By Linda Hayes By Linda Hayes | February 9, 2022 | Home & Real Estate, Features, Home & Real Estate,
A corner guest primary bedroom view connects the warm, peaceful space with its natural surroundings.
Settling a luxe, 13,321-square-foot, seven-bedroom home on Aspen’s sought-after Willoughby Way into the character of the surrounding neighborhood (not to mention into its steeply sloping site) while optimizing views came with a full set of challenges. Melding the dramatic characteristics of its architecture into the interior while accommodating the sensibilities and lifestyle of its owner-family came with others. After six years of planning and construction, and a refresh of interior finishes midway through, expectations were far surpassed. “The owners are a prominent Los Angeles businessman and his wife, who are both involved with charitable organizations, including the Humane Society,” says Aspen interior designer Kristin Dittmar, who concepted and led the interior work on the project. “They wanted a livable but different and chic space that would also work for their kids and their rescue dogs. They gave me a lot of design and budget freedom. It let me think and design in a different way.”
The grand, double living area features dual seating areas and sophisticated yet comfortable furnishings from Minotti, Poliform and Mark Jupiter
A lacquered 1980s vintage desk from High Point is a defining element of the owner’s office.
Aligning interior work with dry stack farmer stone that Colorado architect Bill Lueck specified for the exterior, along with durable epi, natural barnwood and metal siding, and brought inside as well, Dittmar focused on finishes. “We started in the living room with a marble slab for the fireplace from a marble importing company the husband was an investor in,” she says. “They would pick out slabs and send me photos. Selecting all the stone was a really big step.” Similar slabs were utilized in the primary bedroom and as a piece of art in the entry.
A detail of the sleek Poliform kitchen
Another defining finish was handpainted detailing applied on interior stairways, which Dittmar refers to as “art on the walls,” and which meshed perfectly with collected artwork she strategically placed throughout the home. “My philosophy is that once you have a home like this and you’re planning to be there a while, collecting art on travels for instance is a great way to grow a meaningful collection,” she notes.
Lighting, including brushed brass cascading rings by HALO, is a key design element
Given creative freedom to pull interior furnishings together, Dittmar specified a mixture of materials and textures to provide depth and sophistication throughout the home, and selected pieces sourced in Denver and L.A. The expansive great room, which encompasses dual living and sitting areas, informs the neutral beige, gray and black palette that runs throughout the home and responds to the interior stone columns and wood flooring. “It gives the space a homey feeling and creates a place where the owners can really entertain,” says Dittmar.
Stonework and artwork define the entry.
Key pieces include a pair of Italian Minotti sofas and Poliform barrel chairs, and a handmade walnut coffee table by Mark Jupiter. A sleek Poliform kitchen, a large dining room and a smaller family dining area adjoin the living space. High ceilings, functional window and sliding door systems with views of Aspen Mountain and Aspen Highlands peaks, and a massive central skylight add to the openness of the space.
The main bedroom features a custom marble slab above the fireplace
While the primary bedroom and bath, and a full guest suite, are on the main level, family bedrooms, a bunk room and a caretaker space are set on the lower level. They’re joined by a full theater, a recreational room, an exercise room and, best of all, an indoor-outdoor pool house. Unique to the area are airplane hangar-style doors that when open create one large lap pool.
The bathroom includes an elegant Waterworks tub
A living and gathering area.
Recalling the extended time frame of the project, and its ultimate completion, Dittmar is reflective. “I got married, had two babies and went through a lot of life changes throughout that time,” she says. “I’m really proud of how beautifully it all turned out.”
DESIGN DETAILS
LOCATION
Aspen
INTERIOR DESIGN
Kristin Dittmar Interior Design
ARCHITECTURE
Bill Lueck Mountain Contemporary Architects
VENDORS
Apparatus Studio
Lower-level lighting
Artefacto
Dining room table and chairs, family room sofa and chairs
Bocci
Hanging spheres over stairway
Flexform
Armchairs with wood in living room
Mark Albrecht Studio
Kitchen counter stools
Minotti
Living room sofas
Poliform
Kitchen cabinets, deep upholstered chairs in living room
Sub-Zero, Wolf
Kitchen appliances
Tuscan Marble Quarries
Marble in living room
Waterworks
Main bath
Photography by: Photographed by Michael Brands and Brooke Casillas