Refining the Rustic in a Log Home
While this ski-in, ski-out home in Steamboat, Colorado, was a great
buy and had spectacular views, the owners were not particularly keen on
the rustic log cabin look. Interior designer Lisa Kanning worked with
them to tone down the heavy logs and make the space feel more
contemporary.
She used a calming palette of creams and grays and a range of textiles to soften the aesthetic, and added visual elements to bring the room’s vast size down to human scale. Working closely with her long-term clients, she also brought in some unexpected elements that reflected their tastes and personalities.
She used a calming palette of creams and grays and a range of textiles to soften the aesthetic, and added visual elements to bring the room’s vast size down to human scale. Working closely with her long-term clients, she also brought in some unexpected elements that reflected their tastes and personalities.
Photos by David Patterson
Room at a Glance
Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Team: Interior design: LKID; architecture: Katherine Keifer, West Elevation Architects
The Italian light fixture was one of the first things one of the clients picked out. “It sets the tone immediately,” Kanning says. The large fixture adds unique texture, stands up to the scale of the room and helps delineate the seating area in front of the fireplace.
Expansive windows let in views of aspen trees and ski hills. “In homes like this, you typically have a mountain-view area and a fireplace area; if you’re lucky, you can create two separate seating areas at each one,” Kanning says. In front of the windows, a set of comfortable vintage swivel chairs atop a sheepskin rug creates an intimate conversation area.
Fil De Fer pendant light: Catellani & Smith
Room at a Glance
Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Team: Interior design: LKID; architecture: Katherine Keifer, West Elevation Architects
The Italian light fixture was one of the first things one of the clients picked out. “It sets the tone immediately,” Kanning says. The large fixture adds unique texture, stands up to the scale of the room and helps delineate the seating area in front of the fireplace.
Expansive windows let in views of aspen trees and ski hills. “In homes like this, you typically have a mountain-view area and a fireplace area; if you’re lucky, you can create two separate seating areas at each one,” Kanning says. In front of the windows, a set of comfortable vintage swivel chairs atop a sheepskin rug creates an intimate conversation area.
Fil De Fer pendant light: Catellani & Smith
Also standing up to the scale of
the room is a large piece by artist Iris Shoemaker. The homeowners are
art aficionados who are building a collection. They found this piece at
Art Basel Miami. It breaks up the expanse of logs, contrasting with
their color and texture. One of the homeowners also found the unique
antique horn chair, which winks at traditional mountain-lodge style.
Long drapes on a motorized track and a dark stain for the floors (which used to be the same color as the walls) also help tone down the logs. Sleek glass and metal clip railings replaced rustic log railings up the stairs and across the loft.
Long drapes on a motorized track and a dark stain for the floors (which used to be the same color as the walls) also help tone down the logs. Sleek glass and metal clip railings replaced rustic log railings up the stairs and across the loft.
The room is part of an open
plan; continuing grays and other neutrals give the house a cohesive
feeling. The fireplace is open to the dining room on the other side, and
you can see a peek of the kitchen to the left. “A gray palette really
calms everything down and modernizes a space,” Kanning says. “It can
also neutralize a finish you don’t like.”
A mix of textures includes a patchwork cowhide rug, a tweedy sofa and chairs, faux leather and sheepskin stools, a textured lacquer coffee table, a leather-wrapped console table, a resin cube and metal nesting tables.
A mix of textures includes a patchwork cowhide rug, a tweedy sofa and chairs, faux leather and sheepskin stools, a textured lacquer coffee table, a leather-wrapped console table, a resin cube and metal nesting tables.
This photo gives you a good idea
of how the great room connects to the dining room and kitchen. The
green buffet in the dining room adds an unexpected color that could have
been plucked straight from an aspen tree.
Countertop: Kensho, Silestone; backsplash tile: Oceanside
Countertop: Kensho, Silestone; backsplash tile: Oceanside
