Discover A Tetons Retreat Shaped By Light + Landscape
Floor-to-ceiling glass from Leonardo Windows & Doors, spanning from the primary bedroom (at left) through the main living spaces (at right), directs attention toward the Tetons. A grassy slope gradually gives way to an existing native landscape of sage, rabbitbrush and mule’s ear daisy.
Elevated above a rugged butte overlooking Jackson Hole rests this refined residence, a warm modern retreat that enjoys extraordinary unimpeded views of the Teton Range, the valley floor and the Sleeping Indian. It only follows that the land it lies on—“perched up high with the perspective of a bird,” describes interior designer Rush Jenkins—captured its owners’ imaginations at first glimpse. “We experienced an instant moment of profound solitude and serenity from the minute we arrived,” homeowner Wendy Windham Safchik recalls. “This site chose us as much as we chose it.”
The property is unusual due to its unobstructed eastern, western and northern vistas, notes Jenkins. “It’s a Zen space, an incredible sanctuary of peace and calm,” he observes. To conceptualize just the right structure along the ridge, Jenkins and his firm partner Klaus Baer teamed up with architects Austin DePree, Adam Janak and Abby Petri, as well as landscape architect Bonny Hershberger—all frequent collaborators. “The driver of the design was the view,” says DePree, adding that he was struck by the site’s long horizon lines, northern exposure and dramatic stone outcroppings. “Our clients wanted a modern home with clean, contemporary lines, but gave us the creative freedom to push the bounds of what was even possible here, from an engineering standpoint.”
Home Details
Architecture:
Austin DePree, Adam Janak and Abby Petri, Northworks
Interior Design:
Rush Jenkins and Klaus Baer, WRJ Design
Landscape Architecture:
Bonny Hershberger, HDLA
Styling:
Helen Crowther
Waves of catmint, salvia and goldenrod flank the entry walkway. Inside, a glazed passageway serves as an elevated transparent bridge into the home’s main volumes. A façade of Montana Moss rock references the surroundings.
In the great room’s living area, a curved Kneedler Fauchère sofa joins Dmitriy & Co. lounge chairs and a Packsaddle Road walnut slab coffee table atop a Loro Piana wool rug. The glass curtain wall stretches up to a 15-foot oak-paneled ceiling, capturing panoramic views.
Lined with Minotti chairs, the dining area of the great room is defined by a custom sculptural resin-and-marble Vincenzo De Cotiis table. A bespoke Lindsey Adelman chandelier floats overhead.
Patinaed blackened-steel panels span the great room fireplace surrounds—here and near the dining table. By the window is a Packsaddle Road game table ringed by Stahl + Band chairs.
Bespoke, commercial-grade Officine Gullo appliances, including a custom hood and range, pizza oven and pressurized wine aeration system, exude an understated elegance alongside the kitchen’s oak cabinetry. A Gabriel Scott pendant floats above a large island with quartzite counters.
Off the kitchen, the family room includes a Walter K. sofa in brown mohair complemented by a Packsaddle Road coffee table. The dining table is also Packsaddle Road, with Poltrona Frau chairs. The pendant is from Studio Como. A Gloster sofa offers additional seating on a nearby terrace.
Layered in buttery neutrals, the primary bedroom features a Walter K. bed with a cream leather base next to a Packsaddle Road nightstand. The club chairs are by Jiun Ho. A Poltrona Frau bench in beige saddle leather rests at the bed’s foot.
A Giorgetti sheepskin chair near an artful soaking tub by Stone Forest in the primary bath introduces a moment of softness. Leonardo Windows & Doors sliders open to a patio.
The primary bedroom’s expansive windows wrap the space and engage the landscape. Steps lead down to a lower terrace, where Janus et Cie chairs sit beside an inviting firepit.
Floor-to-ceiling glass from Leonardo Windows & Doors, spanning from the primary bedroom (at left) through the main living spaces (at right), directs attention toward the Tetons. A grassy slope gradually gives way to an existing native landscape of sage, rabbitbrush and mule’s ear daisy.
What emerged is a structure shaped by large expanses of glass that emphasize the home’s connection with the land, defined by an architectural envelope of natural stone, wood and steel on both the exterior and interior. The entrance sequence to the residence unfolds slowly yet dramatically, first with a bridge-like glass passage elevated 16 feet above the ground that leads to a series of pavilions. All the wings of the house have roof planes that slope up to embrace mountain and valley views, with north-facing glass contrasted by largely solid walls nestled against the ridge on the southern side. “In order to feel comfortable with this much exposure and glass, you need the backdrop of a wall,” DePree points out. The northern façade is also wrapped in terraces and balconies that extend the living spaces outside as the many glass sliders are opened.
Jenkins interpreted the interiors through a sensory-driven lens of balance and harmony. “We were purposeful in selecting colors and textures that create warmth and intimacy,” he says, gesturing to the great room’s oak-paneled ceiling and noting a curated selection of organic fabrics like linen, cashmere and wool. “And we considered the changing seasons to give the palette a seamless connection to nature, choosing only hues, tones and textures that reflect the landscape.”
The furnishings are chosen with an eye toward movement and shape—just look to the flowing lines of the great room’s curved sofa or the striking, sculptural stone of the dining table, a piece that reads as functional art. And although the home exudes a gallery-like atmosphere, comfort and durability are key factors too, making the home suitable for the owners’ children, grandchildren and guests (the house can easily host 10)—as well as their beloved Yorkshire terriers.
Perhaps no space is as inviting as the home’s kitchen, designed in close collaboration with Wendy, an accomplished cook who desired a functional space to prepare meals and entertain. This fully customized, professional-grade workspace stars within the residence, utilizing high-end Florentine metal craftsmanship and the latest modern technology. “It’s the most chic, bespoke celebration of ingenuity and beauty, inspired by historical Italian kitchens,” Jenkins enthuses. An adjacent family room allows groups to gather nearby and conversations to flow between each space.
Outside, the landscape design deepens the home’s connection to the setting. Stepped terraces cascade with the terrain, configured to capture the land’s grandeur, while clear glass railings maintain unobstructed sight lines. “They emphasize that feeling of being on the edge of the world,” Hershberger comments. The landscape architect selected native grasses, shrubs and trees to further ground the home in its environment. Certain perennials were even specifically chosen to complement the home’s artwork—a subtle unifying touch.
Whether curled beneath a cozy throw with her dogs by her side in the primary suite, creating culinary masterpieces in the kitchen or watching the sky shift from dawn to dusk, Wendy describes a feeling of deep peace when she’s within her home. “We’re immersed in nature, the view is so soothing, and the house just flows,” she muses. “This is a place where I can stay for days on end, never wanting to leave.”
Lined with Minotti chairs, the dining area of the great room is defined by a custom sculptural resin-and-marble Vincenzo De Cotiis table. A bespoke Lindsey Adelman chandelier floats overhead.