Sensational Ski Rooms

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A typical scene at a mountain home on a family ski day: clothing and gear strewn all over the house, people tromping up and down the stairs in clunky ski boots to grab last-minute lip balm, extra layers, snacks to throw in their pockets, etc., and the home left in disarray as you finally wrangle everyone out the door and onto the slopes.

There’s a solution to this madness—a designated space with everything you need to be contained in one place. In other words, a ski room. With space to store gear and clothing, accessories and necessities, a ski room keeps the “hill” out of your home, so to speak.

Check out the gorgeous examples below, and as you plan your dream ski room here are five factors to consider—convenience, comfort, durability, storage and style.

Convenience

A well-equipped ski room is where a stellar day on the slopes begins and ends. Think of it as command central, and plan your space accordingly with everything you need in one place to get the family geared up and out the door.

Include benches and lockers customized to meet the needs of each family member, and if space allows, extras for guests. In addition to ski equipment (skis, boots, poles, snowboards) make room for clothing, helmets, goggles, and any accessories you need. Have the space wired for plenty of outlets and charging stations to ensure that everyone can start their day with phones, cameras and other rechargeable equipment at full power.

Include a dedicated powder bath in your plans, so there’s no need to traipse through the house in your ski gear to take a bathroom break. Add a laundry space to stay on top of sweaty ski clothes and soggy layers.

Comfort

Mid-day, your ski room can serve as your own personalized lodge. With comfy seating centered next to a roaring fire, it can be a place to drop in and warm up, grab snacks and drinks from the fridge, stock up on hand and toe warmers or charge up your devices; whatever you need to carry you through the day. A mounted TV can provide a place to screen the day’s GoPro footage.

Install patio doors to connect your ski room to your outdoor space for direct access to the sauna/exterior hot tub and patio fire pit for hanging out with friends apres ski.

Durability

Floors that are designed to accommodate ski boots and wet, heavy equipment are a critical part of your ski room plans. Choose durable, non-slip materials such as exterior patio stone, with a sand-blasted or hammered finish, to provide more traction. Durable materials can be carried in from the exterior and pair well with natural wood elements prominent in most mountain homes. Outfit the bottoms of lockers with metal mesh so moisture from wet clothing and gear doesn’t pool, or install a floor drain for easy clean up. 

Storage

Recently, we’ve notice a new trend of creating designated equipment storage rooms-areas to keeps skis, boots, poles, snowboards and accessories clean, organized and contained in one place, separate from the locker room area. This cuts down on clutter and helps keep equipment damage free. Center a worktable in the space for quick tune ups and install boot and glove dryers to ensure equipment is ready to go the next day.

Style

Much like a powder room or a bunk room, a ski room is the perfect space to push the boundaries of your interior design comfort zone. Have fun with the design! Express your unique style with bold fabrics, colorful wallpaper, funky light fixtures and interesting art. Bring in nostalgic images or signage of your local ski area. Personalize the space with things that are meaningful to you and your family. 

There’s no doubt that adding a ski room to your mountain home will make ski days easier and more fun; it will also help to preserve the other areas of your home. By keeping these five tips in mind—convenience, comfort, durability, storage and style—you’ll be well on your way to creating your own custom space.

Corey Kelly is a Partner at Locati Architects, an award winning architecture and interior design firm in Bozeman, Montana. View Locati’s profile or contact Locati Architects at 406-587-1139.

Content for this article provided by Locati Architects.