Designer Stephanie Hunt combines bold color, whimsical elements and beloved vintage and modern finds to brilliant effect in her family’s new Park City abode. Photos by Mellon Studio.

Whether she is creating a space for her own family or designing homes for clients in Park City and Southern California, designer Stephanie Hunt—aka The Flairhunter—believes the magic is always in the mix: old and new; high and low; bold and subtle; funky and refined. Case in point: She adorns her walls with vintage Hermès scarves and retro skateboard decks with equal aplomb. “Life is serious; designing it should be fun,” Hunt says of her creative philosophy (and, appropriately, her business tagline).

The home’s hallways were designed as art galleries with glass enclosures on one side to allow for natural light and white walls on the side for displaying pieces from the Hunts’ large art collection, which were placed specifically and deliberately during the architectural phase. Photo by Mellon Studio.

Fun was the name of the game when it came to creating a dream dwelling for Hunt and her husband, Brandon, with plenty of space to accommodate their two sons, both in their 20s, when they come to visit. After selling their beloved family home in The Colony, the Hunts purchased a 5-acre property closer to town on Old Ranch Road in Park City. “The lot with the big red barn,” says Hunt, referring to the property’s former local landmark. The couple began working with an architect, but the project hit the brakes during the pandemic. They eventually resumed building with a new architect at the helm: Solim Gasparik of 4CDesign Group.

They decided to build three different structures on the sprawling property. The main residence is a large, Scandinavian-esque modern farmhouse with long, glass-enclosed hallways that act as galleries for the couple’s large collection of artwork. The design was inspired by a trip the Hunts took to Reykjavik, Iceland. “I fell in love with the simple, barn-like structures and homes there,” says Hunt. “I wondered what it would be like to have ‘pods’ or pavilions connected by halls or breezeways so that each section was a different part of the home.”

It’s safe to say their current abode is anything but boring. Bold color, pops of pattern, eye-catching tile, playful art and sentimental pieces are signature to all of Hunt’s homes, and this one is no exception. A palette of blonde wood floors, vanilla-hued walls and dark exposed beams are punctuated with moments of color throughout.

Eye-catching tile is a hallmark of Hunt’s designs, and this green Syzygy Tile kitchen backsplash is no exception. “I found it two years prior to building the house,” the designer says. “Because the kitchen is so open, I designed everything else to work with the backsplash. Photo by Mellon Studio.
The great room is opposite the kitchen, so Hunt ensured the colors and concepts were coordinated. She sourced the giant retrofitted factory lights on one of her antique/flea market treasure hunts. The dramatic stone surround fireplace was a keydesign element—board and batten extends from the top all the way to the ceiling and peak of the roof. Photo by Mellon Studio.
In the soaring kitchen/great room, blonde floors and white walls are juxtaposed with dark exposed beams. Clerestory windows allow for plenty of natural light and give the space a cathedral-like quality. While working with her architect, Hunt created specific spots for beloved salvaged pieces, like a vintage airplane propeller, train station clock and crusty pendant lights. “I love old things in a new home to give it a soul,” she says. “I want a home that has some patina and character.” Photo by Mellon Studio.

In the massive combined kitchen/great room, for example, a turquoise-green glazed Syzygy Tile backsplash in a geometric, dimensional pattern informed the look and feel of the rest of the space.

A brightly hued Hermès scarf inspired the design of the primary bedroom. “I bought it in Paris and had it framed,” says Hunt. “It inspired all the colors in the room.” The scarf hangs above the bed, set against a dark green plaster wall.
Photo by Mellon Studio.
Hunt designed the primary bathroom from the ground up—the floor features three tones of green tiles in a random chevron pattern. “It’s perfectly imperfect,” she says, referring to Wabi Sabi, the Japanese concept of beauty in imperfection, one of her favorite design principles. She purchased the cheeky “Get Naked” sign hanging above the Native Trails slate tub while on a trip to London.
Photo by Mellon Studio.

In the primary bathroom, Hunt chose three tones of green tiles laid in a chevron pattern for the floor. “Green is my spirit color,” she says. “I always think of green as a neutral. It doesn’t clash with any other color—just look at nature.”

“I wanted the powder room to be a bit zany and irreverent,” says Hunt. With that in mind, she chose a patterned, multicolored wallpaper with snakes, jungle cats and greenery. The floor is a riff on a traditional checkerboard design but is actually made up of mosaic tiles. Photo by Mellon Studio.
Hunt paired clean-lined, blonde wood stairs with a vertical, steel black powder-coated railing. She chose white walls to showcase a trio of framed vintage life preservers—a nod to her California roots—and other sentimental items. “I love using objects as art,” she says. The light fixture was custom-designed in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Photo by Mellon Studio.

Elsewhere in the home, a powder room is dressed in a wild, patterned wallpaper peppered with jungle cats, snakes and greenery. Unexpected objects framed as art are hung on various walls, including vintage life preservers, swim fins and a surf flag—all nods to the couple’s California roots.

In Hunt’s home office, artwork by her sons hangs alongside paintings from local galleries including Julie Nester Gallery, Gallery Mar, J Go Gallery and A Gallery. The oversized tumbleweed light fixture is from Summit Gallery in Park City.
Photos by Mellon Studio.

And in Hunt’s office, a taxi-cab yellow Smeg fridge (another favorite hue), an oversized tumbleweed pendant light and a wooden swing suspended from the ceiling all speak to her playful, more-is-more design ethos. 

“People get hung up on what’s on trend or what color is popular, but if you love it, that’s what matters,” she explains. “I love whimsy and I love humor. Why shouldn’t your house be fun?  

Hunt’shome was inspired by the simple, barn-like structures she fell in love with while traveling in Iceland. The dwelling has dark gray vertical siding, steep gabled roof lines, touches of gray stone for texture, and very minimal fascia and eaves. Photo by Mellon Studio.

The property’s two additional structures include a freestanding barn that serves as Hunt’s office and design studio, and a new big red barn, rebuilt in homage to the original.

Now dubbed “the fun barn,” Hunt had custom climbing walls and a mini halfpipe skate ramp built inside for her sons and their friends to use. The property also features a pool, Bocce court, two fire pits, 600 newly planted trees and various seating areas with sweeping views of the surrounding ski resorts.

The dining room is around the corner from the kitchen in a separate, quiet space. The room features a vintage Italian light fixture, framed charcoal etchings that belonged to Hunt’s parents and white linen dining chairs draped with faux-fur throws to create a cozy vibe in the winter. Photo by Mellon Studio.

While the architecture of the couple’s new dwelling is somewhat subdued aesthetically, the interiors are quite the opposite. “I’m not a minimalist,” says Hunt. “It’s not me. It’s not us. I tried the sophisticated, neutral look, and my husband said, ‘This feels boring.’” See more full-of-flair spaces:

Hunt inherited this oversized, heavily carved writing desk from her father, who inherited it from his father.
Photo by Mellon Studio.
This “grown up” bunk room houses visiting friends and family members. The room features oversized bunks with Pendleton bedding, painted millwork and built-in vintage lockers rather than traditional closets for guests. Photo by Mellon Studio.
A multi-pendant light fixture draws the eye upwards in the bright and airy stairwell.
Photo by Mellon Studio.
Patterned tile and leather pendant lights create visual interest in the home bar. Photo by Mellon Studio.
The first thing Hunt purchased for the primary bedroom was this light fixture by Apparatus Studio: an enormous cluster of etched glass bulbs. “It looks like clouds or a bunch of balloons,”she says. Photo by Mellon Studio.

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Top Left: Hunt’s home was inspired by the simple, barn-like structures she fell in love with while traveling in Iceland. The dwelling has dark gray vertical siding, steep gabled roof lines, touches of gray stone for texture, and very minimal fascia and eaves. 

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Tessa Woolf
Tessa Woolf

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