Mountain Zen
A Montana architect and Australian homeowners join forces to create a sleek and serene high-country retreat that pushes the envelope of mountain design
When a well-traveled Australian couple discovered the town of Big Sky, Montana, they knew their extensive search for the perfect ski destination was finally over. “After only a few days at the Yellowstone Club, we knew we had found the spot for our dream mountain home,” homeowner Steve Taylor confesses.
The Taylors were committed to maximizing their new homesite’s magnificent views of Pioneer, Cedar and Lone Mountains. Bozeman-based architect Reid Smith, of Reid Smith Architects, helped them realize their vision. “They told me, ‘We just want to float in the trees,’” Smith recalls.
Determining the shape of the home’s structure proved complicated, but ultimately rewarding. What Smith refers to as a “bony rock ridge” divides the property, creating a steep drop-off to the south. That stony spine provided just the inspiration the architect needed, sparking the idea for an axial stone wall that passes through the home and out each end. On the northern side of the wall are the public living spaces, while the private rooms are located on the southern side.
Smith explains that he and the owners “pushed each other” throughout the design process, and that synergy led to a stronger and bolder result. “I was inspired by the Taylors’ philosophy of keeping things simple but keeping the richness and the beauty in the materials,” he says. As Taylor explains, “Mountain contemporary with a Zen feel was our goal.”
While they were eager to bend some of the rules of conventional ski lodge design—the unabashed use of steel and glass might be more familiar to skyscraper-dwellers than to Montana lodge aficionados-—the owners also wanted to honor local traditions. “We wanted to create something that was true to the Montana mountain feel whilst introducing new materials that push the boundaries,” Taylor says. Smith chose reclaimed siding made from vintage corral boards to clad the structure’s jutting planes, while local Prairie fieldstone and Deep Creek ledgestone walls add rich, earthy color and texture.
Inside, the home is bathed in natural light. “Winter is long, and light is good,” Smith says of the large and dramatic windows he carefully placed to welcome sunshine into the open, airy rooms, while also capturing the jaw-dropping mountain views.
A palette of woodsy colors inspired by the home’s mountain setting adds warmth to the interior spaces, designed by Len Cotsovolos of LC2 Design Services, while also blending perfectly with the home’s clean, contemporary look.
The kitchen is a perfect example of that aesthetic. The same weathered-gray corral boards that clad the home’s exterior provide a backdrop for the kitchen’s darker wood accents and espresso-hued quartz countertops. Inspired by the seamless, minimalist style of contemporary Italian kitchen design, the flush-set wenge cabinets have integrated hardware and recessed finger pulls. “The kitchen needed to be open to the view corridor in front and toward Lone Peak,” Taylor explains. “We love the way the space seems to fit naturally in the home.”
The serene simplicity of the home’s “mountain Zen” character continues to inspire Smith, who says, “There’s a purity to it.” Sometimes a fresh approach from the other end of the world is just what it takes to see familiar traditions through clear eyes once again.
GOOD-LOOKING GLASS
Architect Reid Smith is a master of glass. Here, he shares some cutting-edge tips for making the most of the windows in your mountain home.
BE FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC VISTAS
“We used a glass façade to capture the panoramic views, but we also created some articulation within the wall of glass to frame specific mountains,” Smith explains. “Although at a quick glance it appears as a wall of glass, there is subtle definition within it that relates to specific view corridors.”
BE ENERGY EFFICIENT
These particular windows are part of a wind-resistant, triple-pane glass curtain wall system with a very high insulation factor from a German company called Unilux. The window-walls are designed to conserve heat while offering considerable passive solar gain.
BE BALANCED
Complement the hard, reflective surface of glass with a softer texture or color, as in the warm gray shades of the corral boards used on both the exterior and interior of this home.
BE CREATIVE
“I’m pretty proud of that staircase,” Smith says of the home’s sculptural stairway. His pride is well-founded: Backed by a glass wall, the open tread design features steel stringers and European white oak steps. “It spills light into the home,” the architect says.
ARCHITECTURE Reid Smith Architects, Bozeman, MT, 406-587-2597, reidsmitharchitects.com INTERIOR DESIGN LC2 Design Services, 702-870-9710, lc2designservices.com BUILDER/CONTRACTOR Teton Heritage Builders, Gallatin Gateway, MT, 406-522-0808, tetonheritagebuilders.com LIVING ROOM FLOOR LAMP LC2 Design Services, 702-870-9710, lc2designservices.com DINING ROOM CHAIRS, CHANDELIER LC2 Design Services, 702-870-9710, lc2designservices.com BEDROOM CHANDELIER, HEADBOARD LC2 Design Services, 702-870-9710, lc2designservices.com MASTER BATHROOM TUB Tyrrell & Laing International Inc., tandlinternational.com METAL TABLE LC2 Design Services, 702-870-9710, lc2designservices.com
