Table Talk

A letter from our Editor + what she's loving right now

April 8, 2020

Darla Worden,

When I moved from a contemporary, open floor plan home in Jackson, Wyoming, to a 1928 historic building in Denver, I bought furnishings to fit my new space. But the one piece I haven’t been able to say goodbye to is a large, white pine farm table that has been with me for years. When I look at it, I don’t see a table as much as I see the people who have sat around it: my daughter crafting a school project, family celebrating Christmas dinner, girlfriends drinking wine at book club. The table is much too large for my current home, but I can’t give it up.

My farm table is not a rational use of space; it doesn’t fit with the rest of my home. Still, it makes me happy just thinking about the future dinners I might host around it. Jeremiah Young has a similar love for his farmhouse table, the heart of his kitchen. “On the one end the kids will be doing homework and on the other you can prep food. I don’t know why more people don’t do it,” he says.

In our focus on kitchens, writer Suzanne Brown talks to homeowners and designers, including Young, who share their philosophy on the importance of creating a space that is warm and welcoming for friends and family. Interior designer Jodi Fleming says, “We used to close off dining rooms and living areas but now a casual, open feel is important.” Designer Alyson Leingang echoes this sentiment: “Kitchens are such a multipurpose space, it’s where you want to be with family, cooking or just reading the paper.” See these 4 Warm & Welcoming Kitchens.

A special feature inside—for the first time, we provide the 105 Top Mountain Builders List, a collection of best-of-the-best Mountain West companies recommended by home- owners, architects and interior designers. Organized by state, these firms are providing the muscle behind bespoke mountain homes.

Also in this issue, we get out of the kitchen by visiting North Lake Tahoe, a distinctly different vibe from its showier South Lake Tahoe neighbor. Our writer Devon Miner visits four resorts and provides the inside scoop for staying for a week or a weekend.

WHAT I’M LOVING

Mountain Fare

Named one of the best cookbooks of 2019, Alpine Cooking by Meredith Erickson (Ten Speed Press) is an over- sized, beautiful book with photographs and recipes from European resorts. The cuisine translates easily to the Mountain West—I particularly loved making the apple strudel.