Press
The mountainside location of this newly built ski-in/ski-out house at the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, is undeniable and spectacular: driving to the site, I passed a moose with legs taller than my car and bighorn sheep hanging out on impossibly steep cliffs. For my clients, a family with three small children, I wanted to create a twenty-first-century interpretation of a traditional ski chalet—a place that honors the virtues of comfort and warmth while still radiating a vivid contemporary spirit suitable for a young family. That meant striking a balance between the rustic and the modern, the rough and the refined. The interiors amplify the robust architectural scheme by Pearson Design Group while softening the house’s muscular edges and rugged materials. Fieldstone and soft carpet, blackened steel and gingham fabric, reclaimed wood and plush shearling—they all live side by side, each the happier for the other.
The overall look is meant to be considered but casual. There are certainly pedigreed pieces throughout—including a rare Hans Wegner chaise longue in the owners’ bedroom and a set of pitch-perfect Robert “Mouseman” Thompson chairs in the breakfast nook—but nothing reads as pretentious or fussy. This is a home that fosters serenity, humble beauty, and repose, from the hearth of the four-sided fireplace in the après-ski room to the pared-down luxury of the bedrooms. This is also a home that regularly hosts gangs of family and friends of all ages, and it has the entertaining spaces, guest rooms, and bunk beds to prove it. In keeping with the overall mood of relaxation, the color palette leans heavily on neutral tones that pay tribute to the architectural materials. Strategic shots of blue, orange, and peach enliven the subdued compositions, while varied textures in fabrics and wood grains add depth to the rooms. Ultimately, the interiors defer to the dazzling scenery that surrounds the house, which no amount of decorative bravado can hope to surpass.
Project Notes
Project Notes
The mountainside location of this newly built ski-in/ski-out house at the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, is undeniable and spectacular: driving to the site, I passed a moose with legs taller than my car and bighorn sheep hanging out on impossibly steep cliffs. For my clients, a family with three small children, I wanted to create a twenty-first-century interpretation of a traditional ski chalet—a place that honors the virtues of comfort and warmth while still radiating a vivid contemporary spirit suitable for a young family. That meant striking a balance between the rustic and the modern, the rough and the refined. The interiors amplify the robust architectural scheme by Pearson Design Group while softening the house’s muscular edges and rugged materials. Fieldstone and soft carpet, blackened steel and gingham fabric, reclaimed wood and plush shearling—they all live side by side, each the happier for the other. The overall look is meant to be considered but casual. There are certainly pedigreed pieces throughout—
including a rare Hans Wegner chaise longue in the owners’ bedroom and a set of pitch-perfect Robert “Mouseman” Thompson chairs in the breakfast nook—but nothing reads as pretentious or fussy. This is a home that fosters serenity, humble beauty, and repose, from the hearth of the four-sided fireplace in the après-ski room to the pared-down luxury of the bedrooms. This is also a home that regularly hosts gangs of family and friends of all ages, and it has the entertaining spaces, guest rooms, and bunk beds to prove it. In keeping with the overall mood of relaxation, the color palette leans heavily on neutral tones that pay tribute to the architectural materials. Strategic shots of blue, orange, and peach enliven the subdued compositions, while varied textures in fabrics and wood grains add depth to the rooms. Ultimately, the interiors defer to the dazzling scenery that surrounds the house, which no amount of decorative bravado can hope to surpass.
