Of The Earth
Photos by David O. Marlow
A winding dirt road climbs steadily upwards toward a ridgeline that overlooks the valley below. The ascent continues for a couple of miles until suddenly, just over the crest of the hill, a magnificent, contemporary residence rises gently from the ground. The variegated roofline is a series of shapes carefully pieced together, with a central spine that perfectly follows the topography of the land.
This structure is yet another distinctive work from renowned Roaring Fork Valley architect Larry Yaw of Cottle Carr Yaw Architects in Basalt. “The roofline is the ordering device,” says Yaw. “It defines both the interior and exterior space and gives the building movement on the landscape.”
Given 300 acres and a request from the homeowners (an East Coast family with two teenage daughters) to craft a Western-inspired contemporary home, Yaw and his team were allowed to express maximum creativity when designing the residence.
“What impressed me most about the home site—and the reason I chose to tuck the series of structures just below the top of the ridgeline—is its special sanctuary quality,” Yaw says. Sitting just below the ridge, the home’s views to Mount Sopris, Lenado and beyond are magnificent. “During wintertime, Sopris turns a brilliant shade of pink when the morning sun hits the peak,” Yaw adds. It is this colorful expression of nature that inspired him from the beginning.
The home reveals itself as a compound, similar to a traditional Western ranch, which often contains outbuildings and additions to the original structure, and the site is protected from the winds and elements that sweep across the ridge. “We designed a scheme that allows the construction of other spaces as the family grows and their lifestyle needs change,” says Yaw, who included an in-law residence a few yards from the main house and designed for a future guesthouse near the main auto court.
Upon entering, expansive windows frame the surrounding views. The interiors, designed by Betsy McCue Train, who has crafted the interiors for several of the homeowners’ other residences, are at once rich, regionally grounded and modern.
Train collected inspiration for the color palette from the site. “I gathered little piles of the soil, which ranges in color from pale golden to deep mustard, and pale salmon to deep orange,” she recalls. “Then I began to take cuttings of the brush, yarrow, sage, and grasses, and in the fall, took cuttings of the Aspen leaves.”
Train and Yaw realized the palette with the various types of woods, stones, fabrics and materials used throughout. Traveling from the entryway into the living area, there is a 
constant connection to nature, whether it is a striking view or the seamless integration of color from inside out. “We used cedar wood throughout, staining it
in some places and leaving the natural color to shine through in others,” notes Yaw.
Train used dark-stained flooring in the entryway and living spaces as a backdrop for the deep plums, reds and saffron of the custom Odegard rugs that add rich color to the spaces. The carpets anchor the rooms and act as a quiet transition between the traditional Western materials and contemporary furnishings.
Dividing the living room into two distinct seating areas, a Roman Thomas sofa “is referential to an earlier period but with very modern lines,” says Train. “When I saw the living space, it naturally separated into two groups: one near the fireplace, and the other next to the dining area.”
A Nakashima table anchors the dining area, while the bold hues of the Fritz Scholder painting light up the space with vibrant color. “As soon as I saw the form of the house, I knew we had to include some of Nakashima’s work,” says Train. Jolts of deep plum and a rich red-orange punctuate throughout the lower level, offering the family and their guests a casual, peaceful environment.
Despite the trend of great rooms that integrate living, dining and kitchen areas into one large space, Yaw chose instead to provide the family with distinct areas that distinguish each room from the other. “Although the dining area is open to the living space, it can be opened and closed selectively,” he explains.
Yaw also wanted to maintain a seamless integration between indoors and out and designed the floor plan so the living room expands into the sunken courtyard depending on the weather. “It is important to connect the people and the place with each other,” he says. “The main living spaces break down the idea of a threshold or division between inside and outside. It is a reminder that we always need to encourage a fusion with nature.” This thought extends into the kitchen, which also opens into the courtyard and captures the east sun in the morning while protecting the cook from the western sun in the evening—smart.
Maintaining the process of discovery and a visual connection to nature, Yaw designed a floating stairway that leads to a landing with thrilling vistas. The landing connects to an internal bridge leading to a master suite, a separate sanctuary for the homeowners. “It is like walking into your own private getaway,” says Train, who enveloped the room in various shades of gold. A separate office and his-and-hers bathrooms complete the getaway room, which rests on the top of the ridge and, again, allows for an immediate connection to the outdoors.
“It was important that the interiors remained quiet, acting as a backdrop for the scenery,” says Train, who used calm, earthy materials, such as limestone, and graceful Dornbracht fixtures in the bathrooms. “These colors were plucked directly from the site, just like they grew from the earth.”
With an earth-derived color palette, a design vernacular that resonates with traditional Western architecture, and a constant connection to the landscape, the home truly blends into its surroundings. “We wanted to maintain a natural flow throughout the spaces and achieve a dynamic integration,” says Train. She effortlessly translated the feeling of the architectural areas into the interior design, which also progresses in a seamless motion, carefully crafted to complement the views.
“We wanted the home to feel intimate and have a sense of discovery,” says Yaw. “Humans naturally like the process of finding something new around a corner or encountering a new view at the top of a stair. This house reveals the different qualities of its surroundings throughout the day and changes and morphs with the seasons. You never travel down a corridor or enter a room without a visual connection to the fact that you are a part of this outdoor sanctuary.”
