For a designer with a stratospheric online following, Becki Owens is noticeably down to earth. So too, are her interiors. “I try to make design approachable,” says Owens, whose stylish, laid-back spaces have garnered her nearly 1.2 million Instagram fans. It’s no wonder then that the Utah home on which she recently collaborated with her brother Brett Boyce to create has such natural appeal. “I stay true to what I love,” she says. “Casual, yet current and always inviting.” Boyce, president of Split Rock Custom Homes, wasn’t Owen’s only team member. McQuay Architects’ Rob McQuay rounded out the trio of talented heavy hitters.
The home resides in Summit Creek, a community in Utah County’s Woodland Hills surrounded by breath-taking mountain scenery. McQuay Architects, based in St. George, is known for creating dynamic view-driven designs, and its work on this home is no exception. The spectacular setting inspired the dwelling from the get-go. “When we walked this property, we discovered that there was no single view to be captured,” McQuay says. With simple turns, visitors can gaze upon Loafer Mountain, Mount Timpanogos, Utah Lake and the city lights of Utah County. From the right vantage point, they can even catch a view of Mount Nebo. So which view do you favor? “Why not all of them?” McQuay replies.
Architecturally, the hillside house steps down the site and features materials and colors that complement the landscape. “The house must be ‘of’ the hill, rather than ‘on’ the hill,” explains McQuay, paraphrasing Frank Lloyd Wright. He sloped the home’s roof lines upward toward the perimeter, continuing with exterior overhangs. In the great room, for example, a soaring, angled ceiling opens the space to grand scenes of Loafer Mountain. Similarly framed views fill the spaces and drive the design throughout the interior.
When asked to describe this hillside Utah home, Owens says, “It’s a mountain-modern home, but not so modern that it’s unapproachable.” She fostered this style with a mix of elements that travel easily throughout the home’s cohesive design. “Black accents, warm woods, light linen colors and loads of texture,” says Owens, describing her comforting palette. It moves seamlessly outdoors onto inviting decks and patios saturated with style and stunning scenery. “Anytime we start a home, we start by looking at what is going on outside and then blur the lines between indoor and outdoor,” Boyce says. Owens agrees. “The flow of indoor to outdoor can be super cohesive and we consider it from conceptualization.”
It’s not surprising siblings Owens and Boyce are on the same page, design-wise. “We grew up with design all around us and construction is in our blood,” Boyce explains. Both were raised in Farmington where their father Ren Boyce owned a hardware store, with offerings that included home-décor products. “My parents also bought and remodeled homes, and we were part of that growing up,” Owens adds. Over the years, the burgeoning hardware business spread across the state when Ren sold it. He and his wife Debi moved to St. George, where Ren invested in the Entrada community. There, Ren began building homes and became a founding member of Split Rock Custom Homes.
Following college and a slew of corporate jobs, son Boyce joined Split Rock and learned the business from the ground up before eventually becoming its president. Meanwhile, Owens graduated in community health, worked for an interior design firm and began a successful lifestyle blog. Today she and her young family live in California, where she runs a thriving interior design business and curates her wildly popular online content. “I just kept rolling with it,” she says, describing her astronomic success in design while simultaneously starting and raising a family.
This is the third home that Boyce and Split Rock have built in Summit Creek, and the first home that he has teamed with Owens to create. He hopes for many more. “I have always wanted to work with Becki. She is so talented and amazing at visualizing the end product,” he says. “She nailed it, as did Rob.” Owens is equally enthusiastic about a repeat performance. “Brett is super easy to work with. He is very detail-oriented and understands the importance of quality,” she explains. This project proves that talent and collaboration is a winning combination. Add a stunning setting, and it’s clear the home was destined to be a triumph, from any point of view.
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