Mountain Kitchen Designs Worth Emulating

Photo: Kimberly Gavin

Each of these mountain kitchens includes a special design element that makes it a one-of-a-kind design. From gold-veined stone countertops and back­splashes to customized hardware, a handy elevator and push-button storage spaces—each kitchen has a unique story to tell.

Modern Rustic

Once a dark, low-ceilinged room cut off from the rest of the home, this Beaver Creek, Colorado, kitchen has been transformed into a light-filled gathering space anchored by two islands—one dedicated to cooking, the other for family to congregate. The homeowners also wanted the space to flow seamlessly into the great room, inviting both cooking and conversation. Designer Yvonne Jacobs of Jacobs + Interiors was enlisted to create a contemporary kitchen that would also reflect its high-country surroundings. “I used Arrigoni oak floors, rough-hewn cabinetry and burnished
barnwood walls to introduce a rustic element into the sleek kitchen,” says Jacobs.

One of the barnwood walls encloses an elevator—an invaluable feature in the four-floor townhome. A 60-inch double sink in the cooking island allows two people to work side by side, while ample storage is tucked beneath the islands and behind sleek, hardware-free brushed-wood cabinetry. The kitchen is outfitted with Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer units (including undercounter drawers) and a Wolf dual-fuel range—brands Jacobs describes as “workhorses that perform exceptionally well at high altitude.” The result is a hardworking culinary hub that balances modern functionality with mountain-inspired warmth.

INTERIOR DESIGN: Jacobs + Interiors
ARCHITECTURE – Berglund Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR – Beck Building Company
CABINETRY – Heartwood Custom Woodworks
COUNTERTOPS – Galleria of Stone
APPLIANCES – Sub-Zero/Wolf
FLOORING – Arrigoni Woods

Photo: Dallas + Harris

Open and Airy

Interior designer Amanda Furlong, lead senior designer at Cathers Home, welcomed the opportunity to work with returning clients who had recently purchased a 26-year-old home in Snowmass Village, Colorado. An active family who enjoys the outdoors and frequently hosts large gatherings of relatives and friends, the homeowners wanted a layout that was better suited to their needs and that would feel comfortable year-round.

Furlong worked closely with Hinge Architects and Silverado Builders to reimagine the home as an open-plan retreat by removing partition walls, which also dramatically increased natural light. One of the most significant changes came in the kitchen, where a former dividing wall was replaced with a handsome load-bearing beam, fully integrating the space into the great room. “We blew the kitchen wide open,” Furlong says with a grin.

Wood flooring runs continuously from the front door through the great room and dining area into the kitchen, unifying the spaces. The countertops and kitchen island, topped with Taj Mahal quartzite, incorporate clever storage solutions. The cabinet to the right of the range, for example, conceals a full-size KitchenAid mixer (plugged in and ready to use) that rises to countertop height at the push of a button. By thoughtfully reimagining the layout, Furlong created an open and welcoming environment perfectly suited for mountain living.

INTERIOR DESIGN – Cathers Home
ARCHITECTURE – Hinge Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR – Silverado Builders
CABINETRY – Thurston Kitchen & Bath
APPLIANCES – Thermador
SINK AND FAUCET – Kohler
COUNTERTOPS: Hardstone (Taj Mahal Quartzite)
LIGHTING: Arteriors Home
HARDWARE: Amerock Hardware
BAR STOOLS: Vanguard Furniture

Photo: Dominique Taylor

Little Jewel Box 

When it was time for an active family—all avid skiers—to redesign and rebuild their slopeside home in Vail, they tapped KH Webb Architects to plan a modern alpine retreat that would be a gathering place for family and friends. The kitchen is tucked into one corner of the massive great room, and, despite its modest size (about 14 by 15 feet), it stands out as a “jewel box” of craftsmanship and design.

“The family wanted a small, pretty and maintenance-free space,” says Paul Anderson, designer at Exquisite Kitchen Design (EKD). Creamy slabs of gold-veined quartzite (Bluedeep 3CM) on the countertops and backsplashes, combined with gold-tone faucets, brings subtle shine without ostentation. Textured melamine resin cabinetry conceals appliances for a sleek, uncluttered look. In the bar area, cabinets are carbon oak with a chevron veneer.

Glass-and-brass lighting pendants, reeded-glass cabinet doors and an antique-brass patinated range hood give the kitchen another layer of sophistication. EKD collaborated with interior designer Yvonne Jacobs of Jacobs + Interiors. “Yvonne has great taste, a clear vision and is such a pleasure to work with,” Anderson says. The resulting kitchen perfectly balances beauty and function. It is a serene, maintenance-free hub for a high-energy, multigenerational family whose lifestyle centers around skiing and togetherness.

INTERIOR DESIGN – Jacobs + Interiors and Exquisite Kitchen Design
ARCHITECTURE – KH Webb Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR – RA Nelson
CABINETRY – Cabbonet
COUNTERTOPS – Galleria of Stone
APPLIANCES – Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove, Eurocave wine cooler
RANGE HOOD SHROUD – Raw Urth
FAUCET: Waterstone (kitchen); Gessi (bar)
LIGHTING: Hubbardton Forge
HARDWARE:  Schwinn (edge pulls); Ashley Norton (appliance pulls)
BAR STOOLS: Interlude Home

Photo: Carson Johnston

Beautiful and Useful

For the revamp of this once-dated kitchen in Ketchum, Idaho, interior designer Elizabeth Ellis, principal at Ellis Interior Design, worked closely with the homeowner (co-founder of Rocky Mountain Hardware). “Now open to the great room, the kitchen has an open concept feel … but the lowered wood ceiling adds warmth and gives it a more intimate feel,” Ellis says. One of the 12-by-20-foot kitchen’s outstanding features is an ebonized white oak island with a butcher-block top and plenty of drawers to keep everything neatly organized.

“Carefully planning where I’ll put everything—from tea towels to silverware to soup pots—is one of the first things I do when I’m designing a kitchen,” Ellis says. She selected quartzite for the countertops because it has the look of marble but resists etching and staining. In what Ellis describes as “an awkward corner,” the quartzite was extended all the way to the ceiling, turning a design challenge into a striking design feature.

The hood above the Wolf range echoes horizontal lines in the cabinetry and wooden ceiling, while a mix of wood and metal strapping adds visual interest. Ellis also transformed a former closet into a sleek little bar area. Rocky Mountain Hardware, which Ellis praises for both its design and versatility, is used throughout. “RMH can customize almost anything you can imagine, and it’s a beautiful way to introduce metallic elements—a little shine—into a space.”

INTERIOR DESIGN – Ellis Interior Design
GENERAL CONTRACTOR – Cumulus Construction Company
CABINETRY – Taylor Woodworks Sun Valley
COUNTERTOPS –Francini Marble & Granite
APPLIANCES – Sub-Zero/Wolf
SINK – Waterworks
FAUCET, LIGHTING AND HARDWARE – Rocky Mountain Hardware

As featured in Mountain Living’s March/April 2026 issue.