IF THE KEY TO A LASTING RELATIONSHIP IS COMPROMISE, THEN THE OWNERS OF THIS STEAMBOAT SPRINGS RESIDENCE HAVE IT DOWN TO A SCIENCE.
The husband, a hunting devotee with an impressive collection of trophies, and the wife, an art enthusiast with a taste for elegant, Western design, had differing ideas on what constituted the perfect Colorado retreat. “One of the first things the wife said to me was, ‘we have these heads. I don’t love them, but I’ve learned to live with them,’” says interior designer Scott Jordan, principal and owner of Jordan Design Studio, Ltd., in Denver. “She liked the Western feel, but she didn’t want it to seem too campy.”
And so the couple sought out a design team, which included Jordan, along with architect Bill Rangitsch of Steamboat Springs-based Steamboat Architectural Associates, and builder Shea Mangus of R.L. Mangus Construction, Inc., in Steamboat Springs, to create a home that would fuse both of their needs—a sophisticated mountain estate with pockets of display space for the husband’s many treasures. “We were able to put together a number of spaces for his trophies that felt very intimate,” Rangitsch says. “You only see them if you look up, so they are there in a subtle way.”
Rangitsch and the homeowners worked closely to develop a design that looked rustic, yet cultivated. “They wanted something that related to the site and looked like it belonged there,” the architect says. To achieve a look of authenticity, the team made several trips to Canada in search of reclaimed timber from old barns—a material that would become a primary ingredient in the home’s structure. “We looked at the possibility of using newer materials and distressing them by hand, but it was really important to the owners to have that truly genuine look,” Mangus says. Specific timbers were selected by the architect and builder based on their appearance while still intact, and compared via a set of pictures the architect took of each barn he visited—one of which currently hangs in the Colorado home.
To complement the salvaged timbers that make up the frame, the team incorporated a mix of reclaimed wood and natural stone on both the interiors and exteriors. Inside, distressed oak flooring and select ceilings clad in Wyoming snow fence add a casual vibe to the home, while subtle accents of white oak trim, sandstone in the entry and soapstone in the kitchen give the space a hint of formality. “It was enjoyable to see this mix of materials that had all been used for something else come together and really work,” Rangitsch says.
With a rather out-of-the-ordinary mix of art and collectibles as his starting point, Jordan designed the interiors with the wife’s request for a refined Western aesthetic. Authenticity was maintained throughout the interiors with a collection of eclectic antiques found by both Jordan and the owners, and emulated through newer pieces the designer had custom made to look traditional. “When you walk through the house, it doesn’t feel like it’s all brand new,” Jordan says. “It looks like everything was acquired over a period of time.” Color was added primarily through patterned area rugs and runners in the main living spaces.
Integrating the husband’s collection of animal mounts into the home was a task that took the collaboration of both the architect and designer. “The animal heads were a challenge, but because we regionalized them, it made the job so much easier,” Jordan says. Most of the mounts reside in the husband’s office for his own enjoyment, or on the upper wall in a two-story gallery space that was incorporated into the home’s design for that specific reason.
And just as the husband and wife found compromise in their mountain home, so did the design team—a crucial element Jordan credits with the success of the project. “When I look at this house, what I see is balance,” he says. “And that’s because the collaboration between the architect, designer and builder was so exceptional.”