Our work on this amazing ski-friendly Slopeside Perch custom home in Steamboat Springs was recently featured in Mountain Living. Take a look at this stunning home filled with unobstructed views of the entire Steamboat ski area and integrated Southern design styles below with excerpts from the article.
When this Louisiana family decided to invest in a mountain retreat, they looked to Steamboat to build their dream home as they were already familiar with all the cozy mountain town has to offer thanks to their many vacations there over the years. They were looking to design and build a home that would help them to feel integrated with the outdoors in addition to being connected to the ski area. “I have been coming with my family to Steamboat Springs for 40 years for winter ski trips and summer hiking and biking, staying at my parents’ home here until it was recently sold. My husband and I are emotionally attached to this place. It has lots of family memories,” says the homeowner.
The couple’s two design goals seemed diametrically opposed: capture the expansive views of the valley and Steamboat Ski Resort while blocking views of a hotel and condos below to maintain a sense of privacy. They chose Vertical Arts for our building expertise and ability to guide them through each step as they planned from afar. Our team provided a full suite of landscape, architecture and interior design services – helping the family with everything from deciding on the lot to the architectural layout and interior design touches. “We thought if we could hover the house in space and perch out over the precipice, we could capture prime views,” O’Brien says. “To overcome the steep lot, we stacked the design vertically and added big flying decks on two levels to capture views from 30 feet in the air.” Enjoying the indoor-outdoor flow of the deck off the main living area, the homeowner notes, “I see the V-shaped upper deck as Sarah’s handwriting on our house; it’s Vertical Arts’ signature.”
Although the homeowner asked for the clean, crisp look of a Mountain Modern approach, she also sought to keep the interiors warm and inviting. “I wanted something totally different from our primary home in Louisiana,” she says. O’Brien achieved the warmed-up modern look by incorporating Craftsman detailing and Southern-inspired traditional features in homage to the homeowners’ roots. Moldings on contemporary cherry cabinets in the kitchen and wet bar and a limestone mantel over the Southern-style fireplace enhance a friendly vibe through traditional elements.
In the great room, window muntins and double wooden ceiling beams mitigate the perceived coldness of structural steel beams to create a layered look reminiscent of cozy Craftsman style. “We were able to nod back and forth between modern and traditional styles through authentic accents, making the final design very unique,” says O’Brien.
The 3,500-square-foot home lives large with its smartly functional layout. The homeowners particularly love that they can live on the main floor, while the lower floor provides extra space for guests. With a modest budget and a focus on keeping a small footprint, the homeowner couldn’t be happier with the final result. “It was a wonderful experience building a home,” she says. “The design-and-building team heard what we wanted and in turn gave us a first-class, solid and good-quality home with spectacular views. You wouldn’t believe the scenes we have seen—beautiful sunrises, sunsets and holiday fireworks.”
