It was 12 years ago when Scott Jaffa, owner and principal architect at Jaffa Group, stood on a knoll on Iron Mountain and marveled at a pristine mountain view that stretched for miles. Overhead, a clear azure sky crowned the scene. His clients had just purchased the Park City-area property, and they joined Jaffa on the mountainside as the three of them visualized what would ultimately become the couple’s dream home. 

Photos by Andy Cunningham

Mountainside Home
The living room boasts a ceiling inset with LED lights and reclaimed barnwood. A naturally shed antler chandelier, painted indigo and tipped in gold, illuminates the bespoke coffee table below. The euro-cut wire-brushed oak floors feature a custom finish.

Once the owners were ready to build, Jaffa made their vision a reality. To capture the expansive views, Jaffa set the home on the steep property to fit the topography. “Rather than cutting into the ground, we offset three rectangles so the design respected the site,” he says. “The house faces incredible views up canyon, to Iron Mountain and down valley to the Uintas.”

In the foyer, an open-tread staircase wraps around a stone fireplace that extends to the main level and great room above. Shimmering gun-metal beaded drapes dress windows looking out to mountain views and the covered motor court. 

Surrounded by a heavily wooded landscape, outdoor living spaces feature prominently in the 6,600-square-foot home with five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two half baths. Dramatic contemporary architecture lends itself to wide windows, an open floor plan and site-inspired features. The great room actually cantilevers over an adjacent stream. “You can hear the stream running in the spring and summer,” Jaffa says.

Mountainside Home
The kitchen features two islands. The working island is topped with Sandalus Dolomite leathered granite and is clad in trestlewood weathered oak. The other features a cut-in banquette with a custom steel-and-granite table placed to maximize the views. The range hood is formed from hot-rolled, blackened steel and the cabinets are crafted by Carriage House Mill in vertical-grain oak. A faceted mosaic glass backsplash from Contempo Tile adds color and texture. 
Project Sunday designed and custom-made the dining room table. Its live inside edge and steel base creates the impression of a river running down the center. A wine wall functions as a room divider and adds warmth and depth to the space. The chandelier is by Hubbardton Forge. 

Each of the three-story home’s levels is designated to specific functions. The bottom level hosts the motor court, mud room, gym, video conference room and foyer. The second floor splits into two sections. The first hosts a great room composed of a kitchen, dining area, living room and an indoor/outdoor wine bar. The second contains three guest rooms and the laundry area. The home’s top level features private living spaces that include the primary bedroom, bathroom and offices. 

Mountainside Home
The bar showcases a stunning black leathered granite countertop and nano windows that fold open to the deck for a seamless inside/outside entertaining experience. Vertical cedar siding adds texture and articulates the massing.  

A steel staircase extends from the foyer to the great room which opens immediately to spectacular views on one side and a stone fireplace on the other. The fireplace begins in the foyer, and the stairs wrap around it in the great room above. There, articulated ceilings differ in height to delineate the dining room and kitchen areas. 

In the luxurious primary bathroom, free-floating mirrors hang in front of windows and are suspended on steel cables that start at the ceiling and are anchored to the counter below.  
Mountainside Home
The primary bedroom features a ceiling inset that’s clad in reclaimed barnwood. A fireplace delineates the room’s sitting and sleeping areas without blocking the spectacular mountain views. 

Trestlewood weathered oak insets in the ceilings echo the barnwood featured on the kitchen island, fostering a cohesive look and feel.

The homeowner loves blue, so cobalt glass wall tile and Timorous Beasties wallpaper—reminiscent of a Rorschach print—were ideal for the dramatic powder room. A translucent sapphire glass vessel sink shimmers beneath a brass pendant.  

Throughout, a compelling blend of customized rustic and modern design elements channel the serenity of the surrounding environment. “The homeowner’s favorite color is blue, so we added blue tones and organic textures to add warmth and depth to the contemporary design,” Jaffa explains. 

Mountainside Home
The dining area’s wine wall functions as a striking room divider and a dazzling focal point.

The architect finessed each and every detail. In the living room, for example, Jaffa color-matched the owner’s favorite indigo dishes and used the hue to paint a custom chandelier fashioned from naturally shed elk antlers with tips dipped in gold. 

Mountainside Home
Open to breathtaking views of Iron Mountain and the surrounding open space, the primary bedroom features a custom hot tub and 12-foot sliding doors that create a seamless transition between inside and out. 
Mountainside Home
Chairs gather around a raised fire feature on a view-laden patio located off the main living areas.

To infuse the interior with natural character and warmth, he flowed 6-inch, euro-cut wire-brushed oak floors throughout. “Spaces with so many textures and sheens take a lot of finesse,” says Jaffa. “This home feels put together.” 

Mountainside Home
The steel-and-oak staircase’s open treads fuel visual continuity and openness as the staircase moves to the home’s upper level. Below, laminated glass panels enclose the conference room and gym to invite natural light and create an azure glow. 

As it climbs its spectacular site, the mountain home channels the majesty of the rugged setting and the ever-changing hues of the sky, top to bottom, inside and out.   

The 6,600-square-foot home is composed of three offset rectangles designed to fit the topography of the mountain site. 

Explore more projects by Jaffa Group Architects here.

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Natalie Taylor
Natalie Taylor

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