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A TETON PINES REMODEL BY WILLOW CREEK DESIGN GROUP RESULTS IN THE ULTIMATE SKI RETREAT.

Honoring this plotline, Willow Creek Design Group—the team of senior designers and principals Colleen McFadden-Walls and Renée Crawford, with design associate Kathie Harrington—approach remodels with vision and passion. McFadden-Walls and Crawford, two longtime locals who recently came together as business partners, specialize in refreshing spaces that stray from the owner’s envisioned storyline. Clients come to them after decades spent in the same space, or when keen to transform a freshly acquired property.

In the latter category, a family of hardcore skiers approached the designers after purchasing a Teton Pines cluster home. New to the valley, they picked the Pines for its Westbank location—close to the world-class skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort as well as the Teton Pines Country Club’s myriad activities and amenities, including the Arnold Palmer Signature golf course.

A Pines member herself, McFaddenWalls remodeled the 20,000-square-foot Clubhouse in 2016, so she knows the community well and looks forward to every opportunity to refresh the homes within the Westbank enclave. “We love doing work in the Pines,” she says.

With its original 1987 finishes, her client’s cluster home felt like a time capsule of the development’s origins. Buttery wood paneling lined the cathedral ceiling in the upstairs great room—a dated canopy over an ineffectual kitchen more suited to shortterm stays than jovial dinners with relatives and guests. Even the entry felt flat and unfulfilled decades on from its initial design intent.

Confident in WCDG’s capacity to reimagine the interior, McFadden-Walls recommended a team, which included Steve Stuchal of Serenity Builders, to realize the renovation. “We guide our clients from start to finish, helping with budget planning, serving as an owner’s rep, and hiring draftsmen and builders,” she says. “For this project, we helped our clients sort out the professionals necessary to get the job done. We pulled the team together.”

By reimagining core areas of the home, we were able to create a beautiful new entrance, a private office, the kitchen doubled in size, and a luxurious master bathroom.
— Colleen McFadden-Walls, interior designer

In general, the layout of the 3,211-square-foot house worked, save for the staircase. Natural light enlivened most rooms, thanks to tall picture windows. The bedrooms were well-placed, with the primary suite affording privacy upstairs and the remaining three on the ground level. “The cluster units have good bones,” Crawford says. “We worked within those architectural parameters and created a new space.”

Amid the pros, the staircase remained a core con—too clumsy in its stepped ascent, too awkward in its position, too encroaching on both floors. By shifting the stairs closer to the entry, the new design makes the great room feel more open and less segmented, and the foyer became larger and more gracious.

However, changing its course proved challenging; what seemed impossible at first—according to the structural engineer—became a puzzle for Stuchal to solve. Working from original drawings of the cluster units (kept by another owner whom Stuchal was helping remodel), he did some exploratory demo and figured out the load issues. “When you have the designers and the owners on board, and they have a vision for what they want their house to be and how they want it to perform for their family and their future relatives, you have to put in the time and figure it out,” he says.

Now floating along the wall, the staircase edit added approximately 100 square feet on both levels in the form of a proper entry and private office downstairs and, upstairs, an expanded kitchen plus a new powder room and seasonal closet.

In its new state, a gourmet kitchen anchors the great room and flows into two sitting areas (oriented respectively to the fireplace and TV) and a game corner, all of which are capped by a soaring ceiling lined in tongue-and-groove alder stained light gray. Noting the family’s focus on winter occupancy (both husband and wife logged 100 days at the resort last ski season), McFadden-Walls recommended dark floors to contrast the snowy expanse so present from their panoramic perch. “Dark floors add another dimension to the space,” she says. “The space has so much natural light, the rooms could feel dwarfed by the outside.”

Building on this grounding foundation of stained, open-grained oak floors, McFadden-Walls and Crawford layered complementary new finishes from Chief Cliff stone, which frames the fireplace, to light custom cabinetry in the new kitchen and sleek drybar. Sculptural accents, like the Hubbardton Forge chandelier suspended above the dining table, add subtle drama. Abstract rugs from Kismet Rug Gallery lend texture.

Addressing the choppiness of the bedrooms, the primary suite was opened up to allow for an airy primary bath. Built-in closets increased functionality, along with a dresser/desk combination creating another attractively hidden workspace. Now, when not skiing, the clients can work from home in panoramic privacy—a fairy tale ending for a fairway home. “The clusters all look the same from the outside, and they have the same layout,” Stuchal says. “This project transformed a dated cluster into a modernstyle residence. To me, the clusters can feel like condos or townhomes. This unit feels like a home.”

A key factor in the renovation was a reorientation and increased emphasis on the sense of arrival and entry into the home.

That’s the way things began with the Teewinot Home, located on the beautiful West Bank of Jackson Hole. The 1,700-square-foot cabin, originally built in 1988, had been bought by an arts and antique lover who, thanks to his appreciation for found objects, eliminated outright the possibility of razing it.

“The owner had a profound love of this funky, quirky, low-slung cabin, even though the layout didn’t really work for their family,” remembers Kate Binger, owner of Dwelling and interior designer on the project. She and Matthew Thackray, AIA, now Principal at Prospect Studio, were tasked with reimagining the space without losing its character.

Seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor living spaces accentuate both the unique vibe of the home and the inimitable natural surroundings.

Thackray immediately identified the cabin’s floor plan as unwelcoming and less than functional for a family lifestyle. To improve the layout, he decided to flip the main access and driveway to the south side of the structure. “We seized the opportunity to shift the entire orientation of the house on the property,” Thackray explains.

Now, residents and guests arrive at an impressive north view of the Tetons and enter the house through a sequence of carefully designed moments. “In order to emphasize the sense of arrival, which had previously been lacking, we landscaped the front with native flowers surrounding a classic Western front porch. We also brought more daylight into the home from the southern aspect.”
The orientation may have changed, but certain key elements remained the same. Lower ceilings, for example, helped maintain an intimate feel throughout the home. Similarly, rooms were realigned to flow together nicely while keeping their smaller footprints.

Embracing quirky existing features—including relatively low ceilings and divided spaces—the designers evoke a distinctive feel that is welcoming and sophisticated.

These nook-like rooms, both intuitive and surprising, create prime opportunities for showcasing the owner’s extensive art collection. Eye-grabbing paintings, carefully sourced antiques, and evocative sculptures all contribute to an atmosphere of sophisticated whimsy. They pop against the home’s neutral palette, which acts as an ideal canvas for the collection. “There’s an interesting and compelling delicacy that happens with some of these spaces,” notes Binger. “The floors anchor the space, and the walls aren’t competing with the art for attention.”

THERE’S AN INTERESTING AND COMPELLING DELICACY WHICH OCCURS THROUGHOUT THIS HOME. IT’S AN UPLIFTING SPACE.
—KATE BINGER, DWELLING

Overall, the home embraces a design scheme that Thackray describes as “understated materiality.” Layers of subdued, calming colors still provide rich opportunities for visual texture, thanks to the use of white oak, white cedar, and tinted plaster, plus hints of steel, walnut, concrete, and stone.

Thoughtful, native landscaping and an expanded, Western-style porch create an ambiance of welcome and timelessness eased into the surrounding landscape.

Of course, much of the appeal of living in Jackson Hole is reveling in the natural, untamed beauty on your doorstep. Thackray heightened this experience by expanding the home’s outdoor living spaces to include a flagstone-paved walkway, a stone-crafted fire pit, a spacious deck ideal for stargazing, and a covered outdoor dining space.

Ultimately, the team breathed new life into the repurposed home. Now, it shines as a modern abode while remaining a study in character and charm. It’s a home that’s as distinctive as its owner, who first fell in love with its imperfections and saw it for what it could be—a work of art.

Understated wall and floor materials emphasize both the breathtaking mountain view and the owner’s expansive collection of art.

For this home built by Dembergh Construction, the windows take center stage. Sourced from Brombal in Italy, they represent the finely crafted finishes that are regularly chosen for homeowners.

Prichard is referring to a recently completed build, one that tested Dembergh’s expertise in beautiful ways. Primarily, the placement of the windows in this mountain modern design gave his team something substantial to chew on. “It took a day and half to two days to build each window. The coolest thing is the trim detail, the shades are built in, so that each window appears to be seamless.” When approaching the home, the windows compel the onlooker’s gaze to linger. As the eye moves over the roof line and the exterior finishes, it is clear that deep inspiration has been beautifully manifested.

When the property owners engaged the architects, they communicated their love of the ski lodge culture in Austria. This is what drove the look and feel of their vision. “The lines are well thought through,” says Prichard. “The interior palette is light, and not just in color. There is a feel to it that is lighter.” This sensory experience is anchored by fir ceilings and white oak floors, married together with the Italian-made Brombal windows. Mountain sun graces the interior atmosphere, bringing the wonder of the outdoors into the comfortable spaces that comprise the home.
 

COMMUNAL BALANCE

The great room presents options in relaxation that include fireside dining. Opening into the kitchen, and flanked on both sides by views into nature, the open feel makes for expansive living.

The heart of this home lives on the main floor, with a great room that features dining space and flows into an open kitchen. From there, guests can easily access outdoor living, an area that features a fire pit and built-in hot tub. The homeowners have embraced the holistic approach to living in the Tetons. Indoor comfort paired with outdoor amenities takes a dwelling to sublime levels.

It’s clear this home is made to play host to friends and family who will be fortunate to enjoy all that it has to offer. The teams from Willow Creek Woodworks and Jackson Hole AV were attuned to every detail. Beyond the larger bedrooms, it is the bunkroom that exemplifies this welcoming vibe. The built-in beds are queen sized and have been wired for relaxation. USB ports are handy, and recessed lighting compartmentalizes each nest. A shared room becomes cozy and individualized despite its communal purpose.

The floating stairs were crafted in Bozeman, Montana, and match the pristine white oak flooring that is featured throughout the home.

If occupants are craving company, the limestone fireplace in the great room posits the most optimal meeting place, with a full wall of windows inspiring any plans that might be made for the day. The outdoors beckon with possibility, if only so exploring guests can look forward to reveling in this space at day’s end.

IT’S SO FUN WHEN THAT ATTENTION TO DETAIL COMES TOGETHER AND THE TEAM CAN TAKE PRIDE IN A JOB WELL DONE.
—JAXON CHING, WILLOW CREEK WOODWORKS

AT HOME IN THE DETAILS

A limestone fireplace allows the natural feel of the stone to show through, with a presentation that is raw beauty. Paired with the clean lines of the expansive windows, the elegant balance in design is a striking presentation.

Many talented hands aided in the success of this project. Beyond the teams from Dembergh Construction and CLB Architects, Willow Creek Woodworks brought their best to the table. Jaxon Ching speaks of the effort in ensuring the fluidity of the kitchen was addressed properly. “The horizontal planking and wood grain that had to be matched, going from the kitchen to the pantry and then into two rooms opposite of each other really presented a challenge. But it’s so fun when that attention to detail comes together and the team can take pride in a job well done.”

The great room features two fireplaces, and views of the Snake River Range. The paneling that flanks the limestone on this half of the room is actually a hidden doorway crafted and installed by Willow Creek Woodworks.

Another custom piece taken on by Willow Creek was the ladder system in the bunkroom. Their role on a job site goes beyond cabinetmaking, with metal fabrication a strong part of their portfolio. “I think this may have been only the second time we have had to address a ladder system. But in this case, we fabricated it all from beginning to end. The welding, the sanding, all of it. The challenge is motivating and solving the puzzle to make it come out just right is so gratifying.”

The fir ceilings and white oak flooring serve to frame the outdoor views, and allow nature’s palette to take the stage in almost every corner of the home.

Small touches of personalization can build upon a whole design in satisfying ways. The clean lines of a European chalet sing in this space, but the theme does not feel cold. The tilework in the bathrooms present the perfect example of accommodating warmth and familiarity. With the help of the renowned East Coast interiors firm Bunny Williams, the tile motifs lend a sense of home and comfort.

Creekside views from a cozy bed can either propel one into the outdoors, or encourage a day long stay beneath finely made linens.

A bunkroom built for full comfort means queen sized beds, recessed lighting, and views that bring nature’s sense of peace into the space. Although meant for communal living, the nested feel would give any guest a sense of privacy.

Further expertise in bringing the job to completion came from the team at Jackson Hole AV. Rich Ashburn explains that his crew is often the last on a job site, tying together the very precise loose ends that result in highly functional security surveillance, lighting, and audiovisual systems. “Our team approach is balanced well, and we have so much respect for the modern aesthetic. Everything must be precise, and if it’s not, it shows.”

Although the clean lines were inspired by the European ski lodge feel, touches of home are channeled through the finish details, and bring a warmth to the fore that a hospitality space does not achieve.

NATURE’S VOICE HAS A SAY

The environment surrounding this home lends to its aesthetic balance. The Snake River Range and the familiar curves of Sleeping Indian are landscape nuances that cannot be ignored, and the home itself does not distract from nature’s original design. A creek flows down from one of the neighboring peaks, creating a languid border on one edge of the site.

When approaching the site, the windows and roofline compel the viewer to take a closer look. But the elevated green space featuring tall grasses anchor the eye, exuding lush movement against the clean lines of this mountain modern home.

The meandering outdoor living space presents the beauty of limestone in concert with surrounding trees. If one chooses not to revel in the luxury of the hot tub or station themselves at the fire pit, a covered area accentuates how this zone of outdoor relaxation can be enjoyed. Dining al fresco, even during a snowfall, seems absolutely possible.

An elevated green space featuring tall grasses is set against the exterior finishes of the home and lends movement and color in an unexpected way. Prichard says of the mountain modern aesthetic, “The simplest form is the hardest to perfect. We need to make it all look like it’s supposed to be there. Aside from the expanse of windows, it’s the roof line that makes a statement without being over the top. It’s understated, subdued, and refined.”

LIVING PROOF OF EXPERTISE

The effort to complete this project took just over two years, and Dembergh Construction’s capable expertise took the build to the finish line with client and architectural expectations fully intact. “The proof of our expertise is always our last project,” says Prichard. The firm’s presence has been felt in Jackson for over 35 years, with a focus on the West Bank. “We’ll take a job out of that neighborhood if it’s interesting,” he says. “We work from a philosophy that we simply want to do cool and interesting things.”

An outdoor living space with impactful touches of green beckons the eye and the body. Options to enjoy a hot soak, a blazing fire pit, or al fresco dining under cover would keep any nature lover outside for the duration of their stay.

A reputation built over decades has brought Dembergh to the point of being in demand without having to advertise. Getting assignments through word of mouth keeps this construction team busy working with some of the most pioneering design houses in the West. The projects result in experiential living at its finest, with the abundance of the Teton lifestyle ensuring full satisfaction.

The recessed light pocket accentuates this space between the guest bedrooms. The flooring is 13.5”-wide French oak from The Hudson Company.

“Not only are you working in limited space,” says Brian Messana,
of the New York City firm Messana O’Rorke, which developed its minimalist approach designing apartments and lofts in Manhattan, “but you’re choreographing how that space will be used and seeing what doesn’t need to be there. The lessons we learned were very much about form and function and what the intention is. Minimalism for us has become an expression of giving each thing the space to have meaning.”

First things first: Minimalism is complex. It does not abandon function, but rather embraces it through masterstrokes of clean, unfettered lines.

The Imagist poets of the early 20th century felt the same. As they sought a deeper clarity of expression, excess verbiage had to go. Things were no longer decoration but the very essence, the power. And what gave things this power was the removal of the extraneous. Less became more.

Family gathering. All the elements come together here in stone and wood: Sit dining room chairs and bench, a Tavola table and a commissioned painting by Susan Vecsey.

And then composer Claude Debussy took this concept a step further when he suggested that music was not the notes but “the space between.” When Messana and partner Toby O’Rorke were contracted by Brian’s brother, Mark, and sister-in-law, Ann, to design a house here in Jackson Hole, these ideas were very much in play. “As we began talking about what this house could be,” recounts Mark, “we saw it as a gathering place for family and friends—not about stuff and clutter and how to store it all. We wanted the attention to be on us and our time together, and the making of memories.”

And so the Messanas began methodically assembling a team, first by pairing Brian with local architect Shawn Ankeny, of Ankeny Architecture and Design, both because of her familiarity with area building codes, construction details and industry workers, and because of her growing reputation as a brilliant collaborator and architect. Next, because of their meticulous attention to detail, a Two Ocean Builders team headed by Bobby Henninger and his foreman, Jesse Mitchell, were brought on, along with Jaxon Ching and his team at Willow Creek Woodworks, and Rich Ashburn, of Jackson Hole AV. Lastly, they reached out to Jamie Hammel at The Hudson Company for Brian’s very specific lumber needs.

Concealed pocket lights in niche and ceiling illuminate clean lines while floor-to- ceiling doors hide closets. Flooring and paneling by The Hudson Company.

What followed was an ongoing dialogue about the balance between form and function. Messana O’Rorke was given the time to create a complete set of detailed drawings and adaptations while Ankeny, Henninger and Mitchell ensured that the design’s intent remained true throughout the course of the project.

Space to move, live and entertain in the great room. Sofa by B&B Italia, stools by BassamFellows, commissioned painting by Jared Sanders and coffee table designed by Messana O’Rorke.

And this house is very much about the function of beauty, the details you see and the ones you don’t. The vertical pocket lights hidden from view and the receding pocket doors create a sense of flow. Overall, the home is a composition in four stanzas: wood-stone-wood-stone. Its four distinctly separate structures are connected by 6-foot glass passages, which become the breaths between the stanzas. What stands at the center are the great room and kitchen, creating the gathering space the Messanas desired. From all sides, the great room draws you in.

View of the guest loft with Hans Wegner lounge chair and custom-designed bed by Messana O’Rorke.

“From the technical aspect,” explains Ankeny, “the spacing between structures allowed us to break up the volume and avoid the accumulation of snow and ice in the roof valleys, while creating these spectacular light passages. From a poetic standpoint, the links provided these moments where you connect and feel the outdoors as you’re crossing from one structure to the next. These separations also make the house more intimate. Instead of one big mass, the four smaller volumes create a sense of wonder. Each one is different.”

The custom kitchen designed my Messana O’Rorke honors the 18’ expanse of the great room, while cabinets in stained oak float 12” beneath the ceiling. The two islands are clad in Carrara marble, and appliances are by Miele. Countertops are by European Marble and Granite.

But there is more to this—or less, actually. Throughout the home’s four stanzas runs a kind of tapping, a beat within the beat, a theme of quarter-inch reveals, reglets separating surfaces— surfaces to floor and surfaces to ceiling. The visual effect is of the ceiling floating above the walls, and the floor floating beneath. And, without baseboards or moldings, every detail has to be perfect.

Composition in four stanzas. Wood, stone, wood, stone, each standing alone and yet linked by glass passages.

“The result is very calming,” says Henninger. “It’s a difficult task to achieve this level of simplicity. Simple is complex. In a house like this, there aren’t a lot of other things to distract your eye besides the architecture, and so the architecture becomes the art. There can’t be flaws.”

“The designs were extremely difficult to achieve,” adds Ching. “The cabinetry, surfaces and veneers had to be perfect. If the plans called for a quarter-inch reveal, then that’s what we brought. Brian challenged us in a lot of ways. Having never worked with him before, we really enjoyed it.”

Hammel points out the Allagash veneers in the cabinetry and Ditch Plains French oak used in the flooring. “We originally brought it in as wet logs from Normandy,” he says. “Then we had to dry it to this area’s humidity level and mill it. That flooring was shrunk face, meaning it had a lot of movement in it, a lot of contour. And those were 13.5-inch-by-18-foot boards—a very rare order. Usually we ship boards in the 7-foot range.”

LEFT
This minimalistic recessed door pull accentuates the clean lines featured throughout the house.

MIDDLE
The granite floor seamlessly transitions to all surfaces of the spa.

RIGHT
The kitchen island features Carrara stone and custom-stained oak cabinetry.

Not uncoincidentally, an 18-foot-wide expanse in the great room runs north to south into the kitchen and beyond without interruption. When the pocket doors are pushed back on both ends, the room suddenly becomes an indoor-outdoor canopy stretching out onto the terrace and joining with the master bedroom and guest rooms on either side. A long, paned clerestory across the gabled ceiling of the great room vents in light throughout.

Steam room clad in Carrara tile with custom bench

The complexities of minimalism even extend to the operating systems, which are fully integrated and state-of-the-art, yet understated. “What stood out to us in assembling Mark’s electronics system,” remembers Ashburn, “was his level of passion. He wanted to do it right. You don’t see the speakers in the ceilings unless you really look. The TV in the master bedroom recedes into the floor so that it doesn’t detract from the views. It was all about the clean lines and the architecture.”

Pushed out from the volume of the house, the spa provides views and, when the side doors open, cross ventilation.

“Shawn would always say, ‘This is so zen,’” recalls Mark. “The whole team got along great, and the experience of working with them really added to our appreciation of the house.”

Summarizing the project, Henninger says, “Brian’s and Toby’s designs brought the best out of us. It seemed like we were being called upon to find our solutions and execute in every moment. It was a symphony of many players. We all had to come together and play note perfect, and we did just that.”

A masterstroke of harmony is achieved when Ankeny, Shaw and WRJ unite to embrace their focal point with line, form and color.

White’s observation, however, could just have well pertained to a recently built guesthouse in Indian Springs, a 1,000-square-foot affair (limited in size by county regulations) designed by architect Shawn Ankeny in collaboration with Rush Jenkins of WRJ Design and Chase Beninga of Shaw Construction. What Ankeny artfully imagines is a boutique collection of grand moments, of compression as well as expansion, the two playing off each other while allowing Jenkins’ refined eye to harmonize within. And, with Shaw’s seamless translation into forward-thinking craftsmanship, the end product is a sum greater than the parts and an experience photographs cannot wholly capture. The music lifts and flows.

Ankeny’s calculated positioning of windows seizes on sky views and not those of the highway to the north, while WRJ pulls the slate tones from the wood and windows for this composition in blue.

A poem compresses much in a small space and adds music, thus heightening its meaning.
—E.B. WHITE

“When you’re limited by square feet, having an understanding of the classical principles of architecture is crucial to the success of the project,” explains Jenkins. “Shawn’s approach to creating those moments of space was genius. No detail goes unnoticed. We’ve done six or seven houses together now, and I’m very grateful for how gracious and collaborative she is. She’s incredibly talented, with a great eye for what she’s looking for.”

This little cottage rests on the edge of a hillside overlooking a bucolic spring creek, which widens below, as well as an expansive ranch meadow and mountain beyond. The field is hayed in early summer and grazed after that, and the owner, a fisherman, walks down the hillside and through a gate in a split-rail fence to join the creek and throw his line.

Welcome home. Landscape architecture by Agrostis Inc. frames this rustic moment, and all of it together—the native perennials, the flagstone, the 19th century Swiss chair and wide chinking on a dark exterior— set the tone for what awaits.

“What I remember about working on that project,” recounts Beninga, “was the handcrafted nature of every piece—and the amount of detail required to put it all together. When you’re building a guesthouse, you’re fitting a lot into a small footprint, so it requires extensive coordination and teamwork. We had a fairly conservative budget to meet, as well. Shawn and Rush are both meticulous, as are we, so it made it easier because they had a very clear vision of what they wanted.”

With a nod to the traditional Syrian chest of drawers, this ornate, linen-lined nailhead dresser, by Bernhardt Furniture, adds Western flair in keeping with the red barn painting, by Lee Riddell, and wood-lined interior.

In the opening stanza, a pathway of regional flagstone leads in through an envelope of native perennials to a cozy front porch, the pitched logs and wide chinking tying in seamlessly with that of the main house. This little porch, 6 feet by 7, sets the tone immediately. It has just the right size and southwest-facing temperament for enjoying the late afternoon sun, either by curling up with a book or husking half a dozen ears of local corn.

The moments are just beginning, however, as this rustic doorway leads into a petite foyer, allowing for a moment to breathe, set down groceries and remove shoes before the eye begins to take in the main room and what awaits there—and what awaits is volume and serenity.

In exquisite stillness, a splash of color resonates a long way. Here in this bedroom beneath Ankeny’s vaulted ceiling, WRJ adds accent with a scarlet tufted headboard, also by Bernhardt, and a distressed red writing desk of aged oak, by Four Hands.

“By keeping the foyer out of the main room, that helped with the sense of space,” explains Ankeny. “And, as you see, though we were confined by square footage, this didn’t limit our ability to go up. Those pitched ceilings and vaulted spaces are where we found our volume. The main room peaks at slightly over 14 feet and carries your eye right on through to the expansive, 9-foot-high, floor- to-ceiling windows and glass doors to the east, framing what appears like a painting of fields, mountain and sky beyond. That is the focal point. To make this happen, we bumped out that end of the room by 6 feet and created a dormer so that we could raise the windows and doors by a foot to bring in more view. The result is that, when you sit there in those wonderfully comfortable vintage club chairs, you feel your surroundings wrapping around you, with all of that light and space and nature.”

By expanding the east end of the main room by 6 feet, Ankeny, Shaw and WRJ create a retreat of weathered snow fencing and vintage club chairs that “wraps around you like a warm blanket.”

The bedrooms then spread like wings along the ridgeline on either side of the main room through compressed hallways emerging into vaulted spaces of their own, a technique Ankeny learned from studying Frank Lloyd Wright early in her schooling at Harvard. Intentionally, the bedroom windows facing north and south are positioned at heights that allow for more light and ask the viewers to lift their gazes toward tree lines and mountains. Again, floor-to-ceiling windows looking east over the valley accentuate light and space.

What is most mesmerizing about all of this is how WRJ Design and Shaw Construction then work within the meter of Ankeny’s vision: not with oversized shapes and tones or visual clutter, but with harmony. The entirety of the interior is a treatment of long, unbroken lines of gray- blue reclaimed snow fencing, a wood that has by all appearances been saturated in an eternity of sun and wind and stars beneath Wyoming skies. And its effect, in concealing all of the shapes that would otherwise command the eye, such as the refrigerator, the dishwasher and the microwave, is both soothing and pastoral.

Cleverly hidden within this farmhouse kitchen fac?ade lie a refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher and deep pullout drawer for pots and pans.

Viewed from the foyer, the main room becomes a composition of both rhyme scheme and geometric alliteration in line, form and color. The round oak dining table aligns visually with the three-tiered black rust chandelier above, while the sofa, club chairs and antique coffer, with their low, rectangular profiles, subtly balance the room. And the natural Belgian linen drape stacks fall within the framing of the doors and windows, creating an appearance of continuity in glass while accentuating the view, with the light on the ceiling triangulating and rolling in across the dormer.

“The word ‘harmony’ is important here,” Jenkins emphasizes. “Harmony does not mean being the focal point. Oftentimes, you’ll find furniture that is too large for a room, or base moldings or textures that scream, ‘Look at me!’ I sang a cappella in school, and real harmony is about listening to the voice next to you, about fitting in and not standing out. Working with Shawn and Chase was like that. We found our harmony in creating these beautiful, intimate moments: sophisticated in their simplicity; rustic and elegant. This house wraps around you like a warm blanket because we chose to find that harmony.”