Scott Jaffa gives an outdated Park City a complete overhaul, top to bottom, front to back.

Golden-toned timbers? Choppy floor plan? Arched windows? So yesteryear. “The house needed to be brought into the 21st-century,” says architect/builder Scot Jaffa about his recent Park City remodel project, a 1991 home in Park Meadows—a Park City neighborhood enjoying sky-rocketing desirability and property values. As Jaffa explains, “People expect much more from homes here than they did years ago.” A lot more. Like other residences built decades ago, the house lagged far behind in style, livability and, perhaps most importantly for the clients who purchased the investment property, resale value. The house was extremely outmoded, but it was structurally sound and had a workable envelope, so Jaffa and his clients decided to save it rather than scrap it. To transform the property, Jaffa addressed everything from architecture to design and finishes, giving this 27-year-old home a new lease on life.

BEFORE
Changes Made: 1. Separated the entry from the garages with an independent roof. 2. Articulated the flat facade and aded horizontal and vertical cedar siding in complementary colors. 3. Extended living space above the garages while eliminating the outdated triangular shape by creating new rooflines  4. Added windows with horizontal mullions and rectangular panes to reinforce the contemporary design.

ARCHITECTURE

BEFORE
Changes Made: 1. Replaced old windows with larger versions featuring horizontal mullions and squared-shapes that reinforce the contemporary design. 2. Changed out a closed-in staircase with a freestanding steel alternate. 3. Painted the walls with Sherwin-William’s Whitetail. 4. Transformed the landing closet into an expansive loft encased in metal-mesh railing. 5. Replaced a main-level closet with a glass-doored wine room.

“It was like a witch’s hat,” says Jaffa describing the house’s shape. His goal: modernize the form and exterior detailing while working with the overall structure. To break up the triangular shape, he altered rooflines as he updated the exterior and added 800 square-feet of living space above the existing garages. He introduced horizontal lines and dimensional features to articulate the existing flat, plain facade and separated the entry from the garages by creating an independent flat roof. “Making the entry independent created a sense of arrival to the home,” he explains. He also changed the exterior’s  material palette and color to create a contemporary feel while respecting the existing fabric of the neighborhood. He also modified the back of the home and redesigned the patios and decks to make the outdoor living areas inviting and connected to the refreshed landscape.

DESIGN

BEFORE
Changes Made: 1. Replaced paneled double doors with a single, wide contemporary door inset with horizontal glass panes. 2. Removed the low, wood=covered ceiling. 3. Eliminated yellow-toned wood base and case. 4. Displayed an oversized “Marilyn” painting by DeVon to inject surprise and fun to the entry.

“The interior simply needed to be cleaned up and opened up,” Jaffa explains. The transformation begins directly inside the new front door. Enlarged windows draw the eye from the opened-up entry, through the home and out into the mountain landscape. “I like to walk into a home and immediately be drawn to views,” Jaffa says. To foster openness on the main level, he de-compartmentalized rooms and eliminated level changes allowing the kitchen, living, dining and family room areas to flow seamlessly into one another. Jaffa raised the sunken living room’s floor to make the space feel larger. He enlarged and reconfigured the decades-old kitchen, transforming it with modern cabinets, appliances, fixtures and finishes. He removed a wall separating the kitchen and living areas and installed a statement-making metal-and-glass shelf unit between them.

BEFORE
Changes Made: 1. Rid the room of yellow-tone woods and beams. 2. Added a steel corner fireplace. 3. Placed the TV above the fireplace so that it would not interfere with views. 4. Replaced windows including an arched version that was difficult to drape for privacy.

Jaffa similarly opened the stairway and second level above. He removed a walled-in staircase and replaced it with a freestanding steel version detailed with wood treads. The new staircase purposefully faces away from the public areas of the home. “This subtly indicates that its primary use is for the owners to access more private spaces upstairs,” Jaffa explains. There, a new loft overlooks the open living areas below. The architect also extended the second level over the garages for a new en-suite bedroom, second laundry room and office. He transformed the existing master bedroom with new windows, a corner fireplace and a remodeled en-suite bathroom adding rich marble, an enlarged window and a modern freestanding tub.

FINISHES and FURNISHINGS

BEFORE

“From the start, our primary directive was to remove all of the yellow woods, arched windows and logs,” Jaffa says. These dramatically updated the interior, as  did adding larger wood windows and painting their frames to resemble metal. “I love the industrial look of steel windows and how their dark frames accentuate views,” Jaffa says. New white-oak floors treated with a custom white-gray stain infuse the interior with warmth. “People are moving away from colder grays to shades with more taupe.”

Changes Made: 1. Removed wall separating kitchen from the dining area and enlisted Carriage House Cabinets to handcraft glass-and-metal cabinets that hand from the ceiling. 2. Expanded the kitchen into the family room space and removed a separating wall.
Changes Made: 3. Replaced outdated features and fixtures with professional-grade appliances, reconfigured modern cabinetry and stone countertops. 4. Changed the primary sink location from wall-facing to beneath a large view window.

From this grain-rich wood to sleek steel, leathered quartzite countertops to smooth drywall, a mix of dissimilar surfaces adds depth and character throughout. “A house should be about contrasting textures,” Jaffa says. Interior designer Beth Anne Shepherd, principal of Dressed Design, agrees. She furnished this Park City remodel, masterfully integrating elements, including texture-rich materials, custom mirrors, large-scale art and strategically selected furniture that maximize the interior’s appeal. “The right furniture can make a space appear 35 percent larger,” says Shepherd, who stages luxury homes for many of her clients. As Jaffa explains, “Our goal was to create an open, fresh, modern interior and a warm mountain modern exterior.” In the end, that’s exactly want they did.

BEFORE
Changes Made: 1. Replaced window with larger modern alternate. 2. Added a freestanding tub. 3. Installed new cabinets, fixtures and finishes. 4. Introduced wire-brushed, leather-finished marble flooring and polished marble shower walls. 5. Replaced wall-to-wall vanity mirror and light soffit with two framed mirrors paired with three modern pendant lights.

Want to see more? Check out our magazine! 

Sources:

Scot Jaffa, Jaffa Group, Park City

Beth Ann Shepherd, Dressed Design, Park City

Previous articlePhoto Friday: Different Slant
Next articleThomasville Utah Continues its Tradition of Design Innovation
Brad Mee
Brad Mee is the Editor-in-Chief of Utah Style & Design Magazine.