An Alta, Utah Ski Retreat with an Epic Gear Room

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Stylist Sarah Lowe and her husband, Alex, at all times dreamt of proudly owning a cabin in Alta, Utah, a buzzy ski space 30 miles away from their house in Salt Lake City. “If you’re an Alta skier, that is your mountain,” Sarah explains. “Alex could rattle off the statistics about why it’s the best snow and the best resort.” Alta might need a cult following, however properties are scarce. So when a 2,800-square-foot, three-story cabin grew to become accessible through the pandemic, the couple snatched it up. 

The home’s location was excellent, however the design? It was nothing to put in writing house about. The interiors had been outdated and had “weird uses of space,” Sarah remembers. Plus, there wasn’t a devoted storage room for his or her gear, which was a should for Alex and the inevitable catalyst for hiring Brynne Flowers of John Martine Studio to revamp the house. With 4 younger kids and an open door coverage for company, it was necessary to create an area that was welcoming, ski-centric, and trendy. 

Initially, Sarah craved typical mountain motifs like snowflakes and plaid. “I think I told Brynne I wanted it to feel like Ralph Lauren threw up all over the cabin,” she confesses. However, Flowers rapidly clocked the household’s youthful, whimsical spirit and wished to design a house to match. “We can have pattern play and add color, but it doesn’t need to feel over-the-top,” the Salt Lake City-based designer explains.

A considerate pressure between boldness and restraint permeates the property, however even the house’s “quieter” moments sing. Case in level: The lounge, the place company naturally congregate after a protracted day on the slopes. Clear alder wooden panels clad the partitions and vaulted ceiling, bringing a way of intimacy to the spacious, sun-drenched space. Equally commanding is the statuesque plaster fire, full with pocket doorways and built-in log storage. (That manner, the household can stoke the flame with out braving the chilly.) A inexperienced couch from Hay, a classic espresso desk, and ottomans reupholstered in Lawson-Fenning cloth create a comfy environment—whether or not the household’s entertaining 30 folks or having fun with a quiet night time in.

While the lounge is on the subtler aspect, the adjoining kitchen is a vivid love letter to Alta. The terracotta cupboards boast pine tree-shaped cutouts and the backsplash’s hand-painted tiles function animals native to the realm. Flowers leaned into the woodsy environment by remodeling a close-by area of interest that when featured a sizzling tub (sure, actually) into an inside “treehouse” topped with cedar shakes. For Sarah, the nook, which was loosely impressed by Pierre Yovanovitch’s iconic Andermatt Alps project, is a “magical, welcoming space” the place her children can play video games and chill with their pals. 

An analogous attraction extends to the house’s bedrooms, every certainly one of which was designed to really feel like its personal particular area. So, Flowers packed on the “wow” moments: A coat of golden paint offers the first suite a sunny disposition, whereas a visitor area in a drenched Silvan repeat from Clarke & Clarke honors Alta’s wintry environment. In the bunk room, woodsy wallpaper from Spoonflower and gingham curtains are joyful, not juvenile. 

Each of the 5 bedrooms have direct entry to separate bogs, all of that are naturally festooned with wallpaper and daring tiles. “It was important to make sure there was a statement in each space, but that it doesn’t overpower adjacent rooms,” Flowers provides. “I love to bring in different colors, but they’re all in the same tone. Nothing is starkly different.” 

Speaking of which, one former funky powder room was transformed into the pièce de résistance: Alex’s ski room. Flowers made each inch depend with built-in lockers, a wall with moveable pegs to hold coats, plus storage that accommodates roughly 20 pairs of shoes, 16 helmets, and many gloves. In reality, the designer shares the boot and glove storage is heated, so the household can get up to dry gear. “It’s that kind of leveled-up amenity that you would want at a lodge,” she says.

While Sarah was initially skeptical of the “bougie” function, she rapidly realized it’s the hero of the house. “Before, everyone’s gear was everywhere,” Sarah explains. “Someone was always missing a glove or couldn’t find their helmet—it was chaos. Now, it’s created the most organized space you can imagine because everyone wants to have their boots on the warmers.”

Not solely does the ski room make gearing up a breeze, however Sarah says it additionally retains the house “cozy rather than claustrophobic.” Translation: A dream home within the mountains that truly feels dreamy.