Designing a Mountain Home in Breckenridge
Designing a home in Breckenridge begins with the seasons. For much of the year the town is cold, bright and covered in snow, so an interior has to do more than look good. It has to be a warm, easy place to come in to. The mountain homes that live best are planned around that fact.
Start at the entry
Few rooms work as hard as the entry. People arrive in boots and coats, carrying skis, bags and wet gear. A mudroom with built-in storage, durable stone or tile underfoot and a place to sit makes the rest of the house easier to keep beautiful. It also deserves the same care as the great room, because it is the first surface every guest touches.
Let the surfaces carry the warmth
Against white snow and strong mountain light, texture does a great deal of work. Timber beams, plaster walls, stone and honed finishes soften the glare and give a room depth in winter. This is the thinking behind our post on why we design the shell before the furniture: when the architecture of a room is right, the furnishings can be quieter.
Frame the view, then protect it
Many Breckenridge homes are built around the landscape. Window placement, ceiling height and the layout of the great room are best settled while the house is still being framed, so the view stays the focal point and nothing in the room competes with it.
Plan for how the home is really lived in
Mountain homes are often used in bursts: a full house for a holiday week, then quiet for a while. Performance fabrics, generous seating and layouts that work for two people or for twelve let the home handle both without feeling empty or crowded.
Bring the interior in early
On a new build or a large remodel, our interior construction drawings give the builder exact details for millwork, beams, tile and plaster, so decisions are made on paper and not on site. The earlier the interior is considered, the more of the house it can shape.
Planning a home in Breckenridge?
Our Breckenridge work includes Summit Estates and Highlands. If you are beginning a mountain home or a large remodel in Breckenridge, or elsewhere in the mountains, and would like the interior considered from the start, we would be glad to hear about it.