Japandi Style Defines This Modern Colorado Mountain Home
The marriage of Scandinavian and Japanese styles defines a clean and cozy modern mountain home in Snowmass Village.
After a number of years living in Japan, China and other Asian countries, one family felt the call of the Rockies—specifically of Snowmass Village, a place they’d frequented on vacation and where they’d owned a condo before. When relocating to the U.S., the dwelling they chose for themselves and their two sons offered the room to breathe they were seeking, alongside magnificent views from the Continental Divide to the ski resort’s famed Hanging Valley Wall. The 1970s-built residence, however, begged for updates. The owners planned a renovation and engaged general contractors Jess Robison and Jack Wheeler to spearhead the effort. But on deeper assessment, it quickly became apparent that it would be too difficult to modernize the existing house to meet current structural and energy standards. Starting over made the most sense, recalls architect Brian Beazley, though he took pains to honor the original home’s footprint. “It was sighted quite well and had a good relationship to the street,” he recalls. “By reconfiguring the layout, we could really capture and capitalize on the views from the main living space, which was exciting for our clients.”
Once new construction was on the table, the homeowners brought forward specific ideas about flow. “They wanted to infuse some of the design principles they’d learned about while living in Japan into the architecture,” Beazley explains. For example, they desired an open floor plan with a clear path from the entry to the back of the house, so energy could circulate freely. Gathering spaces, the ability to entertain guests and plenty of indoor-outdoor connections to make the most of the Coloradan surroundings were important to the family too, as were large windows to usher in natural light and frame the mountain tableau. And to honor their Baltic roots and love of Scandinavian and Nordic countries, the owners also wanted to infuse elements of Scandinavian design: a minimal, clean approach emphasizing the beauty of functionality through simple lines and natural materials. The overarching aesthetic became Japandi—a portmanteau of Japanese and Scandi—to create a cohesive dwelling. Beazley developed a layout that elevates the main living spaces to the second floor, capitalizing on the stunning views, with the sons’ bedrooms and a family room below. A spacious primary suite imagined as an in-home retreat for the owners is also on the top level. In close collaboration with Robison and Wheeler, the architect specified a palette of white oak, cedar and hemlock, used throughout the home, as well as a recurring slatted wood motif—a detail derived from Japanese privacy screens. Trellis-like shading on the deck off the living area is a twist on this idea, too. Black steel accents emphasize the extended eaves of the roof and play up the architecture’s clean lines while the use of lighter wood tones ties into Japandi style. And stone cladding grounds the home and helps it fit into the natural environment. Tiers of built-in garden beds that landscape architect Amy Barrow filled with native greenery enhance the effect.
Home Details
Architecture:
Brian Beazley, DJArchitects
Interior Design:
Abbe Murray, Murray Design Company
Home Builder:
Jess Robison and Jack Wheeler, The Home Group, Inc.
Landscape Architecture:
Amy Barrow, Land Design 39
A custom oak pivot door with an Emtek pull draws guests into the entry hall, where a Nordic Knots rug rests beside a Clubcu console of reclaimed elm. The metal vase is from Arhaus.
Positioned to take in Roaring Fork Valley views from the living area’s expanse of windows, a Camerich sofa, Clubcu coffee table, West Elm armchairs and blue Carl Hansen & Søn chair create a comfortable tableau. The rug is Jaipur Living.
Another view of the living area highlights its soaring ceiling and plaster-and-stone fireplace. CB2 ottomans of Mongolian sheepskin bring in texture, while various pillows, throws and a Carl Hansen & Søn chair and ottoman add color.
Verner Panton for & Tradition pendants hang above the kitchen island flanked by Design Within Reach stools. A Studio Bertjan Pot light crowns a modified West Elm banquette and Modway table. Cabinetry by Ellis Design is set off by Bianco Superior quartzite. Artworks are by Megan George.
An Arteriors pendant illuminates the owners’ bedroom, where a Huppé bed rests on a Nordic Knots rug. The dresser is Clubcu, with silver leaf and steel panels from John-Richard mounted above it. The chair is CB2 and the ottoman is from Maiden Home.
White Macaubas quartzite lines the tub, which neatly interlocks with the primary bathroom shower. The faucet is California Faucets and porcelain tile from Decorative Material envelops the shower walls and floor. The wool rug is Annie Selke and the teak bench is from Pottery Barn.
Off the great room, the terrace, where Gloster lounge chairs and ottomans are grouped around CB2 coffee tables, is a continuation of the living area. The dining table and chairs are RH.
Interior designer Abbe Murray stepped in to select furnishings that could complement the earthy material palette, punctuating an array of neutral-hued pieces with soft gray, light blue and pale green hues—quiet accents that harmonize with the surroundings and sky. “I like to be consistent with color, especially within an incredibly open layout,” notes Murray. Given the architecture’s Japandi inspiration, she also strove to include moments that celebrate the concept of wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy embracing the beauty of the natural world’s imperfections. “We used wood with extra knots or a live edge, imperfect concrete textures, and woven details with an organic, handmade feel,” the designer points out. “Japanese design and mountain living overlap in their materiality.” Art pieces and a few antiques the family acquired throughout Asia also support the Japandi aesthetic, while a hint of fur (see the shaggy sheepskin ottomans in the great room) brings a sense of Scandinavian hygge that’s right at home in the Rockies.
The new home feels transformative, shares the wife, especially given the smaller city apartments the family had shared over the years. “Every space here is so inviting, and I appreciate every nuance,” she reflects. “We wanted our sons to experience a place that really draws you outdoors to enjoy the beauty of the land.”