Victory Achieved

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Elena Calabrese Studio adds warmth to a modern mountain home inside Victory Ranch

A stunning pair of pendants by David Weeks found at The Future Perfect add depths in the kitchen.
Photography by Lindsay Salazar, styling by Shawn Forbes.

“The energy of the land and home itself spoke very loudly to us even upon our first visit. Actually the very first time was at Victory Ranch, I walked along the hillside that the home was to be built three years prior,” says designer Elena Calabrese, founder of Elena Calabrese Studio, about the first time she saw this special property in Utah. “The clients purchased the painting Long Shadow by Jack Wolfe and that really dictated to us the feel, color statement and general design direction of the interior they wanted. We even chose a golden yellow BlueStar stove to compliment the piece which hangs over the massive stone fireplace.”

The powder room features a beautiful grasscloth by Philip Jeffries and pendants from Ochre.
Photography by Lindsay Salazar, styling by Shawn Forbes.
A custom wood-clad wall with hidden door lead to the powder room. Photography by Lindsay Salazar, styling by Shawn Forbes.

Located inside Whispering Way at Victory Ranch in Kamas, Utah, the 13,000-square-foot new construction home, Calabrese and her team were hired by their existing clients to wrap this modern mountain home in warmth. They worked in partnership with Upwall Architecture and MCC Midway Construction Company to help realize their clients’ desired end goal. “I was really brought it to work with the architects in creating a warm, inviting and hip place that felt very much like the clients themselves,” she notes. “We wanted to respect the outdoors while setting the stage inside to convey the client’s style of luxury, comfort combined with  a bit of edginess.”

The Whiskey Room features a Kyle Bunting rug sitting below four chairs from Arhaus.
Photography by Lindsay Salazar, styling by Shawn Forbes.

Art played a key role in both the interior design and architecture. “One of the most successful ways I think that we did that was to choose lighting pieces that really set the tone,” she remarks. “The David Weeks chandeliers in the kitchen and dining room brought a whole new level of cool into the space, as did the dramatic Coup d’etat hanging glass globe chandelier in the stairwell.”

A dramatic chandelier by Coup Studio from Coup D’ Etat illuminates the stairwell.
Photography by Lindsay Salazar, styling by Shawn Forbes.

“Everyone’s favorite room, the Whiskey room, which is our answer to a speakeasy space,” says Calabrese. “The clients really wanted this space to feel like a sexy lounge with a bit of British library feel. Carmel leather, aged brass shelving and counters, antique mirror walls  and Paul Smith drapery makes this room super cozy.”

The bed that sits in front of a custom upholstered wall is from Arhaus, the pendants are from L’ Aviva Home.
Photography by Lindsay Salazar, styling by Shawn Forbes.
The primary bathroom that features a pendant found on 1st Dibs, features Floor to Ceiling views of the surrounding nature.
Photography by Lindsay Salazar, styling by Shawn Forbes.

The primary bedroom and bathroom are grand in scale so the team focused on incorporating textures that would make them cozy. “We wanted it to have an earthy but sexy vibe,” she says. “We upholstered the bed wall in a smokey leather with heavy stitch, which made the L’Aviva emerald green pendants pop.”

The custom designed bunk room is grounded by wallpaper from Holly Hunt. Photography by Lindsay Salazar, styling by Shawn Forbes.
In the kids’ bathroom, clé tiles line the floor. Photography by Lindsay Salazar, styling by Shawn Forbes.

The final result is a comfortable yet contemporary space that didn’t scream ski chalet, where the clients could entertain with ease. Calabrese notes about their reaction when seeing the finished home, “Well first it was a relief as we were renovating their primary residence in San Francisco at the same time! They really appreciated the custom touches like the primary bedroom leather wall, and the Paul Smith drapery in the whiskey room, little things like that made them happy.”