The picturesque 13 acres of land near Carbondale were essentially a tabula rasa when the current owners first glimpsed the property. Close to the Roaring Fork River, a series of irrigation ditches crisscrossed the former agricultural parcel alongside a concrete slab that the previous landowner had poured as a place to park an RV. The slab became part of the appeal—it was eventually repurposed as a pickleball court—but the riverine setting’s beauty and expansive views in multiple directions were what kicked off the couple’s dreams of building a home there. 

“They felt a real reverence for the land,” shares lead architect Ken Adler of the outdoorsy pair, who have young adult children. “The site drove our design aesthetic; we came up with a simple and modest concept to capture the sense of place.” Envisioned by Adler and project architect Erik Hendrix, this design aesthetic took the form of a low-slung, rambling, modern ranch-style home with gables that frame the views amid plentiful outdoor living spaces.

Retaining the concrete slab-turned-sports-court provided guidance for where to position the house, with care not to overwhelm the site but to capture the feeling of it instead, notes Adler. In collaboration with interior designer Barbara Glass, the architects came up with a design that not only emphasizes an outdoor connection but, while well-proportioned, is “human-scale,” says Adler. “These are not formal people,” chimes Glass of the easygoing couple. “This is a family home with a nice, calming flow, and it’s very livable.” 

The owners were active participants in the design process, too. For instance, they were “adamant that the entry should not reveal the views,” says Hendrix. Instead, he explains, they wanted a welcoming area with room for greetings and conversation, hence its location at the middle of the house, where they can now usher guests across a threshold elegantly divided between a solid pivot door and a wall of glass. Stacked stone seamlessly continues from the exterior to the interior, drawing people in. “We loved this take, as the opposite is so often the direction our clients take—to immediately impress their visitors with the view,” Hendrix continues. “These clients were much more about making human connections.”

That idea of providing comfortable spaces scaled for social interactions repeats throughout the house. Even a larger area like the great room became a just-right-sized gathering hub marked by a central fireplace, with a proportionate coziness underscored by the soothing palette put in place by Glass. While elevated, the ceilings aren’t cavernous and hemlock paneling helps them read as warm. Two sets of accordion doors, meanwhile, fold away to expose the western long view and a southern outdoor patio area, inviting nature and sunlight indoors. “Minimizing structural protrusions was key to this space,” notes Adler, pointing out the way a simple triangular truss with a single steel rod tie disappears into the top chord, meticulously executed by general contractor Patrick Maley and site supervisor Jason Brown. “When fully open, this room is purely an extension of the exterior,” adds Hendrix. 

The homeowners’ bedroom is similarly positioned to take in some of the best panoramas through floor-to-ceiling windows. While spacious and boasting soaring ceilings, it still feels intimate and balanced thanks to a central fireplace and seating area. In addition, the home also includes a “kids’ wing” that comprises spare bedrooms and a gaming space and can be closed off when only the owners are in residence (helping create a more energy-efficient dwelling). The design team also built a separate barn with an entertaining area and additional two-bedroom unit, plus gear storage and a garage space.

Throughout the home, the interiors embody a modern aesthetic made soft with gray, taupe and cream fabrics, as well as an artful mix of wood finishes ranging from light oaks to rich walnut. The effect is tranquil and low-key—less, here, is definitely more. “The interior spaces don’t detract from the great views; these rooms are very nature-forward,” describes Glass. “We let the simple design speak for itself.” And the exteriors “speak” a similar softness with natural stone, vertical cedar siding, timber and steel conversing harmoniously with the surroundings. “We’re most proud of the siting and the scale,” Adler muses of the final result. “This is a house that just feels right.”