The remote, steep and rocky lot on Wilderness Heights Road offers incredible western views and an unmatched mountain setting. It was necessary to excavate significant quantities of the native rock in order to situate the home. We addressed this challenge by reusing the excavated material as retention walls and support for the steep driveway–this strategy kept the native stone on the property and avoided the waste of moving material away from the site only bring back new stone later in the process. It also limited the amount of heavy trucks that had to access the property.

It was important for the client to have an intimate space in which to enjoy the private setting and the staggering views, but also to integrate private guest suites for entertaining visitors and houseguests. Each of the three bedrooms has a full bathroom and the open floor plan creates a sense of spaciousness within a relatively modest footprint. The formal dining room has its own fireplace for intimate meals and gatherings. The same fireplace is accessible from the breakfast room while the living room has a grand, central fireplace. The glass western wall facilitates the enjoyment of spectacular sunsets, which may also be enjoyed outside under the large portal.

Far from city infrastructure, the project required creative solutions to pump water efficiently from a lower elevation well and to utilize an advanced septic system that treats wastewater for reuse in maintaining the gorgeous native landscaping. Work progressed on the project through a particularly hard winter–we shuttled workers to the site in freezing and icy temperatures to ensure that the job was completed on time and on budget. The finished home is elegantly appointed thanks to Emily Henry Interiors. The home has been featured on HGTV and in Better Homes and Gardens.

Photography by Kate Russell Photography