At Home on the River

A remote fly-fishing retreat blends high-country style and farmhouse comfort to make a perfect summer escape

There are not many places in the West—or even the world—where design aficionados and fly-fishermen can dwell together happily. But this private fishing retreat outside of Wolcott, Colorado, is one such spot.

The 1,200-acre property includes a main house—a gathering place for the owners and their guests—several guest cabins and a fishing cabin, all designed by Houston-based Curtis & Windham Architects. The Colorado River runs through the estate, and a bridge offers fly-fishermen the perfect casting spot. “The property is gorgeous,” says Ashley Campbell, the project’s interior designer. “It’s remote and quiet—quintessential Colorado.”The 1,200-acre property includes a main house—a gathering place for the owners and their guests—several guest cabins and a fishing cabin, all designed by Houston-based Curtis & Windham Architects. The Colorado River runs through the estate, and a bridge offers fly-fishermen the perfect casting spot. “The property is gorgeous,” says Ashley Campbell, the project’s interior designer. “It’s remote and quiet—quintessential Colorado.”

Campbell and her mother, interior designer Gail Mahoney, created interiors that feel like a brighter, cleaner riff on the typical mountain lodge. The spaces also give a subtle nod to the retreat’s purpose as a fly-fisherman’s haven—without falling into the design tropes that sometimes plague fishing cabins. Campbell describes the style as “mountain farmhouse, with lots of color."

The pair began in the 3,000-square-foot main house, where the owners gather with family and colleagues after a day on the river. The owners wanted the house to function for small gatherings as well as large parties, so the designers worked to transform its expansive rooms with lofty ceilings into a series of intimate spaces that connect to one another. In the game room, they floated the furniture to break up the space into smaller areas, some perfect for a single guest—like the tufted leather chair and ottoman beside the stone fireplace—and others that seat groups of eight or 10. In the living/dining room, the designers played with furniture heights: High-back dining chairs match the scale of the large room, while shorter sofas, positioned in the middle of the space, let the views take center stage. “It took some ingenuity on our part to figure out how to create little vignettes within each space, and to make it feel balanced,” Campbell says. “The rooms are huge but cozy.”

A warm color palette amps up the home’s cozy factor with its range of neutrals accented by a few bold hues. The great room’s red, black and cream combo—shown off in Pindler & Pindler fabric curtains and floorcoverings from New Moon Rugs—contrasts beautifully with the light walls and dark wood floors. In the kitchen, Campbell and Mahoney worked with professional painters to create the walls’ aged, whitewashed look; they played up the custom copper hood’s color with a complementary Lee Jofa fabric on the comfy island stools. (Trout carved into the millwork add a hint of whimsy.) Just off the kitchen, the living room’s black, cream and green palette, accented with pops of red, gives a nod to the outdoors. In particular, the bold contrast of light walls and dark curtains—in a large-scale floral print from Osborne & Little—draws attention to the windows and the retreat’s spectacular views beyond. 

Each guest cabin shows off its own style, with combinations of feel-good fabrics and rich wood tones that are distinctive and yet in line with the overall design. For the master bath in the owners’ cabin, architect Bill Curtis envisioned a red wood vanity and matching wood paneling around the tub. The designers carried that bold hue into the master bedroom, where shades of red accent a neutral palette with finishes and accessories that echo their main-house counterparts. And while the millwork in the fishing cabin’s bait-and-tackle room is a bold green, its design—including the carved trout motif—refers subtly to the kitchen’s style.Each guest cabin shows off its own style, with combinations of feel-good fabrics and rich wood tones that are distinctive and yet in line with the overall design. For the master bath in the owners’ cabin, architect Bill Curtis envisioned a red wood vanity and matching wood paneling around the tub. The designers carried that bold hue into the master bedroom, where shades of red accent a neutral palette with finishes and accessories that echo their main-house counterparts. And while the millwork in the fishing cabin’s bait-and-tackle room is a bold green, its design—including the carved trout motif—refers subtly to the kitchen’s style.

The whole property is a study in casual, sophisticated cohesion. “We wanted the rooms to feel livable, to make people feel like they could relax and use the spaces as they wanted,” Campbell says. And if you happen to love fly-fishing and great design, there’s probably no place better.  

GET THE LOOK
​When it's time to design your own fishing retreat, shop designers Ashley Campbell and Gail Mahoney's favorite sources: 

New Moon Rugs, newmoonrugs.com Woven in Nepal from Tibetan wool and Chinese silk, these rugs come in a wide variety of gorgeous patterns and colors. Campbell is particularly fond of the company’s Mesa line, a modern interpretation of Southwestern prints.

Asia Minor Carpets, asiaminorcarpets.com In addition to selling beautiful rugs, this company transforms worn or damaged rugs into beautiful one-of-a-kind ottomans. For this fishing retreat, the designers chose several ottomans for their sophisticated pops of color.

BoBo Intriguing Objects, bobointriguingobjects.com This company certainly lives up to its name: The designers found the handsome wine-barrel chandelier for the game room here, but the company (which sells exclusively to the trade) also carries stylish furniture, beautiful mirrors and decorative objects you never knew you always wanted.

INTERIOR DESIGN Ashley Campbell, Gail Mahoney, ASID, Ashley Campbell Interior Design, Denver, Colo., 303-996-6195, ashley@ashleycampbell.com, ashleycampbell.com ARCHITECTURE Bill Curtis, Curtis Windham,  Houston, Tex., 713-942-7251, curtisandwindham.com BUILDER  George Shaeffer Construction, Vail, Colo., 970-845-5656, georgeshaeffer.com GAME ROOM AUTHOR'S CHAIR Hancock & MooreRUG New Moon Rugs DRIED FLORAL Bouganvillea LIVING ROOM ANTIQUE RUG OTTOMAN Asia Minor Carpets DRAPERY Osborne & Little SOFAS Lee, Pearson RUG Sartori Rugs SUEDE CHAIRS Wesley Hall OWNERS’ CABIN SLIPPER CHAIR Pearson, fabric by Highland CourtCOCKTAIL Taracea LEATHER CHAIRS Paul Robert DINING AREA & KITCHENETTE DINING CHAIRS Woodland Furniture HALL CHEST Vanguard Furniture GUEST ROOM IN-LAID WOOD BED Theodore & Alexander LAMPS The Natural Light NIGHTSTANDS John Richard CAROLE LIVING ROOM DRAPERY Giant Fabrics, Kneedler Fauchere, Denver Design District, Denver, Colo., 303-744-7474 UPHOLSTERED ROUND OTTOMAN Stanford Furniture SECTIONAL Century Furniture ANTIQUE RUG Jatex International PAINT COLOR Sherwin Williams – SW6438 "Dill,” Sherwin Williams, sherwin-williams.com ALL FURNISHINGS & ACCESSORIES SOLD BY ASHLEY CAMPBELL INTERIOR DESIGN, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED Ashley Campbell Interior Design, Denver, Colo., 303-996-6195, ashleycampbell.com