When they first approached us to design their house, the Owners wanted a European Castle. They were about to start a new family and move from California, so making them feel at home in Colorado by designing them the castle of their dreams was important.
The site slope was a huge hurdle to overcome for the design. No one level has a large footprint and the 6751 square foot house had to be broken down into four levels. Each one stepping further back into the mountain. The lower most level, housing the entertainment room and Caretaker Unit, is mostly underground. You enter on the second level, and the third and fourth levels house all the main living spaces.
A grand staircase was of course an important element in the design. The Entry is two stories with a spiral stair and a curving gallery landing above. Beautiful stone imported from Montana, also used on the entire exterior, accents the grandeur of the Entry. Arched openings into the living and dining rooms make for a beautiful accession up the stairs. European accents throughout the home truly make this a unique mountain castle that has been adopted to its Rocky Mountain setting.