6 Items Every Mountain Home Needs

While Mountain Living was in the process of developing the story A Ranch in the Montana Wilderness, writer Irene Rawlings spoke with the home’s San Francisco-based interior designer Joszi Meskan to glean her wisdom on design features every mountain home needs. Does your home have them?

Photo: Audrey Hall, From: A Fresh and Contemporary Montana Chalet

There should be fireplaces in every room (if possible) to reproduce the glow of a campfire. It gets cold in the mountains at night. Part of the joy of being out in nature is sitting around a campfire.

Photo: David Agnello, From: A Ski-Bum-Casual Yet Sophisticated Wyoming Retreat

You’re outdoors—with the horses, cows and mud—so you’ll want to leave your shoes in the mudroom or by the front door. It is nice to walk around on heated floors.

Photo: Matthew Millman, From: A Light and Bright Home in Wilson, Wyoming

When the sun goes down behind the mountains, you can still enjoy nature inside with special lighting details to recreate sunshine. Lighting is the key.

Photo: Emily Minton Redfield, From: How to Get the Lake House Look

Have washable fabrics and slipcovers. That’s clear. If you’ve been outside grooming the horses, you want to be able to flop down on the furniture in front of the fireplace. And you can’t do that if everything in the house is precious.

Photo: Audrey Hall, From: Of Fishing, Furniture and Fate

This is as close as you can get to living outside—to hear the rain and feel the cool air while preventing the mosquitoes and critters from coming in. Screened-in porches are especially wonderful for sleeping.

Photo: Gibeon Photography, From: A Home That Feels Like a Houseboat

Make sure your floors are practical and easy to clean. Warm them up with area rugs—soft and warm underfoot.