European Architecture, layered interiors, and romantic gardens create a mountain home rooted in the landscape and its owners’ point of view
Exterior Photos by Mikki Platt | Interior Photos by Lindsay Salazar
A word of caution: Anyone expecting this secluded mountain home to be a brawny lodge complete with broad-shouldered beams, monumental stone fireplaces, and every rustic cliché in the Alpine-style playbook is in for a surprise.
The same goes for anyone anticipating a rugged landscape of rocky outcroppings blanketed in wild grasses and towering pines. This home tells a different story. The scene is unmistakably Utah, but the soul is decidedly European.
“Our clients didn’t want a rustic mountain retreat,” explains Jennifer Chipman, principal of Bond Design Co. Instead, she and lead designer Laura Kramer translated the charm and layered character of the European country estates the homeowners had long admired into a Wasatch Back residence – one rich in timeless appeal, while filled with unexpected moments that make it unmistakably their own.
That vision first takes shape in the home’s exterior, where the architecture and landscape work in concert. Cedar shingles, tumbled limestone, and copper accents establish a distinctly European palette, while a landscape designed by Emily Brooks Wayment echoes that same aesthetic across the property. Educated in England, Wayment chose boxwood hedges, clumps of lilac trees, and bubbling lead fountains sourced from Europe to establish a sense of English garden formality at the home’s entry. Beyond, the gardens take a quiet exhale, relaxing as they meld into the natural landscape. “The design softens as it moves from the front of the home to the rest of the property,” Wayment explains.
Inside, the home’s mountain-meets-European spirit takes on a more personal expression. Rather than following a prescribed decorating style, the designers layered traditional and modern influences — blending collected artwork, artisan craftsmanship, and unexpected moments of color and detail. “We like an eclectic mix; it’s more interesting and feels more curated,” Chipman says.
That approach comes to life immediately in the light-filled entry hall, where a trio of dazzling crystal chandeliers, an intricately patterned marble and hardwood floor, and carefully chosen pieces from the owners’ art collection combine to create an arrival that feels more like stepping into a private gallery than a mountain retreat. “Our clients definitely wanted this space to make a statement,” Kramer says.
Art’s impact continues in the sitting room just beyond the entry, where the clients’ remarkable collection of original botanical engravings from “The Temple of Flora,” printed in 1799, found their long-awaited home. Tucked away under a bed for years while the owners waited for the right place to display them, the centuries-old prints were found after the room’s design was already complete. “As soon as we saw them, it felt like a moment of pure design serendipity,” Chipman says.
The discovery didn’t redirect the design; instead, it reinforced a botanical thread already woven throughout the residence — a recurring connection between art, pattern, and nature that reveals itself in unexpected and varied ways. That garden-inspired sensibility carries into the secondary bedrooms, where richly patterned wallpapers envelop the spaces in color and leafy wonder. It continues with intricate mosaics in the powder room, hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper panels in the primary bedroom, and, perhaps most surprising, the vibrant, custom vinyl wrap that transforms the colordrenched butler pantry’s once-white refrigerator into a statement piece. “It’s so unexpected; it captures the spirit of a home that never takes itself too seriously,” Chipman says.
Anchoring the great room, the kitchen is equally rich in craftsmanship and detail. “It’s like the jewel at the end of the room,” Kramer says. There, the pantry’s playful touches and fearless colors give way to a more tailored expression of the home’s European-inspired aesthetic. A solid brass backsplash catches the eye, complemented by custom Officine Gullo cream-toned metal cabinetry exquisitely trimmed in brass. To visually soften the gleaming metalwork, the designers added a stone-topped wood island, introducing warmth and a traditional counterpoint to the modern Italian cabinetry. Grounded by herringbone white oak floors, the kitchen feels both timeless and effortlessly sophisticated.
From the gracious public spaces designed for gathering to the serene, retreat-like private rooms, the home maintains the same thoughtful balance. It celebrates the past without feeling bound by tradition, embraces artistry without sacrificing comfort, and honors its spectacular mountain setting without relying on familiar alpine clichés. Instead, it offers something increasingly rare: a home with an unmistakable point of view, one shaped not by trends of geography but by the passions and collections of the people who live there.
PROJECT CONTRIBUTORS: Hardwood Flooring: Burchette & Burchette, North Carolina; Kitchen: Officine Gullo, Italy; Landscaping: Emily Brooks Wayment, SLC; Shades & Drapery: Intrigue Window Fashions, SLC; Wallcoverings and Paint: Hammond Wallpaper & Paint, SLC; Windows & Doors: Euroline Steel Windows & Doors, California
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