Explore A Ranch-Style Aspen Home On An Elk Migration Route

For an active Aspen couple with three grown children and eight grandkids, the decision to build a new residence centered on their constantly shifting need to accommodate family visits and guests. To meet this need, they desired flexible spaces that could rise up to a variety of occasions. “They wanted to put down roots and create a legacy property, one where they could gather and have fun with family and friends, but as guests leave, the house wouldn’t then feel overwhelmingly huge,” explains Denise Taylor, who tackled the interiors with co-designer Geneva Podolak Knox. Having observed many homes packed with extra bedrooms that often gather dust outside of holidays, the pair were up for the assignment. “All of the rooms multifunction here—the offices convert to guest rooms; a gaming table expands into a kid-friendly dining table—and every bit of square footage is designed to be enjoyed daily,” Taylor notes.

The architecture enhances this flexible living ethos, but also has its own story to tell. Set on a wildlife passage that regularly sees hundreds of elk migrating across the property, it was important that the home meld into its surroundings and minimize its impact on the environment. To do so, principal architect Mike Hamberg, architect and project manager Tony Major, and director of design Andy Wisnoski all worked with the homeowners to create a structure that would harmoniously fit in what Major describes as “an open, very rural and pastoral setting” with stunning sight lines out to the Elk Mountain range. “It’s a large home, so we wanted to break it down into smaller components,” he explains, adding that the team referenced the design of historic ranch buildings throughout the West. Like many old ranches that added structures as they grew larger, the residence’s components, linked by glass passageways, “give the impression that it has evolved over time.”

The material palette, which utilizes a mix of traditional cabin-style elements like chinking, logs and native stone, with glass and contemporary metal lighting fixtures, also addressed an early sticking point: the homeowners gravitated toward different styles. Describes the husband, “I’m an outdoorsman, so I wanted a really rustic design; my wife likes things a little more current.” As a result, his office has the feel of a classic cabin with exposed timbers and log siding to enclose his taxidermy and fishing poles. Hers is awash in color and topped by an eye-catching floral ceiling mural. As a compromise, the home’s public spaces lean more transitional—satisfying them both. The craftsmanship of the trusses, timbers and beams throughout the home are its signature, observes general contractor Jack Wilkie. “The dovetail work is old, traditional Colorado log house detailing,” he notes. Though as his partner, Allyson Decatur, remarks, “the shape is more modern than the round logs of the ’90s and early 2000s—square logs are more contemporary.”

To unify these segmented spaces, Taylor and Podolak Knox deployed clever tactics for the interiors, beginning by nailing down a cohesive palette for the wood stains in coordination with the architects’ design. Lighting was customized for each space, in many cases with fixtures dropped from the trusses, “which helps to bring the room down to a human scale,” Podolak Knox explains, pointing to the choices in the kitchen and dining area. “You feel like you’re in a cozy space, even though it has volume.”

The hues were drawn from the casual lifestyle of the residents: denim blue inspired the tile in the kitchen, as well as the color of the children’s bunk room. Gray, cream and cinnamon tones that nod to the structure’s warm woods flow through the great room, with pops of soft purple, blue and rust appearing in a grouping of ottomans. The color scheme softens in the homeowners’ bedroom, where a gray-and-blue upholstered bed and pale pink chairs lend lightness and a touch of delicacy.

On completion, what struck the homeowners—beyond the thoughtful design—is how “livable” their new spaces are. Says the husband, “How many times do you look at pictures of a house and say, ‘Man, that’s beautiful. But can you really live in it?’ ” When it comes to their home, the answer, happily, is a resounding yes. “I like it when someone comes in and says, ‘Oh, I want to sit in that chair. That looks so cozy,’ ” adds the wife. Then, binoculars are usually pressed into their hands—to observe the elk.