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For a Wyckoff family of six, skiing is a passion meant to be shared. Therefore, the redesign of their Catskills vacation home needed to lodge a small army of snow aficionados, besides shedding an outdated chateau image. And while nearly doubling its space, the reno couldn’t lose that spectacular mountain view. Initially, the retreat lacked curb appeal and looked small inside and out, recalls Rina Capodieci-Quinn, owner of Ramsey-based RCQ Design. The plan was to gut the entire house and “give it a feeling of grandness,” she says. “We opened up a lot of ceilings. The entire main portion of the house is two-story living.” RCQ’s mission: see to it that architectural plans for the renovation/addition said “vacation” through and through for this couple, their four children and friends. A spiral staircase, extending from the boot room (think skis) to the loft, inspired the home’s design with its railing featuring a twisted iron base, tree-branch-like tips, a bronze handrail and spalted maple posts (that is, posts of a maple that has been dried to preserve the picturesque lines and streaks that reflect fungal discoloration). Working closely with custom ironmaker Spademan Fabrication, Capodieci-Quinn designed a life-sized sample and presented it to the client in a “ta-da!” moment. “I knew it was such a major element…and we ran from there,” she says. One of the most stunning details can be found in the great room, where a ski-lodge-caliber fireplace is made of hefty chunks of local fieldstone because, as senior designer Amanda Arditti says, “It was important for us to stay with the region the home was in.” An outsized wood mantel is both rustic and sturdy enough to carry the stones’ weight, says Capodieci-Quinn. Within the warmth of the fireplace, the custom chess table—paired with two wing chairs of mohair and embossed leather—is more than a conversation piece. “The client loves to play chess with his family,” explains Arditti. Completing the look is a mix of fabrics and leather on the two Stanford sofas over an abstract (not contemporary) rug, all in earth tones, as well