Tour a Winter Park Getaway With a Colorful, Easy-Living Vibe

On a pristine winter day in 2020, architect Scott Munn and his Boulder-based clients Allison and Finn Faldi walked the barren Winter Park lot that would soon become the site of a vacation home for the couple and their son. It didn’t take long for the trio to decide on the future dwelling’s focal point. “We walked through a meadow right up to the [Fraser] river,” Munn recalls, “and Finn was adamant about connecting whatever we built to that view.” The .18-acre lot was the first to be developed in the Roam subdivision—a new enclave situated close to town and the ski resort and bordered by the Arapaho National Forest—but despite the neighborhood context, Munn was tasked with designing a structure that feels like a remote mountain getaway.

It soon became apparent that the Faldis had a choice to make: opt for a traditional layout with gathering spaces on the first floor and bedrooms above or flip the script and fill the upper level—which offers views of James Peak and the river-cut meadow—with the main living spaces. Fueled by their desire for a home that would welcome family and friends, the Faldis chose the latter. “We wanted the most from our entertaining spaces,” Allison says. “We just wanted that feeling that we are sharing this place’s beauty with the people we’re hosting.”

With that in mind, Munn designed (and Bishop Built crafted) a four-bedroom home with an airy entry, two bunkrooms, a family recreation room, and a garage at ground level, and the rest of the rooms—including the primary bedroom suite—on the upper floor. An expansive deck connected to the great room provides a place to while away warm afternoons.

Great Room: Colorful paintings flank the fireplace: on the left, an abstract by Sarah Kinn, and on the right, the multimedia “Cartier Chiefess” by Kelly Degnan.

Photo by Kimberly Gavin, styling by Natalie Warady

Photo by Kimberly Gavin, styling by Natalie Warady

Kitchen: Sanctuary Kitchen & Bath Design dreamed up the handsome combination of matte-white and oak cabinets. The massive island—which comfortably seats seven—is topped with Calacatta Nuvo Caesarstone and illuminated by Vanderbilt Wide pendants from Kuzco Lighting. The colorful runner is from Artisan Rug Gallery.

Photo by Kimberly Gavin, styling by Natalie Warady

Dining Room: The white-oak dining table from Article and blond-wood Cylia chairs from Lulu and Georgia express the homeowners’ love for entertaining in a beautiful, relaxed environment. The Bistro chandelier from Visual Comfort fills the volume with modern-chic style.

Photo by Kimberly Gavin, styling by Natalie Warady

Stairway: “You see right through the house to the river when you enter,” architect Scott Munn says of the two-story foyer. Light from the floor-to-ceiling windows filters through the open-tread, steel-framed staircase. The vintage orange-and-yellow rug from Artisan Rug Gallery emphasizes the space’s sunny disposition.

Photo by Kimberly Gavin, styling by Natalie Warady

Office: A leather sleeper sofa from West Elm allows the office to easily convert to an extra guest room. The ski photographs are by Slim Aarons.

Photo by Kimberly Gavin, styling by Natalie Warady

Main Bedroom: Munn prioritized square footage in the home’s gathering spaces, giving the bedrooms a more modest footprint. Here, a king-size walnut bed from Article takes center stage under a rattan chandelier from Crate & Barrel. The Pendleton blanket, slatted stools, and ivory rug—all from Lulu and Georgia—add textural beauty.

Photo by Kimberly Gavin, styling by Natalie Warady

Bunkroom: The home’s two bunkrooms sleep six people each, thanks to custom-designed bunks with extra-long twin beds up top and queens below. The black steel frames and ladders echo the black-framed windows. Pendleton blankets, wall sconces from Kuzco Lighting, and sheepskins from Pottery Barn add the finishing touches.

Photo by Kimberly Gavin, styling by Natalie Warady

Walls of windows capture the lot’s impressive views, and interior designer Jennifer Rhode embraced the opportunity to balance those mountain vistas with the modern style Allison and Finn envisioned. “We zeroed in on the flooring right away,” the designer says. “It’s a white oak with some gray tones, and it guided a lot of our palette.” White walls and neutral furnishings leave room for colorful artwork, rugs, pillows, and linens. “We commissioned pieces by Boulder artists, one for each side of the fireplace, so you have these great visual moments, both outdoors and in the home,” Rhode adds. Although the interiors are decidedly modern, the designer wove in a few Western-inspired details to honor the mountain locale. An antler chandelier, inherited from Finn’s mom, hangs in the great room, and Pendleton foot blankets in vibrant patterns adorn the beds.

The light-filled open kitchen, designed by Chris Awadalla of Sanctuary Kitchen & Bath Design, holds one of the home’s most striking features: an enormous island topped with waterfall Caesarstone countertops. “It became the inspiration for the whole kitchen,” Allison notes. The crisp-white expanse, which seats seven people, pairs perfectly with the room’s matte-white and oak cabinets. During big gatherings, the kids often post up at the island while the adults gather in the nearby dining room, so there’s plenty of space for everyone.

And that’s what the Faldis love best about their mountain home. “I grew up on the East Coast, [where] people only use vacation homes between Labor Day and Memorial Day,” Finn says. “We visit this home all the time, and every inch of it gets used. There are people playing pool or pingpong [in the recreation room] and friends napping on the couches [in the great room]. In the summer, I go outside in the morning with my coffee to listen to the river. And we’re not on our phones because [the views are] so much more engaging than anything we can see on a screen.”