{"id":35609,"date":"2025-09-22T02:46:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T02:46:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/35609\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T02:46:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T02:46:07","slug":"olson-kundig-designed-this-aspen-home-for-a-family-of-art-collectors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/35609\/","title":{"rendered":"Olson Kundig Designed This Aspen Home for a Family of Art Collectors"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tAfter 25 years and four house projects together, interior designer Kerry Joyce<\/a> had gotten to know one Los Angeles family\u2014and their style\u2014so well that when it came to their recently built home in Colorado, he could practically predict what they wanted. \u201cThey\u2019re busy people who trust me,\u201d Joyce says. \u201cSince I\u2019ve done so many of their houses in the past, I know what to do, and when I go in a slightly different direction, they allow me to do it because they know in the end it will be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to Joyce, when he started working with the clients, their style leaned traditional. Over the years, it gradually evolved into a more transitional aesthetic. Their newest house, however\u2014a custom build designed by Seattle-based architecture firm Olson Kundig<\/a>\u2014is a squarely modern structure tucked into a forested plot in Aspen<\/a>. For Joyce, a self-described modernist at heart, the project provided an opportunity to lead his clients\u2019 interior scheme in a more contemporary direction while keeping in mind their request to make sure things were cozy and comfortable. \u201cWe wanted to create an environment that felt compatible with the vibe of Aspen without looking stereotypical,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe 15,000-square-foot residence takes on an industrial slant, with a palette of dark steel and board-form concrete and large banks of windows that establish a connection to the immediate landscape. Color-wise, the browns and grays complement the acres of green, blending the structure in with its surroundings as thoughtfully as possible.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Olson<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThis Olson Kundig\u2013designed house in Aspen uses a muted palette of steel and board-form concrete as an extension of the existing colors throughout the site. Extensive windows along the house\u2019s western side provide views of the nearby river.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAaron Leitz<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAt first impression, I was amazed at how rural and quiet the site felt, especially considering its proximity to downtown Aspen,\u201d says Tom Kundig, an owner and principal at Olson Kundig. \u201cAspen isn\u2019t a huge city, but it is active, and it is busy. Here, at the end of the road on the river, it almost felt like stepping back in time, or stepping into another world. You\u2019re elevated away from the noise, and from the activity, so it creates this sense of refuge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFor the homeowners, who planned to spend extended periods of time at the property, flexibility was important. \u201cThe primary goal was to create a space for gathering,\u201d Kundig continues. \u201c[The clients] are very social and love spending time with their family and friends. They wanted a home where they could host dinners, parties, or weekend trips. Ultimately, this home is really designed for that human connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tStarting with an expansive garden-lined auto court, the entry sequence welcomes guests under a thin steel canopy and through the front door into a gallery like foyer where a bespoke chandelier by Andreea Braescu<\/a> brings an organic touch to the linear architecture. The primary suite occupies the structure\u2019s northern side, and the kitchen and other living spaces are positioned at the opposite end. Upstairs, a playroom, an office, guest suites, and a bunk room provide the family a place to stay with plenty of room for their grandchildren to spread out and play. On the ground level, a glassed-in walkway connects the main house and a guest wing, the latter of which has two suites and a shared sitting room.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Olson<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tJust off the main kitchen, where a large window opens upward with the turn of a crank, Joyce positioned a breakfast room with a custom-designed table and pendant light.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAaron Leitz<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe clients chose this site and this landscape because it\u2019s such an important part of their lives\u2014family life, gathering with friends, just being connected to the outdoors,\u201d Kundig says. \u201cWhen you move into the mountains, you\u2019re doing it because you want to engage with that landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJoyce agrees, explaining that his design choices\u2014most of the furnishings are custom\u2014nod to the area\u2019s natural palette. \u201cI wanted something that recalled the forest, the colors of autumn,\u201d he says, noting that the generous spread of windows creates a forest backdrop in nearly every room. \u201cI always believe in honoring the garden view, or the view of nature, because that\u2019s the thing, to me, that really makes the house sing.\u201d Bringing warmth to the modern architecture, the designer opted for furnishings made from oiled walnut and cerused oak and upholstered in autumnal-hued leather and mohair, plus deep-pile cashmere and mohair rugs for a luxe softness underfoot. \u201cThe furniture was classic modern with many Brazilian influences that were sometimes just a touch shy of being brutal,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

\n\tTo ensure maximum usability, the furniture went through a special round of sit-testing, with Joyce and his team building prototypes of all upholstered pieces, to \u201cmake sure it feels comfortable and that the pitch is correct.\u201d The combination of earthy tones with textured materials adds a refined layer to the rooms, where two types of flooring\u2014wide-plank oak and ground and polished concrete\u2014anchor different spaces. Joyce admits to loving patina, pointing out that he used it on many of the custom items to achieve a \u201ctimeless\u201d look. Bronze details, such as nightstands in the primary bedroom and the living room\u2019s burnished logs cast from real pieces of wood, pop up throughout, adding artful moments that complement the family\u2019s sophisticated style.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Olson<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThoughtful design persists even on the basement level, where back-of-house amenities include a catering kitchen and this custom steel and glass wine rack\u2014a statement piece as showstopping as much of the clients\u2019 modern art.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAaron Leitz<\/p>\n

\n\tBoth Kundig and Joyce emphasize the clients\u2019 modern-art collection and how its placement drove some of the design decisions. \u201cArt is a big part of their lives\u2014not just collecting it, but really living with it, being curious about it, experiencing it every day,\u201d Kundig says. \u201cFrom the very beginning, this was an art house as much as it was a family house. The interesting challenge was balancing the art with the landscape. It\u2019s a very powerful site, and the artworks needed to have their own strength\u2014to either stand as the endpoint of an axial view, or to almost become part of that larger landscape experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSuch was the case with a sculpture that sits at one end of the pool. Visible from the kitchen, where a kinetic window retracts upward with the turn of a wheel, the white angular piece pairs with the white upholstery on the patio lounge chairs and presents a moment of contrast against the nearby forest. Elsewhere, contemporary works hang in hallways and on bedroom walls, providing unexpected colorful encounters on one\u2019s journey through the house. \u201cWe thought carefully about how volumes open up, how circulation spines lead you to certain moments, and where those little places of refuge could become homes for art,\u201d Kundig explains.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut more than providing a surface to hang paintings or arrange furniture, the house is a gathering hub, and both Joyce and Kundig worked to create a retreat for the clients, where they could build lasting memories with family and friends. \u201cThe spaces aren\u2019t just about size or ceiling height,\u201d Kundig says. \u201cThey\u2019re about how you feel in relation to the people around you, and also in relation to the larger landscape beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tClick here<\/a> for more images of the Aspen home. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Olson<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAaron Leitz<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After 25 years and four house projects together, interior designer Kerry Joyce had gotten to know one Los…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35610,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,27609,308,93,7256,13882,61,60,709],"class_list":{"0":"post-35609","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-aspen","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-home-design","16":"tag-home-tour","17":"tag-ie","18":"tag-ireland","19":"tag-magazine"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}