Classic Swiss chalet sensibilities and 1960s David Hicks panache may not seem like ideal bedfellows, but in the capable hands of interior designers Gary McBournie and Bill Richards, these disparate inspirations seamlessly came together. The result is a one-of-a-kind retreat for longtime clients in Montana’s Yellowstone Club. “The homeowner did not want the predictable Western look with too much stone and wood, an antler chandelier, and a palette of creams, browns, and grays,” says Gary. “She said to think more along the lines of Gstaad in the Swiss Alps, so that’s where the old-world European influences came into play.” The partners also channeled design touchstones from more recent decades to keep things interesting and a bit unpredictable. And while the interiors are not typical in most respects, they still speak to the glorious setting halfway up a ski-in-ski-out mountain. There is stone and wood, but it’s treated in a more subtle fashion. “Our client seems to have an allergic reaction to too much dark wood,” laughs Bill. The reclaimed ceiling beams were lightened with a white-wash stain, while hand-troweled plaster separates and softens the ceiling in the primary bedroom. The design team also included a limestone fireplace surround with a more ’70s ambiance instead of the expected wood treatment.
“Scale is important in every project, but in this house, it was essential to get it right or the design could fall flat.” —Gary McBournie
When it came to making selections for the interiors, the designers had to contend with 20-foot-plus ceilings and oversized rooms in some areas of the house. “Scale is important in every project, but in this home, it was essential to get it right or the design could fall flat,” says Gary. The pair scoured international auctions and Paris flea markets to find large antique and vintage light fixtures with a compelling presence. They also chose furniture pieces and accessories that have a sense of gravitas—there is nothing fragile in the mix. “In a home like this, you need to give the impression that you can walk through in your ski boots and not worry about anything,” says Bill. “It has to have a look that’s gutsy and solid.”
While the house shows off a novel palette for a mountain property—ruby red, emerald green, tangerine orange, and vivid yellow—along with a mix of pretty blues, the choices proved to be a little more complicated, as Gary and Bill explain. “We are always doing a little dance with these clients. The wife prefers a softer, lighter palette while the husband likes brighter hues. While both have become more open to change during all the years we’ve been working together, we still had to strike a balance.” For example, one side of the extra long living room speaks to the wife’s quieter aesthetic with blue tones, hand-blocked linen fabric, and a multicolored muted strié silk velvet, while the other side of the space expresses the husband’s bolder preferences with a red sofa, more intense blues, and contemporary art. A seagrass carpet layered with a Suzani-inspired print wool-and-silk rug furthers the dialogue.
When it came to decorative touches, the partners sprinkled pieces throughout that speak to the setting. Over the living room fireplace mantel hangs a Bavarian carved wooden deer head. Another fireplace wall features an overscaled circular Western industrial blade. In the primary bedroom, a straw steer head and a white-washed, tree trunk-inspired lamp base decorate the space. “You definitely know where you are without being too heavy-handed in the décor,” say the designers. “With floor-to-ceiling glass-paned walls, the natural beauty of the Montana landscape is the ever-present scene stealer.”
By Alice Welsh Doyle
Photography by Annie Schlechter
Styling by David Murphy
Sources
Interior Design: Gary McBournie & Bill Richards, Gary McBournie Inc., gmcbinc.com; Architect: Locati Architects, locatiarchitects.com; Contractor: Schlauch Bottcher Construction Inc., sbconstruction.com.
EXTERIOR: Windows: Montana Sash & Door, mtsashanddoor.com.
ENTRY: Penny-encrusted settee by sculptor Johnny Swing, johnnyswing.com from R & Company, r-and-company.com; Custom wool and silk ‘Snow Flake’ rug: Stark Carpet, starkcarpet.com; Linen console tables: John Boone, johnbooneinc.com; Antique table lamp: Timothy Langston, timothylangston.com.
GREAT ROOM: Drapery and motorized shades: John Tate Workroom, johntateworkroom.com; ‘Madagascar’ area rug: (large sisal rug) Merida Studio, meridastudio.com, and Stark Carpet, starkcarpet.com; Floral area rug: (smaller colorful patterned rug), starkcarpet.com; Grand piano: Steinway & Sons, steinway.com; Unlacquered brass ceiling fixture: Bernd Goeckler Antiques, berndgoeckler.com; Fire screen: Wm. H. Jackson Co., wmhjacksoncompany.com; Antique carved wood stag head: 1stDibs, 1stdibs.com; Wall color: ‘Tallow’ by Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.com; Pair of split-back chairs in a Lee Jofa fabric, Kravet Inc., kravet.com; Ottoman: Classic Cloth ‘Bergerac’ in cranberry, Wells Textiles, wellstextiles.com; Late 16th/early 17th century trestle leg walnut table: 1st Dibs, 1stdibs.com.
GUEST BEDROOM: Headboard in Lee Jofa fabric, Kravet Inc., kravet.com; Wallcovering: ‘Japanese Silk’ in metallic spice, Phillip Jeffries, phillipjefferies.com; Bed drapery: by John Tate Workroom in Clarence House fabric (outside), clarencehouse.com, and Kravet dupioni silk (inside), kravet.com; Bedding: Pioneer Linens, pioneerlinens.com.
OFFICE: Drapery: by John Tate Workroom in a Cowtan & Tout fabric, cowtan.com; Motorized grass shades: John Tate Workroom, johntateworkroom.com; Copper lantern: BK Antiques, bkantiques.com; Bronze and black metal and glass side table: Balsamo Antiques, balsamoantiques. com; Circular table with splayed legs and reverse painted gold glass top: BK Antiques, bkantiques.com.
MUDROOM: ‘Sorenson’ lantern in an oil-rubbed bronze finish: Remains Lighting, remains.com; Wallcovering: ‘Persia’ in a custom slate green colorway, Peter Fasano, peterfasano.com.
TERRACE: ‘Nestrest’ hanging lounger swing and ‘Satellite’ side table, Dedon, dedon.de.
PRIMARY BEDROOM VESTIBULE: Petrified wood lamp and French walnut two-drawer commode circa 1790-1810: BK Antiques, bkantiques.com.
PRIMARY BEDROOM: ‘Winslett’ rug in sand with a custom border: Stark Carpet, starkcarpet.com; Drapery by John Tate Workroom in Jane Shelton ‘Counterpane’ in blue/green, janeshelton.com; Motorized grass shades: John Tate Workroom, johntateworkroom.com; ‘Oppede’ bed: Rose Tarlow, rosetarlow.com; Bed drapery by John Tate Workroom in Lee Jofa ‘Hollyhock’ in multi-colorway (outside) and blue Clarence House fabric (interior), clarencehouse.com, and Kravet Inc., kravet.com; Chandelier with rock and lead crystals: ‘Vecchio’ by Dennis & Leen, dennisandleen.com; Hammered gold gilt metal foot stool: 1950s Italian Luigi Colli from Balsamo Antiques, balsamoantiques. com; Syrie Maugham-style sofa: upholstered in ‘Impeccable’ in ‘watery’ colorway, Kravet Inc., kravet.com; Pair of rolled arm chairs in Lee Jofa ‘Hollyhock’ in ‘multi’, Kravet Inc., kravet.com.