Bigfork Retreat Residence
Family Retreat: Farmhouse Meets Rustic Cabin | Bigfork, Montana
ARCHITECT: Fullerton Architects
INTERIOR DESIGN: Kylee Shintaffer Design
DESIGN ROLE: Lead Designer
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Fullerton Architects
PHOTOGRAPHY: Eric Piasecki
A couple who found themselves suddenly with an empty nest of their four college living children looked towards a future of resting their laurels and making new memories in this chapter to be filled with a fresh setting—an adventurous, cozy, yet vast nest. A complete new-build of their dream retreat was in store and both husband and wife were looking to tuck cowboy boots away (sometimes) from their Texas home to donning on some wading boots into the wilderness of their favorite destination to escape. We made sure that literally, no stone was left unturned. Not pictured: exterior guest barn.
Serving as lead designer for Kylee Shintaffer Design (full construction realized after my departure), every layer—yes, even the fiftieth layer of custom stain for the locally sourced wood siding for the exterior—originated through the numerous conversations with the client. Farmhouse. Rustic Cabin. Luxurious. Cozy. Timeless, but Brand New. Through curated image boards and palettes per room, including client provided artwork, we were able to meet the wife’s desire for a clean, farmhouse chic retreat infused within the husband’s desire for a rustic, wilderness cabin. A custom stone wall in the bedroom that looks as if it has stood the test of time is married with crisp, yet, soft wall paneling throughout, yet heavier, rustic timber beams coexist with dark contrasting, delicate window panes. Every casework (and boy, are there a lot) and wall plank panels and details were designed, drafted, and complemented with the exact effortless wash. In celebrating the architecture of the awnings and slopes of the vernacular of Montana cabins, resting nooks and nourishing nooks were designed with hand drawn, custom furnishings, whilst celebrating the awe-inspiring nature in which is celebrated . This is surely a nest soon to be filled with even more to come—generation after generation.
