Creative and Organic Elements Inspire a Contemporary Feel

A heritage cattle ranch in Montana becomes a retired couple’s peaceful retreat on long-cherished family lands.

8 hours ago

Dana W. Todd,

The home was built on top of a flattened knoll to respect views of the Crazy Mountains. A palette of sand and honey gives the residence a sense that it sprang directly from the sagebrush. | Photo: Whitney Kamman

Sunrise on the ranch is the homeowners’ favorite time of the day. The couple makes it a priority to sit in their favorite chairs in the great room, swiveling them toward the expansive windows and glass sliders that flow across the wall that faces the Crazy Mountains. As a cattle rancher, the husband always considered early morning to be a sacred time. Now that he is retired, he has the opportunity to take in the views tucked inside the couple’s spacious new ranch home, which was designed by 45 Architecture & Interiors and built by Battle Ridge Construction near Livingston, Montana.

By the time they met their architects—principal and owner Jeff Lusin, and director of residential design Tanner Skelton—the couple had already chosen the location where they wanted to build their home on the ranching land that has been in the husband’s family for 62 years. “We often played a game while walking the property: If we ever built a home, where would it be?” the homeowner explains. “We chose a knoll that seemed the most logical place; it was the site of an old salt box where the cows used to graze.”

The interiors nod to the landscape, which transforms from a deep green dotted with silver in the spring to an equally beautiful brown during dry periods—all under an endlessly blue sky. | Photo: Whitney Kamman

The architectural and building team lowered the knoll a few feet and leveled it to prepare for the homebuilding process, anchoring it into the space with gabion walls. The home’s flat roof makes “it appear as if it sprang from the surrounding sagebrush,” Lusin says. “While it was easy to place the house to capture views, it was more difficult to situate it to reduce exposure. We created privacy by using the long vistas of the cattle ranch surrounding the home.”

He continues, “Using authentic raw materials—native Montana moss rock that could have been mined from the site, steel accents and wood siding—keeps with the local tonality.” Adds Skelton, “The big picture is that the homeowners have a deep respect for this family land, so we blended the materials and forms to feel organic and native to the property.”

Blue leather, plush deep-brown banquette upholstery and an organically shaped table in the bar reflect the landscape and coordinate with colors in the homeowners’ cowboy art collection. | Photo: Whitney Kamman

Distinguishing features provide a home specially tailored to the couple. The layout is divided into three distinct structures that allow the homeowners to entertain while having off-hours privacy. The common wing, guest wing and private wing are connected by hallways that are experiences in and of themselves. “The hallways are not afterthoughts,” Skelton says. “The path of circulation throughout the home includes windows to lighten interiors and provide secondary views.” Outside, stone portals “frame” mountain views to emphasize the landscape’s importance.

Interior designer Heather Porlier, also of 45 Architecture & Interiors, used the same raw materials inside—a steel fireplace and distinctive wood-grain walls, ceilings and cabinetry—letting the landscape become part of the interior design. “We developed the color palette based on the homeowners’ art collection, with fun pops of color pulled from the cowboy art mixed with blues and walnut wood,” she says.

Distinctive wood grain on stacked cabinets, and columnar pendants highlight the kitchen’s verticality, while luxe marble countertops and understated stools add quiet support. | Photo: Whitney Kamman

She reflected the couple’s appreciation for the lines and colors of Midcentury Modern style through chandelier choices. “While we incorporated some traditional elements, we didn’t feel the need to define the style; it is their distinctive style, which is fun, creative and organic,” Porlier continues. Says the homeowner, “To the architects’ credit, they listened well, anticipated our needs and designed appropriately. Our home is a happy refuge from a very busy world.”

The architectural design captures secondary and tertiary views, including a creek bed and an aspen grove, from windows in some of the private rooms, such as the primary suite. | Photo: Whitney Kamman

EAST MEETS WEST

When taking on a new project, an architect might consider if it is a good fit for the firm’s skill set and priorities. That was the thinking behind architect Jeff Lusin’s decision to build this retired cattle rancher’s new home, which was vastly different from the couple’s previous home, an 1885 ranch house. “We are drawn to clients who have a vision of doing something unique,” Lusin says.

“Of course, we want to accomplish what our clients charge us to do, but we appreciate the clients who align with our values and fight being too conservative.” While specifically choosing native materials to ensure this home fits into its legacy landscape, the architects took a chance—which was ultimately embraced by the homeowners—by designing a unique structure prior to building long-standing client rapport. Lusin explains, “If we removed the stone from this home, it easily could be a hyper-modern home in L.A. We blended a modern box with local materials, with walls that protrude into the land; it has an East Coast-meets-West Coast feel.

Frames constructed of Montana moss rock intentionally capture “peeks” of peaks, upleveling their significance to the home’s location. | Photo: Whitney Kamman