Inside a Vail Condo with Snow-Covered Slopes and Sunlit Rooms

Living stylishly inside the original gondola building.

1 hour ago

Alicita Rodriguez,

Bathed in natural light, the spacious great room offers a mountainside view that includes the iconic clock tower and gondola. The interior’s earthy palette is drawn from the winter forest and snow-covered slopes. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield

The location, history and design of this Vail condo highlight the beauty of the charming Colorado ski town and the splendor of its slopes. Its owners have a long-term relationship with the mountain. “My skier husband first visited Vail in his teens,” the wife says. “He fell in love with it and knew this is where he wanted to be.”

Situated in the original Vail gondola building, the condo faces a large expanse of white bowls, with a view of the Gore and Sawatch mountain ranges surrounding the Vail Valley. To make the interior as sublime as the exterior, the couple worked with Amy Casey and Joanne Brutsch of Casey & Co. Interior Design. “Obviously this is an iconic property location where you’re in such close proximity to the Vail gondola,” Brutsch says. “It’s literally right outside your living room.”

The dining room conveys a distinctive Vail vibe: original David Yarrow artwork adds vibrant color, and the custom millwork flanking the staircase is inspired by a vintage Vail logo. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield

One of the first things the homeowners did? Research. “I uncovered details of our structure, which made it more of a home to us,” the wife notes. “I found an original picture that I had enlarged on canvas and framed; it was taken from a small gondola above Pepi’s Face looking down on our building—so special! I always point it out to guests.”

The designers were also inspired by the home’s history. “We added a variety of elements throughout the space that nod to this original gondola building and vintage Vail,” Casey says. In the great room, she took inspiration from the past to create a dark wall of custom millwork that defines the area without taking attention away from the staircase. “We wanted a dramatic contrast on the wall behind the fireplace, but the geometry of that design really came from a vintage Vail logo,” Casey explains.

A marble slab backsplash captures the colors and textures of the winter landscape. Integrated into the waterfall island, the wooden bar hosts a trio of dark upholstered chairs, providing contrast to the organic palette. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield

The homeowners chose artwork to further highlight skiing culture. The wife says, “Our David Yarrow artwork is amazing!” Casey knew exactly where one of Yarrow’s photographs was taken: “From Minturn, which is very close to here—and I happen to love the saloon in that photograph.” The oversize print adds color to the space as well. “The red accents in the wine glasses and books are pulled from the artwork on the dining room wall,” the wife says. “And I purchased the same vintage skis from that piece to lean against the wall,” she adds.

The surrounding terrain, however, sets the palette for the interiors, which are dominated by earth tones. The wife is particularly fond of her chocolate mohair dining room chairs: “I had seen these almost two years before the build—and they never left my vision to be put in the home.” The powder room plays up winter. “Our backlit wall is a great accent—it feels like a snowy mountain,” she observes.

An exposed beam, linear fireplace, large horizontal window and stripe-motif rug create a cohesive, streamlined space for apres-ski entertainment. The custom pool table picks up the tones of the wide-plank floor. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield

With this Vail condo, the homeowners paid homage to the ski resort’s history while carving out their own style, with the help of the designers. The wife concludes,
“They pulled it all together in a mountain chic look that I had envisioned for our home—warm and inviting but with a wow factor!”

In the primary bedroom, an interior window lets in natural light. Philip Jeffries wallpaper displays a meandering gold stripe that evokes a ski run’s twists and turns. The abstract designer rug suggests a winter scene. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield