Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Fly Fisher’s Dream Along the Yellowstone River
This new home combines local ranch style with contemporary elements, including energy efficiency
Tucked into the spectacular landscape of Paradise Valley in Montana, The Lazy Heart Ranch is a fly fisher’s dream. The 40-acre property is perched in a fantastic spot that provides expansive views across pastures to the Absaroka mountain range and down to the Yellowstone River. The owners, architect and builders originally hoped to remodel the existing house on the property, but structural issues and the poor quality of construction forced a tear-down and the creation of a house that would last a long time.
The house overlooks the pastures of Paradise Valley, the Yellowstone River and the Absaroka mountain range. “The original house sits on such a special spot that there was no need to mess with the location,” says architect Andrew Brechbuhler.
“The new house is a tribute back to the original house, with contemporary elements that move it forward,” Brechbuhler says. It’s respectful of the landscape and the history of the land, with a facade that includes locally reclaimed boards and timbers and local stone, and is composed of shapes and elements that recall vernacular Montana ranch architecture. The new build also offered the chance to make a home that was easier on the environment. Reclaimed materials, a geothermal heating system, high efficiency low-E windows, high-performing insulation and a tight envelope make the home highly energy-efficient.
The front entry combines local stone and locally reclaimed wood. To the left is a barbecue stand that includes a Big Green Egg ceramic grill as well as a gas grill. Montana moss boulders border a Frontier flagstone path. “When the Yellowstone caldera blew, it blasted these rocks throughout the pasturelands for hundreds of miles,” says Tim Rote of Dovetail Construction, who, along with Kevin Sullivan, acted as general contractor on the project.
The front entry combines local stone and locally reclaimed wood. To the left is a barbecue stand that includes a Big Green Egg ceramic grill as well as a gas grill. Montana moss boulders border a Frontier flagstone path. “When the Yellowstone caldera blew, it blasted these rocks throughout the pasturelands for hundreds of miles,” says Tim Rote of Dovetail Construction, who, along with Kevin Sullivan, acted as general contractor on the project.
The facade is a mix of different types of wood with steel accents. The siding itself is a mix of horizontal redwood lapboard siding reclaimed from a ranch in Eastern Montana and new vertical stained fir shiplap. The portions of the house covered in the reclaimed wood are additions to the original home’s footprint, while the portions covered in the new fir articulate the footprint of the original house.
The corner bands are steel, which adds a contemporary element. The pediment incorporates reclaimed timber with steel collar ties. The walls on the side of the porch are dry-stacked Montana Chief Cliff stone. The roof is composed of lifetime asphalt architectural shingles with gunmetal-gray standing-seam metal roof accents.
The corner bands are steel, which adds a contemporary element. The pediment incorporates reclaimed timber with steel collar ties. The walls on the side of the porch are dry-stacked Montana Chief Cliff stone. The roof is composed of lifetime asphalt architectural shingles with gunmetal-gray standing-seam metal roof accents.
Just past the barbecue area, stairs lead down to a patio and a bridge across the creek.
The creek that runs right by the house is a tributary of the Yellowstone River. A 16-foot single slab of Frontier stone had to be craned in to span it; to the left of the bridge is a hot tub. The door underneath the balcony leads to a lower-level mudroom, while the lower door on the right leads to the guest room.
Bifold doors (to balcony) and windows: Weather Shield Windows & Doors
Bifold doors (to balcony) and windows: Weather Shield Windows & Doors
Just around the corner from the front entry is this mudroom with a pet feeding station; it has plenty of room for coats, hats, shoes and more. However, on the lower level there is another mudroom outfitted for larger items, like bikes and fishing gear.
The front entry can be seen on the left side of this photo. To the immediate left is a small bench with cowhide panels adorning the wall behind it. Just around to the left out of sight is a small hallway that leads to a powder room and the mudroom.
The reclaimed wood Rote and Sullivan used on the banquette, bar and cabinets is reclaimed corral wood. This is fence wood taken from ranch corrals. The upholstery is patinated leather. The counter is a live-edge single slab of wood. A unique wood box vent hood is suspended overhead.
The reclaimed wood Rote and Sullivan used on the banquette, bar and cabinets is reclaimed corral wood. This is fence wood taken from ranch corrals. The upholstery is patinated leather. The counter is a live-edge single slab of wood. A unique wood box vent hood is suspended overhead.
The kitchen island captures the rugged ranch spirit, while the windows and white surfaces add modern touches. All of the windows are metal-cased low-E energy-efficient windows with clear fir trim on the inside. The counters are soapstone.
The kitchen is open to the great room and, to the right, the dining room. This allows every part of the public space to enjoy the views through the pastures and the valley and off to the mountains to the maximum. The flooring throughout the main level is wide-oak planks.
Range: Thermador
Range: Thermador
A large ring chandelier stands up to the scale of the large vaulted ceiling. “The monopoint lights highlight the timbers and the tongue-and-groove boards on the ceiling,” Rote says.
Building the house from scratch meant that the architect could rework the program to suit the homeowners’ lifestyle. “Originally, the public spaces in the house turned their back on the views,” Brechbuhler says. “We relocated the common areas to engage the site and the views and provide easy access outdoors.”
For example, south-facing bifold doors let in the natural light and open completely to this balcony. Out on this perch, the homeowners and their guests enjoy vast vistas and the sound of the creek babbling below. The custom cold-rolled steel railings add a contemporary touch.
All custom railings: Stronghold Fabrication
For example, south-facing bifold doors let in the natural light and open completely to this balcony. Out on this perch, the homeowners and their guests enjoy vast vistas and the sound of the creek babbling below. The custom cold-rolled steel railings add a contemporary touch.
All custom railings: Stronghold Fabrication
Building the home from scratch also allowed the team to give it longevity and make it sustainable. Low-E glazed windows and high-performing insulation create a tight envelope, while an open-loop geothermal heating system provides heating and cooling. Shade from a stand of cottonwood trees helps keep the house nice and cool during the summer.
A fireplace surround includes a spot for logs and a TV. “These are very casual people — the home is very well-finished but does not put on any airs and isn’t flashy,” Brechbuhler says. “The fireplace wall is not a big focal point but was a chance to incorporate an understated architectural element into the space.”
The mounted fish is a sentimental item for one of the homeowners; it is a permit fish that her father caught, and it brings back childhood memories.
Fireplace: Warmstone
A fireplace surround includes a spot for logs and a TV. “These are very casual people — the home is very well-finished but does not put on any airs and isn’t flashy,” Brechbuhler says. “The fireplace wall is not a big focal point but was a chance to incorporate an understated architectural element into the space.”
The mounted fish is a sentimental item for one of the homeowners; it is a permit fish that her father caught, and it brings back childhood memories.
Fireplace: Warmstone
In the dining room, a world-record-setting fly-rod catch by one of the homeowners is in the spotlight.
A door off the dining room leads to this screened-in porch. A modern soapstone wood stove keeps it toasty through three seasons.
Stove: Tulikivi, WarmStone Fireplaces & Designs
Stove: Tulikivi, WarmStone Fireplaces & Designs
The porch faces west, so the owners enjoy the views of the sun setting behind the mountains from here. A detail worth noting on the right side is the use of the reclaimed horizontal redwood boards as an accent in between the great room and the bunk room below.
In the master bedroom, the builders were able to reuse wood from the original house on the property. “This wall is a tribute to the original home,” Brechbuhler says.
The master bathroom has a custom vanity topped with limestone. The mirrors are trimmed in to give them a recessed look. Transom windows overhead let in the light while maintaining privacy.
The stairs lead to the lower level. The designers brought in the more contemporary cold-rolled steel railings to the interior. This provides contrast to the reclaimed Douglas fir wood on top of the knee wall.
On the lower level, the floors all have radiant heat. “We ground the concrete down and polished it to give it a salt-and-pepper finish,” Rote says. The accent wall is composed of cedar boards with a tight shiplap.
The cedar boards continue into the guest bathroom, where a copper counter tops off a custom vanity. Oil-rubbed bronze fixtures mix in another metal, while a white free-standing bathtub and white sinks add a more modern touch.
In the bunk room, Dovetail Construction custom-crafted the bunk beds from cedar. Reading niches are a detail worth noting; the team built USB outlets into the niches for charging personal devices.
This more rustic bath serves the bunk room and the rest of the lower level. The wood used throughout is reclaimed barn boards. The vanity is custom and also made of barn boards.
“These clients are true outdoor people and didn’t need an attached garage — they like to walk over to the outbuildings and enjoy the site,” Brechbuhler says. A new garage has room for their cars, their drift boat and the Airstream trailer they use to camp by their favorite fishing spots for several days at a a time. The clients make their own rods and tie their own flies, so there is also a serious workshop for that inside.
To the right is an existing shed, which serves as a party room complete with billiards and a bar.
Garage doors: Kaufmann’s Overhead Door & Awning; windows: Weather Shield Windows & Doors
To the right is an existing shed, which serves as a party room complete with billiards and a bar.
Garage doors: Kaufmann’s Overhead Door & Awning; windows: Weather Shield Windows & Doors
Let’s end with a gratuitous bald eagle shot — and, no, it wasn’t Photoshopped in near the top of that bare tree. During construction, a family of black bears also hung out in this same tree. Other animals that share the property include foxes, deer, elk and badgers. A great horned owl even visited the great room once, which seems fitting. “He hung out for a while and then just flew right out,” Rote says.
Architect: Brechbuhler Architects
Interior designer: Laura Fedro Interiors
Builder: Dovetail Construction
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Architect: Brechbuhler Architects
Interior designer: Laura Fedro Interiors
Builder: Dovetail Construction
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple of fly-fishing aficionados split their time between here and Seattle year-round.
Location: Between Livingston, Montana, and the northern border of Yellowstone National Park
Size: 3,800 square feet (353 square meters); five bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
Both homeowners are avid fly fishers, and enjoy every part of the experience, from crafting rods to tying flies to wading into the river and using them. The home’s interior shows off many of their best catches, as well as mounted fish caught by the father of one of the homeowners’ and passed down. A home so close to their favorite freshwater fly-fishing spots is a dream come true for these two.