Gold In The Hills

The five-bedroom home, designed by Ron Bercovitz, is truly unique, even in this area known for its pricey custom lodge-style retreats.

Standing tall and proud among the lofty pine trees that border the ski slopes of Telluride, Colo., this 4400-square-foot custom home recalls the colorful history of its Rocky Mountain locale. With its resemblance to a turn-of-the-century mining structure, skiers who chance upon it may think they've traveled back in time.

"Our clients really wanted a structure that looks like it has been there for years," says builder Nancy Hild. "And we were thrilled to be involved with such an indigenous project. We'd never really done one like it before."

This unique mountain beauty was fashioned to resemble a mining structure common during the gold rush days of yesteryear.

The five-bedroom home, designed by Ron Bercovitz, is truly unique, even in this area known for its pricey custom lodge-style retreats. The multi-level home's distinctive exterior features a combination of locally quarried stone, exposed beams, weathered barnwood siding and corrugated metal roofing.

Originally designed as a ski retreat, with an equipment room dedicated to the sport, this home's irresistible charm has made it a favorite for its owners, who already have several other residences. The home's rustic character continues throughout its interior which features exposed beam ceilings, a natural stone fireplace, unique wood paneling and the same distressed corten used on the outside roof.

The rustic home is made from many environmentally sensitive materials inside and out, including wood that was both recycled and harvested from standing dead trees. Despite the marriage of several different natural materials—from wood to stone to metal—the home carries a simple charm.

`Keep it simple' was the dictate from Hild's clients, who were very involved in the design and selection of fixtures and materials for the home's interior.

"The wife had chosen several varieties of woods and finishes and was a little worried about how they would all blend together," Hild says."But the finished project works wonderfully." And the homeowners, adds Hild, were very pleased with the results.

Warm and rustic, the great room serves as a wonderful spot to gather after a day on the slopes. The massive fireplace, made of locally quarried Telluride Gold stone, ascends to the ceiling through exposed spruce trusses. The unique floor is actually concrete poured between a gridwork of recycled Douglas fir.

As a concession to the climate, the home's patio, sidewalk and driveway feature integrated heating elements so that ice and snow melt on contact.

Occupying a 3.5-acre mountainside site, the home was constructed for hard costs of $340 per square foot.

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