"I call this my little cabin in the sky, because it makes me feel on top of the world,"
says the owner of a home at Promontory—the Ranch Club, in Park City. "Wherever I
look, I can see the Rockies, and it’s a wonderful getaway place for me, my
children and my grandchildren."
Tucked in a cul-de-sac like a baby in a bassinet, the
4,700-square-foot house she calls a cabin and the place she calls home lives
large in this gated community. "It’s almost like a little village, and most of
the residents only stay here a couple of months, so we’re pretty secluded," she
says. "We have everything we need right here. There’s no need to leave the
compound."
The expansive ranch-style cabin, which can be reached by a long and winding shoestring
road that rises 7,000 feet above sea level, is so high that the mountains and
the sky are only a bear hug away. Looking down is just as scenic: The back
of the house faces one of the club’s golf courses and a silvery pond.
 One end of the great room features a sitting area with a
flat-screen television incorporated into a buttermilk cabinet with a
stained-walnut back by artisan Mike Nelson. An antique clock in the hall and
reclaimed wormy chestnut floors add to the old-world ambience. (Click image to enlarge)
Although she has several homes—she divides her time among the
cabin, San Diego, Cabo San Lucas and Punta de Mita, Mexico—this, her newest, has
become the primary family gathering spot. "I chose the location because it
is kid-friendly, and it’s close to where two of my children live," she
explains, adding that the club’s amenities, including the kids’ cabin,
treehouses, water slides, Olympic-size swimming pool and spa are within walking
distance. "We can ski in the winter and go boating, hiking and fishing in the
summer. And I’ve just taken up golf, so that’s another attraction." The cabin itself is the main attraction, simply because it,
like its owner, is not what is expected. Cardio Nana, as the grandchildren have
dubbed this young-at-heart fitness buff, is a colorful character, and her home
reflects that. From the outside, it does, indeed, look like a rustic cabin. But that idea is put to rest as soon as Nana throws open the
front door in welcome and the guests step into the circular rotunda, which is
appointed with antique Italian Pietra Umbria stone on the floor, semicircular
hand-painted benches from South America and a French-style crystal chandelier
that dangles like an empress’s earring from the hand-painted ceiling cove. "I
didn’t want a rustic mountain look, which is what everyone else who lives here
has," she says. "I wanted something that looked and felt like old Europe,
something that would be casual enough for a fondue party around the fireplace or
an elegant, formal dinner at the Ralph Lauren dining table."
SuAnne Smith of Sorento Design, which is based in nearby Peoa, Utah, brought
the homeowner’s ideas to life, creating a style rich in custom hand-carved
furniture, lush blues and reds and tapestry-textured fabrics that simply beg to
be caressed. "This is a mountain home, but it looks more like a French country
ski chalet with fringe, tassels and crystals," notes Smith.
|
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
