,” adds Howlett.
Seamless though it is, that approach is nonetheless abundantly clear throughout the house. It begins just steps inside the entrance, whether arriving via the mudroom or foyer. In the mudroom, anyone entering through the garage is met by a space far more discreet and understatedly stylish than most functional transitions, distinguished as it is by an easy-to-clean yet subtle black limestone floor and lockers with wood-framed mesh doors that conceal the coats, boots, sports equipment, and other paraphernalia that might be tucked inside. “And we designed a custom bench in teak to anchor the whole room,” says Howlett. The entry foyer, meanwhile, welcomes with a long Orangery table by Matthew Cox, which Howlett and Botwin had customized in oak with an inset waxed-brass top, all beautifully showcased by the passageway’s window wall.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The dining area centers on an oak-and-brass Otto dining table by Herringbone Design, available through 1stDibs. Spanish dining chairs by Børg Mogensen from Fredericia feature comfortable, durable saddle leather seats and backs on solid-oak frames. • The downstairs guest suite welcomes with such furnishings as a Hans Wegner CH71 lounge chair by Carl Hansen & Sons, an open-frame bench by Herringbone Design, and black metal Cleo wall sconces by Kelly Wearstler for Visual Comfort. • In the mudroom, Herringbone Design and Robbins chose a Pierre Noire black limestone floor from Ann Sacks for durability and sophistication.
That main space for greeting guests offers two diverging paths. To the left is the bedroom wing, where the primary bedroom — which enjoys a walk-in closet and double-vanity bath — has built-ins closely inspired by those in Tara Iti’s guest accommodations. “When we saw the pictures,” says Laura, “we told them, ‘Oh, we want that!’”
Another downstairs bedroom and bath awaits guests, and the two upstairs bedroom suites are available for the couple’s two grown sons. The scale of all four suites is surprisingly modest. “We weren’t really concerned about the size of the bedrooms or having large bathrooms because our concept was, when we’re here, we’re either together with others in the house, or we’re out doing things,” adds Bruce. “No one is going to go camp out in their bedroom, right?”
Indeed, the Lingers spend most of their indoor time in the great room. Reached by turning right from the entry foyer, this space comprises a firelit living room, spacious dining area, and island kitchen, all beneath a 16 -foot vaulted ceiling featuring a custom powder-coated aluminum-andsteel chandelier by Herringbone Design. The Lingers especially admired the artful yet seemingly effortless way designers Botwin and Howlett combined warm and textured natural materials to make the space feel so welcoming. “They are really great at mixing different types of woods, leathers, and metals, like the copper top of a side table, to provide a feeling of substance, warmth, and ease of use,” says Bruce. “Not only is it corgi-proof, but it will look as good 30 years from now as it does today.”
The kitchen is a particularly favorite hangout for the Lingers, who love collaborating there on such homestyle favorites as meatloaf, ribs,
and chili — crowd pleasers for gatherings around an oak-and-brass Otto dining table that seats up to 10 people. When the weather warms up, parties can move outside to the patios, reached via a large sliding door Robbins positioned in alignment with the kitchen’s cooking area. To one side of the table is an outdoor grill that provides the id eal spot for preparing a Linger party specialty: paella. “That’s one of our family signature dishes,” says Laura. “We actually put the pan on top of the grill, cook it there, and serve it outside.” Subtly adding to the spirit of dining alfresco is the fact that, when the construction team from Wilkinson-Montesano created the patio’s board-formed concrete table, everyone decided to let a few fallen leaves from the nearby aspen trees leave their prints on its surface.
IN WAYS SMALL AND GRAND alike, the home’s natural surroundings are integral to the overall design. The outdoors are artfully fr amed by windows in every room, tantalizingly glimpsed through glass-walled links between the three interconnected structures, and thoughtfully landscaped in ways that blend the property’s immediate surroundings into the adjacent trout pond, golf course, fen, and mountain views beyond. Credit for that goes to Aspen, Coloradobased Design Workshop and its landscape architect team led by principal-in-charge Mike Albert and project manager Ben Roush. T he overall goal, says Albert, was to “invite the landscape to permeate the interior spaces while outdoor interventions [with the surroundings] remain disciplined and contained.”
Highlights of that approach range from such subtle touches as fringing indoor windows and outdoor living areas with native grasses to larger-scale expressions like planting a nearby grove of more than three dozen young aspen trees, native to the area, just across the driveway. In such ways, Roush observes, “This house embraces the beauty of the natural ecosystem.”
As Robbins sums up, “Nature is the inspiration and the artistry for this house.” Whether expressed through the views on display, the materials used, or the architectural forms that complement the surroundings and bring shelter and comfort to the inhabitants, “this is the stuff that makes your heart beat; this is the soul of the house.” h
FROM TOP: The dual vanity in the primary suite’s bathroom features a single-slab counter of Calacatta marble and fixtures and wall sconces from Waterworks. • For the primary bedroom, Herringbone Design based the built-in floating California-king bed with its liveedge bench — all fashioned from durable, luminous swamp kauri wood — after the firm’s accommodations for the Ocean Suites at the Tara Iti Golf Club in New Zealand.
Distinct Features
An award-winning remodel in downtown Bozeman, Montana breathes new life into a hidden jewel
WRITTEN BY MICHELE CORRIEL
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WHITNEY KAMMAN
ARCHITECTURE
INTERIOR DESIGN Design Associates
FROM LEFT: Modern finishes merge with exposed original brick walls and old-growth timber rafters to keep
complements
BRINGING A HISTORIC BUILDING BACK to life takes insight, inspiration, and imagination. Luckily for the Lovelace building on Main Street in Bozeman, Montana, the team that completed its recent renovation had all of those qualities and more.
“It was an inspiring and rewarding design process to work through,” says Joe Roodell, one of the principals at Miller | Roodell Architects in Bozeman. “It was very important for the owners and our team to retain the history and character of Main Street. Careful consideration was given to layout, structure, systems, and aesthetics to ensure this building would stand for generations.”
The architects began by researching the building’s evolution since it was built in 1910. It underwent a few renovations over the years, including one helmed by Bozeman architect Fred Willson [1877–1956], who removed some of the elements from the façade. Originally, the building housed hotel rooms, which were later turned into 29 small apartments. Fast forward 100 years, and the structure needed some love.
“Lovelace was a building in need of repair and an update,” Roodell says. “We feel extremely fortunate to work with owners who set a goal of transforming a downtown building into a unique collection of spaces at a higher standard while giving something special back to the city of Bozeman.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Structure, furniture, art, and architecture align, setting up sculptural spaces that flow through the loft. • A modern bedroom looks out over Bozeman to distant mountain ranges. • This hand-colored photograph of the Lovelace building, circa 1942, provides a snapshot of businesses past, from the still-thriving Rialto Theatre (partial) to the long-gone Bungalow Drug, Hotel Lyall, Lovelace Motor Supply, Oakes Beauty Salon, Dr. Whitehead (ear, eye, nose, and throat physician), and Dr. Evers (dentist).
GALLATIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM
The remodel included taking the Lovelace building down to its structural bones and completely updating all elements. It now boasts a suite of collaborative offices on the second floor, four apartments on the third floor, and a skybox on the roof.
“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with the owners for many years, but our focus has been toward residential projects,” Roodell says. “The Lovelace was an important commercial building requiring a thoughtful touch. The owners had a unique vision for the building, wanting it to reflect a welcoming residential feel throughout the interior and exterior. The multiple layers of renovations posed challenging issues to solve while unfolding the confines to design within.”
Beau Mossman, a senior design associate for Miller | Roodell Architects, found delight in all the paraphernalia discovered during the remodel, including treasures in the walls like an ad for the Everitt Six 1912 Detroit Motor Car, an empty can of Lucky beer, and a well-worn copy of How to Make Friends and Influence People (1936), among other things.
“On the structural side, we took an honest approach, where the internal steel columns were added in an effort to keep the original bricks intact,” Mossman says. “We wanted to keep the original building intact as much as possible.” The team also looked for ways to integrate the old with the new.
FROM TOP: Behind the Lovelace building’s restored façade, a concealed rooftop deck looks out at the Baxter Hotel and other echoes of the historic skyline. • Natural light blends with timeless materials to shape this bedroom retreat.
“A small example of this was converting the saved elevator bull wheel into a beautiful table anchoring the entry space,” he adds. Weston Fricke, a managing partner of Madison Valley Partners and one of the owners of the Lovelace building, feels strongly about his Bozeman community and is proud to contribute to the face of downtown. “First of all, [the Lovelace remodel] is a gift back to the city,” Fricke says. “Additionally, we think a vibrant business community is important to the downtown ecosystem. We designed the of fices to be conducive to entrepreneurial companies that want to be downtown.”
“We’re thrilled with how it turned out,” Fricke adds. “Joe [Roodell], Jon [Evans of North Fork Builders], and their teams made it come to life. [I’m glad for] the opportunity to invest in downtown and bring the building back to relevance, knowing it will be here for a long time.”
JON EVANS, PRESIDENT OF NORTH Fork Builders, worked with project manager Nick Smith to accomplish the hands-on work required to make the dream a reality. They both relished the chance to work on the historic building. “Being born and raised in Bozeman, it was very cool to be involved with a project on Main Street,” Sm ith says. “The biggest challenge was working within the confines of the tight spaces, hoisting a spiral staircase, and working off hours so we could turn the water mains off.”
Lost Trails Entry Table
Restrained luxury and casual comfort provide a reprieve from downtown Bozeman’s faster pace.
Being able to preserve historic aspects of the building was both a challenge and a reward. Evans says a key component was preserving the original bricks, which the team accomplished by peeling back plaster on the interior walls to reveal t hem and reusing intact bricks that had to be removed from their former locations. Additionally, they repurposed the wood cladding at the reception desk from the old interior walls. “The building, in general, had quite the lifetime,” Evans says. “Bringing it back to the 1910 inspiration was important to us and to the owners.”
Their hard work — which took about 18 months to complete — produced a valued result: North Fork and Miller | Roodell garnered separate Historic Preservation Awards from the City of Bozeman for their work on Lovelace.
“It was done during the pandemic, so there was supply chain trouble,” Smith says. “Despite all that, we were all really proud of everyone. The experience of working with the city went well. Kent Crowder, superintendent on the project, did an excellent job. He coordinated the folks on site, overseeing all the work and making sure it came together as beautifully as it did.”
Smith compared working on the Lovelace project to building a ship in a bottle. “We had one parking space for all the th ings that went on at the site. And we threaded all the parts and pieces through a door in an alley — definitely a logistical challenge.”
“Any time you get into an old building and change the footprint, it’s going to take a team to get it done right,” Smith adds. “T he owner got involved, and Bridger Engineers helped us with the structural elements and weaving them into the architecture. That was a challenge. The team spent a lot of time working on that, bringing it up to modern standards and putting in sprinklers.”
T he skybox on the roof was an additional test of their design savvy. “We added another structure onto the roof, so that had to be supported,” Evans says. “The views are pretty cool from up there. You really feel on top of the world.”
LYNETTE ZAMBON, PRINCIPAL AND SENIOR interior designer at Design Associates, played a key role throughout the Lovelace remodel. “I’ve worked with the owner for over 20 years, and they always bring a fresh, innovative perspective — always looking to incorporate a distinctive feature, a little jewel within the design,” she says.
As a native of the area, Zambon was especially honored to contribute to the project. “I was born and raised here, and I remember walking down Main Street as a child. It was an incredible privilege to be part of preserving this building’s history. The owners were committed to maintaining its integrity, not covering it up, but celebrating it. The result is something truly timeless.”
FROM TOP: Refined finishes and fixtures frame special moments throughout the loft. • Uncomplicated calm and understated elegance characterize more private places.
Zambon integrated modernized elements into the design while ensuring that the character of the space remained intact. “The large windows that maximize natural light and the exposed brick and timbers provided a canvas for the interior design elements,” she says. “The primary focus of retaining the building’s original materials was about blending historical charm with contemporary aesthetics.”
S he carefully selected finishes and lighting fixtures to achieve this balance. “The lighting, in particular, elevates the design,” Zambon says. “It brings a modern touch while complementing the rustic elements of brick and wood. The combination of natural textures and transitional lighting bridges p a st and present seamlessly.”
As the project neared completion, Zambon layered in additional design elements, such as wallpaper, tile, and decorative lighting, to refine the overall aesthetic. “A mix of new and old furniture provided a collected vibe that is both interesting and comfortable. Incorporating art at the end of a project is always a rewarding step,” she says. “It personalizes the space, reflects the character of t hose who will live there, and, ultimately, tells a story. It’s about creating a space that feels both meaningful and welcoming.”
The result combined the team’s talent with the owner’s intentions, echoing moments of Bozeman’s past in a multifaceted, multi-use structure reflecting today’s lifestyles. h
Devin Khoury Owner | Managing Director | Senior Advisor
Located
Missoula, Montana, this rare property
This contemporary rooftop lounge looks out over Bozeman’s iconic Bridger Range while floor-toceiling glass blurs the line between interior and exterior.
inspired timeless innovative
inspired timeless innovative
ARCHITECTURE | PLANNING | INTERIORS
ARCHITECTURE | PLANNING | INTERIORS
Smart Home Systems is an industry leader in home technology integration. From design through installation, our team specializes in creating customized and innovative environments that seamlessly incorporate the latest technology into your lifestyle and home.
Making Memories, Maximizing Views
A family builds a modern Montana ski home in Whitefish
WRITTEN
BY
CHRISTINE PHILLIPS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIBEON PHOTOGRAPHY
DESIGN
Hub City Productions
CONSTRUCTION
Malmquist Construction
INTERIOR DESIGN
Cooke Interiors Studio
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Eclipse Engineering
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Northwest Design Studio
FROM LEFT: Artwork curated by Hollman Miller Gallery hangs throughout the home, including a print by David Yarrow in the entryway. • An expansive open living area is a careful balance of textures and materials that become contemporary and warm when combined.
WHEN TRAVIS AND STEPHANIE HOLLMAN
set out to build their home in Whitefish, Montana, their primary goal was simple: “We were lo oking for a place to make memories with our family,” says Stephanie.
Based in Dallas, Texas, the Hollmans love skiing with their two sons, and they had heard wonderful things about Whitefish. When a piece of property at the top of Whitefish Mountain Resort went on the market, they submitted their offer site unseen, relying solely on their realtor’s advice. “It was a little nerve-racking,” says Stephanie. “When we flew out to see the lot, I just prayed that it would be the right spot. And it was — such a magical piece of property!”
Travis says that despite having traveled to ski worldwide, he’d never seen a property where homeowners could build at the top of the lift. “It was fantastic,” he says. “We were so happy about that.”
Given the property’s location and views, reinforcing the home’s connection to the outdoors became priority number one. “We wanted height and every piece of that view that we could possibly get,” says Travis.
Having previously worked with Hub City Productions on their corporate office for Hollman, Inc., the family’s locker-design company in Irving, Texas, the couple knew that principal Robert “Bobby” Romano was the right choice for designing their home. Based in Dallas, the design firm creates distinctive commercial spaces, including restaurants and retail. “Bringing a commercial designer into the mix might seem like kind of a risk,” says Travis. “But it was absolutely the right choice. We wanted to maximize the lot, as well as amplify the views and height of windows. Bobby got that.”
Romano says that part of his vision was to bring some finesse to the home’s dramatic vernacular. “We wanted to keep it light and airy — as if the home was flying off the mountain,” he says.
TO HELP BRING THEIR DREAM home to life, the couple assembled a team of local designers, contractors, and landscape architects, including Malmquist Construction, Cooke Interiors Studio, Northwest Design Studio, and Eclipse Engineering which is now a part of Cushing Terrell.
“It truly is a unique home for the area,” says Tyler Frank, owner of Malmquist, adding that it is among some of the highest-altitude residences in Flathead County. “The home is also really expansive and open — steel beams played a huge part in ensuring the design was able to withstand heavy snow loads.”
Malmquist enlisted the help of Northwest Design Studio to assist with landscape and site planning. “Careful consideration and thoughtful design were undertaken to ensure that the proposed house fit within the site, the neighborhood, and the greater Whitefish Mountain Resort community’s guidelines,” says Cate Walker, principal landscape architect at Northwest Design. “Landscape architect Sierra McCartney worked closely with the team to develop the site, grading, drainage, and planting plans that worked with the land and ensured the designs t u rned out as envisioned.”
FROM TOP + OPPOSITE: D irectly above the kitchen, a dramatic assembly of rope lights drapes down from the ceiling and intertwines. • A pair of oversized pendant lights dangles over a custom dining table. • Part of the designer’s vision was to bring some finesse to the home’s dramatic vernacular and make it appear as if the home was flying off the mountain.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The couple’s primary suite on the main level is positioned to look out onto Flathead Lake and directly into Glacier National Park. • A spacious walk-in closet features built-in covered cabinets that provide floor-to-ceiling storage. • A luxury his-and-hers bathroom features a sauna, tub, and shower.
The three-level, 12,000-square-foot, ski-in, ski-out residence is conveniently positioned at the ski resort, providing easy access to the lifts and amazing views of Glacier National Park. A 1,600-foot outdoor terrace overlooks the ski slope and is complete with a hot tub, firepit, and wet bar. A built-in snow-melting system ensures the outdoor living space can be used year-round, without shoveling. In the warmer months, outdoor amenities also include a pickleball court.
Th roughout its spacious layout, the home boasts plenty of oneof-a-kind features. Especially striking is the open living area on the second floor and its connection to the outdoor living spaces. Soaring 32-foot ceilings and expansive windows create a feeling of grandeur while also giving a sense that the outdoors are part of the interior.
A 36-foot sliding glass door in the main room opens to the terrace, helping to further blur the boundaries between indoors and out. “When open, it pockets into the wall cavity so that you don’t even see the door,” Frank says.
“The sliding door is one of the most breathtaking features of the house,” says Stephanie. “I love how it truly enables us to bring the outdoors in.”
by
A 40-foot rock-climbing wall spans the entire height of the home.
Artists FISH FISHER & RILEY FISHER
6’diameterx4’high
Viewfromthebottom,lookingup.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Jewel-toned circular tiles, gold accents, and pendant lights combine to create a warm and whimsical powder room on the main level.
• A secret bookcase door on the ground floor leads to a kid-friendly movie room. • A glass-fronted hot tub cantilevered off the terrace gives soakers the sensation of swimming out beyond the property’s edge.
Also unique is the four-car underground parking area, which is tucked into the home’s ground level. “I like how you can’t see a distinct garage from any angle,” says Frank. “It’s a neat concept I haven’t seen before.”
THE PROJECT TEAM WORKED CREATIVELY to execute the Hollmans’ vision. “Because the design was so unique and different from your typical construction assembly, there were some interesting challenges requiring innovative problem solving,” Frank says.
“It was a very involved home,” says Barb Cooke of Cooke Interiors Studio in Whitefish. “Many teams came together to make it happen.”
Cooke says the interior’s height and volume challenged her to design a cozy and sophisticated home. “The couple wanted a house where they could entertain lots of people, yet still feel comfortable when residing there as a family,” she says.
Cooke describes the upshot of their vision as “Hollywood glam meets Montana modern.” A careful balance of textures and materials — everything from jewel tones, velvets, mohair, and Mongolian fur to gold fixtures, onyx, and quartzite — becomes both contemporary and warm when combined.
A striking quartet of gold sputnik chandeliers lights up the living area on the main level, while a pair of oversized pendant lights dangles over a custom dining table. Directly above the kitchen, a dramatic assembly of rope lights drapes down from the ceiling and intertwines, casting a playful glow while downplaying the room’s size.
“Originally, we were going to put an art installation up there,” explains Cooke. “But it was too much, distracting the eye away from other features of the room. We still needed something to fill the space that was visually interesting, though. We partnered with Luke Lighting Company, who designed a custom tracer loop that came out so great.”
Off the main living area sits a whimsical powder room and an elegant, private media room with a large custom couch and eclectic mirrors on the wall. A floating stairwell leads to the boys’ bedrooms and Travis’ office.
Throughout the house hangs modern artwork curated by Hollman Miller Gallery, an avant-garde space the couple opened in 2022 in downtown Whitefish with partner J.D. Miller. In addition to Miller, featured artists include Lea Fisher, Tyler Shields, Steve Wrubel, and David Yarrow.
The home sleeps 16 people, with a primary suite on the main level, two bedroom suites on the third floor, and a fitness center, laundry room, ski locker room, and oversized bunkroom on the ground level.
“The bunkroom is a really cool feature for guests coming to visit,” says Stephanie. “The kids love it — and so do adults.”
The primary suite is positioned to look out onto Flathead Lake and straight into Glacier. It includes a luxury his-and-hers bathroom with a sauna, tub, and shower, and a spacious walk-in closet with built-in covered cabinets that provide floor-to-ceiling storage.
“Some of the features we created were inspired by resort properties the family has enjoyed over the years,” says Romano. “For example, the custom hot tub on the terrace was modeled after the glass-fronted swimming pool at the Joule Hotel in Dallas. Cantilevered off the back of the terrace, it gives soakers the sensation of swimming out beyond the property’s edge.”
“That was my youngest son’s idea,” says Stephanie. “It’s also designed to be flush with the seating by the firepit, so you can soak and still converse with others on the terrace.”
Also inspired by the kids is a secret bookcase door on the ground level that leads to a kid-friendly movie theater, plus a 40-foot rockclimbing wall that spans the height of the home.
“Initially, the idea was to install a three-story slide that would allow the boys to travel from their bedrooms down to the media room,” Stephanie says. “But as time passed, the boys outgrew the idea, and it really wasn’t feasible — so the climbing wall was conceived.”
“We definitely had a lot of fun with the design,” says Romano. “Malmquist Construction really rose to the challenge in making it happen.”
Certainly, it took a team effort to bring life to such a creative vision, one that celebrates the vibrancy of the region’s outdoor pursuits while remaining comfortably suitable for family life.
“We wanted a Mountain-Modern feel that was a little bit edgier than the architecture being built in the area,” says Travis. “It took a bit of time, but we did it. It really was a fantastic team to deal with: They worked great with each other and helped us realize our vision. We’re so happy with how it turned out.” h
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A PLACE
TO LOVE
A family home with water and Bridger Mountain views is thoughtfully designed to embrace Montana functionality and fun
WRITTEN BY
DANA W. TODD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
WHITNEY KAMMAN
wanted,”
The VanSickles’ forever home celebrates the spirit of all the land offers: open skies, endless mountain vistas, and calming water. “It’s livable, laid back, and approachable — just what we
says Lora VanSickle.
ARCHITECTURE
Centre Sky Architecture
CONSTRUCTION
Bridger Builders
INTERIOR DESIGN
Shelter Interiors
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Big Country Landscapes
LORA AND BILL VANSICKLE HAVE always loved mountain architecture. When they lived in Washington and Big Sky, Montana, they built homes with lodge vibes and lots of rock detailing. When they decided to retire to Bozeman, they desired something slightly different. “We wanted a fresh take on a lighter ‘Montana Modern’ home that had rustic elements but was more contemporary,” says Lora.
They called on Jim Syth of Bridger Builders, who had constructed their Big Sky home, and interviewed architects and interior designers to find the rest of their team. The VanSickles ultimately chose Centre Sky Architecture, working with principal architect Jamie Daugaard
and project manager Sara D’Agostino, and Sharon Lohss of Shelter Interiors. “Their laid-back style was complementary to our approach,” Lora says. “Jim built our previous home as if it were his own. He gave us the confidence that he and the team could accomplish what we were looking for.”
What they wanted for their forever home was straightforward: a contemporary, livable design that was functional for them and guests, with a re laxed style and high-end finishes that connected with the views. They asked Centre Sky to design three structures — a primary home, a guest house, and a barn — that captured views of the Bridger Mountains, Spanish Peaks, and a future 3-acre pond that would be designed and installed by Pond and Stream Consulting.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The VanSickles purchased the land in 2017 after falling in love with the area while visiting friends. They dug the 3-acre, 14-foot-deep pond before building anything else on the land. • The living room is a cozy retreat for entertaining or reflection, with pond and mountain views from a wall of windows and a steel fireplace fabricated to eliminate all joints in its façade. An all-glass wine room provides reach-in access. • The built-in bar in the living room is steps away from both the climatecontrolled wine room and the kitchen, facilitating a variety of entertainment options.
“Working with relatively flat land is unique in this area,” says Daugaard. “We usually work on steep sites. It was nice to work on this type of topography while adding ripples to the land and capturing the dominant view of the Bridgers. Lora and Bill wanted to push the envelope a bit and reinterpret mountain architecture. We intermingled the low-slung gables of mid-century modern design with the monoslopes of Mountain-Modern style.”
Daugaard positioned the home so the Bridgers and pond are visible through the entryway from the approach. “The views are so peaceful,” Bill says. “It’s incredible to walk up to the entryway and see Ross Peak and Sacajawea Peak through our home.”
The architects used glass, steel, wood, locally sourced Tuxedo gray stone, and concrete panels on the exterior; these materials wrapped into the interior spaces for continuity in all three structures.
“Deep overhangs on the exterior help subdue natural light inside,” says Daugaard. “The ceiling slope over the common living spaces in the main home begins to sweep down from the
FROM TOP: The central kitchen provides open access to the living room, dining room, a walk-through butler’s pantry (behind the wall), and the primary suite down the lightfilled hallway on the left. • The primary bedroom features a custom chandelier crafted by local IronGlass Lighting’s artisans and blacksmiths and is one of many in the home and guest house.
living room to the kitchen and dining area to bring a more human scale to the spaces.”
Syth says the home’s floor plan made the unique statement the homeowners wanted while keeping the house approachable and functional. “There is no wasted or dead space in the layout,” Syth says. “The home functions as it was originally intended to.”
THE INTERIORS RECEIVED A DOSE of warmth to keep them from leaning too modern. “The warm wood tones of the ceilings and floors, along with warm neutrals, balance the gray stone and concrete walls, with color added through artwork and accessories,” says Lohss. “Plaster walls elevate the elements of depth and texture, resulting in additional warmth — a welcome upgrade from painted drywall. A less-is-more approach was appropriate for the interiors, since the emphasis is on the land, location, and strong architectural elements.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: A bedroom set aside for the couple’s adult son embraces their love of chevron patterns on the headboard wall. Wooden ceiling beams warm up the neutral gray tones in the room.
Lohss and her design team had many of the home’s furnishings custom made, including couches, consoles, and coffee tables. In the living room, for instance, the homeowners r e quested two L-shaped sofas with walking space between them for visual access to the fireplace, TV, and exterior views. “Downto-the-inch measurements were necessary,” Lohss says. Most of the chandeliers in the main house and guest house were handforged by artisan Carl Pearson of IronGlass Lighting, a company that the VanSickles had worked with on a previous project.
The living room, which includes a built-in bar recessed into a stone wall and an adjacent climatized wine room, opens to the dining area and kitchen. The flow is uninterrupted in the cleanlined, modern kitchen; a workhorse butler’s pantry is accessible but hidden from view behind a novel walk-through space.
FROM TOP: To the north of the home are the Bridger Mountains, and to the southwest the homeowners see the Spanish Peaks. While only a seven-minute drive to downtown Bozeman, the home feels completely secluded. • Outdoor living spaces are plentiful around the guest house.
Three sinks, dual dishwashers, and plentiful dish and cookware storage encourage gathering and entertaining.
Lohss customized additional details to capture the family’s unique spirit. “Lora is a fan of a chevron pattern, which we incorporated on her shower tile floors, on the downstairs bar’s backsplash, and as feature walls in two guest bedrooms,” Lohss says.
While some homeowners designate a suite for visiting family and friends, the VanSickles designed a freestanding guest house. “The tone is the same for both the main house and the guest house,” says Lohss. “We actually started with the guest house’s design and then expanded the concept to the main house; I wanted them to relate and communicate with each other.”
On each end of the guest house, there’s a primary suite and bunkroom containing four bunks — a thoughtful arrangement for when mu ltiple families visit and stay at the same time. Queen beds on the bottom and singles on top expand the number of sleepers the rooms can hold. Lohss left no detail out in the bunkrooms, utilizing every bit of space for storage. There are hooks for hanging, large drawers in the bunks’ bottom bases, and custom armoires with hanging, shelf, and drawer space. There are even door perforations for airflow.
A central shared area between the two bedroom wings is set aside so visitors have a living room and kitchen that’s separate from the main house, allowing them to relax in a dedicated space. Combined with two additional en suite bedrooms in the main house, there is
plenty of room for the VanSickles’ grown children, grandchildren, and friends to stay.
OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES ARE PARAMOUNT in any Montana home, but they are especially important in a residence where the owners plan to entertain. The structures’ horizontal orientation naturally provides space for outdoor living. The main house features alfresco dining, with a barbecue and covered outdoor kitchen area that leads to a firepit that steps down to the pond. A small patio off the primary suite provides another private respite, while an expansive 14-footwide front porch welcomes visitors. The guest house has its own covered outdoor dining and lounge area, which Daugaard says is important during Bozeman’s shoulder seasons so that outdoor living can ex tend to five or six months of the year. “There are so many places to sit and take advantage of the southern exposure,” Daugaard says.
While the main and guest houses encompass the VanSickles’ requests for practicality and comfort in a modern living setting, the barn is all about play. Despite its name, the structure has nothing to do with livestock; instead, it’s a place to relax, enjoy the land, and share in the company of family and friends. Bill has a man cave in the barn, outfitted with salvaged corral boards, concrete floors, and a more masculine, rustic vibe.
“As an avid outdoorsman, Bill now has space in one building to store his gear for biking, hunting, fishing, camping, and skiing,” Lora says.
Fish, Meet & Eat
“There’s also room for his taxidermy to hang on the walls and a space to tie flies. He has worked so hard his whole life and deserves this space devoted to his hobbies.”
The barn’s upstairs game room has shuffleboard and pool tables surrounded by windows and an elevated deck; the views here are as spectacular as those from the main house. “I envision clearing out the space and having barn dances in the summer,” Bill adds. “And with solar panels on top of the barn, it helps with the home’s energy efficiency.”
Surrounded by 20 acres, the home is serene without being remote; Bill can ride his bike into Bozeman in under 15 minutes.
“The neighborhood is unbelievable, with a collection of large lots that follow Bozeman Creek,” he says.
“We’re very proud of how the project turned out,” says Syth. “The subcontractors put their hearts and souls into it.”
“There’s no chance we could have done this on our own,” Bill says. “The team worked together to complete a complex project. They were dedicated to getting it right, and we give them a lot of credit on their own and collectively.” h
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The guest house also has a central communal space for lounging and dining. • Bill VanSickle's “man cave” is in the freestanding barn. “All of the subcontractors were envious of this space,” jokes builder Jim Syth. “The way the entire complex came together makes a complete piece of art.” • There are two bunkrooms in the guest house, one on each end of the structure, with a primary suite adjacent to each. The house comfortably sleeps eight, and two families can share the guest house while maintaining privacy.
Luxury American Furniture
Our story
Mathew’s father, Fred Tammen, started the business in 1991 selling Navajo rugs and blankets based on Judy Tammen’s love for the style of the southwest and her vision of a home furnishings business serving that market. The business evolved quickly into making simple upholstered furniture in the barn at the Tammen’s property. Great Blue Heron grew slowly for the first several years and then Mathew bought our first furniture factory out of bankruptcy in 2014. After a lot of re-tooling and training we started growing quickly and producing consistent, high quality upholstery staying true to the original vision brought forth by Mathew’s parents a decade before. Today, our passion and core competency is still high quality upholstery in Americana styles from southwest to mountain modern.
Great Blue Heron’s designers will take the time to understand your vision and provide help guiding you to the perfect pieces for your space — whether it’s a single statement chair or a fully furnished ranch or lodge, Mathew and his team members are there every step of the way.
ELEVATED AESTHETICS
Inspired by natural surroundings, a home in Big Sky, Montana blends cutting-edge materials with time-honored techniques to create a space both striking and serene
BY
WRITTEN
NORMAN KOLPAS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW MILLMAN
THIS PAGE + OPPOSITE: On the basement level, a curved alcove with builtin banquette provides comfortable seating near an Alison walnut pool table with brass details and leather pockets by Jory Brigham Design. • With the contours of its standing-seam roof angled like a bird in flight and floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of Montana’s Madison River Valley, the main level provides openplan living, dining, and cooking areas.
ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN O’Neill Rose Architects CONSTRUCTION OSM Construction
AT FIRST GLANCE, THE ALMOST 9,000-squarefoot home on the Moonlight Basin side of Montana’s Big Sky Resort appears uncompromisingly f u turistic for a rugged location seemingly more accustomed to rustic cabins or contemporary barnwood-clad mountain lodges. The ski-in, ski-out family retreat is undeniably modern. However, it nonetheless achieves a feeling of c o mfortable style and warmth ideal for gathering after a day on the slopes, surrounded by sweeping vistas of the Madison River Valley and surrounding Madison, Gravelly, and Tobacco Root ranges.
Credit that feat to the vision of Devin O’Neill of O’Neill Rose Architects in Brooklyn, New York — assisted by senior staffer Ali Ward and project manager Hong Bae Yang — in collaboration with Bozeman, Montana-based OSM Construction and its
FROM TOP: Rising above the main living areas, which themselves rest upon a base of Silver Cloud granite blocks, the family’s three bedrooms occupy the upper level, where the primary suite enjoys unimpeded vistas. • Steps from a garage and parking area access the home’s main entrance pathway, reflected above in a ceiling covered in polished stainless steel. Offset from the building, a Japanese-style shou sugi ban lattice catches the snow and provides some shade and privacy for other bedroom windows.
team headed by principal Mark Stuart, project manager Kyle Surratt, and site supervisor Justin Bleau. The design began with the cl ients’ request for a Mountain West home that would “have a relationship with the site that made you want to get out and explore,” O’ Neill says. “They wanted a home that provided a place where you could rest, regain your strength, and enjoy yourself at the end of the day.”
THAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE, SITE, and lifestyle began with a thorough study of the area’s geography and built structures. “I drove literally a hundred miles down the highway from Billings to Bozeman,” O’Neill recalls of a first formative venture. “And, following the shape of the land, I saw all these beautiful snow fences.” The wood-slat barriers are erected throughout the state to control the accumulation of drifting snow. “They were the first clear indicator of how land and weather would impact the project.” Eventually, those rows of rustic fencing also inspired one of the home’s key exterior details.
FROM TOP: A lounge off the basement’s hot-tub terrace features a custom soapstone fireplace, with seating upholstered by Jouffre. • Perfectly positioned to take in the views, the living area’s custom sofa by O’Neill Rose Architects is upholstered in richly textured Duet Cement wool-and-linen fabric by Mark Alexander from Romo Fabrics. Near the kitchen is a TEN dining table by Christian Troels and Jacob Plejdrup — made by dk3 in Denmark — accompanied by re-editions of Arflex Elettra (armless) and Neptunia (with arms) upholstered metal dining chairs from B.B.P.R.
O’Neill and his clients decided to nestle the house “in a narrow cut just below the highest point of the site, allowing the land to wrap around it on the northwest side to soften the impact of the prevailing winds,” the architect says. With that orientation established, the contractors cut and positioned blocks of Silver Cloud granite to form the lowest level, which includes a ski locker room, ski-in ski-out access, firepit terraces, a home theater, lounge, game rooms, a bunkroom and accompanying powder and washrooms, and the home’s mechanical room.
That solid-feeling rectilinear structure also serves as a pedestal-like platform on which rest the more sculptural main living areas. Most of these spaces for gathering, celebrating, and reposing feature walls of customformed, triple-glazed windows that put the breathtaking scenery on full display, from the open-planned living, dining, and cooking areas that occupy the main floor to the bedroom level’s primary suite that rises above it all and enjoys unobstructed views to the north and west.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Off the primary bathroom, wide steps ascend to a Japanese-style soaking tub surrounded by custom stone wall tiles from Made a Mano in Denmark. • The ski room features a centuriesold Indonesian rosewood bench found by the homeowners in a Taipei ceramics studio. The slip-resistant floor consists of small blocks cut from the same Silver Cloud granite as the exterior. • The sitting area in the son’s bedroom suite gains casually stylish comfort from a classic 1950s Italian sofa by Guglielmo Veronesi — made by ISA and reupholstered in Pierre Frey fabric — and a Stella coffee table from France with an enameled ceramic top by Armelle Benoit.
To ensure that everything fell precisely into place, notes OSM’s Surratt, they built full-sized dummy windows out of wood, which also provided protection for the builders in all kinds of weather during the year-round construction process. Adds architect O’Neill of winter conditions, “Fifty-mile-per-hour winds, 12-foot snowbanks, and m i nus-15-degree temperatures are common.”
In addition to the granite lower-level walls and the generously glazed upper stories, one of the most distinctive elements of the home’s exterior is its decorative, yet highly functional, tribute to the region’s snow fences, stemming back to O’Neill’s first drive to the site: a latticework of Accoya, a wood product supplied by Delta Millworks that’s made from sustainably sourced timber treated through a nontoxic process called acetylation, which gives it durability exceeding that of the finest hardwoods. Such qualities are ideally suited to t he area’s weather extremes. Further enhancing both the beauty and toughness of the Accoya, its surface was also charred on three sides in the style of the traditional Japanese wood-preserving process shou
sugi ban , a term that translates as “charred cedar board.” Explains O’Neill of the ways he deployed it, “In places, this screen separates from the building, creating exterior spaces where the snow is held back so our clients can enjoy a protected moment outdoors.” In winter, the lattice catches and holds the snow in sparkling patterns to provide an unexpected, serendipitous decorative element.
SUCH AESTHETIC TIES TO THE region grow even stronger inside the home — and not merely thanks to the vistas offered by the windows on the main level, which, with the home’s wide V-shaped floor plan, seem to greet the view with open, welcoming arms. The same white granite on the lower-level exterior reappears within: cut into squares, honed to cover the living area floors, and finished with a rougher surface for greater traction to form the slip-proof exterior stairs and a patio firepit. The main level’s ceiling also subtly brings a sense of the outdoors inside with a seemingly freeform surface that undulates “like inverted snowdrifts,” observes O’Neill.
Made from ash wood, the kitchen’s cabinets and casual pull-out table and counter, as well as wine storage tucked on the other side of the pizza oven, were designed and handcrafted by the bespoke Copenhagen kitchen-design company Garde Havalsøe. They also made the kitchen backsplash, featuring zinc panels treated with lemon juice for a rich patina. A wood-burning pizza oven is housed in a separate structure paneled in ash poles darkened blue-gray with linseed oil.
That particular touch is only one element of how the home’s interiors combine aesthetics with practical function. Not only does the ceiling look sculptural, but its contours were also deliberately shaped and made with an acoustical plaster that helps to fine-tune the sound quality in an open space otherwise defined by glass and stone. Such a feature was essential for clients who are serious audiophiles. “It acts as a bass trap,” says O’Neill, “and doesn’t allow the sound to reflect too much.”
One essential element for the sound quality is a custom speaker array that’s concealed within a built-in floor-to-ceiling structure between the kitchen and dining area. Clad in poles of ash wood rubbed with linseed oil that gives them an understated blue-gray sheen, this architectural feature also houses a built-in wood-burning pizza oven with a cast-iron door, along with open storage for the logs that fire it up. “As pizzas are pulled out of the oven, everybody just hangs around the nearby island and stands there eating,” O’Neill laughs. “The pizzas never make it to the table.”
For meals that are enjoyed during a seated gathering, the dining area awaits on the other side of the structure, part of a sleekly mod-
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Sunken into a terrace off the living room, a large hot tub lined with Silver Cloud granite features three different levels of seating around its perimeter, accommodating guests of varying heights. • The primary bathroom’s vanity counter with two integral sinks was carved and glazed from a single slab of lava stone by Made a Mano. His-and-hers mirrors are mounted on panels that swing away to reveal the view. • Seen from the nearby slope, the main entry’s walkway discreetly tucks beneath a corner of the bedroom level. The separate three-car garage, visible just to the left, has a green roof — when it’s not covered with snow. • Hanging from the primary bedroom’s vaulted ceiling, the straw-and-amethyst-colored mold-blown glass crystals of a 1950s Italian Poliedri chandelier manufactured by Venini pay poetic tribute to the snowscape. Complementing the ice with fire is a custom soapstone hearth on full display opposite the built-in king-sized bed. The vintage-1950s lounge chair, one of a pair, is by Guglielmo Veronisi — manufactured by ISA; it’s accompanied by a Vent Contraire Lines maple side table/stool by Studio Brichet-Ziegler in Paris.
ern take on a great room that also includes an expansive living area. This space offers the ideal setting to appreciate the harmonious assortment of mid-century modern to contemporary furnishings curated for the home by design advisor Selene Privitera of Chora in Milan, Italy. “She helped us pull it together with pieces she found from dealers all over Europe,” says O’Neill. The highlights range from a 1930s birch laminate side table by Finnish designer Alvar Aalto to a contemporary TEN dining table of oiled walnut manufactured by the Danish firm dk3. That’s not to mention a sleekly contoured and ultracomfortable upholstered sofa on an oak base, designed exclusively for the home by O’Neill Rose Architects, which provides an ideal spot to sit back and enjoy the spectacular panoramas. The views and thoughtfully selected furnishings intimately harmonize in the home’s five top-floor bedrooms. Set furthest back and closest to the mountain slope is the son’s firelit retreat, which cantilevers above the entrance and the greensward of the parking garage’s sod roof toward a prime view of Lone Peak. “It feels like you’re floating in the air,” says O’Neill.
BASED IN GALLATIN VALLEY
Visible across the hall from the daughter’s bedroom, the exterior latticework of Accoya moderates the sunlight entering through the windows. Complementing the cool tones of the ash built-ins is the subtle warmth of a 1960s wood-andleather CH30 chair designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced in Denmark by Carl Hansen.
The room’s lounge area features an exceptionally comfortable circa1950s sofa by Italian designer Guglielmo Veronesi — manufactured by ISA — accompanied by a contemporary Stella coffee table by French architect and designer Pierre Yovanovitch, with an enameled ceramic top by acclaimed ceramist Armelle Benoit.
Just down the lattice-lined hallway, the daughter’s bedroom features a built-in bookcase and integrated desk perfect “for doing homework over winter break,” notes the architect. A Swedish glass chandelier delicately encased in a brass cage decorated with foliage, designed by Hans Bergström and produced in the 1940s by Ateljé Lyktan, adds an understated feminine touch.
Enjoying the optimum outlook is the primary suite, which through its peaked window, beholds an unobstructed northward view of the
Madison River Valley and snowclad mountains beyond. The builtin king-sized bed faces an alcove-nestled fireplace with a soapstone hearth, which reinforces the feeling of being both tucked in a cozy haven and a part of the surrounding grandeur. On the other side of the fireplace wall, that same view is shared by the primary bath’s deep soaking tub, which also has a large operable window looking westward. The surrounding walls that lack windows are covered with ha nd-painted dark tiles from the Danish tile and stone-surface company Made a Mano, which are speckled with white to look like stars in t he nighttime sky. “So, when you’re in the tub and the lights are off,” says O’Neill, “the walls seem almost to disappear.”
In such details, and in so many other ways, he concludes, “This is a house that allows its occupants to engage with the setting itself.” h
FROM LEFT: A small lounge off the kitchen is welcomingly furnished with 1940s Swedish chairs by Gösta Jonsson and 1940s Italian ottomans, all reupholstered in sheepskin. • In the entry hall, walls clad in ash poles taper as they approach one side of a kitchen structure that encloses a butler’s pantry and, on its opposite side, the pizza oven facing the kitchen. “As you move around that corner,” says architect Devin O’Neill, “you get a little peek at the view.”
ACCOYA I SSB I GATOR
ARCHITECT
CONTRACTOR
PHOTOGRAPHER
Cowboy Heaven
Big Sky, MT
O'Neill Rose Architects On Site Management
Matthew Millman
ARCHITECTURE
Reid Smith Architects
CONSTRUCTION
Teton Heritage Builders
INTERIOR DESIGN
Decorators Unlimited
Views in Roaming Bear maximize the outdoors while interior decoration is kept to a sleek minimum so as to not simper before the sheer magnitude of Montana mountains.
Where Structural Meets Sublime
A home in Montana nestles into a mountain, yet arcs to the sky
WRITTEN BY LAURA ZUCKERMAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WHITNEY KAMMAN
WHERE THE GALLATIN RANGE OF southwest Montana anchors an openended sky, a house built into the side of a mountain is the meeting of the structural and sublime.
Roaming Bear, a six-bedroom home in the storied Yellowstone Club of Big Sky, Montana, is meticulous in its execution, beautiful in its aspect, and quiet in its appeal. There i s nothing loud, obtrusive, or false about Roaming Bear. It is not performance art; it is the genuine article: a structure of substance, a residence with dignity.
Consider the skill it took to design and build a house with 9,000 square feet of livable space in a landscape that needs no additional ornamentation. In the wrong hands, an eyesore would have jutted from the hillside with showy insincerity. Alternatively, a modest structure would have been crushed under the weight of rock ledges and towering trees. The house is seamless in its presentation and intention because its creators, including the family that sought a vacation residence, worked together from start to finish to achieve a harmonious whole.
OMAR FUENTES LED THE PROJECT for Teton Heritage Builders, a construction company in Bozeman, Montana and Jackson, Wyoming. Fuentes conceived the interrelationship among the homeowners, architect, builder, and interior designer as a symphony. Under the helmsmanship of Reid Smith, principal of the eponymous architectural firm, there is no discordant note. Smith designs buildings that complement their mountain settings by celebrating them with a contemporary flourish.
Wood, stone, steel, and glass push out into the environment and simultaneously draw it in. The main level of the three-story structure follows an open floor plan that makes overtures to separate spaces without boxing them in. The core — from which all rooms appear to emerge — is a staircase that angles from the structure’s soaring tip to its anchoring floor. The effect is of spaces suspended in air, a feeling further underscored by a dwelling that overlooks the same forest canopy from which it surfaces.
FROM TOP + OPPOSITE: A staircase cascades like a waterfall through three stories. At night, the glow of mini pendant lights gives the illusion of icicles suspended in midair. • Roaming Bear emerges from the canopy of trees that rise from a forest floor where the house, too, is rooted. The design is reminiscent of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s paintings within paintings. Here, the forest and the house act as a shelter within a shelter. • The use of wood adds warmth to a home that makes no apologies for its simplicity, a higher form of elegance than excessive ornamentation. Interior designer Christine Churchill used soft fabrics and pillows to equip Roaming Bear with the coziness that makes a house a home. Entertaining is among the aims of homeowners who sought a ski-in, ski-out vacation getaway in Montana’s Gallatin Range.
“The boxes of glass and rectilinear apertures give the house lift, a feeling of hovering in midair,” says Smith, who has designed custom structures in the Rocky Mountains for more than two decades.
The happy union of the artistic and functional is on display in the main living area, where the sofa and chairs smooth the edges of stalwart wooden beams and additional forms of angled elegance.
Just as the house steps up with the slope’s grade, the living, dining, and kitchen areas are staggered to achieve the distinction of their utilitarian purposes without impeding fluidity. “You don’t want to interfere with the purity of the view,” Smith says. “The transitions are there — the kitchen, for instance, has a back wall that
f a ces toward the entry — but it must be a subtle barrier without compartmentalizing. Once we get a zone and a goal, the process is to lay out the spaces within the space.”
Smith says both aesthetics and activity strongly influence this procedure. For example, the primary bedroom, a restful area whose chief a r t is — again — the view, is set off for privacy by granting the space its own wing.
The entryway to the residence is a striking piece of engineering. It is where sculptural architecture takes place or, conversely, architectural sculpture. “The placement of the home created a little elevation between the house and the driveway,” says Smith.
ABOVE + OPPOSITE FROM TOP: The three-story staircase raises the eternal question: Is it sculptural architecture or architectural sculpture? The answer is in the eye of the beholder. • The invitation of an open floor plan finds a reply in separate spaces with transitions that are suggested rather than imposed. The kitchen exhibits the echoed use of stone, steel, wood, and pendant lights that link the room to the home’s core. • Roaming Bear features public and private spaces, including a wing of its own for the primary bedroom suite.
“We designed a bridge walkway to the entry — it’s an experience. It also allowed us to inject light into the lower level, continuing that element of openness to the outside.”
FUENTES’ USE OF MONTANA TIMBER products marries the house’s exterior siding to its interior, where wood ceilings prevail. Stone veneer inside and out further weaves together the two aspects that make the home one. The use of steel upholds the theme — with a stylish surprise. The exterior features blackened stainless-steel panels, while cold-rolled steel was used to fashion accents inside the house. The latter material accommodates a patina or wax finish to provide a hint of shine “that accentuates the movement of the steel,” says Fuentes.
The use of blackened stainless steel, among other materials decorating the exterior, is a reassuring example of functional beauty. Another steel type would tend to rust over time, whereas the extant version is more resistant to such unwanted weathering, says Fuentes.
The home uses a roofing system that flows from peaks to plateaus, from high to low profiles. The mix is a clever antidote to a problem that didn’t occur because the remedy was already in the design; the varying roof pitches cause the eye to perceive grounding, appearing to reduce the vertical thrust of the structure. If the residence, which is a ski-in, ski-out structure, seems to be static and in motion — evolving, even — that is the brilliance of architectural design and the dexterity of the building team.
The shape and extent of exterior living spaces are closely linked to the family’s love of outdoor sports, entertainment, and gatherings. Here, there are whole worlds of interaction with the mountainous terrain, even as the house answers the age-old desire for comfort and shelter.
Teton Heritage Builders’ Chris Keller, project superintendent for the residence, points to the three-story staircase as the structure’s chief statement. “Typically, the staircase is framed i nto the house; this one is a three-story floating staircase,” he says. He likens the artistry of the stairs to the so-called “miraculous stair” in a former Roman Catholic church in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The staircase in the Loretto Chapel, now a museum and wedding site, is renowned for its spiraling elegance. While the triple-story stairs in Roaming Bear are not as strikingly sinuous, they give the impression of endless unfolding in a winter backdrop of sky, forest, snow, and elevation.
The illusion is most pronounced when darkness falls. A chandelier of multi-pendant lights dramatically descends as though from a cliff. At night, the icicle-like glow of the chandelier and shadows that shift across stairs lead the observer to conclude that the chandelier is the living, beating heart of the home.
THE KITCHEN’S TEXTURES — MARBLE, STAINLESS steel, stone — similarly signal its individuality. Christine Churchill, senior designer with Decorators Unlimited of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, echoed the kitchen’s pendant lighting throughout t he house. It’s another element that enhances the sense that the dwelling is effortlessly elevated.
FROM TOP: Roaming Bear declines to challenge its environment to a design dual; instead, it complements its surroundings and serves as a salute to the art of nature. • The light that pours through glass apertures has the effect of lifting into the air a structure of weight and substance. The stairs frame a sitting area in a lower level that feels airy due to windows that give the sense of glass walls: What is inside goes out, what is outside comes in.
Overall, Churchill applied a light touch. Familiar with the homeowners’ general likes and dislikes after decorating one of their homes in a separate location, Churchill presented options and features for the interior that mimicked the colors and patterns of the dwelling’s surroundings. Employing a spare palette, she introduced friendly fabrics to add warmth and soften h a rd edges, with window treatments and rugs infusing the atmosphere with the coziness that makes a house a home. “We stayed with neutral colors and more natural textures to bring the outdoors in,” she says.
In a similar fashion to Smith, Fuentes, and Keller, Churchill hailed the homeowners’ taste, cooperative nature, and appreciative style to produce a finished piece that is, as is every masterpiece, confident without being overpowering, bold without being reckless, and of a unified whole that respects the integrity of each room, all spaces.
Like a painting in which each item or figure depicted must necessarily relate to every other to form a complete image, Roaming Bear is in continuous relationship with its place, its people, and the architectural lexicon that heralds the beauty of buildings in the Rocky Mountain West. h
Even a bathtub should play its part in adding to the beauty inspired by a sense of place. The house has vigor, elegance, and personality. There is no need to add where addition is a subtraction.
RAMMED EARTH FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
In Freedom, Wyoming, Ward | Blake Architects updates an ancient building method
WRITTEN BY J. MICHAEL WELTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY GABE BORDER
ARCHITECTURE
Ward | Blake Architects
CONSTRUCTION
Ormond Builders
RAMMED-EARTH CONSTRUCTION HAS taken on various iterations, long serving to shelter humans across the globe. Despite its popularity through the ages, it is seldom seen in the Northwest. But architect Tom Ward of the Jackson, Wyoming firm Ward | Blake Architects is endeavoring to change that.
A technique that, in its simplest form, consists of banging together a pair of wooden forms then pounding together dirt and sand between them, rammed earth is a natural, layered medium that becomes rock-hard, resists water, and absorbs solar warmth. Versions of the construction method can be seen in the Southwest’s adobe bricks made of straw and compressed mud, and as Ashley Nicole Gramlich notes in her comprehensive 2013 University of Oregon
historic preservation thesis, there’s ample evidence of pisé de terre in China, Europe, and elsewhere. The process was first documented in Western civilization by the Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder in about 79 AD, while in more modern times, rammed-earth buildings were under construction during the Jeffersonian era, the Great Depression, and the back-to-nature movement of the 1970s.
In 1980, Mother Earth News published a feature article called “Living in Rammed Earth Houses.” The magazine championed the work of David and Lydia Miller, who’d resided in rammed-earth homes since 1945. The couple had discovered the “building with soil” process in a 1937 copy of American Home magazine. Then, they followed it up with trips to Europe and correspondences with English and German architects who’d worked the process successfully.
ABOVE + OPPOSITE: This
toward the south to capture the sun’s energy during winter days and release its warmth at night. • The southern orientation led the architects to a simple design, with all rooms in the 6,280-square-foot home commanding excellent views of its 160-acre site.
rammed-earth home by Ward | Blake Architects in Freedom, Wyoming is oriented
Alas, these structures were not popular. As Gramlick wrote, these energy-efficient, if labor-intensive, homes were usually deemed marginal or fringe. “This is true even though at times the U.S. government has been a proponent of alternative building techniques, especially rammed earth,” she explains.
FAST FORWARD TO 2004, WHEN, after decades of handson investigation, Ward patented a post-tensioned rammedearth process he calls “Earthwall.” He’s completed three homes and a children’s learning center with the technology so far. The newest iteration is a 6,280-square-foot home on a south-facing knoll of a 160-acre site in Freedom, Wyo -
ming. “It’s all undeveloped except for this house on the site proper,” Ward says. “It’s so wild — it fronts a small creek and valley and an untouched slope.”
He set up the home’s design for passive solar, with overhangs to protect it from summer heat. In winter, its concrete floors and rammed-earth walls absorb warmth all day, then release it at night. In essence, it’s an extension from Ward’s studies at Arizona State University, which was, in the late 1970s, the nation’s leader in solar applications.
The new home also benefits from Ward’s early conversations with a structural engineer about his experience ex amining damage in an earthquake’s aftermath in Turkey. Later, Ward would conduct years of testing and re-testing.
ABOVE + OPPOSITE: Designed for passive solar, the 85-foot-long home features exterior overhangs to protect it from summer heat.
• The living room windows look to views of an adjacent valley and canyon wall.
He intentionally built walls designed to fail in order to examine their actual mode of failure. He wanted to prove his theory on r ammed earth and post tension, so he demonstrated it in a low-tech experiment in which 12 inexperienced friends assisted him. “It was actually a lot of fun,” Ward says. “A local readymix plant was willing to mix it up for consistency, load to load.”
Finally, Ward published an academic paper, and a few years later, Earthwall was a bona-fide process for building stabilized rammed-earth homes.
“It’ll outlive anything made of wood,” he says. “It’s as resilient as concrete.” The 10-percent-cement content is key: “It’s a reinforced concrete wall that resists lateral forces, which is what earthquakes do.”
Post-tensioning rods — tensioned to about 14,000 PSI — are placed in plastic sleeves to prevent any mechanical bond with the rammed earth. That protects the walls from falling out of plane.
FROM TOP + OPPOSITE: In the kitchen, exposed rammed-earth walls are complemented by a waterfall island composed with a striated-stone surface. • Outside, the gray tones in the rammed-earth walls relate directly to weathered lava flows on adjacent hillsides. • The main corridor is where the architect and builders primarily used the white, black, and gray rammed earth, though it’s featured in the primary suite and elsewhere in the house as well.
“It keeps wall forces vertical, to utilize the rammed earth for what it’s good at — resisting compressive stress — with these forces running down through the walls and resolving into the footings,” Ward explains.
THE WEST, ESPECIALLY RURAL WYOMING , is no hotbed of rammed-earth construction. So, when Greg Hostert of Ormond Builders in Idaho Falls, Idaho was named project manager for the build, he and his crew got a crash course from the architect in the technology. While Ormond Builders was familiar with rammed earth, the team hadn’t worked with it previously to this project’s scale. “Tom Ward has rammed e a rth in his home — and he said, ‘I have the knowledge, and I know you guys can do it,’” Hostert recalls of early conversations.
Structural steel, glulam beams, wood timbers, and heavy foundations typical of the residential construction Hostert completes in Jackson and Sun Valley are i ncreasingly becoming de rigueur. But, with a team of multitaskers capable of welding, framing, and swinging a hammer with the best of them, Hostert wasn’t a f raid to accept the challenge of a new medium.
FROM TOP: The home is sited on the south knoll of the property and fronts a small creek, a valley, and an untouched slope. • The living area opens up to an attendant patio, where bears, mountain lions, elk, and deer can be seen from the comfort of a sofa or chair, inside or out.
“It’s not the typical 2-by-6 stick-frame house,” he says. “There are much larger openings for windows and door sizes that require more steel structure.”
Once Ward walked the builders through the material and process, they made sample walls. The clients chose black, white, and gray as primary colors for the rustic, natural look of basalt that reflects the weathered lava flows on adjacent hillsides.
Then, Hostert and his team got to work on forms and walls. First, they built a 12- by 12-foot “rat slab” for a clean, durable surface on which to mix the rammed earth. “From there, it was a tedious process of mixing aggregate, sand, concrete dye, cement powder, concrete adhesive, and a very limited amount of water,” he says. “The m aterial was mixed to a consistency that would form a ball in your hand, but if you dropped the ball it would begin to fall apart before it hit the ground.”
Once mixed to the proper consistency, they moved the aggregate to the forms with a front-end loader. In the forms, a pneumatic pogo stick mechanically compacted the medium, as workers kept track of the interior patterns by observing outer ties in the forms. “Once a lift was compacted and cured, the process started over again,” explains Hostert.
When all was said and done, the builders realized the architects’ intent to create a rigorous design that used every aspect of the environment and satisfied the clients’ needs.
THOSE NEEDS INCLUDED TAKING ADVANTAGE of the spectacularly wild qualities of the site. “[The site features] are captivating,” Wa rd says. “They informed innumerable aspects of the design, from the way the house sits on the site to the general orientation of the home to the use of materials.”
As luck would have it, the site’s most beautiful exposure was toward canyon walls to the south, which also offered the most manageable orientation for solar control. That meant the architects could place most of the home’s glazing to face the best vistas while capturing the sun’s energy in winter months. “It led to a very simple design, with all rooms commanding great views and orientation,” says Ward. “It turned out to be a fantastic experience. You can view bears, mountain lions, elk, and deer from the comfort of the living room or its at t endant patio.”
The views from above the 85-foot-long home are nothing to scoff at either — and they’re accessible. A relatively low-sloping roof, at an angle of 2/12, is layered with a PVC membrane. A deck laid in Ipe wood atop a series of composite pedestals runs down its center. “The clients loved the views and wanted to be able to sit up there in the evenings,” explains Hostert.
Overall, the architects and builders created a sophisticated home that honors its surroundings thanks to a persevering Ward, who is bringing an ancient building method up to 21st-century codes. h
www.juniperinteriors.co
VALLEY
ARCHITECTURE
Farmer Payne Architects
CONSTRUCTION
New West Building Company
DEVELOPMENT & INTERIOR DESIGN
The Jackson Home Company
VIEW
A
newly constructed Jackson, Wyoming home sits in serene seclusion
on the West Gros Ventre Butte
WRITTEN BY DANA W. TODD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID AGNELLO
WHEN THE FUTURE OWNERS of a home on Trader Road in Jackson, Wyoming step outside their door, they’ll see the natural beauty the land offers from a bird’s-eye perspective. Perched on top of a hill in the gated Gros Ventre North community, the meticulously curated lawn and landscape give way to an aspen-filled forest down the sloping hillside, providing a panorama of the Tetons, the Snake River, and sweeping Walton Ranch in the valley below. While the vistas are takeyour-breath-away spectacular, the home’s feeling of seclusion is equally remarkable, given its proximity to downtown Jackson Hole, Teton Village, and Grand Teton National Park.
“The northwest-facing home has incredible views to the west, some Teton views to the north, and looks over ranchland that is in a protected agricultural conservation easement, so there will not be future development,” says principal architect Jamie Farmer of Farmer Payne Architects. “Its Westerncontemporary style is a mix of traditional gable forms, timeless materials, clean-lined modern glass walls, and steel trusses.”
Perched on a butte amid breathtaking mountain views, this residence showcases natural materials, handcrafted details, and a heavy focus on family and entertainment spaces while blending luxury and comfort.
The home was imagined and constructed by a collaborative partnership between development and design firm The Jackson Home Company (TJHCo), Farmer Payne Architects, and New West Building Company. It’s the latest of several homes the team has designed a nd built together in the area.
“We learned that the development of new properties works better if we have a consistent and cohesive team with the same architect, builder, and subcontractors,” says real estate developer and TJHCo co-founder Bill Caleo. “A team experienced in working together begins to work in shorthand. Our projects get better as we go.”
THE SYNERGISTIC TEAM CAME UP with the concept of a home that overlooked the valley while tucking into the sloped topography. It features a walkout basement nestled into the hillside and a pitched green roof on the garage that flows into the terrain and literally connects the building to the land. “As you approach on the steeply sloped driveway, the structure appears as a humble singlestory home and reveals itself as you get closer,” says Farmer about the 7, 234-square-foot house.
“It feels as if the home is supposed to be there, which is hard to do when it’s so high off the valley floor,” echoes partner Tyson Slater of
Natural materials in the great room include a hand-carved artisan mantel, a fireplace faced with locally sourced quartzite, and white-oak wide-plank flooring. A wall of windows completely opens for an intentional indoor-outdoor entertainment flow while increasing natural daylight in the interiors.
FROM TOP: The 1,500-square-foot garage with a living roof is customizable for the homeowner’s specific needs, with plenty of space for multiple vehicles, recreational equipment, a workshop, and more. • Surrounded by glass and situated in the middle of two wings that separate the private and public rooms, the foyer has an atrium feel.
New West Building Company. “Seeing the hill flow across the garage ties the home to the area and gives respect to the hillside.”
The home’s two gable-roof structures are connected by a doubleglass breezeway that serves as the entrance, with views through the house to the landscape beyond. One structure contains dual levels of bedrooms and other private areas, and the other consists of the main living and entertaining spaces.
The material palette is compatible with its alpine location. Timeless, organic materials on the exterior — Western red cedar, Ipe decking, and charcoal quartzite — converge with contemporary glass and blackened steel. Living finishes continue inside, with marble, sandstone, and European white oak. Charcoal quartzite repeats on the main-level great room’s fireplace, where the vaulted ceiling is paneled in warm wood.
Thoughtful design offers every feature a family might want, including floor-to-ceiling windows on both levels to capture valley and mountain views, plenty of wide-open entertainment and living spaces for big family gatherings, guest rooms, and a wellness center. “Our numberone goal was to let the light in,” Caleo says. “There are unobstructed views out the kitchen and great room windows, which open via telescoping doors onto an expansive deck with covered outdoor dining and lounging space. It’s as easy to have a party outside as inside.”
The large living room, with vaulted ceilings highlighted by exposed steel beams, offers a double-sided, floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace for evenings full of conversation around a crackling fire. Just outside an adjacent glass door, another fireplace anchors the grilling area, complete with refrigeration. Both the indoor chef’s kitchen and tucked-
Thoughtful design in the kitchen includes entertainment-centric details, such as hidden storage to the left of the range designed to mimic a vintage English pantry. Two double-door refrigerators on the right side of the room are concealed behind paneled doors. Waterworks fixtures and a honed Pietra Cardosa stone countertop elevate the look.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Every morning’s view is different when waking up in the primary bedroom, where Mother Nature paints the first scene of the day. • Dual levels of outdoor living space face Teton and conservation-land views, while an extended roofline provides coverage for outdoor dining. • The reading nook in the bedroom offers a spot for quiet relaxation with its own special views.
away butler’s pantry are well-appointed with commercial appliances and custom cabinetry with V-groove millwork. The spaces feature details, such as a wine fridge and warming drawers, for an entertainment-friendly home.
“TJHCO STYLE DIRECTOR HOLLY WATERFIELD and I spent quite a bit of time in the house while staging and furnishing,” says Elise Mumford, TJHCo project manager. “We saw a phenomenal late afternoon storm roll in; the sky was filled with purples and blues. The landscape was so alive and vibrant. We felt like we were outside even though we were inside, especially in the great room.”
Because of the proximity to natural views, the interior design team — comprised of Waterfield, Mumford, and lead designer Jose Blanco — stayed with a neutral color palette for the home’s finishes and furnishings. “We want the home to feel as special as it is. We’re not delivering a white box but a deeply thoughtful design. The neutral palette allows new homeowners to add their own special touches,” Mumford adds.
The private outdoor shower off the primary bathroom is open to nature and is the ultimate in freedom — no doors are needed since there are no neighbors in sight.
Similarly, the material palette is refined yet echoes nature. Special additions, such as Madera European oak floors, age well and will achieve a welcoming patina over time. The floors’ honey hue and matte finish bridge traditional craftsmanship and modern appeal.
Each of TJHCo’s projects has bespoke details created by the company’s artist-in-residence, Fitzhugh Karol. In this home, Karol c a rved custom mantels for the indoor fireplaces in the great room and primary bedroom. He also carved distinctive wooden handles for interior barn doors. A medicine cabinet he customized in the primary bathroom is unique but still highly functional. “I like to add at le ast two or three touchpoints in every home we design. It provides a chance for us to enhance the basics with sculptural elements,” says Karol. “It’s nice to have a touch of handmade in a mostly manufactured environment, and ties into our overall ethos of bringing timeless materials into the homes we design.”
The home has a strong wellness component, as well. “We added fine finishes and features, such as a double outdoor shower, teak soaking tub, and Carrara marble in the bathrooms,” says Mumford. On the lower walkout level, the family can enjoy all of the pleasures that a commercial spa might offer. There’s a Himalayan rock sauna and rain shower, a gym with a rubberized floor and direct outdoor access, and a deck with an eight-person hot tub. When the workout is done, a nearby recreational game room with a bar awaits. “The lower level is a highly versatile space,” adds Slater.
The walkout level also has plenty of guest quarters, with five additional bedrooms, one of which is a junior suite. The team designed a bu nkroom as a flexible space that the homeowners can modify to be an additional office or sleeping quarters as needed. And the garage, which can hold six cars and recreational equipment, provides ample room for hosting family and overnight guests.
WITH A HOME SITUATED IN such a robust alpine setting, it’s imperative that the outdoor living rivals the interiors, and this home doesn’t disappoint. Two levels of wraparound decks with glass railings provide uninterrupted views and multiple entertainment areas. A home office near the primary suite features another private deck for an alfresco meeting or quiet reprieve.
With a nod to its rustic roots, the home is still up-to-the-minute modern, with a Lutron automation system that seamlessly operates the window shades, audio-visual components, and lighting. Other efficiencies include extra insulation and triple-pane windows, which help create an airtight building envelope. “The big windows, coupled with cozy fireplaces, are heavenly,” Mumford says of the three interior and one exterior fireplaces and expansive windows in almost every room.
“We always speak about the importance of collaboration among the trades,” Farmer says. “We also worked closely with civil engineering firm Y2 Consultants to sculpt the building into the site’s contours wh ile integrating landscaping features, such as dry boulder creek
Artwork: ROB PRUITT Dawn Over New York Harbor (January 2024)
beds, that appear naturally occurring. In everything we did, we tried to be light on the land.”
“This is the type of house that can be created when all industry professionals collaborate,” adds Slater. “Although it is always a challenge when there’s no homeowner to express their vision, The Jackson Home Company was clear about its intention that this be a home that was flexible enough to meet future owners’ needs while providing t he ultimate in elevated living, with privacy, breathtaking views, and solitude among the wildlife that lives here.”
This luxury home provides the best of both worlds: It’s close to Jackson and Wilson in a neighborhood setting, yet feels completely secluded on slightly less than 12 acres overlooking thousands more of protected conservation lands. Soon, a family will wind its way down the scenic driveway at the end of a long day to this private mountain resort and call it home. h
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The design team ensured even guest quarters have amazing views. • The primary bathroom has double vanities in custom white-oak cabinetry, double showers, and a freestanding tub. • The main entrance is in a double-level glass breezeway that connects the home’s two wings.
B r ow s e n e w v i g n e t t e s a n d g e t
i n s p i r e d f o r yo u r n e x t p r o j e c t
Pe r u s e e n d l e s s c u s t o m i z a bl e
JACKSON HOLE
AMBER BLAZINA FINE ART
MONTANA’S PREMIER LIGHTING AND DESIGN SHOWROOM
ARCHITECTURE
Locati Architects
CONSTRUCTION
Schlauch Bottcher Construction
INTERIOR DESIGN
DeLeo & Fletcher Design
THIS PAGE + OPPOSITE:
The inspiration for this R o cky Mountain retreat was rooted in nature. The interior design balances scale with intimacy, ensuring the home feels welcoming rather than overwhelming. • Locati Architects designed the home to facilitate enjoyment of the outdoors for multiple generations. A pool house with three-story waterslides does the trick for the grandchildren during the summertime.
Paradise at Grandma and Grandpa’s
Inspired by nature, this mountain retreat celebrates family and the great outdoors
WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE ROGEL
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIBEON PHOTOGRAPHY
WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE INSPIRATION for this elegant alpine retreat, architect Steve Locati doesn’t hesitate, summing it up in a single word: “Family.”
The Montana property was designed by Locati Architects and built by Schlauch Bottcher Construction (SBC) as a sanctuary where four generations could come together, connect with nature, and escape the demands of everyday life.
“Our lives are built around our family,” says the homeowner. “We have six kids. We have 20 grandkids. And so when we started thinking about what we wanted to design, I sat down with all of our older g r andkids and said, ‘Tell me everything that you think would be awesome in a place like this.’ And I came away with a list.”
That list included a climbing wall, tennis courts, and trails — all of which became part of the blueprint.
Placed at the highest point amid nearly 300 acres of mountain wilderness, the primary residence — completed in 2023 — features eight bedrooms and two bunkrooms. Over the last two years, the design-build team further developed the alpine retreat, adding nearly a dozen other structures, including an equestrian center and barn, an estate manager’s residence, and, the latest addition, a boathouse complete with three-story waterslides into the lake.
“In the summertime, [the grandkids] just go off those waterslides for hours and hours and hours. In the wintertime, we have a sledding hill where I put in one of those magic carpet ski lifts, so even the youngest grandkids will get into the tube and sit down,” says the homeowner. “They play out there for hours. For hours!
FROM TOP + OPPOSITE: The eight-bedroom home provides ample space for large gatherings while maintaining private retreats for individual family members. The house is located on the highest point amid 300 acres, ensuring exceptional views of the surrounding mountain landscape. • DeLeo & Fletcher sourced the chandelier adjacent to the stairway, which was designed to resemble floating feathers, from Fine Art Handcrafted Lighting. • The material palette represents a more traditional mountain home, explains architect Steve Locati. Some 35 tons of structural steel are concealed within wooden beams to achieve this aesthetic.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A rare fossilized triceratops skull in the front entry retained much of its original material during excavation. “Everyone likes to get the picture taken in front of the triceratops skull,” says the homeowner. In the background, a fossilized allosaurus marks the entrance to the homeowners’ wing • DeLeo & Fletcher created this vanity from a single piece of natural stone, keeping with the theme of elevated natural forms. • Tucked away behind the kitchen is a butler’s pantry, ensuring that both beauty and functionality play a role in the main living areas.
In the primary bedroom, a floating chandelier that recalls precious minerals adds drama and ties in with the other natural history objects found throughout the home.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A standing tub bathed in natural light and outdoor views encourages relaxation.
The home includes two bunkrooms with plenty of space for the grandchildren to spread out and play.
DeLeo & Fletcher, who have designed more than 10 residences for the homeowners over the years, incorporated a variety of organic textures in this powder room to play off the theme of nature.
A warm and inviting guest bedroom features earthy tones and outdoor views.
We also have a couple of dogs, and this is their happiest place on Earth. They run around and like to pretend they’re wolves. We honestly couldn’t be happier with the home.”
WHEN THE HOMEOWNER BEGAN RESEARCHING architects for his family escape, Locati Architects stood out for their reputation. He determined that Locati was “the best firm in the world at creating these truly great mountain estates. That is my honest opinion before hiring them, and it remains my opinion,” the homeowner says.
Founded in 1989 by senior partner Jerry Locati, the Bozeman-based firm is renowned for designing personalized mountain residences.
Steve Locati, who joined his brother as a senior partner in 1991, says project architect Brian Tolstedt deserves credit for bringing this home to life. “Brian and I have worked almost hand in hand for 30-plus years, and he is a true talent. His fingerprints are everywhere on this design, and we couldn’t have done it without him,” says Steve.
The firm designed the home to stand up to the grandeur of the surrounding Rocky Mountains. The architectural scale matches the magnificence of the landscape, with towering ceilings, voluminous rooms, massive timber trusses, and floor-to-ceiling windows that dissolve the boundary between indoors and outdoors, ensuring nature is everpresent. “Everything from stone elements to the scale of windows to the timber truss sizes, and the timbers in each one of those trusses, is proportional,” Steve explains. “And that’s where the artistic elements of architecture come into play.”
Despite its impressive scale, the home remains warm and inviting. Dallas, Texas-based interior design firm DeLeo & Fletcher Design planned the interiors, selecting fabrics and finishes that balanced durability and functionality with beauty. Appropriately sized custom furnishings, natural textures, rich wood finishes, and layered textiles soften and balance each room.
“We played off of nature, making sure that the outdoors came into the interior space with organic textures and palettes that really complemented nature,” says Fran DeLeo, partner of DeLeo & Fletcher, adding that some of the light fixtures include aspen motifs or resemble floating feathers.
Natural history objects placed throughout the home demonstrate Mother Nature’s creativity. A rare, museum-quality fossilized triceratops skull, which was carefully excavated in eastern Montana for more than two years, greets visitors at the front entry; a fossilized allosaurus skull marks the entrance to the homeowners’ private wing. A woolly mammoth tusk and other objects reflect the homeowner’s fascination with Earth’s ancient eras. “The grandkids love dinosaurs, and I love dinosaurs,” the homeowner says, noting that some stone countertops are also embedded with fossils.
WHILE THE HOME WAS DESIGNED for interaction, it also provides everyone with privacy when needed. The homeowners’ wing functions as a self-contained residence, complete with a bedroom suite, his-and-hers offices, a living room, a kitchen, a dining area, and a dedicated garage.
“When we open the doors, everyone knows we’re open for business,” says the homeowner. “When we close the doors, we’re away, and it’s quiet. We can sleep — it’s really great.”
This wing also includes a glass-enclosed lookout tower that Locati designed in homage to a U.S. Forest Service fire tower that was once on the property. The tower is the house’s highest point and serves as a peaceful retreat with a fireplace, comfortable seating, and a telescope for stargazing.
In the main living areas, clerestory windows bring light into the kitchen and dining room while an adjacent butler’s pantry adds functionality. A massive stone fireplace and a piano anchor the great room, with comfortable furnishings that offer plenty of space for relaxing or conversation. Additional recreational spaces include a theater and lower-level entertainment hub featuring a golf simulator, exercise room, billiards table, and climbing wall.
Locati and SBC have partnered on projects for more than 20 years, and Steve attributes the home’s craftsmanship to Chad Bottcher and his team of builders and subcontractors. Locally sourced stone, massive timber beams concealing 35 tons of steel, and expansive glass walls “give it a monastery-like permanence,” he says.
Beyond its beauty, the home serves its intended purpose of being lived in and shared. Instead of rare paintings, family photos fill the walls, and the great room’s massive fireplace mantel has enough space to hold everyone’s stocking at Christmastime. “There’s 28 of us, 29 including my elderly mother,” says the homeowner, “ a nd everyone’s stocking hangs across the top of that fireplace. When we get everyone in there on Christmas morning, people feel like they belong.”
The homeowner has built a few custom projects over the years, but there’s nothing he would change about this one, and he credits that success to Locati, SBC, and DeLeo & Fletcher. The property stands as a culmination of the designbuild team’s careers — a home that is deeply meaningful to those who created it and those who live there. And, as far as the grandchildren are concerned, the homeowner says, “We’ve got a bunch arriving later today.” h
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Above the homeowner’s office, a lookout tower is a popular place of reprieve to watch the sun rise or set. It references a U.S. Forest Service fire tower that was once on the property. • In the homeowner’s office, floor-to-ceiling glass walls bring the outdoors into the interior. “I do my best thinking and my best creative work here because it’s just so peaceful, so beautiful, so conducive to opening up your mind to the fullest extent that you can,” says the homeowner.
• When designing the home, the homeowner asked his grandchildren what activities they would enjoy most: At the top of their list was a climbing wall. Plenty of space for other activities — including a basketball court, golf simulator, and gym — helps keep this active family on the move.
DIANE WHITEHEAD
mary.e.howard
RESOURCE GUIDE 2025
A directory to the professionals featured in this issue
Architects
Centre Sky Architecture — Multiple Locations (centresky.com) p. 206
CLB Architects — Bozeman, MT/Jackson, WY (clbarchitects.com) p. 79, 122
Cohen & Hacker Architects — Chicago, IL (cohen-hacker.com) p. 50
Cushing Terrell — Multiple Locations (cushingterrell.com) p. 54, 194
