In the kingdom of Breck (that would be the ski town of Breckenridge, Colorado), powder and peaks didn’t always rule. In the mid-19th century, gold prospectors and ranchers roughed out a Western lifestyle marked by a will to thrive and a love of the land.
Over time, mines in and near the town eked out more than a million ounces of gold. The largest nugget ever discovered in the state, weighing in at a hefty 13.5 pounds, was found near Breckenridge in 1887. Today the nugget and its finder are memorialized in a sculpture in the town’s Prospectors Park. Bronze, not gold, for clarity.
In Breck, it’s cool to honor, not distance yourself, from the past. A home built in 2020 for sale at 166 Golden Age Drive in The Highlands neighborhood incorporates an old-style homestead cabin into the estate. The wood used for the single-room building dates back to the 1880s. Logs taken from two barns in Minnesota were transported to the site, recut and reassembled. Appropriately, it’s currently a woodworking area but could be adapted for other uses.
Some of the cabin’s design forms are mirrored in the nearby four-bedroom house, particularly the simple gabled exterior. Architect Timothy Sabo of Allen-Guerra Architecture in Frisco, Colorado says he was going for a timeless look.
“It would be hard for me to pick a name for the style,” says Sabo, who worked on the project for more than three years. He rejects “mountain contemporary” and similar terms because they suggest a design trend he doesn’t follow in his work. Every home he creates is a one-off, customized to the owner’s tastes.
Another design force: the Rocky Mountains. The 6.5-acre property takes in mountain views from every room of the house. Depending on where you’re standing, you can see the Continental Divide, the Williams Fork Range, the Gore Range and the Tenmile Range, which includes peaks that are part of the Breckenridge Ski Resort. Peak 8, by the way, boasts the highest chair lift in North America at 3,193 meters (12,840 feet).
Inside the 4-bed, 4-bath, 677 sqm (7,290 sqft) property, what do we find? Douglas fir trusses, high ceilings and limestone walls in the great room speak to the home’s timeless feel. Floor-to-ceiling pocket panels connect the room with the outdoors and a large patio.
The custom trusses and warm palette throughout keep the home feeling cozy and calm. Clay plaster in the bathroom and other areas creates “breathable” walls that can improve air quality by absorbing odors.
The kitchen, with custom cabinetry and quartz countertops, offers ample space for cooking and entertaining. There’s a winning mountain view from the kitchen sink. Dining spaces and the primary suite also are on the main level. The primary bathroom has a soak tub framed by stone with a fireplace that faces the peaks through full-length windows. Privacy with a view.
The lower level includes three bedrooms and more outdoor access. A Sonos sound system adds mood to the bespoke wet bar, where sound-wave reliefs from popular songs – “Jessica” by the Allman Brothers Band and “Midnight in Harlem” by Tedeschi Trucks Band are two – have been cast into the concrete countertop. Outside on a side patio is a large hot tub.
The Highlands is a golf and ski neighborhood in an alpine setting, set at around 2,987 meters (9,800 feet) in elevation. That means summer temperatures avoid disorientating heat. The surrounding 25 acres of open space create a natural privacy buffer. Trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter, and hiking and biking in summer, lead you as you like.
The downhill Breckenridge resort is two miles away, Keystone Resort is 15 minutes away and Vail Ski Resort about a half hour. It’s also 90 minutes from Denver, the nearest big airport.
The house is on the market for $14.8 million, and Jon Clark of Slifer Smith & Hampton Real Estate is the listing agent.
