RUGGED WESTERN STYLE MEETS LUXURY IN THIS WINTER PARK RETREAT:
BUILT BY TERRA FIRMA CUSTOM HOMES AND BUILT GREEN™ CERTIFIED
By Kelly Bastone / Photos by Carter Photographics

The afternoon sun streams into the Mandelbaums’ living room and glistens on cowhide chairs, transforming their ranchy texture into spun satin. Beyond the room’s towering panes of glass, Winter Park’s ski runs trickle down a mountain landscape that’s unmistakably Colorado.

You need not look outside to guess where you are; inside this Winter Park home, cowboys lope on horses, rawhide shades the lamplight, and aspen-leaf designs soften doorways. This is clearly the domain of cowboys and cowgirls. Only they’ve come a long way from the rugged open range.

“I’ve always had an affinity for the unpretentious Colorado,” confesses Gary Mandelbaum. He was born in Denver, and learned to ski at Winter Park as a grade-schooler. These days, he’s a cowboy-hearted executive at Karman, the parent company of Westernwear brands Roper and Stetson. He and his wife, Debbie, and son, Brandon, still live in Denver, but they built their 4,800-square-foot mountain home in Winter Park’s Rendezvous development to escape from the Mile High city. But when they ditch the urban frenzy, they want to keep the Colorado feel. “In the mountains,” Gary says. “I wanted our home’s ambiance to maintain a sense of Mountain & Western heritage.”

To create a ranch ambiance within the housing development, the Mandelbaums chose rustic-looking wood and stone for the home’s exterior. Horseheads perch atop the pilasters along the wall lining the driveway to recall old-timey hitching posts. And the wraparound porch serves up sumptuous views of the surrounding mountains. “Once you come inside the home, your eye is still drawn outside,” says Brad Smith of Terra Firma Custom Homes, the Mandelbaums’ builder.

Working with Brad Smith and Marc Hogan, an architect with the Breckenridge group Baker + Hogan + Houx Architecture and Planning PC, the Mandelbaums exploited their hillside’s outstanding views and linked indoor to outdoor spaces. Not only does the living room contain vast picture windows, but the dining room is surrounded by glass doors that open onto the deck. Standing anywhere in the kitchen, living or dining room - spaces that flow together seamlessly into one large great room – you feast on wide-open vistas of James and Parry Peaks. “I love to watch how the ski hill changes from season to season,” says Debbie. Since her home was finished in August 2007, she’s enjoyed an everchanging show of lush green aspens, amber autumn leaves, and crisp white blankets of snow. Each evening, as darkness falls on the outdoor display, the spotlight shifts to the home’s interior beauty. The Mandelbaums worked with Marjorie Cranston of Jackstraw Interior Design to create spaces that blend “Wow!” impact with cozy, unpretentious comfort. Earthy shades of brown, red and gold contribute to the Western look. Decor details reveal the Mandelbaums’ passions – dog-themed frames present portraits of the family’s pampered pooches, and dazzling, three-foot-high geodes fill sculpture niches. “I love the color & beauty of rocks,” Gary says, about his passion. “They’re so beautiful, it’s hard to believe they’re natural, that they were formed from the earth.”

The Mandelbaums were also earth-minded when it came to their home’s construction, pursuing enough green building elements to earn BuiltGreen™ certification. “They understand that a significant-sized home makes a significant impact,” Smith explains. “They were willing to spend more money implementing green themes because it’s the right thing to do; it balances that impact.” What’s more, Smith says, green building options tend to create a higher-quality home. “If people are interested in quality, green just isn’t a hard sell,” he says.

The Mandelbaums’ green efforts began by situating the house to maximize passive solar heating. Larger roof overhangs shield select windows from summer rays, while other windows were left exposed to receive winter light. The in-floor radiant heating system boasts an energy efficiency of 96 percent, and highefficiency windows seal out winter drafts. Meanwhile, a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) welcomes fresh air into the house but minimizes heat loss by filtering heat from the home’s exhaust and recycling it back into the intake.

Smith also fitted the home with the best insulation products and methods available. Fiberglass batting used to be the industry norm, but that technology is quickly being eclipsed by spray foam and blown cellulose insulation – and that’s what makes the Mandelbaums’ home drum-tight. “It costs a little more money,” Smith admits, “but there’s a direct relation to the energy costs later on.” Spray foam and blown cellulose products let builders completely seal up wall cavities, even the small spaces around pipes and wiring. Fewer gaps in insulation make for lower energy costs over the long haul.

Working with Ward Hardwood Flooring in Evergreen, Smith used reclaimed oak planks on the stairs. Recycled wood is a smart choice for green-minded builders because it doesn’t have to be cut anew from the forest. Many homeowners also feel that reclaimed materials have more character. “It’s a richer product,” explains Smith. “It’s obviously nicer than today’s version of the same thing.” Looking at the Mandelbaums’ stairway that leads from the kitchen to the lower level bedrooms, it’s easy to understand reclaimed wood’s appeal; the years have lent these hand-hewn planks a special patina.

In fact, none of the home’s details seems factory-made. It was the runaway winner in last year’s 2007 Grand County Parade of Homes, and the Mandelbaums suspect its popularity is the result of the home’s warmth. Every room contains eye-grabbing elements that impress visitors without intimidating them. Debbie feels her home’s combination of interesting and simple interior details adds up to a sensational overall effect.

The front entrance creates a grand first impression. Stained glass panels alongside and above the door greet guests with graceful aspen tree designs, and once inside, they stand on an elegant, semicircular dais flanked by dry-stacked rock columns of warm, golden stone.

A few short steps lead from that platform into the sweeping great room and kitchen. That’s one space any epicure will adore. A farmhouse-style sink made of dimpled copper gleams beneath the corner windows, and distressed wood cabinets line the walls and grace the fronts of two dishwashers. Sculpted tiles embellish the backsplash behind the commercial-grade stove, and a customcrafted exhaust hood, made by Raw Urth metalworkers, crowns the cooking area.

Raw Urth also crafted the banister that follows the reclaimed wood staircase down to the home’s lower level. The thick, braided metal looks like a gondola cable and feels as sturdy, yet the railing’s supports are shaped like delicate twigs that echo the aspen motifs in the front door’s stained glass.

Downstairs on the lower level, which is intended for guests, three bedrooms lead off a central lounge. Sofas surround a 73-inch flat-screen television, and one side of the lounge includes a mini-kitchen and game table; on the opposite wall, a glass door leads outside to the flagstone patio, firepit and hot tub. Even the downstairs exhibits an unabashed Western flair. Fringed leather pillows accent the sofa, and vintage Field and Stream magazine covers, enlarged to poster size, hang on the walls. Each bedroom enjoys its own bathroom, and each is decorated in its own theme. One shower enclosure features a swath of natural pebbles that rips through the surrounding tile like a lightning bolt, while in another bathroom, the drawer pulls are shaped like cowboy hats.

The finest details, however, are hidden upstairs in the master bedroom suite. A short flight of steps leads off the kitchen to a media room that opens into the bedroom. A seethrough fireplace fitted into the wall between the bedroom and the master bath lends a warm glow to both rooms. The sink’s granite countertops are white, black and brown, like a pony’s flanks, and the enormous walk-in closet includes windows set high on the wall so that natural light illuminates the racks and shelves. And above the bed, a three-dimensional stained glass art panel depicts a forested mountain scene. “The plans originally showed an open area there,” Debbie recalls. “But then I decided to install a stained glass wall above the bed. It turned out better than I ever imagined.” Of course, the Mandelbaums also included special details for their pampered dogs. The garage contains a custombuilt, slate-tiled dog wash with hot water and a flexible hand-held shower fixture. And the home’s back yard, a landscaped area off the pantry, serves as a dedicated dog run that keeps the pets safely enclosed yet allows them plenty of room to romp.

Yet the home’s finest feature – what the Mandelbaums love most – isn’t its aesthetics, or its Western swagger, or even its green attributes. “Every time we’re up there,” Debbie says, “I see Gary being able to relax and really enjoy himself instead of being preoccupied with work. This house changes our whole attitude.” For the Mandelbaums, their home isn’t just a pretty retreat, it’s a way to transition between time zones, to melt into Mountain Time.

READ MORE STORIES FROM THIS ISSUE:
• The Green Parade: Green Building Certification
• Beetle Kill: A Cycle of Forest Renewal
• Special Lifestyle Section
• 2008 Feature Articles