Design Elements Enliven A Mountain Home With Neutral Colors

A couple's strong sense of style and elevated approach to entertaining make for a fun mountain retreat.

March 17, 2025

Laura Kostelny,

A multi-pendant chandelier designed by Kimberly Parker with Hammerton Studio illuminates the living room and furnishings including a pair of chairs and sofa by Taylor King and large ottoman by Vanguard. | Photo: Joshua Caldwell

Kimberly Parker has long been in the business of turning people’s biggest dreams for mountain retreats into reality, and by the Utah-based interior designer’s estimation, there are two kinds of clients: those who like to have their hands on every single element, and those who like to have it all served up on a silver platter. Jennifer and Tom Mangione are active members of the former camp. When the empty nesters relocated from California to Victory Ranch, a luxury community near Park City, they arrived with a host of ideas for a 4,000-square-foot four-bedroom (plus two bunk rooms), five-and-a-half bathroom getaway outfitted for top-drawer entertaining.

Friends and family pull up Kylin dining chairs by Sunpan around the custom dining table. The Modern Branch chandelier in heritage brass and amber glass by Hammerton Studio hangs above. | Photo: Joshua Caldwell

Tom Mangione worked with Killowen Construction and architectural firm Habitations Design Group to maximize both the fun and function of every square inch of the wide open great room, chef’s kitchen, well-appointed first-floor rec space, art room, “secret” wine cellar (packed with around 1,000 bottles of wine) and every other space both inside and out. Meanwhile, wife Jennifer happily took on the design with the help of Parker. Recalls Tom, “The more she explained her vision, the more excited Kim got.” Jennifer couldn’t agree more. “Kimberly completely grasped what I wanted, even when I sounded crazy,” she says with a laugh.

Sophisticated elements abound in the entertaining area, from the East Indian Rosewood-hued grand piano and cast stone detail around the fireplace to the California House reversible top game table and Taylor King Sausalito sectional. | Photo: Joshua Caldwell

From the start, the designer realized the importance of showcasing the Mangiones’ beloved art and collectibles, including a 500-year-old solid marble baby bathtub turned- powder-room sink. “I’m always happy to incorporate collections because they make a home that much more personal,” Parker says. “The challenge is taking different styles—for example, items they’ve picked up on travels to Morocco with treasured pieces from Italy—and making it all feel cohesive.” The designer layered in an abundance of textures and a calming palette to make everything feel more unified. “We tend to lean into textures for mountain homes, and neutrals keep things timeless,” Parker says.

Designer and client created a cozy primary bedroom with a fireplace, Moroccan rug, Howell bedframe bordered with Stardust Leather by Vanguard and tĕte-`a-tĕte sofa by Taylor King. | Photo: Joshua Caldwell

Together, she and Jennifer Mangione chose fabrics, wallcoverings and furnishings that enhance the varied collections and complement the home’s natural materials, including reclaimed wood used for window casings, baseboards and ceiling beams; bedroom stone walls; and split-log and chinking details. Handcrafted sculptural surprises abound throughout the home, starting with the massive (10 feet tall and 5 feet wide) live-edge walnut-and-glass front door made by local artisans at Carlson Crafted.

It’s mirrored in the custom live-edge, super long dining table made from a slab sourced in Costa Rica. (“In order to get something that wide, you have to go where big trees grow,” notes Parker.) A majority of the lighting was also made specifically for this home by Salt Lake-based Hammerton Studio. “Jennifer likes a little sparkle, so we ended up commissioning around 10 fixtures,” Parker says.

A tiled wall creates a lovely backdrop for the Jacuzzi bath. | Photo: Joshua Caldwell

Now that everything—including the 500-year-old baby bath—is in place, the Mangiones happily welcome a cavalcade of family and friends to show off their handiwork and enjoy home-cooked meals, well-shaken cocktails and heated after-dinner shuffleboard games. But they’ve also carved out spots that are more geared toward reflection than revelry. “They’re very thoughtful, intellectual people, and every morning they have their coffee and devotional in a very special place within the great room,” Parker says. “They start the day taking in the majestic views of mountains, cliffs and sagebrush. What could be more magical than that?”

INTERIOR DESIGN – Kimberly Parker Design
BUILDER – Killowen Construction
ARTISAN – Carlson Crafted
ARCHITECTURE – Habitations Design Group
LIGHTING – Hammerton Studio