This may be a little premature, but all this warm weather is putting us in the mood for some outdoor entertaining. But we’re not talking about just any old B-B-Q. We want to do it the Homestead way, which means we want to enjoy a tasty dinner served in an elegant outdoor setting while gazing at a view of the Tetons.

Cooking an entire meal in an outdoor kitchen in our backyard sounds pretty ideal. We’d enlist Bontecou Construction to help install a beautiful patio like this one so we could entertain all our friends outside, or simply relax solo and enjoy the upcoming summer evenings.     

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At Homestead, we’ve been having a debate about the importance of offices. Is it better to have face-to-face meetings, as argued here in this recent article from Inc. Magazine? Or does working remotely (and with unlimited vacation!) spur productivity, as Fast Company claims?
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We are so excited to reveal the cover of our 2012 edition of Homestead! With all of the beautiful architecture, art, and interior design featured in this year’s book, picking our cover photo was certainly no easy task. But this stunning photo of the Shooting Star Ranch home by Stephen Dynia Architects and Dynamic Custom Homes shone through as one of the most extraordinary of the bunch.
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Timber frame homes seem to be universal. They’re practically the standard here in rustic Jackson Hole where you can’t walk up a flight of stairs without them being made of knotty pine.
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Much to everyone’s excitement, the big storm last week left Jackson covered in 5 feet of snow, and got us all out on the slopes after a dry start to the season.

All this fun at the resort got us thinking about our favorite places to relax après ski. And at Homestead, you can bet we prefer the luxury and solitude of a beautiful slope side home to any bar.
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There’s nothing quite as glorious as an outdoor shower. You’re naked. You’re outside. The air is warm and the water is warmer. When you’re coming in from a long day spent in the sun, even rinsing off in a tiny space made with driftwood walls feels like luxury.

But this outdoor shower by local artist and designer Ben Roth takes the experience to a whole new level. Jackson couple Scott and Sandy approached Ben to design this shower as part of an addition to their private residence on North Gros Ventre Butte. The addition, designed by Carney Logan and Burke, was Sandy’s gift to Scott; as a lover of outdoor showering, the feature was his top requirement for the renovation.

Scott wanted an outdoor shower that would allow him to view the Tetons while he bathed. And while he didn’t want to offend his neighbors, he loved the idea of his head and feet being visible to passers-by. So Ben took measurements to tailor the shower specifically to Scott’s body, and came up with a chic elliptical design that provided privacy without compromising the Tetons. The carbon steel screen is also meant to rust over time, allowing the shower to blend into its surroundings while requiring zero upkeep – so Scott could shower nearly camouflaged by his surroundings (except for his head and feet of course!).

But when Sandy asked that her measurements be incorporated into the plans, the ellipse became much shallower and the design lost its original appeal. Realizing that she’d probably never use the shower, she asked that Ben return to the Scott-specific design. With that, the shower became Scott’s completely custom personal outdoor shower. Now that sounds pretty glorious to us!

While architects and designers can dream up beautiful buildings and spaces, it’s the builders who are responsible for bringing these visions to life.  That’s why Homestead is spotlighting B&B Builders. With a portfolio that ranges from remodels to complete custom homes, B&B Builders have become synonymous with the luxurious spaces in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Utah.

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These days it seems like the “green” movement is permeating every aspect of home design – from biodegradable wallpaper to eco-friendly cleaning products and composting toilets; there’s an earth-friendly or energy-saving option for anything you could hope to design, buy, or build.

In Jackson, we are especially aware of these green options because of our proximity to several of the country’s most beautiful national parks and forests. We want to keep our cherished national parks and beautiful landscape as pristine as possible, but it can get tricky when the farms that are so important to our region produce non-point agricultural runoff and groundwater pollution.

That’s why we’ve been so intrigued by a new technology we’ve seen popping up around Jackson. Filterpave, a hard-surfaced porous pavement made from 100% post-consumer recycled glass, offers environmental benefits that touch many of the issues that impact this region. The material in Filterpave is a mix of elastomeric binder and glass fragments that would typically be landfilled. Then, the porous consistency of the material results in a reduction of storm water runoff, allowing groundwater to be replenished and filtered- an imperative part of sustaining our eco-system.

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Trauner Designs, Inc. is known in Jackson Hole for designing some of our town’s most iconic spaces. From the Snake River Grill, Jenny Lake Lodge, and country clubs like Teton Pines and Golf & Tennis, to some of the finest residences in neighborhoods throughout Jackson, Trauner Designs sets the deluxe Wild West tone that makes our town so unique.

That’s why when one of Trauner’s clients asked them to design a cat room for their new home, the company approached the project with their usual panache. The result is an entire playroom designed in Trauner’s signature rustic style, where some very lucky cats can spend their days jumping, hiding, scratching, and chasing. Plus, the views from one of the windows features Sleeping Indian… how purrfect for a feline who’s been jumping around all day and in need of a cat nap.

Pocket Ranch brings the outside in with this inspired design by Strout Architects, Teton Heritage Builders and Laurie Waterhouse Interiors.

+ Story by Nicole Burdick

+ Photography by David Swift

To create a home that integrates with the landscape is appealing; to design one that breathes in the natural environment requires a connection to the space that—dare we say—offers a glimpse at how a dwelling becomes part of the ecosystem. Atop Heck of a Hill, one such home does just that.

In a way that early homesteaders might appreciate, Pocket Ranch revels in efficiency. And that is just what homeowner Richard Spencer had in mind when he went looking to build this time around. Pocket Ranch capitalizes on simplicity, though its history is a bit more rugged. Having been started for a previous owner in 2007, the home sat in Tyvek wrap for nearly two years, sustaining the recession, before Spencer came upon it in his search for the kind of place in which he’d like to settle. The story, and the house, started rebuilding.
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