Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Family Fishing Retreat High in the Colorado Mountains
The timber home designed for 3 generations opens up to panoramic views of the scenic landscape
For this family, fly fishing is more than just a hobby, it’s a shared passion that binds three generations together. This former cattle ranch in the mountains above the Rio Blanco River in Colorado provided an ideal location to create their ultimate family retreat. They asked architect Rehn Hassell to design a log structure with an interior featuring expansive views of the stunning landscape. Grab your fishing rod and step inside.
The main open living space includes a dining area with panoramic views. The windows face south to maximize the view. The Douglas fir inside was simply clear-coated (outside, the logs were stained for UV and weather protection). Architect Hassell and the clients handpicked most of the logs, choosing two large timbers with slight bends to visually separate the living and dining areas.
One of the most-used areas of the house is the rustic porch at the back, where the exterior and interior fireplaces are back to back. A collection of locally sourced outdoor furniture creates a cozy space to sit by the fire and take in the dramatic mountain views.
Large bins hold the firewood the family uses in the fireplaces. The upper-level dormer and row of narrow vertical windows bring light into the bedrooms and the hallways. The green door leads into the family entry and locker room. The roof is made out of zinc.
The zinc used for the roof is carried into the entry, where Hassell designed a locker room for the family. The stone floor provides durability. Heat ducts under the wood and zinc-lined lockers dry waders and jackets. The ceiling is Douglas fir timbers designed to appear as if “you took a log wall and tipped it on its side,” Hassell says. The hallway leads to the master bedroom suite.
The terrace, with magnificent views of the mountains and the river valley below, can be accessed off the main living area and the master bedroom suite.
Nature was brought into the master bath, Hassell says, with cabinet drawer fronts using a material embedded with reeds. Like the kitchen, the bath takes a more clean and modern approach compared with the rest of the rustic home.
The kitchen, which is open to the main living space with cathedral-like ceiling, also has cabinets with fronts using the material embedded with reeds “to pick up the natural in a modern and controlled way,” Hassell says. He specified an Italian laminate around the island and cabinetry, which are topped with quartz. “The laminate looks like wood grain blown up or magnified,” he explains, “so it has almost an abstracted wood-grain appearance.” Walnut floors on the main level add depth.
A Colorado limestone fireplace — with a hearthstone 8 feet long and 3 feet deep — is the centerpiece of the master bedroom. The window with the door looks to the west, with the larger window providing views to the valley. A door leads to an outdoor terrace.
In addition to its four bedrooms, the retreat has daybeds in the upstairs hall for grandkids to hang out on and sleep. “You can also grab a book and read from these daybeds, which also function like window seats,” Hassell says. They have built-in storage underneath for blankets and pillows. The doors in the hallway, lined with large fir boards, lead to bedrooms.
When the windows are open, or the family is enjoying time on the rustic porch or outdoor terrace, they can hear the river below and watch elk grazing. “This is a pristine area, and the developer was sensitive to that,” Hassell says. “On one site of this property is state preserve land. So we designed as simple a retreat as we could, while endeavoring to be creative with the dovetailed stacked logs.”
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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: An extended family uses this as a vacation retreat.
Location: Colorado
Size: 3,000 square feet (278.7 square meters)
Designer: Rehn Hassell of Yunker Associates Architects
The retreat features Douglas fir log construction on the exterior and the interior. In the stunning main living space, the ceiling reaches 25 feet at the peak. Two sculptural chandeliers and sconces around the room create a warm glow. The floor-to-ceiling fireplace is made out of Colorado limestone.