A family home is realized with smart style.
For Carrera Shea, the Snowmass Village home she and her husband, Sammy, built from the ground up isn’t just another house; it’s a living portfolio, the culmination of her hard work and expertise as an interior designer. “It’s the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done,” she says. “To see my family enjoy it is
really validating.”
Interior design is a relatively new career for Carrera; the Sheas previously owned and operated Polar Revolution, a snowboard shop in downtown Aspen. After the recession hit, they closed the shop in 2010 and moved back to California, where Carrera studied interior design at the Interior Designers Institute in Newport Beach. “We knew we wanted to move back, so when friends told us about this new neighborhood, we bought it right away.”
The bed and chandelier were sourced from Restoration Hardware in Denver.
Before Carrera was even finished with design school, they started plans for the new house, first with architect Adam Casias to collaborate on the exterior, and then with Ben Allen from I.A. Sedgwick to complete the build in 2016. “Our vision was mountain modern, but it had to be comfortable for a family, so function was really important,” she says. The four-bedroom, 3,601-square-foot home in Sinclair Meadows was designed not as a showpiece, but for full-on
family use.
When Carrera landed a job with Rowland + Broughton in 2015, she was able to hone in on the details. “I was exposed to so many ideas, which is how this all came to be,” she says.
The functional elegance she achieved comes through upon setting foot in the entryway, where gray porcelain tile floors provide a muted canvas for a dramatic central staircase with custom glass and steel railings, accented with a trio of iconic Moooi globe chandeliers from Design Within Reach. She chose a synthetic, recessed coco mat for durability in the mudroom off the garage, where all the outdoor equipment for a family of four looks more like a retail store than the place where two kids toss all their stuff. The kids’ rooms are also on the ground level, with en suite bathrooms and a playroom that has a custom built-in desk/work area, flat-screen TV and plenty of space for lounging and toys.
The open floor plan is connected by two sets of stairs.
Upstairs, vertical grain hemlock fir ceilings create warmth and texture against exposed gable beams with raw steel roots and grommets. White walls carry throughout the main living level into the master bedroom, where floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with light and views of the valley. European oak floors stained medium gray evoke a modern vibe for the open floor plan, where living, kitchen, master and outdoor living space are all connected. The Benjamin Moore Paper White kitchen with contrasting black soapstone countertops features a double island, one finished in white waterfall Caesarstone to create space for kids or guests to hang out. Large-scale pocket doors open onto a 900-square-foot patio overlooking Wildcat Ridge with a custom welded steel pergola, seating area, built-in grill and fireplace.
The master suite is where Carrera interpreted “family use” to mean, “what every mom wants,” from the vaulted ceilings and French doors that open up onto a sun-filled back patio to a spa-inspired master bath with floor-to-ceiling white marbled porcelain tile floors, a massive steam shower and a towering accent wall in split-face stone.
The kitchen’s double islands and pocket doors are ideal for entertaining.
Modern functionality also includes installing the most current, state-of-the-art smart-home features, like Vantage lighting system, Somfy motorized shades, Nest thermostat heating/cooler and humidification system, and Sonos sound system, all of which can be controlled from a tablet or smartphone. Several energy-efficient features, including LED light fixtures and A-plus energy-rated windows, earned a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) for energy efficiency.
The couple recently put the home on the market with Compass, and as Carrera readies herself for her next project, she has few regrets. “Even if you play around with trends, you want your design to be timeless,” she says. “There are a few new things I want to try, but, fundamentally, it’s still going to be a functional, family-friendly home. The best part is when I get to see my family enjoy it.”
Photography by: mountain home photo
