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Events and Happenings,Western Style

Steamboat Springs Parade of Homes Tour

I love writing posts about businesses giving back to the community; and here is another wonderful way a Steamboat business has found to use its business niche and expertise to help fund a charitable foundation that has given over $75,000 to more than 50 community organizations in the past 4 years.

The upcoming, 6th Annual,  Steamboat Springs Parade of Homes Tour,  will showcase six residences in the Steamboat Springs area on Saturday August 4, 2012.  Proceeds from the tour will go to the Colorado Group Realty Charitable Foundation, which was established to support non-profit organizations throughout the Yampa Valley.  The Colorado Group Realty website states “our goal is to support a wide range of community based programs related to human Services, the arts, education, our western heritage, the environment and recreation.

Hayden residence

You may remember our post last summer on the Strings in the Mountains Encore concert that was held at the Hayden home.  The same home, The John and Carrie Hayden residence has now been selected to be on the 2012 Steamboat Springs Parade of Homes Tour.   The Home on the Range designers,  worked closely with the Haydens,the architect, Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA, and the builder, Ken Kruse, to create a home that embodied the Haydens’ dream for their mountain get-away.  Their home is designed for entertaining large groups of family and friends in settings that remain intimate rather than being grandiose.  Joe Robbins created a flow between the  entertaining and the  living spaces in the home that encourages guests to interact, at the same time providing bedroom “wings” than enable them to get privacy when desired.  Each wing and each room have their own personality with one wing more influenced by the mountains and wildlife that surround the home and the other wing reflecting the western heritage of Steamboat Springs.

Below are some of the highlights of the Hayden home:

The moss rock fireplace, the custom chandelier and the fir trusses bring a feeling of coziness to the great room.  We used neutral fabrics on the furniture so the spectacular view catches your eye when you enter the home.  Touches of red scattered around the room add a feeling of warmth during the winter months when white dominates the view.

 

Hayden Great Room

The master bedroom and bathroom are on the same floor as the main living areas of the home.

Hayden Master bedroom

 

Hayden master bathroom

 

The hearth room, which is off of the kitchen and the dining room,  has wonderful views and inviting fireplace,  it is undoubtedly the favorite place to hang out!

 

Hayden Hearth Room

 

This is just  a sneak preview of some of the rooms in the Hayden house.   Hopefully this preview will want to make you go on the tour, support the Colorado Group Realty Charitable Foundation, and see the guest rooms and all of the wonderful details waiting around each corner.  I am excited about visiting the other homes on the tour; I always love to see different architectural styles and how other architects and designers use spacial planning and finishes.  What do you look for when you go on home tours?

Mark your calendars for August 4, 2012 and go get tickets now for the Steamboat Springs Parade of Homes Tour!

 

All photos courtesy of Tim Murphy Photography

Porches for Relaxing and Congregating
It's All in the Details,Western Style

Porches for Relaxing and Congregating

Mark Twain once wrote that sitting on a porch gave him “a deep sense of comfort and contentment.” The bard of American letters was not alone. Porches used to be where the family would hang out in the evening and visit with neighbors and watch the kids play in the yard.  It was a way to catch the evening breeze when there wasn’t any air conditioning.

porches for relaxing

Mark Twain. Image via Historic Saranac Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Porches still make inviting places to congregate and watch the world around you, which is why Home on the Range Interiors brings interiors outside with seating areas for conversation or for quiet contemplation.  Here are a a few porches from our varied projects.

This inviting porch off of the master bedroom wing provides a great place to relax and get some private time. Western Homestead Ranch - interior design by Home on the Range Interiors

 

 

 

Western Homestead Ranch Porch

This rustic ranch porch is the place everyone congregates in the evening as the sun goes down and the lake below the house glimmers in the evening light. Western Homestead Ranch - interior design by Home on the Range Interiors

 

Home on the Range Interiors

This screened in porch overlooking a meadow of wild flowers and Lake Catamount has both a dining area and seating areas for relaxing and conversing. Pioneer Homestead Ranch -interior design by Home on the Range Interiors

 

 

Cozy seating around an outdoor fireplace makes this lake cabin porch an inviting place to sit on a cool evening.

 

Here are some great porches I found on Houzz that are a little more “East Coast” than the porches we have in the mountains of Colorado but that have the same universal appeal.

I can just imagine sitting on this porch below reading a book or sipping an iced tea in the day or a mint julep in the evening as the neighbors stop by to chat!

porches for relaxing

Photo: Mark Lohman for Tumbleweed & Dandelion. Image via Houzz

 

 

Here is another great porch with a fireplace to take the chill off of the evening so friends and family can gather together after a busy day of hiking, fishing and boating.  It’s perfect for a lake environment because it is screened in to keep out the pesky mosquitoes!

porches for relaxing

Photo and design: Lands End Development. Image via Houzz

 

 

This reminds me of an old farmhouse porch where ma and pa would sit and rock in the evening after the chores were done.

porches for relaxing

Photo and construction: Witt Construction. Image via Houzz

 

Twain noted that “Each season brings a world of enjoyment and interest in the watching of its unfolding.” And what better place to gaze upon nature than a well-designed porch?

Which porch is your favorite?

 

Photos 2-4 via Home on the Range Interiors – Photographer: Tim Murphy Architect:  Joe Patrick Robbins,  AIA  Photos 5-8 via Houzz 

Events and Happenings

Prudential Steamboat Realty and Kent Eriksen’s Cycles host benefit for The Sunshine Kids

Last night’s Tour de Steamboat/Sunshine Kids  fundraiser in the Torian tent in Steamboat Springs was a resounding success!  There were a few minutes of consternation as the wind picked up and the thunder rolled and the chairs went flying, but that only added to the evening’s excitement!  The Prudential Steamboat Realtors donate countless hours of their time and endless amounts of energy to make this event possible.

There was a wonderful turnout for the pasta dinner and live and silent auctions, with items to appeal to all ages.  As always, the businesses in Steamboat can always be counted on to be very generous with their donations.   This event is a significant fundraiser benefiting The Sunshine Kids‘ annual Steamboat Winter Games- a chance to give children stricken with cancer a week of winter fun in our beautiful town.

Steamboat Today has a photo of The Sunshine Kid’s spokesperson, Bobby Menges, who inspired everyone at the fundraiser last night.  Be sure to read all about Bobbye in their article.

Bobby Menges benefited from the Sunshine Kids Foundation and now is back in town for this weekend's Tour de Steamboat, which raises money for the program that helps children fight cancer

 

 

Today is a gorgeous Colorado blue sky day for the second component of the fundraiser, which is the Tour de Steamboat. The Tour de Steamboat was started 8 years ago by Kent Eriksen’s Cycles and then Prudential Steamboat Realty joined forces with them 4 years ago.  This year’s sponsor is Mountain Resorts.  Here is what The Business  Journals  has to say about the tour.

“This summer cyclists from around the world are invited to experience first hand what sets riding in Steamboat apart, by participating in the 8th annual Kent Eriksen Tour de Steamboat on July 21, 2012. The two-day fundraising event benefiting the Sunshine Kids Foundation offers three courses: 110-mile century course, 40-mile out and back, and a 25-mile loop.

“The Tour de Steamboat exemplifies what Steamboat’s cycling community is all about, enjoying the outdoors, taking great rides and supporting an important cause,” says Brad Cusenbary, co-founder of the event.

Attending events such as these always reminds me of what an amazing town Steamboat Springs is in terms of quality of life and giving back to the community, both local and global, and of how lucky I am to live here!  Thank you Prudential Steamboat Realty, Kent Eriksen’s Cycles and Mountain Resorts for your dedication to giving back and to giving joy to others!

Lynne Barton Bier and the staff at Home on the Range

 

 

Bonfils Blood Center Helping Denver Victims
The Allure of a Home on the Water
Featured,Western Style

The Allure of a Home on the Water

The allure of water is universal. Water views seem to soothe away stress and encourage contemplation. A shoreline interior should begin by considering the setting.

The first step is to ensure that views are visually accessible, and that exterior doors can be accessed. The two rooms below, by architects on Houzz, each have two focal points–the water and a hearth.

 house on the water

Window treatments can soften a space and are often necessary to control light. But they should not take away from the view.

house on the water

An outdoor conversation cluster is a gathering spot, a focal point, and a destination to move toward throughout the evening. This applies to traditional, transitional, and modern homes alike.

 home on the water

house on the water

 

home on the water

The homes below are nestled into the landscape, with natural materials and understated scale.

 home on the water

home on the water

house on the water

What is your vision for the perfect home on the water? Contact us at Home on the Range and give us the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your vision.  We are based in the Rocky Mountain area but have designed homes on the water and in the mountains nationwide.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style Homes
Featured,It's All in the Details

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style Homes

Home on the Range is currently working on a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home designed by Architect Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA in Houston,Texas and we will be sharing details from the home throughout the construction process.  Wright’s appreciation for natural materials and the landscape make his Prairie Style homes timeless.  I am constantly amazed by the details he used 100 years ago that are currently popular in contemporary design.

Few individuals in history have had the honor of creating an architectural style. Frank Lloyd Wright changed the American landscape with Prairie Style, which he developed at the turn of the 20th century. The first Prairie Style structures were designed to “reflect the  long, low horizontal prairie on which they sat with low-pitched roofs (and) deep overhangs,” according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.  The other transformation attributed to the Prairie Style was the change from dark chopped-up rooms to open interior spaces with more light.   Below is one of the first Prairie Style residences, Wright’s Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago (1908).

Robie House

Robie House image via gowright.org

The home’s understatement and harmony with the landscape is quintessentially American. Another Prairie Style home with these characteristics is the Avery Coonley Housein Riverside, Illinois (1907). The landscape designer Frederick Law Olmstead did a wonderful job of further integrating the home into its surroundings.

Coonley Gardens

Coonley Garden

 

 

We find an overlap in style between Arts and Crafst style, Mission and Prairie style and will be using elements of all three in the Houston home.  Below are pictures of some of the inspirations we are using for cabinet design.

Arts and Crafts style shoji sideboard

Prairie style sideboard design

Prairie style sideboard designCraftsman Ceramic Tile Alchemy tileYamagiwa light fixture

Hardware example

 

Yamagiwa light fixture from Oak Park Home and Hardware

Examples of the Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie Style homes can be found throughout the United States.

Be sure to watch for the following key Prairie Style elements in our future posts on the Houston house.

  • Low-pitched roof
  • Overhanging eaves
  • Horizontal lines
  • Central chimney
  • Open floor plan
  • Clerestory windows
An Evening at the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts
Events and Happenings,Featured

An Evening at the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts

I had the pleasure of attending the ASID Annual Membership Mixer at the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts on Thursday evening and was astounded to find a hidden gem!  Hugh Grant, the creator, curator and guiding light of the Kirkland Museum has done a masterful job of putting together a wealth of pieces from the past 100 years, including a collection that showcases the depth and quality of art in Colorado.  Hugh speaks of the collections with passion paired with a wonderful sense of humor.  His eyes sparkle as he talks about the history of the museum,  his experiences with Vance Kirkland and the collections he has created…and his enthusiasm is contagious.

Hugh Grant - Founder, Director and Curator of the Kirkland Museum for Fine and Decorative Arts

 

The museum houses three primary collections, an international decorative arts collection, a regional collection with a focus on Colorado art, and a retrospective of the work of Vance Kirkland.

The three collections make Kirkland Museum different than other museums and the “salon style” pairing of furniture, art and decorative accessories in which they are displayed gives the visitor a museum experience that is more like walking into one’s home.  In one of the rooms there were “Piranha” chairs from  Pierre Sala, dinnerware from Frank Lloyd Wright,colorful paintings from Vance Kirkland and art pieces from various Colorado artists.  What could be a horrific mish-mash if not put together just right, was curated so beautifully as to draw your eye from one piece to the next without the sense of anything being out of sync. It was the perfect venue for a gathering of interior designers!

ASID Annual Members Mixer at the Kirkland Museum

 

Historic Original Studio

Below are some images from both the Kirkland Museum website and Wikipedia showing the explosive colors and the eclectic mix you will find throughout the Museum.  Be sure to explore every floor as well as the sculpture garden – you wouldn’t want to miss anything!

"Invasions of Mysteries near Scorpio" by Vance Kirkland

 

"Farewell Summer" by Edward Marecak

 

Studio exhibition room including Chair, early 1960s, by Charles Deaton (1921-1996), from his Sculptured House, Genesee, Colorado; 2 – Door Cabinet, 1968, by Paul Evans (1931-1987); “JESTER” Modular Sofa/ Chairs, 1991, by GAETANO PESCE, (Italian, b. 1939); and Heart Chair, 1958, designed by Verner Panton (Danish, 1926-1998) mfr: Fritz Hansen, Allerod, Denmark (1872-1998).

 

The below vignette illustrates the

Interior of the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art; featuring a Frank Lloyd Wright dinette and Vance Kirkland Paintings

The Denver Post  mentions “Indians on the Platte River” by Charles Steward Stobie in the article by Ray Mark Rinaldi   on how Hugh Grant is working to build the reputation of Colorado Art through his collection.

Indians on the Platte River, 1888, by Charles Stewart Stobie (1845-1931), Oil on canvas, Collection of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art.

 

I purchased a membership for myself and a guest because I can’t wait to go back and spend more time immersed in the world of the Kirkland Museum.  To find out more,  subscribe to “The Dot” their wonderful blog where you can keep up with their exhibits, collections and newsworthy events.

 

Photo Images 1,2  Lynne Bier – Home on the Range  Photo Images3-6,8  the Kirkland Museum of Fine Art and Photo Image 7  Wikipedia

Cozy, Rustic Attic Bedrooms
Western Style

Cozy, Rustic Attic Bedrooms

Attics have captured the imagination of children for centuries due to their cozy scale and intriguing character – did you ever go on a treasure hunt in an attic when you were young, or play hide and seek under the eaves?  Here are images which demonstrate how attics continue to inspire us with their nooks and crannies even as adults.

  • RUSTIC – from western to shabby chic, the rustic spaces below delight the senses with the patina of the reclaimed wood ceilings, the interesting textures and the charming furnishings:
rustic attic

Image via Archilook

 

rustic attic 2

Image via Arcilook

 

rustic attic

Image via Arcilook

 

rustic attic

Image via Arcilook

CLEAN-LINED.  The attic rooms below have a cleaner, lighter, more modern look which is achieved by using either white painted wood or white bedding.  The addition of architectural detail or wood elements keeps them from looking too stark and maintains a hint of “rustic”.

attic bedroom

Image via Arcilook

 

attic bedroom

Image via Arcilook

 

attic bedroom

Image via Arcilook

Attics provide not only a bonus room but also an escape. Though there may not be a treasure chest hidden in these spaces, they are still quite rewarding.

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Image source: Archilook

Why You Should Hire An Interior Designer
Western Style

Why You Should Hire An Interior Designer

Home on the Range
Home on the Range

Albert Hadley says;

“….the designer must be able to see – make a concentrated effort to absorb the essence of the project. Seeing is a very difficult thing to do. Most people “look” at a lot of thing but never “see” anything. Looking is emotional; seeing is an intellectual process.”

Few things in life are as enriching as creating a warm haven for your family. Partnering with a caring, experienced designer lets you focus on your overarching vision while ensuring that the process runs smoothly and the details are thought out in advance.   It is your home, where your memories will be made, and you want to be able to enjoy the creative process instead of being stressed by constant decisions and deadlines.  An interior designer provides a blend of technical problem solving skills and creativity, providing you with support, making your life easier, creating a home that is everything you dreamed of, and helping you to save money in the process!

 

Below are some of the key  services an interior designer can provide:

Space planning – helping you determine the best placement of your furniture after careful research into your lifestyle and the way you would like each room to function.  This advance planning will help avoid costly change orders.  A designer will take into consideration scale, proportion, balance and composition when planning your spaces.

Material and finish selection and coordination – narrowing down selections for everything from your flooring to your cabinet hardware, ensuring that all of the components are well thought out and work together to create a whole that is more than the sum of its parts, and then communicating the decisions to the builder and subcontractors.

Color selection – analyzing the interplay of light in the rooms at different times of the day;  color theory and understanding your color preferences will also enter into color selection.  The environment in which the house will be located also plays a large role in your color scheme.

Designer resources –you will enjoy the advantage of carefully nurtured relationships with the finest artisans who will add custom elements to your home. If you hire an experienced designer you will also have access to furniture and fabric sources that have been developed from years traveling to markets in the US and abroad.

Fine art, rug and custom accessory selection and placement – the finishing touches!

Management of delivery & installation and standing behind the products – this service will make the final hectic days of your process much less stressful for you.  At Home on the Range we even make the beds and install the towels!

 

In conclusion:

An interior designer is a professional who is qualified to ensure that the finishes and furnishings in your home stand the test of time. Interior designers bring a passion for good design and a creative flair to your project.   Using a designer helps you avoid costly mistakes and, more importantly, helps you to create a home you will enjoy with family and friend for years to come!

For more resources and to find the interior designer who will be the right fit for you, visit:

ASID – find a designer

Mountain Living Magazine – Luxury Resource Guide

DCD Home – Interior Designers

Mountain Living Magazine Top Architects and Designers

And of course, contact us at Home on the Range and give us the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your vision.  We are based in the Rocky Mountain area but have also worked with  clients in states ranging from Texas to Massachusetts!

 

 

 

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