Perched on a forested mountainside, Vikings View ski chalet designed by Locati Architects showcases spectacular Lone Peak views in the Yellowstone Club, Big Sky, Montana. The residence allows for easy ski-in/ski-out access from the lower level. Interior designer Charlene Petersen of Cashmere Interior dressed the interiors of her family retreat, where unlikely pairings result in a home as fanciful and colorful as its owner’s daring design sensibility.

With a backdrop of neutral plaster and grey washed timbers, any accent of color and texture popped creating a place where the après ski is as fun as the skiing itself.

Juxtaposition exudes: modern lighting against raw timbers, modern style upholstery with Native American Textiles. The design marries an American lumberjack with an ornamented worldly princess – and they really like each other!

The great room’s generously proportioned daybed quite literally steals the scene. Built beneath an expanse of windows offering panoramic views of Lone Peak, and topped with a cozy nest of Native American textile-covered pillows and plush faux-fur throws, it’s a heavenly hangout for friends, kids and the family’s contented dog.

The home is designed to be very open and spacious,” explains Locati Architects, who collaborated with Petersen on the project. “Large expanses of glass invite the outdoors in.”

Rustic materials ensure that the house merges naturally into its alpine environment. “We selected local materials of timber and stone that are not only visually pleasing but wear well over time,” states the architect. The rustic framework provided just the right starting point for the designer’s vibrant imagination to take over.

To strike just the right balance between rustic and modern, the designer targeted a few key elements: “I chose a gray wash to modernize the rustic wood timbers, and had simple flat-panel cabinetry—which is typically modern and clean—made from reclaimed barnwood for an earthy and warm feeling,” she explains. Reclaimed wood treads add warmth and texture to the home’s streamlined glass-and-steel staircase.

Photos: Audrey Hall