Owners of Jackson Home Bask in the Beauty of Nature Even Indoors
A family feels at one with nature inside their rustic but refined home in the mountains
The home, on five acres framed by the Tetons, consists of three sections connected by glassed-in walkways. Guest bedrooms are to the right, the great room occupies the middle section, and the wing to the left holds the garage, mudroom and family bedrooms. | Photography by Vivian Johnson
Even the most ardent lovers of the outdoors have to go inside eventually. The owners of this getaway in Jackson, Wyoming, got around that little inconvenience by building a house so attuned to its environment, they bask in nature even when they’re indoors.
The five-acre property has unobstructed views of the Tetons, and the house takes every opportunity to let those stunning vistas shine. Family activities take place in the main part of the dwelling, a spacious, open great room with a broad wall of glass sliders framing the mountains. “You open the front door and you look directly at Grand Teton, squarely in the middle of the house,” says designer Angela Scaletta, of San Francisco-based Angela Grace Design. “It’s just majestic.”
A broad, steel-framed fireplace anchors a great room outfitted in a mix of rustic and contemporary furnishings in a subtle palette that echoes the mountain landscape.
Two wings, accessed by glassed-in hallways, flank the great room; one holds the guest bedrooms while the other contains the garage, mudroom, a bunk room for the couple’s young children and the primary suite.
Scaletta devised a quiet interior design scheme that complements the refined rustic architecture. Neutrals reign in the sitting area, where a slouchy sofa of brown leather joins a second sofa, covered in an oatmeal-colored performance fabric that zips off for cleaning, and a pair of white-oak chairs with washable cushions. The designer used color sparingly, bringing in subtle hues that echo the outdoors for accent pieces. “I wanted to pull in the grayish-green of sagebrush, the purply-gray of the Tetons, the big blue sky,” she says.
Glossy subway tiles catch and reflect the abundant natural light, adding to the kitchen’s bright look, while brass, on the faucet and drawer pulls, lends warmth.
With three small boys, keeping things low-maintenance was important to the couple. “All the materials are highly durable, performance fabrics that are easy to clean. They have a luxurious feel, but nothing is too precious,” says Scaletta.
“I like that you don’t have to feel bad about the kids climbing on the couch, because, obviously, our kids are always climbing all over everything,” the homeowner says with a laugh.
The chandelier above the sitting area has a wagon-wheel vibe, while a floor lamp and a table lamp covered in blue linen adopt a more contemporary feel. “It was fun playing with an eclectic look, mixing rustic and modern elements,” Scaletta says.
A wall of steel-framed sliders allows indoors and outdoors to merge in every season. With three young sons, the homeowners appreciate the removable performance fabric on the sofa.
The kitchen is a model of efficiency, with its twin islands painted slate blue and topped with white Calacatta marble. On the far wall, floating shelves flank the stainless-steel range hood above a stainless stove with double ovens. “Everyone tends to gather in the kitchen, so we wanted it
to be integrated with the dining and sitting areas and the outdoors,” the homeowner explains.
The primary bedroom offers a front-row seat to the ever-changing mountain views. Designer Angela Scaletta concocted a happy mix of rustic and contemporary, pairing modern light fixtures with cozy bedding in a classic, mountain-appropriate plaid.
Bedrooms are so cozy it’s a wonder anyone wants to get up in the morning. In their west-facing room with its tall glass sliders, the homeowners snuggle into an upholstered bed layered with plaid woolen blankets that strike a perfect mountain-home tone. At sunrise, the owner recounts, the mountains take on a pink glow, while at sunset they turn purple against a darkening sky.
She and her husband love everything about their home. Still, she says, “As beautiful as it is inside, nothing we could do could compare to what’s outside those windows.”
