A 28-acre ranch in Telluride receives a modern update BY KIM FREDERICKS
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rior to renovation, taking in the views of the massive 14,017-foot-high Wilson Peak from the master bedroom at 8121 Preserve Drive required some effort. “You had to stand on your tiptoes to see out the window,” says local architect Michael Fuller, who worked on the home’s renovation in 2002 with its current owners. Encompassing a total of 18,892 square feet, the various structures on the ranch consist of the 13,591-square-foot main house, two 800-squarefoot guesthouses, a four-stall horse barn, a caretaker’s cottage, and a five-car garage. The property is located in The Preserve, an intimate and exclusive neighborhood eight miles from the historic town of Telluride. The compound, which is listed at $17.9 million, includes a private system of trails, a lighted paddle tennis facility, and a private parking spot with ski storage next to the core of the Telluride ski mountain. When built in 1993 the estate came equipped with just about everything necessary for mountain living, except the wide, unobstructed views that Fuller’s clients demanded. The 13-bedroom, 11-bathroom property sits on 28 acres of dramatic ranch land, surrounded by grassy meadows, strands of aspens and pines, and a trout pond. The original architect settled the seven-bedroom main house and its buildings neatly into the contours of the land to create an unobtrusive farmlike compound that reflected the original owners’ passion for reclaimed items. The exterior of the home is clad in antique wood,
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