Picturesque mountain retreat in Incline Village
Having a home fashioned like a hunting lodge isn’t a prerequisite for living in the mountains. So says Scott Corridan, principal of a design firm that shares his name.
When tasked with remodeling a fourbedroom in Nevada’s Incline Village, Corridan blended his clients’ heritage with contemporary finishes to create an environment that’s equally daring and inviting.
“We incorporated design elements from northern Europe because that’s where one of the clients is from. Think of it as ‘Sound of Music’ architecture,” said Corridan, comparing the home on Spencer Way to the classic musical set in Europe.
Reclaimed timber, stone accents and a Dutch entry door provide an aesthetic similar to a European chateau. Contemporary finishes from Restoration Hardware, Ann Sacks and Cottonwood Cabinets appeal to modern tastes, lending sophistication and style to the roughly 4,700-square-foot home.
Corridan’s task originally revolved around updating the home’s four full bathrooms. The project quickly expanded as the owners sought to modernize the residence still very much stuck in an early 1990s motif, Corridan said.
“It was burgundy and brown galore,” he said.
Dated finishes and drab carpeting were simple fixes for Corridan. The home’s dated layout wasted plenty of living space and quickly became the focus of the remodel, he said.
“The challenge was making the awkward spaces make sense,” he said.
Originally only a set of double doors separated the master suite from the living room.
The creation of a vestibule provides a true buffer between the public room and a luxurious space — home to a walk-in closet, fireplace and patio overlooking the mountains. Crews set out to reconfigure the space, removing walls to open the floor plan and adding alcoves for storage.
One specific addition is in the kitchen. A touch panel opens to reveal a pantry stocked with oils and spices. Paneled with the same subway tiles that make up the backsplash, the door integrates seamlessly into the cooking space. Revamping the kitchen turned out to be one of the most time-consuming portions of the seven-figure remodel.
“I’m over-the-top thrilled about the kitchen,” Corrigan said. “It has Cottonwood Cabinets, which is the Rolls-Royce of cabinets.”
Pendant lights suspend from the vaulted, wood-paneled ceiling, as does glass shelving for barware. Embedded in marble counters with waterfall edges are stainless steel farmhouse sinks, and Ann Sacks tiles line the walls. The cabinets, clad with African obeche wood, received a driftwood stain which imparts a neutral gray tone that complements the marble’s veining.
By increasing the size and numbers of windows, designers captured more views of the bucolic landscape surrounding the home. In particular, the creation of a sitting window in the dining room overlooks a nearby lake.
Crews transformed the home by creating thoughtful storage spaces. A gap between the slate floor and a second step off the side of the staircase provide a spot to store shoes. Since that partic- ular step is wider than the rest, a person can sit and put their shoes on before heading out the door.
Corridan, a celebrity designer whose work has appeared on HGTV, Martha Stewart, ABC’s Extreme Makeover and The Fine Living Channel equally enjoys the renovation and seeing the finished product.
He swelled with pride when the clients invited him to a holiday party late last year. He witnessed scores enjoy the flow he and architect Dale Smith spent months perfecting.
“There were kids in a white fir alcove overlooking the lake playing on their iPads while women drank wine in the dining room,” Corridan said. “Nannies were making dinner in the kitchen and guys watched football in the great room. There was this beautiful balance of sound and energy.”