An Art-Filled Inspired Abode
The interiors of an Aspen family home take their cue from a much-loved painting
Living Room A painting from Ricardo Mazal’s “Odenwald 1152”series takes pride of place in the gathering space, where sofas by Joseph Jeup join Troscan armchairs and chunky wood tables by Mimi London on an Isberian Rug Company rug. The ceiling light fixture is by Jonathan Browning. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
Why shouldn’t art come first? When it came to designing the interiors of this Aspenarea home, one key piece of artwork was powerful enough to inspire the entire strategy that followed. The active, outdoorsy and dog-loving family with adult children hoped for a home where every space would feel special, so they engaged Carrie Wolfer and Maggi Whitmer Thompson, principal designers and partners in Aspen-based Della + Zella Interiors.
“They wanted help creating their mountain retreat for themselves and their extended family and friends,” Thompson says. Regarding the big, open spaces of the newly built, contemporary house as a “blank canvas”—with oak-paneled ceilings, big windows, white walls and wide-plank white oak floors—Thompson and Wolfer set out to orchestrate elements including artwork, furnishings and lighting to make the rooms feel more personalized.
Entryway A Talisman light from Apparatus shines above an Apparatus console table, Porta Romana mirror, and dog friendly Yerra rug. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
Art guided their vision. The homeowners had fallen in love with a Ricardo Mazal painting from his “Odenwald 1152” series in the Denver showroom of John Brooks Inc., and it became the creative catalyst that fired the designers’ imaginations. The large-scale painting (78 x 120 inches) includes hints of forest and tree imagery, and reflects Mazal’s meditation on nature’s cycles.
“The right piece of art can transform a room by serving as a focal point, setting the tone for the space, adding personality and character, creating visual interest, and sparking emotions and conversations among those who experience it,” says Marvin Wilkinson, co-owner of John Brooks Inc. “The colors, subject matter, style and overall aesthetic of the art can enhance the room’s atmosphere and make it feel more vibrant, cohesive and engaging.”
Kitchen Anees stools provide island seating below Holly Hunt pendant lights, with an extra glow from Urban Electric sconces. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
Indeed, the painting was the jumping-off point for Wolfer and Thompson’s approach to selecting fabrics and furnishings with subtle elegance, and the artwork’s deep gray-blue and rust hues reverberate throughout the home. “We saw that piece and it informed everything,” says Wolfer. The design duo chose modern-lined furniture upholstered in fabrics that add warmth and texture for casual comfort.
Referring to the home’s style as “a livable kind of luxury,” they integrated high-end materials—including leather, hair-on hide, silks, wools, mohair and other natural fibers—and they arranged furniture to maximize the views through the home’s oversize windows from any vantage point. Since the homeowners are avid travelers and favor eclectic and unique pieces, especially blown glass, the designers incorporated eye-catching fixtures and features that went way beyond the ordinary. “It doesn’t feel cookie cutter,” says Wolfer. “It feels like something nobody has seen before.”
Dining Room Designers installed Innovations wallpaper behind an art piece by Derrick Velasquez in the dining area, where a Holly Hunt
Split dining table is joined by Christian Liaigre chairs, a Holly Hunt Chain Maille rug, and a Lindsey Adelman Branching Bubble ceiling light. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
With pattern play and color—and layering of textures—adding energy to each room, Thompson and Wolfer’s design dexterity is on full display. “When you’re looking at a large piece of upholstery or a huge area rug, having some of that movement adds life to something so it doesn’t feel flat, it doesn’t feel heavy, it has some depth and life to it,” says Wolfer. “We always really try to bring in the texture and the pattern so there’s warmth, so it works in the summer but also year-round; it doesn’t feel stark.” While it may have started as a blank canvas, this mountain home now shines brightly, with art as its guiding light.
Family/Game Room An A. Rudin sectional joins an MTC coffee table and a pair of swiveling lounge chairs from Bright in the casual room with mountain views. The lighting above the pool table is from Apparatus. | Photo: Dallas & Harris Photography
INTERIOR DESIGN: Della + Zella Interiors
