by Blake Herzog
Mountain modern home design is growing in popularity throughout all of the nation’s mountainous areas, from the Rockies and our own Bradshaws to the Appalachians. This approach fuses the clean lines and openness of modernism with the natural materials and earthy vibes found in hillier terrain that isn’t as easy to pave over.
It’s largely regarded as an architectural form, and its influence can be seen in custom builds throughout Greater Prescott. It holds sway over interior design as well.
You can bring its influence to your own mountain home through remodels or making some tweaks inside.
Modern on the outside
Most mountain modern homes are structurally similar to other modernist homes. Straightforward facades with overhanging roofs and rectangular windows incorporate high-ceilinged interiors with lots of clear space and natural lighting. Wood and stone siding brings the structure in harmony with the environment and creates a refuge that invites nature inside, bringing in the beautiful and grounding energy of our planet’s resources.
In most of these homes you’re never far from the outdoors.
They seek to blur the border between in and out with huge windows, even floor-to-ceiling ones. Some have partitions that can be opened up to the backyard patio to erase the line entirely. Many also contain metallic elements like steel, aluminum or iron railings or fixtures to add industrial elements that enhance the modern feel. Others lean away from that aesthetic toward something closer to a cabin or a ski lodge.
These features are found in many of the area’s newer homes, customized or otherwise. It can be difficult to reverse-engineer them into an existing home, but with the right expertise and materials remodels like this can be successful.
Earthy and warm on the inside
It’s considerably easier to refresh your home with mountain modern décor, and nothing flows better with the landscape of central Arizona’s highlands — warm-toned neutrals like cream, beige and pale brown, which can be offset by touches of green, blue, gold and more colors found in nature, including the purples, reds and yellows of wildflowers. These colors will ensure your home feels bright and open even when it isn’t being flooded by sunlight.
Make sure you preserve that open feel by not bringing in excessive amounts of furniture, and get rid of clutter before it accumulates in corners, on counters and shelves, on top of tables and wherever else it piles up. This will allow the essence of the nature-based materials to shine through and be enjoyed by everyone who enters.
A far cry from the cramped log cabins of yore, these modern homes offer sustainable comfort in some of the most beautiful and rugged habitat in the country.
Along with light, texture is what usually puts a mountain modern home in a class of its own. Everything from stone fireplaces to wood floors and marble counters has its own story to tell.
Use leather and hair-on-hide fabrics subtly, in rugs and on stools and accessory pillows to add a cowboy flair to the interior. Even if you’re not interested in going all-out for industrial vibes you can still incorporate iron legs on furniture or rustic metal wall hangings for a more homespun charm.
When it comes to surfaces like wood and stone you can go as big as you want to leave a real impact on floors, walls, ceilings, cabinets, furniture and much more. Look for a balance between light tones, which should predominate, and some deeper flourishes to ground the space. White oak cabinets and floors look fabulous paired with an accent of river rock on a wall or a slate countertop pouring down a waterfall kitchen island.
These surfaces bring natural history into a house, whether it’s brand-new or been there for 100 years. Try to use as much locally sourced virgin or reclaimed materials as possible to strengthen the bond between your home and the environment it sits within. Whatever building blocks you find, let them add its essential beauty and spirit to the life you have in your abode.
Setting the mood
We can’t forget the other touches that bring a home closer to those who inhabit or visit, most crucially lighting.
In general, mountain modern homes rely on natural light as much as possible via large windows and skylights. You don’t need to rely on harsh overhead lights once the sun goes down — use task lighting where needed, but layer indirect lighting from floor and table lamps, sconces, cove and strip lighting, and even pendants and chandeliers directed toward the ceiling. This reduces glare and shadows and creates a much cozier, more inviting ambiance.
Picture windows are the ideal wall art for this type of home, but if some of your views are less than spectacular you can find paintings, sketches and photos of mountain and high desert landmarks and animals, either naturalistic or abstract.
Baskets, rugs, rattan wall hangings and other pieces made from organic material can add even more charm to the décor. Just remember that too much ornamentation can lead to a cluttered look; choose each art object you use carefully.
Strive for a balance of rustic and modern elements in your interior. Keep your lines clean and your finishes modern and simple to ensure a contemporary sheen will always be present in your interior. Then you can scatter homier details to give it a more human scale, especially in more intimate spaces like bedrooms or bathrooms.
These touches can include rugs, blankets and throws, or even more prominent touches like wallpaper. They should be used sparingly, but small-scale mountain and nature-associated patterns like pine trees and cones or birds and wildlife in small spaces, or a modern mural of mountain peaks in a large room, can add a “wow” factor that will stick in people’s minds long after they’ve seen them.
