Story by Tessa Woolf | Photos by Doug Burke
In Park City, designer Stephanie Hunt combines her love of art, color and a collected look in her family’s modern SoCal-meets-the-mountains abode.
Feature image: Set high among the trees in the Colony at White Pine Canyon, designer Stephanie Hunt’s abode is a blend of mountain contemporary and bohemian-chic design. Hunt and her family moved from California three years ago and bult their dream dwelling and the adjacent guesthouse, which offer ski-in, ski-out access.
Flip through any fashion magazine or scroll through any street-style star’s blog, and you’ll notice today’s trend-setters are all about the mix—think Dior paired with Adidas, vintage mingling with modern, glam coupled with organic. What’s hot in fashion tends to dictate what’s hot in décor, so it’s no surprise that for interior designer Stephanie Hunt the same well-mixed style rules apply when dressing a home.
Take her own Park City abode, for example, tucked high in the trees at the Colony in White Pine Canyon. When Hunt and her family—husband, Brandon, and sons, Riley and Chandler—moved from Southern California three years ago, she infused their new home with a bold combo of modern design and boho-chic style. “We wanted to build a contemporary mountain home, but we really didn’t want it to feel cold,” says Hunt. “I wanted contrast, texture, warmth and energy, especially in the winter when it’s dark and gray outside.” To that end, she chose an open floor plan for their 7,500-square-foot dwelling, big windows and lots of glass to create a seamless connection to the great outdoors. For contrast, she paired dark wide-plank wood floors with powder-white walls.
The couple also wanted a property with ski-in, ski-out access—the home is located off of ski lift 9990 in Park City Mountain Resort—and they wanted enough space to entertain their kids and their friends. Cementing their status as “coolest parents ever,” they constructed a 2,000-square-foot skate park in the garage. They also built a rooftop yoga/meditation platform and a rooftop “beach” complete with white sand and lounge chairs—a nod to their coastal roots and the perfect spot to sip a cocktail and take in the views.
Walking through the home and the adjacent 2,000-square-foot guesthouse, it’s clear that Hunt has perfected the art of the mix. Unexpected pairings and a sense of refined irreverence are found throughout the dwellings. Think an antique fire-hose hung as abstract art, a glass cloche filled with old-school skateboard wheels, and a set of vintage mannequin heads topped with helmets that keep watch in the family room. When it comes to furniture and décor, Hunt says it’s all about mixing high and low, old and new, and local and global. She sources items everywhere from her local Target to taxidermy shops in Paris. “I love design that is fun—I don’t want it to be too serious,” she says. “It’s a reflection of my personality.”
Nothing excites Hunt more than the possibility of a blank wall. “I love to consult on art and wall décor—it’s my passion,” she says. On her walls, iconic Palm Springs photographs by Slim Aarons mingle with abstract paintings and artworks from favorite Park City galleries including Nestor Gallery, Gallery Mar and Terzian Gallery. There’s no limit to what Hunt will frame: a vintage bikini hangs in her office, while chic Hermes scarves hang in the loo. As passionate as she is about what’s hanging on the walls, she’s equally enthusiastic about what what’s happening underfoot. Colorful, patterned tile—much of it sourced from trips to Morocco—makes frequent appearances throughout the home and guesthouse.
If Hunt’s Instagram handle is any indication (you can follow her at @flairhunter), she has a knack for tracking down the perfect finishing touches. “I love finding one-of-a-kind, special pieces that make your home you,” she says. Whether it’s a treasure from her global adventures or a painting passed down through generations, she’s always in pursuit of items that tell a story. “When I walk into someone’s home I don’t want to ask, ‘Who is the designer?’” she says, “I want to know who the homeowner truly is.” If Hunt’s walls could talk, they’d tell the story of a woman who loves art, travel, family and the thrill of new discoveries.
Sources
Interior Design: Stephanie Hunt, Stephanie Hunt Interiors/Flairhunter, Park City and Montecito/Newport Beach, CA
Architects: Jack Thomas and Rob Nielson, Jack Thomas Associates, Park City, 435-640-1393 (main house); Rob Nielson, Upwall Design Architects, SLC,(guest house)
Contractors: Mark Pappas, Top Mark Industries, Park City,(main house); Jim Pankow, J. R. Pankow Construction, Park City, 435-645-7749 (guest house)
Custom Cabinets: Nate Taylor, Natebrand Design, SLC, 801-380-1041
Custom Metal Work: Park City Iron Man, Park City, 917-841-6666
Custom Countertops: European Marble & Granite, SLC
Furniture Fabrication: European Expressions, SLC
European Custom Upholstery & Design, Sandy, 801-944-9487