Steel-and-leather dining chairs surround a handsome table by Four Hands in the open dining area. | Photo: Melissa Kelsey

Designed with intention, a mountain modern kitchen is not only a gathering place but also a creative space where the imagination can run free. We’ve selected four kitchens featured in Mountain Living over the years that still catch our eye.

A Steamboat House on a Lake Gets a Complete Revamping

The kitchen was completely gutted and reoriented to the views. Light woods, a shimmering blue handmade tile backsplash and wipeable leather seats on the at-counter stools—all contribute to a simple, modern lake-house look. The floors are reclaimed oak. | Photo: David Patterson

A High Country Haven in Beaver Creek

The kitchen gets a color boost from a Kyle Bunting hide rug and the Andrew Jensdotter painting on the far wall. | Photo: Kimberly Gavin

A Modernist Mountain Retreat Nestled in Provo Canyon, Utah

Accented by a mix of painted and white oak custom cabinetry, a graphic Calacatta Vagli Oro slab backsplash creates a beautiful counterpoint to the magnificent mountain vistas in this Sundance project by Lloyd Architects. | Photo: Melissa Kelsey

Inside a Modern Rustic Home Rooted in the Natural World

The kitchen employs a rich array of natural materials, including solid oak cabinetry, black soapstone and a polished concrete floor with radiant heat. | Photo: Casey Dunn

Photo: Lucy Hall

To make an indelible design impression on their sustainable legacy dwellings, JLF Architects in Bozeman, Montana, creates statement doors that are meticulously crafted to enhance the home. “A door is the first exclamation point and can serve as art in its own right,” says JLF Architects Design Principal, Logan Leachman. “The front door is an element of the home that is touched every day. A door of substantial thickness and weight, with carefully curated hardware that fits the hand, helps make an impression and draws visitors in before they enter the space.”

With over 45 years of experience, the firm has a long-standing and proven approach that dictates, “no detail is an afterthought.” JLF Architects considers the visual and tactile appeal created by the shape of the door, metal finishes and patinas to evoke a sense of timelessness, and deliberate construction that promises strength and authenticity. 

Photo: Audrey Hall

Stone, wood, and glass, in combination or on their own, gives the door style and personality that is carried on throughout the dwelling’s interior. “Stone and wood offer substance, security, warmth, and a sense of permanence. The transparency of glass provides an open, welcoming sense of style and a connection to nature,” explains Leachman. 

Over the years, glass technology has advanced. Triple panes and low-emissivity (Low-E) coatings paired with the advanced settings in today’s heating and cooling systems helps glass work to create an impressive entryway, bringing the beauty of nature inside without compromising energy efficiency. 

Photo: Audrey Hall

Working in collaboration with design-build partner Big-D Signature, and local craftsmen who finesse every detail during the construction and installation phases, custom doors reflect and become an extension of the architectural palette. Marrying form and function, the doors are built to withstand the outdoor elements, aging beautifully and maintaining peak performance over time. Using materials such as antique reclaimed wood and ancient stone ensures that the design will endure.

By separating, joining, hiding and revealing, and offering or denying passage, doors hold a place of historic fascination and meaning. JLF Architects designs doors that keep the magic and mystery alive. “Carefully crafted for their unique purpose, the level of scrutiny that we give each door is what takes them to the next level,” Leachman says.

Photo: Audrey Hall

Stinson Beach House. | Photo: Paul Dyer

Kirley Architects, a Northern California-based firm, is pleased to announce the opening of their new office in Park City, Utah. The new location will focus on homes and commercial buildings in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and Nevada. Keith Kirley, managing and founding partner, is pleased to introduce Scott Kuehne, AIA, NCARB as the new design director at the office’s helm.

Kuehne is an experienced architect with 35 years of experience specializing in high-end custom residential, mountain resort, commercial, and university projects worldwide. He co-founded the Suarez-Kuehne architecture firm. As the Park City design director, Kuehne brings his decades of experience to lead projects in the Mountain West Region.

Scott Kuehne and Keith Kirley. | Photo: Tim Coy

Keith Kirley, a former resident of Aspen, Colorado explains, “Ski towns and ski country living have long been a love of mine. This expansion represents a dream I’ve had for years and offers the opportunity and freedom to create different design styles to complement the open land.”

Park City was selected as the new location based upon the area’s rapid growth paired with its unique identity and history. “The area is a great place to live or visit,” says Kirley. “The opportunity for the firm’s growth here just made perfect sense.”

Modern Retreat. | Photo: Christopher Stark

Kirley Architects is recognized for blending classic architecture with modern innovation. Their focused ethos and devotion to traditional and classical principles enables them to design within the vernacular of place, maintaining the sensibility of the surrounding community.

At the heart of the Kirley Architects process is hand-rendering in watercolor, creating imagery for their clients that stirs the senses and evokes and inspires a sense of place. The firm specializes in single family homes but has also completed commercial spaces such as the Instagram Campus in San Francisco. Recently, they were honored to showcase their architectural sketches and watercolors at an exhibition at the CoorItalia Showcase Event.

Kentfield Modern. | Photo: Stephanie Russo

“Stylistically, our work at the Park City office will differ from the designs originating at our Bay Area location,” says Kirley. “It will be a joy to offer fit, beauty, and durable design to new communities.” With Park City as the designated host for the 2034 Winter Olympics, Kirley notes that it’s a great time to ramp up and become established in the area. “There is so much to look forward to over the next several years,” he says.

Rustic Barn. | Photo: Jim Westphalen

Photo: Kimberly Gavin Photography

A home remodel in Avon, Colorado provided an opportunity for the owners to make meaningful, sustainable change to the look of their interior space. With a bright, airy floor plan, the opportunity for subtle luxury with a twist of drama was made possible with the use of old wood, custom millwork and mixed metals.

The custom finished Bavarian oak floors are featured throughout the home, adding a weathered touch that gives the abode a fresh aesthetic and personality. “The planks are unique,” says Swiss-born Balz Arrigoni, owner and founder of Arrigoni Woods. “The size, color and texture of the old growth wood planks and an all-natural oil finish set the tone for the interior design.”

Photo: Kimberly Gavin Photography

The staircase is the centerpiece of the home. The carefully considered combination of wood, ethically sourced from managed forests in the Austrian mountains and mixed metals add textural interest and color contrast resulting in eye catching appeal. Principal Designer at Jacobs + Interiors, Yvonne Jacobs explains, “Over the stairs, strategically placed floating hexagonal light fixtures by Henge featuring bronze finishes deliver a unique, artistic statement.

In the kitchen, the flooring is paired with custom finished oak cabinetry by Heartwood Custom Woodworks. The darker shade adds depth and warmth. Arrigoni Woods gray barn wood siding on the wall offers additional visual interest. Light countertops and upholstered seating ensure that the relationship between materials enhances the inviting, bespoke space.

Photo: Kimberly Gavin Photography

The fireplace is another highlight in the home. The cold rolled steel design with built-in lighting adds impact and drama to the living area. Operating with values comprised of a circle of respect for people, the materials and the planet, Arrigoni Woods builds a genuine relationship with the wood from the forest to the floor. They believe that wood should be sourced with the utmost respect and experience. For each tree felled, four others are planted.

Sustainability is at the heart of Arrigoni Woods. Production waste is converted into new energy in their own biomass heater. The company remains true to its devotion to environmentally responsible forestry and manufacturing principles. “The important relationships we build contribute to the success of our projects and business,” says Arrigoni. Customer service is a core value and the Arrigoni Woods promise to deliver the highest quality materials is at the heart of each project. 

DESIGN DETAILS

WOOD FLOORING — Arrigoni Woods
INTERIOR DESIGN — Jacobs + Interiors

Snow King Motel, Travis Walker, Acrylic on canvas 36 x 24 inches

THE ARTIST Travis Walker

MOVING WEST “I am the son of a US Air Force pilot. I was born in Japan and moved constantly until I was about 24, when I moved to Jackson. Not having a hometown or old friends to recall memories left me feeling disconnected. Consequently, I’ve spent my adult life trying to capture the places I’ve been with my art. My art grounds me and makes me feel like I am part of a place; a feeling that eluded me during my childhood.”

LOOKING AT LAYERS “There are so many cultural and historical layers to the West, and my work tries to capture the intersection of these layers:  a burning RV in a sublime open space or a family of tourists awestruck in front of Old Faithful, a bear soaking in a hot tub or a stuffed moose on wheels are examples of this intersection.”

ON NOSTALGIA “In my life, nostalgia infuses objects and places with personal meaning and helps connect me to the world. I think it helps us find our place as a link in the great chain of life. The Snow King Motel is one of Jackson’s last remaining motels. The image of its old neon sign in front of the ski runs of Snow King Mountain is one that represents a bygone era. I have been trying to capture these places before they disappear forever. I want my viewers to feel both a sense of place and an emotional connection to the subject. I want the images I make to become windows to a landscape of memory and feeling.”

NEXT Walker’s work will be on view at Maya Frodeman Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming, this fall, and in the Western Visions show at Jackson’s National Museum of Wildlife Art in September.

Photo: Hygge Life

Hygge Life recently welcomed Marcelo Bengoechea and his heartfelt exhibition Woven Together, tributing his late brother Fernando Bengoechea—an acclaimed international photographer known for his work in major publications. Through the end of August, Marcelo’s art will be on display at the Hygge Life showroom, offering visitors the opportunity to purchase the exhibited pieces or request custom versions in different sizes.

“We have always valued not only the beauty of an object but also the story and soul behind it,” says Alexandra Gove of Hygge Life. “The Woven Together exhibition with Marcelo was a natural fit for all of us—there is so much soul, story and texture in Marcelo’s work. Marcelo is keeping Fernando’s story and passion alive and honoring his life and talent by taking the time to slow down and create something beautiful that we can all continue to enjoy.”

Marcelo Bengoechea. | Photo: Hygge Life

Interior designer Pam Sunderman tells us she was gently pulled into a story that was both deeply personal and beautifully universal when first discovering Bengoechea’s work. “The woven photography carries an emotional weight that you can feel before you even know the story behind it. Each piece holds a quiet soulfulness — the original photograph already full of depth, but then the genius act of slicing and weaving adds a layer of interest that is hard to describe,” She explains.

Alexandra Gove, Marcelo Bengoechea and Pam Sunderman.| Photo: Hygge Life

Mountain Living sat down with Bengoechea to learn more about his latest exhibition, as well as his unwavering inspiration.

How does preserving Fernando’s artistic legacy give your life a sense of purpose?

It gives me a reason to wake up and create every day. When Fernando died in the tsunami, I lost more than a brother—I lost an artist at the verge of greatness. For a long time, there was only grief. But when I picked up his photographs and began weaving them, I felt his presence again. It was like he was guiding me, encouraging me to carry something forward.

What began as a way to honor his memory slowly transformed into a passion and a purpose of my own. Through this work, I feel like I’m helping his voice continue to speak. His photographs live on, but now they also evolve—and I get to be part of that evolution. That connection, that sense of continuing his story, gives my life a kind of meaning I never expected.

Photo: Hygge Life

Have you always shared a creative or artistic spirit with your brother, or did your path evolve differently?

Yes, we absolutely shared a creative spirit, even if we expressed it in different ways. Fernando was always deeply immersed in photography—he had a gift for capturing raw beauty and emotion. My path was in design and business, and over the years, our worlds often intersected. We collaborated on several projects where he brought the image and I brought the concept or visual framework—it was a natural partnership, grounded in a deep mutual respect.

He had a fearless artistic energy, and I think that inspired me more than I even realized at the time. After his passing, that creative bond didn’t disappear—it just took on a new form. When I began weaving his photographs, it felt like we were still collaborating, still speaking the same visual language. Only now, I’m interpreting that connection in a more personal, hands-on way. It’s a continuation of the work we once did together, just expressed differently.

Photo: Hygge Life

Can you walk us through your weaving process—from the first spark of inspiration to the final piece?

The process is very hands-on and intuitive. It begins with a photograph—often one of Fernando’s, though I’ve started creating new woven works with my own photography as well. I print two identical versions of the image, one for vertical cuts and one for horizontal. I then slice each print into strips—sometimes thin, sometimes thinner, each piece has a life of its own and I just let it happen, I get lost in it.

The weaving itself is done entirely by hand, one strip at a time. It’s meticulous, slow pace, meditative. I don’t use machines or templates—just my hands and my focus. There’s something deeply human in the imperfections that emerge, the little shifts that happen as the image is deconstructed and then reassembled. By the end, the photograph becomes something new—more tactile, more layered. It holds both presence and memory in a single woven form.

Photo: Hygge Life

Your work celebrates life’s quiet pleasures. How do these weavings invite people to slow down and savor the moment?

We live in a world that moves quickly—images flash by on screens, stories disappear in seconds. But woven photography demands a different kind of attention. These pieces aren’t meant to be consumed in an instant. They invite you to linger, to look closer, to notice the details. The texture, the woven lines, the interplay between light and shadow—it all slows you down.

People often tell me that the work makes them feel something—nostalgia, peace, reflection. I think that’s because there’s a softness to them, a sense of time being held still. In a way, the weaving itself mirrors the act of remembering. It’s fragmented, layered, imperfect—but also beautiful. And it asks us to be present with it, even if just for a moment.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with Mountain Living readers about your journey, your art, or what lies ahead?

This journey has been full of unexpected turns. I never set out to be an artist. I never imagined I’d be weaving photographs, let alone exhibiting them across the country or sharing this story with others. But grief and other life events have a way of reshaping us. It stripped my life down to its essentials, and in that space, I found something meaningful—something that keeps evolving.

What I do now is more than just art; it’s a way of connecting, of healing, of honoring where I’ve come from and what I’ve lost. I’m grateful to every person who takes the time to engage with the work, to feel it. As for what lies ahead—I’ll keep weaving, keeping Fernando’s art alive, and keep following this thread wherever it leads.

Photo: Hygge Life

Photo: Michael Biondo, Builder: EM Rose Building Co, Architect: Reece Owens Architects

You’ve chosen your architect and secured your builder—now comes the exciting part: shaping the details that will bring your vision to life, including how timber framing will fit into your design.

Known for its strength and beauty, timber frame is more than a hallmark of mountain living; it’s a timeless, sustainable building method that works across the spectrum of styles. Here are five key tips for seamlessly integrating timber framing into your design.

Photo: Bjorn Wallander, Builder: Prutting + Company Custom Builders, Architect: Niels Schoenfelder Architect

Be sure to discuss timber integration with your team in the early stages of the design process.

Discussing timber integration early with your architect and builder will ensure the structural elements will  align with your overall design vision from the start. It also allows for accurate budgeting and sourcing, which will help to avoid costly adjustments later in the process. Early collaboration opens the door to creative solutions that maximize both aesthetics and functionality.

Photo: Bjorn Wallander, Builder: Prutting + Company Custom Builders, Architect: Niels Schoenfelder Architect

Understand what role timber frame will play both structurally and aesthetically in your project.

Structurally, timber elements can serve as primary load-bearing components or as decorative accents, and that distinction will influence the overall design, layout, and material choices. 

Aesthetically, these frames can define the tone of a space—whether you want bold, exposed beams, a subtle modern touch or a nod to the traditional mountain lodge. Being clear about your vision ensures consistency between the design intent and the final result.

Photo: Michael Biondo, Builder: EM Rose Building Co, Architect: Reece Owens Architects

Discuss the overall design intent and how timber frame can enhance your architect’s vision.

Your architect has a clear vision for the flow, proportions, and character of your home, and timber framing can be a powerful tool to reinforce that vision. When used thoughtfully, timber elements can highlight architectural focal points, create drama and add depth to designs. The architect can seamlessly integrate timber frame into the overall concept in a way that feels cohesive, intentional, and visually striking.

Photo: Joe Goger, Builder: Lawson Construction Inc., Architect: Yosemite Drafting & Design

Consider how assimilating a timber frame will work with other trades and scopes.

Assimilating a timber frame into your design requires coordination with all trades to avoid conflicts during construction. Elements like mechanical systems, electrical runs and insulation need to be planned around the structural timber components to maintain both functionality and aesthetics. Early integration ensures that these systems are concealed or incorporated, preventing costly redesigns or compromises later. 

Photo: Erhard Pfeiffer, Builder: JK Scanlan, Architect: Landry Design Group

Be aware of how timber will integrate with and celebrate other materials and substrates.

Timber framing can act as a unifying element, bringing warmth and texture that enhances other materials in the home. Its natural tones complement stone, steel, and glass, creating a balanced blend of rustic character and modern sophistication. 

When thoughtfully detailed, timber can provide visual contrast against smooth surfaces like plaster or concrete, making each material feel more intentional. This interplay not only elevates the aesthetic but also celebrates craftsmanship by highlighting the unique qualities of every substrate in the design.

Photo: David Exline, Builder: Davis & Associates Construction, Architect: Exline Design & Architecture

Steve Lewis is the New Energy Works word wrangler. From their shops in Oregon & New York, New Energy Works works with architects and builders to craft sustainable timber frame custom homes and heavy timber/mass timber commercial buildings in North America. Visit their site or call them at 800-486-0661.

Content provided by New Energy Works.

Photo: Emma Montanez

The four friends from Kansas City stood in the shade of Signe and Genna Grushovenko’s tent as Signe explained the inspiration for a large painting before them. “This one reminds me of my childhood,” one said. “It looks like it was painted just for us,” said another. The friends had driven from Kansas City to Denver to spend the weekend shopping for art at the 34th annual Cherry Creek Arts Festival, from July 4 to 6. “We heard this was the one festival you have to attend if you love art.” 

They weren’t alone. The streets of Cherry Creek North were filled with 260 exhibiting artists and throngs of festival goers throughout the three-day affair. The temperatures reached the mid 90s, but that didn’t deter Coloradans or out of town visitors from enjoying the many offerings: work from the artists, of course, but also 14 free live music performances; the always bustling Creation Station, where kids and families enjoyed free art activities all weekend; and even a pop-up silent disco, which had festival goers dancing in the street at the intersection of Fillmore and 2nd.

Cherry Creek Arts Festival Opening night. Delnaz Dance Ensemble from Bella Diva World Dance. | Photo: Liz Levy

“One of my favorite moments from this year’s festival was Saturday night, when more than 600 people gathered on Fillmore Plaza for a free and moving performance from the fantastic Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble,” said Tara Brickell, executive director of CherryArts, the nonprofit organization that produces the Cherry Creek Arts Festival.

Tara also noted some of the festival’s activations that may be less familiar to casual attendees but personify why the festival exists. “Another highlight was our Student Art Buying showcase on Saturday afternoon,” she said.

Photo: Emma Montanez

Each year, CherryArts works with two dozen Colorado schools through their Student Art Buying program. They provide curriculum that teaches students about the business of art, and then host student representatives from each school. CherryArts give each group of students $500 to spend on original art, which they take back to their schools for permanent display. Since the launch of this program, students from more than 450 schools have added more than 1,300 pieces of original art to their lobbies and hallways.  

Over on Steele Street, five of the artists at the festival were exhibiting their work at a major show for the first time. This quintet received $5,000 each and months of mentorship through the CherryArts Emerging Artist grant program. One of those artists—Eunjoo Kang, who grew up in South Korea but is now based in Mead, Colorado—won third place overall at the festival, a rare feat for an emerging artist. (See all the 2025 award winners here.)

Photo: Emma Montanez

The success of the Cherry Creek Arts Festival helps support the year-round work of CherryArts, and spurs tourism and tax dollars for Cherry Creek North and the city of Denver. This year’s artists generated more than $4.4 million in total sales. And those four friends from Kansas we met in the Grushovenkos tent were among thousands of out of towners who spent July 4 weekend in Denver, inspired by art.

The 35th annual Cherry Creek Arts Festival will take place from July 3 to July 5, 2026.

Photo: Frank Montanez

Grand Lily chairs have walnut seats and backs, and feature ebonized walnut legs. Boggs often uses black legs to enhance a chair’s design and bring out the beauty of its lines. | Photo: Melanie Boggs

“No other piece of furniture hugs you,” says Brian Boggs, who has made chairs for more than 43 years and is the founder of Brian Boggs Chairmakers. “Chairs have a stronger personality than other pieces of furniture…and that’s part of the reason I got into chair making and why I’ve stayed with it so long.”

Boggs’ studio in Ashville, North Carolina, was inundated by torrential rains during Hurricane Helene in the fall of 2024. “We were lucky,” he says. “The floodwaters stopped eight inches below our floor level.” Still, the company’s efforts to get back to the business of making chairs have been heroic—from a major cleanup to drying out the rain-soaked wood.

Sonus guitar chair (shown here in bee’s wing cherry with walnut legs) has become an international celebrity. Guitarists worldwide use this ergonomic work of art and praise its excellent support for sitting while playing music. | Photo: Melanie Boggs

Boggs’ fascination with trees started when he was still a boy in the North Carolina woods, not far from where his woodworking shop is now located. He climbed trees, made drawings of trees and developed a love affair with trees that he didn’t fully understand at the time. “They’re part of our DNA; we breathe in what they exhale,” he says, “and this relationship and dependence has become ingrained in our species.”

In 1982, Boggs began building chairs in his backyard, splitting logs apart and making chairs the old-fashioned way—with joinery and without glue. He even designed his own tools. “I started out with very traditional shapes and lines,” he says. As his skills evolved, he became less tethered to traditional methods and designs. Now, because of what he’s learned over the years, he can create pretty much anything he can imagine.

This ladder-back rocker (walnut and ambrosia maple) features an ergonomically shaped seat and back, The seat integrates a bio-composite that makes its thin front edge deceptively strong. | Photo: Melanie Boggs

He works with maple, cherry, walnut, oak and ash, along with other figured wood species such as curly maple, curly cherry and ambrosia maple. He professes not to have a favorite. “My relationship with each species is different because each one offers something wonderful,” he explains. He goes on to say that many craftspeople don’t like to work with oak or ash but, because these are the species he grew up with, he appreciates their range of quality and temperament. “Each board I pick up has its own character, which I can relate to and enjoy,” he says

Although he calls it a “tiresome buzzword,” sustainability has always been a big part of his chair-making business. “In the early days, you didn’t have to talk about sustain­ability because it just was,” he says. “You’d take a tree apart and make a chair.” Now he buys from sustainable sources and notes that because his chairs are durable, timeless and loved, they won’t end up in the landfill like many that are mass-produced.

A 1980s photo of Boggs building chairs in his backyard. | Photo: Melanie Boggs

In recent years, Boggs has devoted some of his seemingly boundless energy to teaching. He was an artist in residence at historic Berea College (founded in 1855), and many of his tutorials are available (for free) on YouTube. The interaction with the new generation of woodworkers feeds his enthusiasm for chair design. “My problem is that it is difficult to sleep,” he says, “because I wake up during the night, excited about a design, a tool, a chair or a new way of teaching something.” 

Chairs from $2,400. Rocking chairs from $4,800.

As seen in ML’s July/August 2025 issue.

A set of Cio side chairs and dining table are made from a mammoth 350-year-old hickory log. “I love the clean lines of this wood,” he says. “The ambrosia maple lazy Susan and matching chair seats make a melodic noise framed by the quieter hickory.” | Photo: Melanie Boggs

Boggs at his bench in the workshop. | Photo: Melanie Boggs

Black-stained Lily bar stools—with sculpted seats and backs—make a bold statement. Not only beautiful, they also generously support the human form—the result of decades of Boggs’ ergonomic study. | Photo: Melanie Boggs