Taking Root in a Home Along the Snake River

Designed by JLF Architects and built by Big-D Signature, the sprawling Wyoming abode features a covered outdoor room with a stone fireplace overlooking the water. | Photography by Audrey Hall

Seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life, a Houston family conducted an extensive nationwide search to identify a more laid-back, natural environment in which to build a second home.

A rounded door made of reclaimed wood reinforces the bucolic home’s rustic charm.

During their first visit to Jackson, Wyoming, they knew they had found the spot, ultimately investing in a 35-acre property in the alluvial plain of the Snake River.

They entrusted JLF Architects principal Logan Leachman to design their new abode. “We wanted to have some feel like it had been there for some time,” Leachman says, “as if it’s rooted in the landscape.”

A pleasing blend of rural and refined that reflects the owners’ personalities, the living room’s tailored sofa and lounge chair juxtapose the room’s stone walls and thick reclaimed wood-beamed ceilings.

Indeed, nestled into a thick grove of aspen and cottonwood trees, the sprawling compound-like dwelling has thick Montana moss stone walls accented with reclaimed wood siding and a mix of standing-seam metal and slate roofing. While built predominantly with traditional materials, however, the home’s form is strikingly modern, consisting of two opposing curves designed to emphasize the jaw-dropping natural vistas. “It appears as if you were looking through a lens out at the water,” Leachman says. “The house draws you to that view.”

Iron chandeliers from Studio Joseph Watts cast a soft glow on the large wooden table by Ketan Kapasi of Studio Lifestyle in the formal dining room.

Adding to its charm, most of the rooms open to exterior waterfront spaces. A front porch off of the living area, for instance, features a glass roof, offering protection without interfering with the natural light.

Illuminated by bespoke lighting from Studio Joseph Watts, the kitchen’s custom walnut cabinetry with metal banding and smooth granite countertops provide a sleek contrast to the natural stone walls and thick, reclaimed wooden columns and ceiling beams.

From there, a dock supported by steel pilings leads over the water to a waterfront outdoor dining room that’s open on three sides. “Their goals were to have a dog-friendly, family-friendly, functional house with lots of outdoor space,” Leachman says. A massive stone fireplace offers warmth and ambience.

Large glass-and-steel windows frame the spectacular panoramic vistas while flooding the interior hallways with natural daylight.

Enhancing the connection between inside and out, the natural materials also define the interior. A custom-forged steel banister and a striking Sputnik-like chandelier with metal “branches,” for example, play off the stone walls, slate flooring and reclaimed wood in the front foyer.

Playing off the rough stone walls, reclaimed beamed wooden ceilings and natural hardwood flooring, a custom metal bed and matching bench by Houston designer Ketan Kapasi of Studio Lifestyle foster a bespoke milieu in the elegant master bedroom.

Plaster balances the look while maintaining the hand-hewn quality. “It has a mottled effect with a series of darker and lighter areas, depending on how the trowel applied the plaster,” Leachman explains.

A place for relaxation and respite, the sumptuous soaker tub enjoys stunning views of the lush, verdant landscape.

Thanks to the varying ceiling heights throughout the house, each room has a specific character. Weighty salvaged beams, for example, call attention to the living room’s high peaked ceiling. The kitchen’s lower wood-beamed ceiling, in contrast, creates a cozier milieu.

Located on a pristine 35-acre property in the alluvial plane of the Snake River just a short drive from Jackson, Wyoming, the bespoke home’s weighty stone walls, rustic reclaimed wood siding and standing-seam metal roof allow it to blend almost seamlessly into the bosky natural surroundings.

Designed to complement the rustic materials in an updated way, the space is outfitted with walnut cabinetry detailed with metal banding that plays off the seams in the range hood. Those materials also distinguish the wine cabinet, which is visible through an insulated glass window in the entryway between the kitchen and dining room.

Many of the rooms lead to seating areas on the waterfront dock, establishing a strong sense of connection between inside and out.

As the home became rooted to the landscape, the owners and their two teenage daughters began to likewise feel attached to the land. In fact, the call of the proverbial wild was so strong that they soon decided to make Jackson their full-time home, quickly becoming part of the mountain town. “This lifestyle proved irresistible,” Leachman says, noting the clients enjoy hiking, biking, skiing and fishing. “It’s all right here, and they love it.”