A Mountain Home on the Range
A new rustic home exudes heritage and rich character with timeworn materials, eclectic accessories and vintage details
It might look like it was built a century ago, but this rustic home in Granby, Colorado, is brand new. If visitors are surprised, it’s because the structure feels so at home at the historic C Lazy U Guest Ranch and Resort, an 8,500-acre property founded in 1919 that includes a neighborhood of private ranch estates, a luxury dude ranch and amenities that range from horseback riding and fly-fishing to fine dining.
“The homeowner selected this particular site for its views of the Continental Divide,” says architect Christopher L. Dallmus, president and principal of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Design Associates. “He wanted a ranch-style home, so we updated some of the traditional ranch house architectural features. For example, the exterior dormers are actually skylights that bring light into the great room.”
Beck Building Company constructed the 3,200-square-foot home, cladding the exterior in local beetlekill pine. “The structure’s core has a log cabin aesthetic with the siding applied horizontally to convey that it’s the original house,” Dallmus explains. “For the outer wings, we switched to a vertical board treatment to suggest that the structure was added to over time.” To emphasize the illusion of age and ground the house to the site, the team selected a corrugated-steel roof that quickly developed a rusted patina, and left the surrounding landscape largely untouched.
Interior designer Rebecca Kaufman, of Denver’s rebaL design, was charged with giving the home character and the look of a place that has been there for decades. To create a cozy vibe and continuity with the exterior, she covered the walls in the main living area with weathered beetlekill pine and chose salvaged Wyoming snow fence paneling for the home’s private wings. She sourced reclaimed oak and handmade clay bricks to cover the floors, found stamped tin to highlight some of the ceilings, and scoured antiques dealers and junk stores to find special touches like antique plumbing fixtures, vintage hardware and push-button light switches.
Kaufman developed a muted color palette and family-friendly mix of classic and modern furnishings for the home’s open main-floor living space. Comfortable and durable sofas and ottomans surround a large petrified tree root that functions as a coffee table, and a large moss rock fireplace showcases a 5-foot-wide moose mount the homeowner found in Alaska.
To create the kitchen’s casual ranch house vibe, Kaufman began by having custom cabinetry made from reclaimed Douglas fir. She had several display cabinets fitted with rustic wire mesh panels rather than glass, and she dressed the classic farmhouse-style sink with a fabric skirt in a wood-grain-print fabric. An oversized work island provides casual seating, and the nearby dining area pairs a farmhouse-style table with benches instead of chairs to keep the space open.
In an adjacent powder room, Kaufman covered an entire wall with colorful vintage license plates, and refurbished an old English fountain for the sink.
The designer created a peaceful retreat in the light-filled master suite, pairing soft linens in blues and grays with a plush Moroccan rug. In the master bathroom, an antique 1880s galvanized bathtub takes center stage—and actually works, thanks to modernized fixtures. In addition to a comfortable guest suite, the home has a spacious children’s bunkroom with eight full-sized beds, each with curtains that can be closed for extra privacy.
The homeowner is hard-pressed to name his favorite space. “I love working in the office and seeing the beautiful views while I’m on a conference call,” he says. “We also spend a lot of time enjoying the outdoor spaces—watching the sunrise from one porch and taking in the sunset from the other.”
He has a long-term vision for the 35-acre homestead, which he hopes will endure for decades to come: “I’d like for my children to have homes here when they get married and have their own kids and grandkids,” he says. “I want this property to be a legacy for many future generations.”
To keep the dining area from feeling cluttered, Denver interior designer Rebecca Kaufman paired a custom trestle-base table with upholstered benches in lieu of traditional dining chairs. The Dufrene head chairs are by Artistic Frame, and the light fixture is by Ragged Mountain Antler Chandeliers.
The west-facing front porch is the perfect spot to watch the sunset.
For the inviting living area, Kaufman had custom ottomans made from raw-edged linen that resembles denim; the Atlantis coffee table by Groovystuff is crafted from a petrified tree root. The Moroccan rug is from Artisan Rug Gallery, and the grandfather clock is a family heirloom.
The kitchen features custom cabinetry from New Mountain Design, a vintage porcelain sink and an oversized work island. The Manuscript pendant lights overhead are by Currey & Company, and the bar stools are from Restoration Hardware.
Muted blues and grays create a restful retreat in the master suite, where Kaufman paired a custom bed in navy Edelman leather with a Bentley chair by Dessin Fournir. Hudson Valley Lighting sconces were wired directly to the headboard for nighttime reading.
Walls are covered in weathered reclaimed Wyoming snow fencing.
The master bathroom’s funky 1880s high-back galvanized bathtub was updated with functional new plumbing fixtures.
A Pearson sectional sofa is a comfortable landing spot in the entertainment area; it faces a Clint coffee table from Arteriors Home. Oilfield Slang created the vintage pipe sconces.
Kaufman incorporated authentic details like tin ceilings and handmade clay brick flooring throughout the home.
A built-in window seat is a cozy vantage point for watching wildlife.
The powder-room walls are covered in colorful vintage license plates, and the sink is a repurposed 1930s European fountain.
ECLECTIC DETAILS
“I love scouring junk shops and antiques stores to source unique materials, repurposed items and funky fixtures,” says interior designer Rebecca Kaufman. Here, she shares a few of her favorite finds for this ranch house:
Water faucets
A custom night light near the children’s bunkroom is crafted from antique water spigots that are wired with illuminated handblown-glass “water drips.”
Plumbing pipe
An unusual custom lighted book rack was built from reclaimed plumbing pipe and elbows, then fitted with Edison light bulbs. “I love its rustic, industrial feel,” Kaufman says.
Car parts
In the powder room, a pair of Model T Ford headlights are repurposed as sconces; a worn vintage mirror is an original from a 1940s Chevy truck.
Vintage fixtures
The master bathtub is an antique galvanized “Rock n’ Drain” tub that was originally filled with a hand-crank pump (and once appeared in the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). “When you were done bathing, you literally rocked back and drained the tub,” says Kaufman, who had the piece plumbed and paired it with a retrofitted 1920s F.E. Myers and Bro. pump.
License plates
Kaufman covered one entire wall of the powder room with a colorful assortment of old license plates. “I bought five complete sets of all 50 states from various dealers so we could pick and choose the exact ones we wanted to display,” she says.
DESIGN DETAILS
ARCHITECTURE Chris Dallmus, Design Associates Boston, MA 617-661-9082 INTERIOR DESIGN Rebecca Kaufman, rebaL design Denver, CO 303-818-6306 CONSTRUCTION Forrest Watson/Robyn, Beck Building Company Vail, CO 970-949-1800 CUSTOM CARPENTRY Mark Hebbring, Peak Craftsmen, Granby, CO 970-531-6532 CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS Meliha & Enes Zepcan, MZ Draperies, Arvada, CO 303-458-5991 CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY Don Romero, Don Romero Upholstery, Denver, CO 303-455-2057 PLUMBING Travis Appelhans, Grand Lake Plumbing, Grand Lake, CO 303-443-2802 BEETLE KILL MATERIALS Kent Hester, Hester’s Log and Lumber, Kremling, CO 970-724-3868 INTERIOR TRIM CARPENTER Jeff Eyres, J L Eyres LLC, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 970-531-7642 CUSTOM CABINETRY Jason McConathy, New Mountain Design, Granby, CO 970-887-3397 CONCRETE SHOWER Reggie Martinez, RM Concrete, Vail, CO 970-471-9805 LOG SIDING Jimmy DeLong, Rocky Mountain Creations, Leadville, CO 970-376-0868 INTERIOR TRIM MATERIALS Josh DeGuire, Specialty Wood Products, Denver, CO 800-760-8484 CUSTOM METAL WORK Collin Price, Shadow Mountain Forge Inc, Conifer, CO 303-670-3060 ARTWORK MOUNTAIN MEADOW Artist: Warren Neary, Gallery: Abend Gallery Denver, CO 303-355-0950 PEARL & PIXID Artist: Elsa Sroka, Gallery: Abend Gallery GATHERING THE HERD Artist: Lani Vlaanderen, Gallery: Abend Gallery CAPOTE BLANKET Artist: Nathan Solano, Gallery: Abend Gallery WHAT I’D SAY NOW Artist: Nathan Solano, Gallery: Abend Gallery WARREN Artist: Elsa Sroka, Gallery: Abend Gallery HANDSOME BARN Artist: Samantha Buller, Gallery: Abend Gallery COWS ON BLUE HILL Artist: Elsa Sroka, Gallery: Abend Gallery INDIAN ON HORSE Artist: Nathan Solano, Gallery: Abend Gallery YAMPA RIVER EARLY SPRING Artist: Gregory Block, Gallery: 1261 Gallery Denver, CO 303-571-1261 UNTITLED ART Artist: Mark Nelson, Gallery: 1261 Gallery KITCHEN VINTAGE TOLEDO BAR CHAIR Restoration Hardware MANUSCRIPT PENDANTS Currey & Company DINING ROOM ANTLER CHANDELIERS Ragged Mountain Antler Chandeliers, Hamilton, MT 406-961-2400 CUSTOM SOUMAK DESIGN RUG Artisan Rug Gallery DUFRENE ARM CHAIRS & CUSTOM BENCHES Manufacturer: Artistic Frame, Vendor: Shanahan Collection, Denver Design District TRESTLE BASE DINING TABLE Manufacturer: New Classics, Vendor: Shanahan Collection, Denver Design District LIVING ROOM ANTIQUE MOROCCAN RUG Artisan Rug Gallery CORDOVEA SOFA Manufacturer: Cisco Brothers, Vendor: CAI Designs, Denver Design District CUSTOM CUBE OTTOMANS Don Romero Upholstery GOLDBERG TABLE LAMP Manufacturer: Arteriors Home, Vendor: Objet, Denver Design District INDUSTRIAL SMALL LIFT SCISSOR TABLE Restoration Hardware BROWN LEATHER FLOOR LAMP Manufacturer: Palacek, Vendor: CAI Designs, Denver Design District ATLANTIS COFFEE TABLE Groovystuff MASTER BEDROOM CUSTO MORROCAN RUG Artisan Rug Gallery CUSTOM FULLY UPHOLSTERED LEATHER BED Don Romero Upholstery CUSTOM NIGHT CHEST Manufacturer: LaLune Collection, Vendor: Shanahan Collection, Denver Design District ATLAS BENCH Manufacturer: Arteriors Home, Vendor: Objet, Denver Design District ANVIL OCCASIONAL TABLE Manufacturer: Arteriors Home, Vendor: Objet, Denver Design District BENTLEY CHAIR Manufacturer: Dessin Fournir, Vendor: Kneedler Fauchere, Denver Design District BEETON FLOOR LAMP Manufacturer: Dovetail, Vendor: Chuck Wells, Denver Design District ENTERTAINMENT ROOM CUSTOM VINTAGE PIPE SCONCES Oilfield Slang, Dallas, TX SHANTO FLOWER AREA RUG Artisan Rug Gallery ANTIQUE BAKTIARI RUNNER Artisan Rug Gallery T-CUSHION SECTIONAL Manufacturer: Pearson, Chuck Wells, Denver Design District CLINT COCKTAIL TABLE Manufacturer: Arteriors Home, Vendor: Objet, Denver Design District ADAMS TABLE LAMP Manufacturer: Dovetail, Vendor: Chuck Wells, Denver Design District JAMMU STOOL POUF Manufacturer: Dovetail, Vendor: Chuck Wells, Denver Design District OFFICE CAVALLINI IN THE WILD COWHIDE RUG Edelman Leather FRASER DESK LAMP Manufacturer: Arteriors Home, Vendor: Objet, Denver Design District DEVON DESK CHAIR Manufacturer: Four Hands, Vendor: Columbine Showroom, Denver Design District GUEST BATH LANDER MIRROR Manufacturer: Arteriors Home, Vendor: Objet, Denver Design District
