Finding Balance Between Ease and Elegance
A fashion designer creates an Aspen townhome for her family with joy in mind
Entry The designers selected pieces like the curved Roche Bobois chaise and gold swivel Thayer Coggin chairs to soften the crisp architectural lines. The high-gloss table is from Chaddock, the artwork is by Penelope Umbrico, and the lighting is from Studio Como. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
“The first piece of clothing I ever designed was a yellow jumpsuit,” says Lee Evans Lee, referencing her Mrs Momma Bear clothing line— which she describes as having the comfort of your favorite yoga pants in a glamorous package. “The color appears in rainbows and exudes a feeling of happiness and joy.” It was those emotions and a fashionable merger of ease and elegance she hoped to evoke when outfitting the Aspen-area townhome she shares with her husband and 11-year-old son.
Located in the Tiehack base of Buttermilk Ski Resort, the fully remodeled residence with its modern glass-and-metal staircase, concrete floors and Venetian plaster walls was the dream backdrop for the sophisticated yet playful interiors Lee pictured. “I’ve always had a wild imagination, and I wanted things like a chandelier that looks like a cloud in the entry, and an all-black primary suite,” explains Lee, who found a kindred spirit in interior designers Preethi Rajaratnam and Amanda Furlong, both of Cathers Home.
Portrait Homeowner Lee Evans Lee models an outfit from her Mrs Momma Bear clothing line. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
“They were totally open to my ideas and worked hard to find what I envisioned.” With the homeowner’s fashion-forward vision in mind, the design duo dressed the entry with a crescent-shaped black bubble chaise that nestles into the crook of the staircase, and a massive chandelier featuring over 20 hand-blown glass bulbs. “Our goal was to soften the crisp architecture while keeping the wow factor going,” says Furlong. A series of photographs depicting abstract versions of the Andes Mountains poised above a pair of golden cut-pile velvet chairs reference the owner’s passion for color.
When styling the primary bedroom, the designers pondered, “How do you make tone-on- tone black come to life?” Lee’s fashion lines, which incorporate tassels and textures, provided the answer. “We emulated that idea with levels of textures,” says Furlong. “In the bedroom we went from a three-inch pile sheepskin rug to a velvet bed to linen on the walls.” Combined with a white linen chaise and another bubble light fixture—this one featuring a mixture of frosted and clear bulbs—the overall effect is a soft counterpoint to the square architectural lines.
Primary Suite A custom bed and linens fashioned with Westbury Textile fabrics all by The Home rest on a black alpaca rug from Fibre by Auskin. The Lawrence Clan ottoman with removable backrest and side table are from Minotti, and a cluster chandelier by Bocci illuminates
the textural layers. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
“It’s moody and romantic but still represents the powerhouse that Lee is,” adds Rajaratnam. In the adjacent office, separated by a sliding door, an oak wood desk with high-gloss black lacquer legs resting on a wool pile rug, and a black sheepskin-covered chair follow the layering motif. Colorful abstract paintings by Kate Shepherd lining the walls above the porcelain tile fireplace enliven the space.
Color plays a more dominant role in the guest quarters, where the Christian Lacroix wallpaper depicting exotic birds rendered in primary colors envelops the bed and a bright teal green ottoman. In the son’s room, a trip to Paris inspired the red velvet bed topped with black linens, and a series of large-scale photographs portray City of Lights landmarks. “Due to Lee’s association with high fashion, the house is naturally more avant-garde,” says Rajaratnam. “She wanted her home to be a reflection of the things she loves, and it is playful, vibrant and unique just like her.”
Office Located adjacent to the bedroom, the desk is from Arteriors and the black alpaca desk chair is from Lee Industries. The embossed vinyl with raffia weave wallpaper is by Élitis; the prints are by Kate Shepherd. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
Bedroom The bed by The Home Stitchery touts JAB fabric and the photographs are by Marks Moore. The Mariposa floor lamp and side table are from Roche Bobois. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
Bathroom The designers embellished the existing bathroom with Matrix sconces from Saint Louis. The green wallcovering is from Élitis. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
INTERIOR DESIGN: Cathers Home
