A Colorado Mountain Home with Farmhouse Flavor

Photography by Kimberly Gavin

If Kyle Deighan hadn’t been born in Wisconsin she might have fared well in Denmark, where the concept known as hygge—creating comfy, calm, clutter-free environments—would likely have captured her imagination. A quick glance around the mountain home she shares with her husband and two young children makes the case. Velvety fabrics abound, an intimate window seat lined with a fur throw just begs for an occupant with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate and, notably, there is a place for everything. “Kyle is very organized, and she really embraced the hygge style that includes blending natural materials and soft textures,” says interior designer Sarah Carr, who helped shape the residence into a cozy nest punctuated with the owner’s Bohemian flair.

Instead of an enclosed office, homeowner James Deighan prefers to work at the Caesarstone-topped island, where there’s a hidden drawer for his computer. The subtle gray dots and lines of the backsplash tile from Decorative Materials coordinate with the other surface tones.

A one-time rower with the University of Wisconsin, Kyle came to Vail during her summer breaks, and that’s where she met her husband James, a former pro mogul skier who now owns Highline Sports & Entertainment. A love of the outdoors and their shared athleticism made the resort area a natural fit, so they set up housekeeping in Eagle-Vail.

The exterior siding is from Vintage Woods.

Two decades later the lakeside lot the couple had always dreamed of owning became available, and, despite having purchased and remodeled an adjacent house just five years prior, they jumped at the opportunity to build from scratch.

Flooring is from Creative Floors.

The Elitis wall covering adds punch to the powder room fashioned with Shades of Light sconces and a vanity from Dahl Plumbing.

Having grown up in farm country, Kyle envisioned a barn with cottage overtones as her ideal homestead. Coincidentally, it was a photo of a Danish farmhouse that she gave to architect Jeffrey Manley that sparked the design. “The main forms of the house are created by masses connected together to establish a sense of history like buildings that might have emerged over generations,” explains Manley. Expansive terraces seamlessly flow outward over the house’s large door openings to establish a strong connection with the lake. The latter, a favorite gathering spot for neighborhood ice hockey games and summer paddle-boarding, is the heartbeat of the property. Inside the home, a concentration of doors and windows on the north link mountain views and the lake, while high transoms on the south filter sunlight deep into the house. “The forms of the interior rooms and rhythm of repeating beam work give structure to the spaces,” he adds.

Pillows and a fur throw from Hygge Life are in sync with the Danish concept of the same name.

On Carr’s suggestion the stonework flows indoors, where it forms the fireplace, envelops the window seat, and creates a backdrop for the bar. The arduous task of getting the stone’s grout texture and color consistency just right fell to builder Jeff Cohen, who had to complete the stonework during the winter months. “This required tenting and heating each side of the house as we worked our way around it,” Cohen says. “To achieve the same look inside but without the added weight of the full-dimension stone, we custom ordered thin-cut veneers.”

The bar features cabinetry by Rob Hall’s Kitchens Plus and sconces by Currey & Co.

Under Carr’s watchful eye, color was introduced with a measured hand. “Left unchecked, there would have been turquoise cabinets and bright pink wallpaper,”admits Kyle. Instead a neutral color scheme is peppered with pinks, blues, purples and grays inspired by an heirloom peacock plate on the bookshelves. The dove-colored sectional and pale pink stools tucked under the console table in the great room, and the lilac desk chairs in Kyle’s office, illustrate the connection.

Cameroon Juju hats by Outpost Original hang above a vintage headboard in the master bedroom; the bench is from Home Outfitters, and the chair is from Arhaus.

In the master bathroom Rob Hall’s Kitchens Plus did the vanity, and the tile floors are from Decorative Materials.

A carved Bavarian headboard is the master bedroom centerpiece. Coupled with a print armchair, fringed bed skirt and African headdresses on the wall, the room strikes an offbeat chord that suits its occupants to a T. “There are lots of funky elements everywhere,” Kyle says, “and I love that our home expresses who we are.”

Homeowner Kyle Deighan relaxes on a porch swing from Houzz Trade with pillows from Salt Creek Home.

Architect Jeff Manley designed the outdoor living spaces to step down to the lake. Come sundown, the fire pit is a kid magnet and optimal place for roasting marshmallows. Outdoor dining occurs around the aluminum table by Front Gate.

TAKING IT OUTSIDE

Living in Colorado comes with the added bonus of near year-round sunshine, making well-planned outdoor living spaces a necessity rather than a luxury.“Often the houses have big doors that open and disappear, so it’s important that whatever goes on outside works with its indoor counterparts,” says interior designer Sarah Carr, who created rooms with that idea in mind for a Vail Valley residence. Carr offers suggestions to achieve successful outdoor environments:
A CONSISTENT COLOR PALETTE If the indoor living room is defined by a set group of colors, those hues should repeat on outdoor furnishings and accessories. KEEP IT LIGHT In this case that refers to the weight of the furnishings. Wicker chairs can turn from facing the television to the views with little effort, and as Carr notes, “An aluminum dining table and chairs can be transferred with ease from one terrace to another based on entertaining needs.”

DESIGN DETAILS
ARCHITECT Martin Manley Architects INTERIOR DESIGN Sarah Carr Interior Design CONSTRUCTION Cohen Construction Inc.

As seen in the May/June 2020 issue

RESOURCES

WINDOW SEAT PILLOWS & FUR THROW from Hygge Life LIVING ROOM PILLOWS & ACCESSORIES from Vintage Magnolia LOUNGE CHAIRS & COFFEE TABLE from Brownstone Upholstery (out of business) CONSOLE TABLE from Restoration Hardware STOOLS UNDER CONSOLE from CB2 FLOOR LAMP by Noir Furniture from Ivy Stone – Wendy Osbourne RUG Custom Moroccan from Creative Floors SECTIONAL from Mountain Living Furniture KITCHEN STOOLS from Restoration Hardware DINING ROOM TABLE from Restoration Hardware CHAIRS from Sunpan Modern Home MASTER BEDROOM BENCH from Home Outfitters FLOOR LAMP from CB2 BED Vintage LOUNGE CHAIR from Arhaus WALL SCONCES by Visual Comfort from Dessein Lighting CAMEROON JUJU HATS from Outpost Original SIDE TABLE from Restoration Hardware MASTER BATHROOM TOWELS from Hygge Life WALL SCONCES from Arteriors POWDER ROOM TOWELS & ACCESSORIES from Hygge Life WALLCOVERING by Elitis from Kneedler Fauchere SCONCES by Shades of Light from Vail Lights VANITY by Native Trails from Dahl Plumbing BAR SCONCES by Currey & Co. from Vail Lights WOVEN CHAIR from Belize OUTDOOR SOFA & POUFS from CB2 PILLOWS from Salt Creek Home PORCH SWING from Houzz Trade PORCH SWING PILLOWS from Salt Creek Home