Calm, Cool & Collected in Telluride
Art is at the heart of this clean-lined, contemporary home
An original George Nakashima table is matched with a custom walnut-and-leather banquette and Holly Hunt chairs, with an Orikata Saucer pendant from Room & Board hanging overhead. | Photography by Emily Minton Redfield
When a powerful art collection takes center stage, interior design can play a supporting role. That’s exactly the balancing act Casey & Co. Interior Design’s Joanne Brutsch performed for an art-filled new home in Telluride, Colorado.
“Rosebudder,” by Lakota artist Dwayne Wilcox, provides a striking focal point above a minimalist fireplace in the living room, joined by a Tech Lighting Fiama chandelier, Holly Hunt Pampa sofa and Room & Board Gibson coffee table.
The homeowners, both retired geologists, have an extensive collection of Native American art that they’ve amassed over decades. “My wife and I first started looking at and buying Native American—specifically Southwest Indian—art back in 1980 on our honeymoon when we found ourselves in Santa Fe,” the homeowner explains. “There’s nothing behind glass,” he says. “It’s sort of a constant presence in our life.”
Neutral walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s “Super White” provide a perfect backdrop for artwork.
Inspired by photos of old miners’ cottages, the homeowners worked with their architect—Kristine Perpar of Telluride’s Shift Architects—to achieve a modern interpretation of that look. “I would call it an updated miner’s shack or miner’s home,” the homeowner says. “And the interior was intended to be contemporary.” Built by Evans Construction, the 3,000-square-foot home is divided into three levels.
The combined dining area and sitting room, with Troscan Fitz Petite Swivel lounge chairs, opens onto an outdoor patio where Loll Tall Adirondack chairs sit beside a fire table.
Joanne Brutsch, of Vail and Denver-based Casey & Co. Interior Design, had collaborated with the homeowners on a previous project, and they asked her to help again with their new place in Telluride. “We knew that the art would dominate in terms of color and pattern, and what we needed and wanted was a pretty neutral background on which to build that out,” says the homeowner. So, Brutsch created spaces that would highlight their collection of art, antiques and artifacts. “Having worked with them before, the aesthetic was to keep things fairly neutral and light and airy, but then pop in color with artwork and pillows,” she explains. Brutsch also brought nature into the mix. “We wanted to incorporate these pretty wood finishes and textural things that are a little more organic,” she says.
The clean-lined kitchen is fresh and airy, with glossy white cabinets and Della Terra Quartz countertops. A quartet of chrome Bertoia stools from Design Within Reach line up along the island, with a 36-inch Sonneman Suspenders 3-Bar Offset Linear light fixture shining above.
The home’s light-filled spaces have contemporary fixtures and furnishings, with a nod to Midcentury Modern. “We kept very clean lines, and there’s just a level of practicality where everything really had a purpose when we selected it,” Brutsch says. “As a designer, we like to do a lot of extra things, but it was kind of refreshing to just have this really thoughtful approach.” The homeowners’ 1970s George Nakashima dining table inspired Brutsch to design a cantilevered walnut-and-leather banquette to provide stylish—and space-saving— seating. A sleek, minimalist kitchen features glossy white cabinetry and Bertoia counter stools, and the living room has built-in shelves for display, a linear fireplace and bold artwork on white walls.
The primary bedroom features an Eames lounge chair and ottoman from Design Within Reach in mango mohair, with a Benton adjustable floor lamp by Ralph Lauren for Visual Comfort.
Upstairs, in the primary bedroom, Brutsch kept the décor simple and light in deference to the incredible view. But she added one delightful surprise: a classic Eames lounge chair and ottoman upholstered in mango mohair for relaxing by the window. “We just wanted to add a pop of fun, energizing color,” she says. “With Telluride, just looking out the window is your art.”
The primary bedroom has a custom walnut-and-leather headboard and Enders Road lamp tables from Vanguard Furniture.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Nestled into the town of Telluride, this new three-story home is a modern twist on a vintage miner’s cottage. The interiors are clean-lined and white-walled, providing an elegant backdrop for the homeowners’ extensive collection of Native American art. Furnishings and fixtures add contemporary style with midcentury flair.
The powder room walls are clad in Arizona Tile’s Jumbo Hex pattern, with a Visual Comfort Calix small pendant and West Elm side table.
PROJECT DETAILS
LOCATION: Telluride, Colorado
SIZE: 3,000 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms
INTERIOR DESIGN: Joanne Brutsch, Casey & Co. Interior Design, Vail and Denver, Colorado
