Nar Design Group was brought in by a builder to do the interior design of a new mountain home in an upscale Nevada golf community. Although the firm is based in Sacramento, Calif., the team had worked with the homeowners and builders in the past and was dedicated to traveling to complete another successful project for them.
The couple are real estate investors and were planning to eventually sell the $10 million home, so although they left most of the details to the design firm, they were still concerned with the overall quality and aesthetics.
“The clients approached the project like they were going to use the mountain home as a second residence,” said Nar Bustamante, founder of Nar Design Group. “We knew their needs because of our established relationship. They planned to live there seasonally and entertain a lot, so they wanted product and surfacing selections that were easy to maintain.”
European Sophistication in the Kitchen
The clients fell in love with an Italian Officine Gullo range they had seen in another project, and they wanted one of their own in this kitchen with a matching hood. The color palette, which Bustamante describes as dark and moody yet inviting, is like that of the primary bath with wood and black hues. The idea was to complement the range and hood and not take away from them.
To celebrate the height of the 10-foot ceilings, the design team incorporated tall cabinets for pantry storage and refrigeration on one side of the kitchen. To avoid a rustic cabin look in the modern mountain home, they installed upper cabinets with aluminum-framed glass doors on either side of the range with a bronze satin mirror finish. These units tilt up and feature integrated lighting, and according to Bustamante, they were one of the priciest cabinetry elements in this home.
This space also features a back kitchen, which houses a hydro station for avid hikers to fill their water bottles, a coffee station and bonus storage space. Bustamante says this area really allows the main kitchen to breathe.
The countertops are Dekton Laos with a subtle gray/blue veining seen in natural granite, and the 12-inch French oak plank floor meets the area’s dryness requirements, ensuring it will not crack or shrink. The black tile coordinates with the one used in the primary bath but in a smaller format.
For the lighting plan, Bustamante chose recessed cans, sconces by the expansive window, in-cabinet illumination and pendants over the island. The glass and brushed-brass units subtly stand out without taking away from the hood or range combo.
Au Natural in the Primary Bath
The design team wanted to create a “mountain modern” look in this space that spoke to the exterior elements. Ample windows in the bathroom provide views of the evergreen trees, big sky and the golf course, so Bustamante chose elements that would complement that environment.
The large and open space brings the indoors and outdoors together with lots of wood and black components, including wood-grain textured laminate cabinetry, the black hardware and the dark pitted limestone tile on one wall that resembles natural stone. The large-format floor tile looks like granite, which is prevalent in that area, but without the speckles found naturally.
In lieu of using real wood for the cabinetry, Bustamante chose a laminate in a quarter-sawn scraped finish, which stands up better in the dry weather and does not shrink. In addition to the multiple, easy-to-access drawers that make up the lower storage, the designer included a wall of clean-lined display cabinets in a black and wood palette. He says the display cabinets – which feature shelves that are internally lit – create the illusion of the windows continuing into that space.
The Dekton Edora countertops are environmentally friendly and easy to maintain, and they keep the bathroom light and bright against the wood and black tones. The large-format floor tile is easy to maintain with fewer grout lines.
Bustamante says it’s important to have a varied lighting plan with lots of layers, so he included recessed cans for the general illumination and sconces by the mirrors for a more direct lighting source. The interior cabinets are lighted to create more of a mood in the bathroom, and they also provide task illumination.
Showing the Money
According to the designer, every project has a budget – there is no such thing as an open checkbook. While he was not involved in this aspect of the conversation, he was given a number not to exceed. Although he did go over the cabinet budget since he says the home commanded a certain level of detail and thoughtfulness, he was granted an expanded allowance.
The two upper cabinets in the kitchen were pricey because of how they were built, the wood on the exterior and on the interior, the lift-up servo-drive mechanisms, the glass doors and the integrated lighting. Bustamante said it was necessary to incorporate these specialty cabinets because of the luxury bespoke approach to the home and to complement the statement appliances and create an elegant feature wall in the kitchen.
“Any time you work with something so customized and with so many different integrated components integrated, it is no longer your typical cabinet,” he added. “Each feature incorporated adds up.”
Designing a Healthy Mountain Home
Bustamante and his design team incorporate sustainability into all of their projects; being California based, this is a given. They specify materials that are responsibly sourced and certified and choose sustainable offerings whenever possible.
“We aim to create something that will last a long time,” he said. “Usually, a poor-quality project results in a large carbon footprint because things need to be torn out and replaced sooner.”
Solutions to Challenges & Lessons Learned
In this mountain home project, the design team had to navigate some inclement weather, as it took a few years to complete. They knew they were going to hit at least one winter cycle, so they planned ahead. The job was also farther away from their usual locations, but the cabinet installer was able to travel to the site to complete the cabinetry installation.
Bustamante says he and his team learn a new lesson during every project, and one that resonates with him is the need to be open and flexible.
“I may have designed something that when I actually see it, I don’t like it,” he explained. “I give myself an allowance to make changes and tweak the design as we move along in a project. I really feel like that creates a great finish line when you can give yourself some licensing all the way to the end.”
Everyone loves the result – especially the new buyer. Bustamante says this is a perfect example of a great team effort.
“This level of project requires a large team – the investors, builders, architects, trades,” he explained. “We are all pulling ideas together and give each other a lot of room to express ourselves. We trust that everything we do will be complementary to the project.”
Sources
Interior Design: Nar Design Group Architect: Donald Joseph Inc. Contractor: Lee Luxury Homes Photographer: Fred Donham of Photographerlink BATHROOM Cabinetry: Crystal Cabinets Countertops: Dekton by Cosentino Faucets & Tub Filler: Brizo Flooring: Voguebay Tile Hardware: Restoration Hardware Lighting: Visual Comfort Mirrors: Uttermost Sinks & Tub: Signature Hardware Wall Tile: Bi Design Studio KITCHEN Backsplash: Encore Ceramics Cabinetry: Crystal Cabinets Coffee Maker & Refrigeration: Miele Countertops: Dekton by Cosentino Dishwasher Drawers: Fisher & Paykel Dishwashers: Cove Faucets: Waterstone Flooring: Bi Design Studio Hardware, Pendants & Sconces: Restoration Hardware Hood & Range: Officine Gullo Hydro Station: Elkay Island Stools: Global Views Microwave: Wolf Sinks: Blanco
