Two Rivers

02/28/2014 03:00PM ● By Julie Hebard

While the work in this recently renovated home is new, it bears the character and fine craftsmanship of a home built a century before. The artistry is the handiwork of dozens of Yampa Valley craftspeople, including painters, woodworkers, furniture makers and even a blacksmith, who created a house near the confluence of the Yampa and the Elk rivers designed to comfortably accommodate a crowd.

Starting as a log barn back in the mid-80s, the barn eventually morphed into a home after the original owner realized the magic in the hayloft view. A garage came later, then the house sold to an avid fisherman who wanted to expand the eating and sleeping accommodations. Ultimately, they joined the barn and garage via passageways and a main lodge.

The kitchen is idyllic for family gatherings, with an ample pantry for lots of storage, plenty of space to gather around the central island, and a line of sight so whoever is cooking doesn’t miss a second of the football game. A fireplace keeps the family warm around a big old logging sled table and enough sit-down dining space for 24 hungry folks.

A dozen people can comfortably sit together on the sectional couch.

The garage entry features an unusual fireplace shaped by logs from the surrounding forest, hand-painted bisque-carved wildlife tiles, ancient Biblical stone from Jerusalem and loose-laid brick pavers. In the main lodge, custom woodwork ranges from handcrafted trim to reclaimed white oak stairs, to glulam posts and beams wrapped with recycled hand-hewn materials. Plaster has the look of an original stucco building, when it was applied directly over stone walls. Old burlap adds texture to the walls in the a powder room. Resurfaced posts and beams were are rough-sawn with axes. Built-in cabinets built for specific nooks and crannies look like they could have been made in the 18^th century, from old broom closets to punched tin. Custom light fixtures were designed and blacksmithed locally.

In the barn remodel, the stalls were reconfigured to provide space for a queen bedroom, a double bunk bedroom, an office space, a utility room, a laundry room and an entry and stairway. Upstairs in the barn is a secondary kitchen, dining and living space, with plus an adjoining master suite with a hand-painted fireplace created to accompany a tribal Bessarabian rug. The garage remodel includes a fish cleaning area, fishing tackle storage and additional another laundry room.

The sum of all that embellishes these spaces is a work of art that is personal and timeless.

Architects
Joe Patrick Robbins
Rob Hawkins, Robert Hawkins Architects

General Contractor
Warm Mountain Craftsmanship

Interior Design
Irene Nelson Interiors

Custom Tiles
Julie Anderson

Custom Cabinetry & Furniture
Steve Cobb

Faux Painting
Dona Steele

Blacksmith/Custom Fixtures
Pete Schroeder

Kitchen Design
Kitchen Perfection

Plaster
Jesse Christensen

Landscaping
Mountain Roots

Photographer
Gabriel T. Rogers