Steamboat Springs Interior Design | Home on the Range Blog

Design Tips and Trends,Events and Happenings,Featured,It's All in the Details

Reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright

If you read our post last summer, or are familiar with Frank Lloyd Wright, you know that he was a brilliant yet controversial architect who was ahead of his time in terms of his design concepts. His work is recognized globally and, over the course of his life, he designed a wide array of commercial and residential buildings, from “Pottery House” in Santa Fe, to “Falling Water” in Pennsylvania, to the fabulous Guggenheim Museum in New York City. He was the father of the “Prairie Style” of architecture, which is characterized by linear shapes, unusual geometric details, long, leading, horizontal focal lines, and an open floor plan. Although Frank Lloyd Wright is gone, his contributions to architecture remain and have an ever-widening following. The “Frank Lloyd Wright Style” of design is compelling and iconic.

In the 7 months since our last post, the home in Houston, designed by Steamboat Architect, Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA has come to life! We promised to share pictures of the construction, showing some of the details that are trademarks of the Prairie Style; deep overhangs, clerestory windows, open floor plans and linear lines in the exterior materials, so you can stop holding your breath and see the progress right before your very eyes!

A look at the exterior of the house:

Frank Lloyd Wright House | Home on the Range

framing

Frank Lloyd Wright House 2 | Home on the Range

Progression

Frank Lloyd Wright House 3 | Home on the Range

Just a few weeks ago – we’re getting there!

A look at the interior of the house:

Frank Lloyd Wright House Interior 2 | Home on the Range

Framing a bedroom

Frank Lloyd Wright House Interior 3 | Home on the Range

Progression1

Frank Lloyd Wright House Interior 4 | Home on the Range

Just wait until this is painted!

The Crew:

Lynne with the home owners

Joe Robbins brings it to life

Temple Pace (the builder of the house) with the home owners

Temple Pace (the builder of the house) with Joe Robbins and one of the home owners

You can be sure that we will share plenty more photos as the interior of the house continues to progress. Look for an upcoming post on the pieces and components that we will be incorporating into this unique home!

March 6, 2013
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Events and Happenings,Featured,It's All in the Details

A Beautiful Quote

We love this quote from Barbara Barry, who we are currently listening to here at the Design Bloggers Conference in LA! She is one of the most beautiful speakers I have ever heard.

March 5, 2013
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Design Tips and Trends,Featured Products,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Industrial Chic: The Product Post

Last week we talked about one of our favorite emerging trends in design: industrial chic. If you missed it, or just loved it so much that you want to read it again, you can find it here. As promised, today we are going to share some ideas for industrial chic products that are both unique and versatile. This product collection is specifically tailored to western and mountain style, but most of them would find themselves at home in (almost) any space.

This pendant light would be a perfect addition to an industrial chic space. Placed over a bar, a kitchen island, or along a hallway or covered porch, these pendants would provide an instant “old mine” feel to your home.

This old railway-cart-turned-coffee-table is another great way to add the glam factory look to your room. Though it would look right at home in an abandoned mine shaft, we have used enough of them in our projects to know that they also look right at home in a rustic mountain house. These tables become beautiful focal points in a room, and are sure to get lots of compliments from guests.

Oversized clocks are a great way to fill up large empty spaces in your home. They provide a useful service, and are also a creative alternative to using too many art pieces. This clock adds a great architectural element with its use of gears, which are a common sight in the industrial trend.

This little end table is a great way to add an industrial feel to a room without having to go all out. Placed on either side of a bed, or used beside a sofa, the brushed metal top, wheels, and mesh basket each contribute a subtle hint of industry that is not overwhelming.

When decorating your home, remember that less can sometimes be more. Try to incorporate industrial chic items with other softer pieces to prevent an institutional feeling of starkness. All of these pieces are available at or through Home on the Range, so make sure and stop by the showroom today and see how we can help you make your home industrial chic!

Also, don’t forget to enter our Facebook contest! Upload a photo of something eco friendly that you have or do in your home for a chance to win a $100 Visa giftcard! You can enter on our Facebook page here.

March 3, 2013

Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Industrial Chic

What’s new in the design world these days? Well, nothing really. The upcycling continues, and “new to you” is still gaining momentum at an alarming rate. We are especially fond of the most recently emerging branch of this trend: the “industrial chic” look. I haven’t actually heard it called that, that’s just what I’m calling it… and I think it works. While upcycling, reclaiming, and repurposing are all part of this process, industrial chic takes it to a new level. The best way that I can describe the difference between rustic/reclaimed and industrial chic is this: focus on the word industrial. What do you think of? Industrial chic incorporates obsolescent objects of industry from days gone by into current design trends. Exposed brick, raw beams, and an overzealous use of hardware are a good start. Then metal, concrete, raw wood, pieces of old machinery. Junk, basically. These pieces join hands with more modern facets to create entirely new objects with a strikingly fresh look.

Image via Mountain Living

Image via Contented Me

Image via Pinterest

Living in Colorado, we are able to celebrate a special kind of industrial chic. While we may not have a tradition of skyscrapers, iron work, and factory production, we DO have an industrial tradition all our own: the mining industry. Railway carts become coffee tables, lanterns now light hallways instead of mine shafts, and gears and other metal components claim spaces as wall decor.

Industrial Chic cart table | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Industrial Chic Clock | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Industrial chic floor | Home on the Range

Image via Oh, Pioneer!

Just like with all other trends, there are easy ways to apply industrial chic to your rugged mountain style. Stay tuned for a follow up to this post that will feature industrial chic products. And, just like always, Home on the Range is here to help. Come in to the showroom and see what we have that will help you add industrial chic-ness to your own home!

February 20, 2013
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Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Beetle Kill Pine

This post (like most posts on the Home on the Range blog) was written by Payje Bier. Payje is the Design Assistant/Marketing Manager/Blog Writer/Facebook Poster/Sketchup Artist/Web Designer/Sales Associate at Home on the Range. Come visit her in the showroom sometime and say hello!

It’s hard to forget the moment that the full force of the pine beetle epidemic struck me. For years in Colorado, we have watched our hillsides turn from green to red. Everyone remarked on how sad it was to see our trees dying, and wondered when it would stop. But, though the trees were red, they were still there. I moved to New Mexico in the fall of 2010, and in Albuquerque, no pine trees meant no beetles.

When I returned to Steamboat last spring (2012), my dad and I continued a long held tradition and went for a drive to Steamboat Lake, something we have been doing as a family for my entire life. When I was little, we would camp at the lake every summer. We built campfires, pitched tents, laughed and played in the forest. The place is ingrained in my memories. It came as a horrific surprise to me when we arrived at the lake and I didn’t even know where we were. My dad had to carefully explain our surroundings to orient me. The reason I didn’t recognize the place where we had spent so much time over the years was this: ALL of the trees were gone. An entire FOREST was missing. It was then that I understood the full repercussions of the beetle infestation.

Hundreds of thousands of trees have fallen victim to the pine-beetles. Loggers have been cutting them down, acre after acre, because dead trees make for such a sever fire hazard. It is nothing less than a tragedy. But, Coloradoans are resourceful. It may have taken a little while, but we found a way to reclaim this tragedy and incorporate the remains of our beloved forests into our surroundings once more. We are finding more and more uses for beetle kill pine, and one of the most prominent is using it as reclaimed wood in design.

Home on the Range was recently part of a building/design project that did just that. We used locally sourced, beetle kill lumber in a project on Dakota Ridge here in Steamboat. Below are a few pictures of how the wood was used in the project: in the bunk room for paneling on the walls and ceiling, in the bunk room den for wainscoting, and in the bathroom vanity.

Image via Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

Using beetle kill pine in furniture is also a growing trend. A blog post by Ryan Schlaefer Fine Furniture describes this process in greater detail, and uses some beautiful furniture pieces for examples.

Image via Ryan Schlaefer Fine Furniture

Up-cycling is a popular fashion in design at the moment, and there is no better item to “reclaim” than a decimated forest; nothing better to recycle than a seemingly obsolete piece of wood. As the forests begin to regenerate and grow again, we are glad to be surrounded by memories of the past in our homes, and excited to be a part of this innovative process.

February 13, 2013
2 Comments

Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details

The Vessel Sink

Are you looking for ways to spice up your powder room? Ever wondered exactly what it is about those bathrooms shown in magazines that makes them seem so flawless and refined? Or maybe you just love feasting your eyes on pictures of pretty potties? All of the above? You’ve come to the right place.

Next time you’re scrutinizing a fabulous powder room shot in your favorite home magazine, take a moment to look at the vanity, and, more specifically, the sink. Is it a vessel sink? I thought so.

Vessel sinks are the ideal way to add class, interest, and one-of-a-kind-ness to a bathroom. When placed upon a unique furniture piece (rather than the boring old Home Depot vanity special), they create a focal piece in your home that will keep guests lingering in the bathroom. While they are not suggested for every bathroom in your home, they are 100% ideal for the powder room.

When you open up your mind to the world of furniture piece vanities and vessel sinks, rather than traditional bathroom options, the possibilities are exciting and endless. You can get creative with your sink, and use just about anything that will hold water, or you can go with a more traditional option and choose an elegant and simple vessel sink. Here are some ideas to help you choose your path to powder room glory:

Traditional:

Image via French-Quarters

Image via Home on the Range

Rustic:

Image via Home on the Range

Image via High Camp Home

Image via Houzz

Eclectic (and a little bit crazy):

Image via BJD Haus Design

Image via Skonahem

Image via Home Based Design

Image via CALfinder

Image via the Enchanted Home

Bringing it all together:

So, let’s recap. The first ingredients to a perfect powder are a vessel sink and a unique furniture piece. Next, throw in a contrasting/complimenting mirror with an unusual shape or frame. Finally, add wall sconces, wall paper, tile, etc, and VOILA! You have the recipe for an unforgettable powder room.

Like always, if you have questions on how to create a bathroom masterpiece in your own home, Home on the Range is here to help. You may have noticed that we had a number of our own projects displayed in this post, and we have lots of experience in creating one of a kind spaces. Stop in to our showroom today, or click here to contact us through our website!

February 8, 2013
1 Comment

Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details

Building a Stairway to Heaven

Okay, let’s face it- stairways can be awkward sometimes. They can be awkward to decorate, awkward to look at, and awkward to carry laundry baskets through. People generally try to get through them as quickly as possible. Though they are high traffic areas of the home, they’re often treated more like necessary transitions to somewhere else, rather than spaces that are all their own.

Fun fact: Stairways don’t have to be awkward. Even tiny ones. It’s true.

There are so many things that you can do to your staircase to add interest, and to incorporate it into the rest of your home. Ways to make it look more open, ways to make it look more inviting, ways to make it look like part of where you live. Let’s chat about some of them.

Art, photos and frames:

Start by adding visual interest to your stairway. Art pieces or photos are a great way to accomplish this. Use different sizes and shapes of frames for a fun, funky staircase.

Image via Houzz

For something a little bit more simple and elegant, use the same frame with coordinating art pieces or photos. Using the entire wall space (to the ceiling) is a great way to make a small space like a stairwell seem a lot bigger. Experiment with different layouts and see what works!

Image via Houzz

Mirrors:

Mirrors are the number one way to make a small space seem bigger. They have this magical way of opening a room right up, and are the perfect addition to a tiny little stairway. Again, you can choose from a number of different mirror methods to achieve the look you want. Use one big mirror, three or four medium sized square or rectangular mirrors, or lots of little mirrors of different shapes and sizes… you could even try incorporating them with your art pieces if you wanted to get really crazy with it.

Image via Delight by Design

Image via Houzz

Built-in Book-cases:

Now there’s an idea! Make your stairway useful for something other than huffing and puffing and tripping and falling. Kill two birds with one stone by beautifying your stairway AND adding more storage space in your home. You can thank me later. Here are some beautiful examples of this thrilling idea:

Image via Houzz

Accessorize:

Think of some other things besides art and family photos that you can use to spice up your stairwell. There’s really no limit to where you can take this, but here are a couple of ideas for you:

Image via Cote de Texas

Image via Houzz

Put it all together:

Any one of these ideas would work beautifully on its own, but just think of what would happen if you were to put them all together. Stair perfection. Mix and match. Use what you have available, or stop in to the Home on the Range showroom to find something new… we’ll help you out!

Image via Houzz

Bonus:

Did you notice the light fixtures throughout this post? Lighting is another great way to add interest and feeling to your stairway. A stairway is a beautiful place for a chandelier, or a set of unique wall sconces.

Thanks for visiting, I hope everyone has a great weekend redecorating their stairwells!

February 1, 2013
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Design Tips and Trends,It's All in the Details

Around the World in 80 Doors

Well, not really 80 doors, but it was a catchy title, right? After all this talk about white and winter in the last few weeks, we thought it was time to spice it up and add some color to our lives. Today, we’re going on a visual journey of doors around the world.

The thing I love most about doors is that they are all different, and the styles, shapes and colors differ from place to place. Though some places in America like New Orleans, Miami, and Santa Fe participate in the creation of glorious entryways, the majority of global door love is found beyond our borders. Places like India, Italy, Thailand and Mexico aren’t afraid to show their colors, and the results are visually inspiring. Let’s take a look.

Carving and Sculpture Favorites:

Image via Explore the Earth

Image via Flickr

Image via Pinterest

Texture and Pattern Favorites:

Image via Tumblr

Image via Pinterest

Image via Tumblr

Color Favorites:

Image via Khish Vantage

Image via Pariah’s Muse

Image via Awesome Spaces

“Well-Aged” Favorites:

Image via Abriendo-Puertas

Image via Pinterest

Image via Flickr

Can’t get enough of these doors? We can’t either! See more on our Doors and Windows Pinterest board! Or, you can also read our post on using recycled doors in design here.

January 16, 2013
1 Comment

Design Tips and Trends,Featured,Featured Products,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Whiteout Conditions: The Product Post

Last week we talked about an upcoming design trend, and how to translate that trend into your own home if you happen to live in a snowy environment. Decorating with white has reclaimed a spot on the top of the charts, but if you abide in the mountains, you may know that decorating in all white is a taboo. I mean, really, who wants to live in a snow cave?

But wait! There are ways to carefully edge around this no-no, and to create a stunning space that is not only warm and white and cozy, but is also chic as chic can be. If you missed last week’s post that covered HOW to design with white in your mountain home, you can find it here. Today, as promised, we are going to discuss products that will help you bring your vision to life. Would you be surprised if I told you that you can find all of these products at the Home on the Range showroom? Well, surprise! We have all this and more, and the best part is, if we don’t have exactly what you’re looking for, we are more than happy to help you find it.

Last week we talked about how important it is to use warmer colors and textures along with white when designing in the mountains. We absolutely love the leather, rivets, and distressed-wood-claw-feet of this stool/ottoman. It would look great paired with leather chairs, or with other white decor items.

This birch tree floor lamp is a great example of using “off-whites” to warm up your space, while also giving the all-white feeling. An added bonus of using a lamp like this is that it brings in the rustic/natural feel that we are so fond of seeing in mountain design.

These porcelain and pewter serving pieces are ideal for a classy, white winter escape. The color and texture of the antlers add a rustic interest to the pieces, while the shine of the pewter helps to cut the starkness of the white. These would be great used as centerpieces on a dining or coffee table, hung with other trays to create a focal wall, or used for serving at an apres-ski party.

Are you noticing our rustic trend here? These pillows are perfect for a mountain lodge. They kill two trend birds with one stone because not only are they fashionably white, but they also feature designs current favorite creature: the stag. For more on “Going Stag” read our post here. Also, if you choose pure white pillows (like the one on the bottom), make sure to surround them with other types of warmth, like burlap, off-white bedding, or a fur throw.

Speaking of fur, while our last product is not actually a white decor item, it IS a perfect companion to these white decor items. We talked about the importance of adding the feeling of warmth through textures and colors, and really there are few better ways to do that than by using soft, fluffy, warm, fur. A fur throw or pillow strategically placed in your space is an easy way to add a volume of warmth and comfort that is more difficult to achieve otherwise.

If you love what you see here, or are looking for a bit more inspiration in creating you white mountain retreat, come visit us at the Home on the Range showroom today! You can also find our ideas on Pinterest, or see more of our mountain work in our website portfolio. Stay warm out there!

January 11, 2013
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Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Whiteout Conditions

Whiteout Conditions-How to use white in design if you live in the mountains

Image via Architectural Digest

We all know that trends have a way of coming back around. For better or for worse, the things we think we’ve left behind tend to constantly resurface in the present. This holds true in every aspect of culture, and interior design is no exception. Recently, we have seen all white decorating make it’s comeback. From shabby-chic to super-elegant, living room, to bedroom to kitchen, interior design trends are experiencing a whiteout.

Well, we live in the mountains.

In the mountains, you can’t just slap a coat of whitewash up on the walls and reupholster the furniture in stark white. Why? Because Colorado winters already provide more white than just about anyone is prepared to deal with. We currently have 136 inches of white here in Steamboat Springs, and while the idea of having a chic white interior may sound exciting, you’ll find that if you live anywhere that it snows for a significant chunk of the year, the results of this color shift will be underwhelming. In our neck of the woods, it’s important to make warmth a central factor in design. This doesn’t have as much to do with where we place the heaters as it does with the colors, textures and materials that we use when creating spaces.

But if you are over the moon about this trend, and if, like us, you are a ski town-dweller, you don’t have to just suffer through it and resign yourself to using only colors from the rainbow. You CAN use white in your interior design, you just have to be a little bit more cautious and subtle about it.

Following these VERY IMPORTANT tips will ensure that you can stay current in your mountain retreat without creating the feeling that you live in an igloo.

1. Avoid using entirely 100% white.

Experiment with different shades of white, like off-whites, eggshells and ivories. Subtracting even minutely from stark white will warm your room up exponentially, while still giving you the look you are going for.

Image via Houzz

Image via A Bohemian Life

2. Add some rustic touches.

Think less shabby-chic and more rugged-elegant. Beams, logs, and wood floors go a long way in making mountain interiors feel more cozy and inviting, and when you combine that traditional rustic style with white accents, the contrast that it creates is just beautiful.

Image via Houzz

Image via Velvet and Linen

3. Accessorize wisely.

Don’t choose all-white accessories… instead, choose accessories (like throws, pillows, candles, candle holders, mirrors, frames, etc) that will highlight the white that you already have in the space rather than overwhelming it. Fur and burlap are materials that are very in right now, and not only are they perfect for accessorizing in the mountains, they also look fantastic when paired with white decor.

Image via pinterest

Image via the Gifts of Life

4. An accent color wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Give it a shot. You might be surprised. Try out a red pillow here, a red candle there. Since you’re working with white, you can really use just about any color you want. Actually, that’s not true. Try to stay away from blue and other “cool” colors and instead search out warmer colors like reds or golds. They don’t have to be vibrant, but adding a little bit of color will make you feel warmer, even when it’s cold outside.

Image via the Gifts of Life

Image via Donald Lococo Architecture

Image via Houzz

5. Texturize.

When decorating your space, try to keep texture in the forefront of your mind. Textures are a sneaky way to apply feeling and style to a room without having to just come right out and say it. Imagine a white room, wood floor, wood beams. Now imagine that same floor with a fluffy sheepskin rug on it. Better right? Thought so.

Image via Pinterest

We were going to make one big long post with our mountain white decorating tips AND products that we suggest for mountain white decorating, but we thought that would just be too much for you all at once, so make sure and keep an eye out next week when we will do a follow up to this post that will include great products for decorating with white and where to find them (spoiler alert: it’s Home on the Range). Until then, enjoy the rest of your week, and Happy New Year from Home on the Range!