NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE CHERISH OUR HOMES—AND SECOND HOMES—AS PLACES TO FIND SERENITY AND ESCAPE FROM A CHAOTIC WORLD. ON THE MARKET NOW, THESE SPECTACULAR PROPERTIES BLEND SOPHISTICATED DESIGN THAT MELDS WITH THE NATURAL SURROUNDINGS WITH INVITING SPACES FOR GATHERING AND CONNECTING WITH CLOSE FRIENDS.
PHOTO BY WHIT RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY
296 GRAY HEAD LANE
$24 MILLION
PHOTO BY WHIT RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY
82
NUMBER OF HOMES ON THE MARKET
12
NUMBER OF PROPERTIES LISTED ABOVE $10 MILLION
$1.16 BILLION
SALES IN 2020 IN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, AN ALL-TIME RECORD AND A 54% INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS RECORD, SET IN 2007
$772
AVERAGE COST PER SQUARE FOOT IN THE TOWN OF MOUNTAIN VILLAGE
$1,680
AVERAGE COST PER SQUARE FOOT IN THE TOWN OF TELLURIDE
9,078 FEET
ELEVATION OF THE TELLURIDE REGIONAL AIRPORT, THE HIGHEST AIRFIELD WITH SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHTS IN NORTH AMERICA
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PHOTO BY WHIT RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY
MORNINGS AT THIS GRAY HEAD RESIDENCE afford perfectly framed views of Wilson Peak just as it starts to glow. It’s also the time to wander down to the private pond, wet a line and wait for a bite as the full splendor of the San Juan Mountain range comes into focus. Masterfully designed by Poss Architecture, an award-winning Aspen firm, this contemporary 12,000-square-foot home was inspired by those commanding ridge lines and the 270-degree vistas of the valley that run from Dolores Peak to the slopes of Telluride.
The house is defined by a series of independent wings in varying shapes and sizes across the site. Rooflines mimic the dramatic backdrop, while intersecting walls of wood, stone and glass tie the architecture together. Step inside and floor-to-ceiling fenestration in the main living spaces guarantees the surrounding mountain majesty is a constant part of the everyday experience.
Rather than competing with the landscape, the furnishings and quiet palette take a cozy backseat. Curvy profiles on the great room sofas, for example, hug their occupants while providing a soft counterpoint to the interior’s geometric stone faces. Designed with entertaining in mind, the gourmet kitchen is a home cook’s dream; six bedrooms and 10 baths handle any guest overflow; and after a day of hiking, biking or horseback riding on the Gray Head community’s private 16-mile trail system, indoor rec time continues in the home theater and the game room, which has both a pool table and a ping-pong table.
Come nightfall, the best show in town is right out the door as the bold pink and orange sunset colors streak the sky, the first stars appear, and friends and family gather around the outdoor fire pit by the pond to watch the moonrise. Josh and Katja Rapaport, Rapaport Real Estate, 970.708.4070, rapaportco.com/grayhead; co-listed with Blake Greiner, Douglas Elliman, Aspen, 970.286.0198, blakegreiner.elliman.com
345 BEAVER DAM ROAD
$23.9 MILLION
PHOTO BY RIC STOVALL
PHOTO BY RIC STOVALL
$15.6 MILLION
AVERAGE HOME SALE PRICE
$2,752
AVERAGE COST PER SQUARE FOOT
221
AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET
$45 MILLION
MOST EXPENSIVE LISTING
84.6%
PERCENTAGE OF HOMES ABOVE $10 MILLION, INCLUDING SINGLE FAMILY AND DUPLEX
5,317
NUMBER OF SKIABLE ACRES ON VAIL MOUNTAIN
REAL ESTATE DATA PULLED FROM MLS FOR SINGLE-FAMILY AND DUPLEX HOMES IN VAIL VILLAGE, JANUARY 2020 THROUGH APRIL 2021.
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PHOTO BY RIC STOVALL
INTERIOR DESIGNER Victoria Jones of Studio James Refined Interiors opted to go natural when she crafted the interiors of this 5,919-square-foot Vail Valley retreat, which was designed by architect Mike Suman of Suman Architects. The clean lines of this mountain modern home called out for a minimalist approach with generous use of wood elements to cozy things up. “We stuck with simple lines and incorporated elements like rift white oak cabinets with a custom gray stain in the kitchen,” says Jones, who added a natural oiled walnut extension table to the stone island in the same space. On the lower level, the den is outfitted with a lounge area for movie viewing, game tables and a wine cellar, all surrounded by white oak paneling.
With a sleeping capacity of 22 that includes two master bedroom suites and two VIP guest suites, the home is made for multigenerational get-togethers or big soirees of any kind. A statement-making black magic marble fireplace in the living room beckons all who enter to warm their après-ski toes, and the floor-to-ceiling Nano doors and windows wrap the open plan living and dining rooms in mountain views, providing the only daily snow report you’ll ever need.
An elevator servicing all floors takes residents and guests alike to two hot tub locales—one on the main level and another on the rooftop patio. Other stops access the various sleeping quarters, including two queen bunkrooms. Each of the master suites features custom leather headboards in the bedrooms and full marble slab floors and walls in the bathrooms. The VIP and bunk bathrooms are outfitted with large-format stone tiles that contribute to the design’s natural intent. The architect summed it up: “The architectural and material design decisions focused on providing a sophisticated yet comfortable place of rest for a family to enjoy life in the mountains.” Paul Gotthelf, Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate,970.376.1775, 354beaverdam.vailrealestate.com
2401 E . 5TH AVE., UNIT 1
$3,325,000
PHOTO BY COLE RHODES, DENVER LENS
$628,741
AVERAGE HOME SALE PRICE, UP 16.5%
$345
AVERAGE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT, UP 19.4%
1,004
NUMBER OF HOMES CURRENTLY LISTED FOR SALE, DOWN 56%
5
AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET, DOWN 29%
$25 MILLION
MOST EXPENSIVE LISTING IN DENVER TO DATE (4001 E. QUINCY AVE.)
196
MILES OF ON-STREET BIKE TRAILS IN DENVER
REAL ESTATE DATA IS FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH APRIL 2021 FOR DENVER PROPER.
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PHOTO BY COLE RHODES, DENVER LENS
FOR MOST PEOPLE, home is that place where you seek refuge from the trials and tribulations of daily life—a safe haven or sanctuary, if you will. But what if the opportunity to live in an actual sanctuary presented itself ? If you can imagine strolling through peaked arched openings, enjoying the ever-changing shadow play from stained-glass windows and embracing the sense of calm and quiet of being surrounded by solid brick walls, then life in a former church with all its glorious Gothic trappings might be for you.
Located in Cherry Creek North, the main chapel-turned-house is part of a nine-unit condominium complex carved from three existing buildings, with residents of this sole free-standing structure enjoying condo amenities like groundskeeping. Local history buffs will appreciate the legacy that dates back to 1902 when the St. John the Evangelist Catholic church was erected on the corner of 5th and Josephine. In 2008, developers entrusted the sacred space to architect Don Ruggles, who maintained the character and charm of the original 5,358 square feet while transforming the church’s cavernous space into a beautiful livable haven.
PHOTO BY COREY ANTHONY PHOTOGRAPHY
The church-turned-home’s opening act is a jaw-dropping suspended travertine marble tread staircase that floats between the home’s three levels. And despite 35-foot ceilings and a grandiose open living and dining area, the latter features the opportunity for creating intimate seating areas in what also functions as a sensational backdrop for exclusive cocktail and dinner parties. Much of daily life takes place beneath a complex truss system that both warms the soaring ceiling and the spaces below it.
Three beautifully appointed bedrooms, including a master suite tucked under the eaves in a loftlike space with its own limestone fireplace, are quiet getaways amid the overall splendor. For true believers, living here would be nothing short of divine. Jeff Hendley, founding agent, Compass Denver, 303.877.6767, jeffhendley.com
333-375 BELLEVUE DRIVE
$14.25 MILLION
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIV SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIV SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
202
PROPERTIES SOLD, UP BY 27%
92
AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET, DOWN BY 10%
$1,807,499
AVERAGE HOME SALE PRICE, UP BY 8%
$365,114,801
TOTAL VOLUME SOLD, UP 37%
14
NUMBER OF MICROBREWERIES IN BOULDER, WHICH RANKS IT FOURTH IN THE NATION FOR MOST BREWERIES PER CAPITA
REAL ESTATE DATA IS FROM JANUARY THROUGH APRIL 2021 .
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PHOTO COURTESY OF LIV SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
WHEN RENOWNED MODERNIST ARCHITECT Philip Johnson designed his iconic glass house in Connecticut in the 1940s, he inspired transparent residences for generations to come, possibly including this 9,689-square-foot version in Boulder. Johnson once referred to the greenery visible through every opening of his domicile as “expensive wallpaper.” Similarly, this predominantly glass structure perched high above the university town but within walking distance of historic Chautauqua Park frames up dazzling mountain and city views from every vantage point. Situated on just over an acre, the house and its multiple terraces, sculptural fire feature, aromatic rose gardens and gazebo are perfectly sited for enjoying the surrounding natural environment.
Designed by architect Matt McMullen, the exterior stone, glass and wood palette is complemented inside by carved wood doors, Jerusalem travertine walls and a Macassar ebony walled stairway. An indoor water feature composed of large boulders brings soothing tranquility to the living and dining room spaces, the latter beautifully appointed with furnishings in neutral tones that provide optimal viewing and lounging platforms. Honduran mahogany floors and ceilings are a warm counterpoint to the frameless Pilkington triple-glazed cantilevered glass walls. The home’s four levels are capped with a rooftop terrace.
An elevator services three levels in the home, which encompasses five bedrooms, eight bathrooms and myriad entertaining spaces, including a gourmet chef ’s kitchen, home theater, game room, spa with steam room and waterfall-filled plunge pool. A beveled staircase cantilevered over the koi pond leads to the top-floor master suite, where the nestlike setting includes a glass-walled library. Intimate and peaceful with Wenge cabinets and angled walls, the room has its own access to open-space trails.
The exclusive gated compound also includes a two-story, 1,579-square-foot, one-bedroom guesthouse with its own garage and parking pad, in addition to the main home’s two-car garage and heated drive. Jeff and Carliss Erickson, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, 303.589.2741, liveboulderrealestate.com
8720/8716 CASTLE CREEK ROAD
$35 MILLION
PHOTO BY STEVE FREIHON
90
PROPERTIES OVER $10 MILLION SOLD IN 2020 (THREE TIMES HIGHER THAN PREVIOUS YEARS)
174%
PERCENT INCREASE IN TOTAL SALES VOLUME ($273,609,601)
$10,523,446
AVERAGE HOME SALE PRICE, UP 5%
26
PROPERTIES SOLD, UP 160%
1,100+
NUMBER OF ACRES OF OPEN SPACE IN AND AROUND ASPEN
REAL ESTATE DATA IS FOR SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES IN ASPEN FOR Q1 OF 2021 .
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PHOTO BY STEVE FREIHON
IF SPACE IS THE FINAL FRONTIER, then privacy may well be the final luxury, and for anyone seeking both, an 8,000-square-foot house on a 21- acre parcel located miles from the hubbub of daily Aspen life could be the answer. Set amid groves of aspen, this stunning property is the definition of solitude, and a noticeable absence of man-made intrusions like cell towers and ski lifts encourages a meditative melding with the incomparable mountain surroundings, including unfettered views of the Elk Mountains.
With its low-slung horizontal profile, the modern structure designed by architect Scott Lindenau (of Studio B Architecture + Interiors) fits snugly in its environment. An inspired palette of wire-brushed oak, reclaimed teak, hand-chiseled limestone and wara juraku—a Japanese-style plaster that incorporates straw to produce an organic texture—contribute to the home’s distinctive look.
PHOTO BY MOUNTAIN HOME PHOTO
New York designer Shawn Henderson curated the rooms with furnishings that read like a who’s who of exceptional contemporary design—a Jean Royère-inspired sofa for vista gazing in the living room is among the trappings included with the residence, along with a Masamichi Yoshikawa cocktail table, a David Weeks dining room chandelier and a collection of midcentury modern pieces. The architect designed the platform bed with integrated nightstands in the master bedroom—one of seven en suite bedrooms, and a custom Japanese soaking tub surrounded by walls paneled in Yangtze river limestone invites a contemplative moment in the master bath.
Situated just out of sight from the main domicile, a beautifully appointed 1,000-square-foot, one-bedroom guesthouse creates a stunning juxtaposition with the surrounding aspen grove. The anthracite zinc roof complements the dark charred cedar of the siding, crafted using an ancient Japanese technique known as shou sugi ban. But come evening, there’s no place better to be than by the fireplace on the rooftop terrace of the main house, where the stargazing is unparalleled and the phrase “peace and quiet” takes on new meaning. Lucy Nichols, Sotheby’s International Realty, 970.379.1587, aspensnowmasssir.com; Blake Appleby, Compass Aspen, 970.379.1143, blakeappleby.com
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