Lush Forest Hues Practically Seep into This Opulent Vail Retreat
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Picturing a seasonal residence in Vail, Colorado, conjures up images of cozy chalets and ski-out homes well appointed with rustic wood tables, overstuffed sectional sofas, distressed leather club chairs, piles of cashmere throws, and obligatory antlers (either wall mounted or combined to form an imposing chandelier) as part of the decor. But for Mark D. Sikes, going the traditional route for an update to one family’s retreat was completely out of the question.
“The couple are longtime clients, and we’ve done a ranch together, a house in Dallas, a home in Los Angeles, and one of their son’s houses,” explains the ELLE DECOR A-List designer. “And I’d say the wife is quite glamorous, so if she was going to have a ski house it needed to reflect her style.”
For this collaboration, the homeowners’ aesthetic vision came from across the pond. “They have a strong connection to England,” says Sikes, “so our strategy was to create this beautiful mountain house that had plenty of warmth but also felt incredibly elegant.”
The home’s glass-, steel-, and stone-clad exterior is a contemporary complement to the majestic landscape and forest of spruce and pine trees that surround it. Of course, the beautiful green and gold hues seen just outside the three-level home’s many floor-to-ceiling windows were inspiration for the interior’s color scheme, but so was a particular antique tapestry belonging to the clients. “It mirrored the colors of nature, and it really informed the palette we were going for that includes beautiful shades of green and chestnut, as well as caramel,” Sikes explains.
Although the palette may seem apropos for the setting, Sikes elevated every one of the interior spaces in the five-bedroom, nine-bathroom home with a more European sensibility. “There are lots of layers and textures—luxurious velvets and mohair—and lots of warm woods and gilt finishes, along with plenty of English pieces and other antiques.” In fact, there’s no shortage of opulent textiles from purveyors like Fortuny, Pierre Frey, Robert Kime Ltd., and Rose Tarlow. But it’s Scalamandré’s cotton Bois de Chene print (which imitates a verdure tapestry) that the designer refers to as the “hero” fabric. “In the formal living room, we use it on a lot of the pillows, some chairs, and a large ottoman.”
From plush upholstery and walls adorned with 18th-century French tapestries to thoughtfully considered furnishings of varying scale, here’s a first look at this stunning mountain home featured in the designer’s forthcoming book, Forever Beautiful: All-American Style All Year Long, dropping in September.
Entry
This Vail, Colorado, home was built 20 years ago, but the contemporary architecture is the perfect foil to the rugged landscape. In the entry, interior designer Mark D. Sikes placed a handcrafted table from Collier Webb, finished in dark walnut with antique brass detail. A pair of Gregorius Pineo Louis XVI ottomans were painted in a worn gray-brown color with gilt detailing, and then upholstered in a striped green fabric from Robert Kime Ltd. “We wanted the warmth of the wood and some luxurious textures like the weathered and gilt finish on the benches,” Sikes explains.
Living Room
“This is where they entertain,” Sikes explains of the living room. “Games are super important, so there’s a game table in the corner—it’s also where they can sit and have a meal.”
The side chair, throw pillows, and center ottoman have been upholstered in the room’s “hero” fabric, Scalamandré’s Bois de Chene that evokes a verdure tapestry. The larger sofa is covered in Claremont Furnishing’s soft Racing Green velvet.
Living Room
The home’s glass-, steel-, and stone-clad exterior is a contemporary complement to the majestic landscape and forest of spruce and pine trees that surround it.
Living Room
The custom sofa is upholstered in an asparagus-colored Chelsea Textiles mohair velvet from Mimi London, Inc.
Dining Room
Sikes repurposed the dining table and chairs from one of the clients’ other homes but designed the reversible seat cushions with an antique green velvet from Jasper Showroom on one side and a shade of chestnut from Rose Tarlow on the other. The Gregorius Pineo bronze chandelier was acquired through Kneedler Fauchère.
Dining Room
Floor-to-ceiling custom Fortuny curtains envelop the room to create warmth and a sense of intimacy.
Breakfast Room
Custom banquette seating has been upholstered in a striped cotton from Claremont Furnishing. The cushions for the Gregorius Pineo Dordogne armchairs are covered in a saffron-colored fabric from Jasper Showroom, and the pillows were designed with another Claremont Furnishing fabric.
Hall Tapestry
Several 18th-century tapestries—both the clients’ and some that Sikes sourced—adorn the walls of the house. They went on to influence the palette of the entire home.
Primary Bedroom
The ceiling height in this room was ideal for a generously sized canopy bed, and Gregorius Pineo’s Orsay bed from Kneedler Fauchère fit the bill. Its headboard has been upholstered in a Pindler fabric. The bedside tables are also Gregorius Pineo, the distressed brass wall lights were sourced through Reborn Antiques, and the Paolo Moschino table lamps are from Jasper Showroom.
Breakfast Room
Custom banquette seating has been upholstered in a striped cotton from Claremont Furnishing. The cushions for the Gregorius Pineo Dordogne armchairs are covered in a saffron-colored fabric from Jasper Showroom, and the pillows were designed with another Claremont Furnishing fabric.
Primary Bedroom
The ceiling height in this room was ideal for a generously sized canopy bed, and Gregorius Pineo’s Orsay bed from Kneedler Fauchère fit the bill. Its headboard has been upholstered in a Pindler fabric. The bedside tables are also Gregorius Pineo, the distressed brass wall lights were sourced through Reborn Antiques, and the Paolo Moschino table lamps are from Jasper Showroom.
Bedroom Sitting Area
“She loves green—especially cool greens,” says Sikes. And the fabric and upholstery selections for this lounge space say it all. Both the custom loveseat and drapery fabric are Jasper Showroom’s Lacquer Stripe in Sage, and the ottoman is upholstered in an ivy-colored velvet from Rose Tarlow. The sizable hanging pendant is by Collier Webb, and the room’s expansive wool rug is by Marc Phillips Rugs.
Bedroom Sitting Area
“She loves green—especially cool greens,” says Sikes. And the fabric and upholstery selections for this lounge space say it all. Both the custom loveseat and drapery fabric are Jasper Showroom’s Lacquer Stripe in Sage, and the ottoman is upholstered in an ivy-colored velvet from Rose Tarlow. The sizable hanging pendant is by Collier Webb, and the room’s expansive wool rug is by Marc Phillips Rugs.
Media Room
Located on the home’s lower level with its own entrance to the outside, the media room is a gathering spot for guests. A pair of Ezra lounge chairs by Gregorius Pineo, separated by an unusual antique carved-wood side table, have been upholstered in a caramel-colored mohair from Pierre Frey. The floor lamps are by Paolo Moschino, and the rug is from Tony Kitz Gallery in San Francisco.
Media Room
Located on the home’s lower level with its own entrance to the outside, the media room is a gathering spot for guests. A pair of Ezra lounge chairs by Gregorius Pineo, separated by an unusual antique carved-wood side table, have been upholstered in a caramel-colored mohair from Pierre Frey. The floor lamps are by Paolo Moschino, and the rug is from Tony Kitz Gallery in San Francisco.
Downstairs Guest Sitting Area
A cozy custom sectional is upholstered in Pierre Frey’s La Riviere Enchantee print fabric inspired by an 18th-century painting from India. Throw pillows in the same fabric have been upholstered on the reverse in an ivory Pierre Frey fabric and are mixed with some in faux fur. The Cortona cocktail table is from Demiurge New York, and the Gregorius Pineo lounge chair is from Kneedler Fauchère.
Guest Bedroom
“This room is unusually big, so we placed the two king-size beds across from each other,” explains Sikes. The headboards are upholstered in Pierre Frey’s Toiles de Tours fabric.
Downstairs Guest Sitting Area
A cozy custom sectional is upholstered in Pierre Frey’s La Riviere Enchantee print fabric inspired by an 18th-century painting from India. Throw pillows in the same fabric have been upholstered on the reverse in an ivory Pierre Frey fabric and are mixed with some in faux fur. The Cortona cocktail table is from Demiurge New York, and the Gregorius Pineo lounge chair is from Kneedler Fauchère.
Guest Bedroom
The oak writing desk is from Petersen Antiques, the chair is a Gregorius Pineo Chiswick armchair from Kneedle Fauchère, and the desk lamp is from Troy Lighting. “We liked all the modern lantern-style lights that came with the house, so we kept them,” Sikes adds.
Guest Bedroom
“This room is unusually big, so we placed the two king-size beds across from each other,” explains Sikes. The headboards are upholstered in Pierre Frey’s Toiles de Tours fabric.
Family Room
Here the homeowners spend a lot of time with family and friends, which called for a multipurpose layout: a seating area for watching movies by the fire, a spot for playing board games, another for having drinks at a bar, and a roomy space with a billiard table. Sikes replaced the felt on the client’s existing billiard table and selected bronze Jamb hanging lights overhead.
Guest Bedroom
The oak writing desk is from Petersen Antiques, the chair is a Gregorius Pineo Chiswick armchair from Kneedle Fauchère, and the desk lamp is from Troy Lighting. “We liked all the modern lantern-style lights that came with the house, so we kept them,” Sikes adds.
Family Room
Here the homeowners spend a lot of time with family and friends, which called for a multipurpose layout: a seating area for watching movies by the fire, a spot for playing board games, another for having drinks at a bar, and a roomy space with a billiard table. Sikes replaced the felt on the client’s existing billiard table and selected bronze Jamb hanging lights overhead.
You Might Also Like
