Pausing to watch the sun set is one of life’s fine and simple pleasures.

Recently I enjoyed dinner with friends on a restaurant patio. As we watched the sun go down behind the Wasatch with the streaking colors reflected in the lake, my friend said that his favorite time of day was sunset and his favorite places are anywhere you can watch the sun go down. Today I am featuring some homes he would enjoy. The opening shot is in Promontory (a private outdoor lifestyle development east of Park City) and a home designed by Clive Bridgwater. 

Park City has some amazing clouds at sunset. This Old Town home has a firepit to gather around as the evening gets cooler and an adjacent spa to soak up the warmth as the sun dips. (Architecture by Jonathan DeGray)

Because the Promontory community east of Park City is gated, not everyone has had the opportunity to visit and appreciate the views to the west and sunsets over the mountains. A firepit frames the view and serves as a rail to the patio in this home built by Upland Development (Jesica and Ryan Taylor).

Salt Lake City’s St. Mary’s neighborhood on the east bench has remarkable views to the setting sun over Great Salt Lake with the City’s silhouetted skyline. The patio space seems to flow out from the interior through the glass wall. This remarkable home with its angular cantilevered sloping roof is over fifty years old! It was designed by Swiss-born modernist architect Eduard Drieir, who left a lasting legacy of mid-century modern designs in Utah. A descendent of the original family who commissioned the home oversaw a restorative update with construction by Living Home (Chris Towson), a firm known for sensitivity in architectural renovation. 

This patio in Promontory has space for the whole party to go outside and toast the sunset together. (Upwall Design—Michael Upwall)

In contrast to the large social space above, another Promontory home features a small private patio off the office with a water feature and firepit for the peaceful pleasure of quietly ending the day. (Upland Development)

I have shown you some dramatic views from the higher elevations of Promontory. This home is built on one of the lowest lots located at the edge of an open space with unobstructed views to three directions. The open space is rich with wildlife for natural evening serenades. (Built by Upland Development and designed by Clive Bridgwater.)

 A recent home built on the Park Meadows golf course in Park City breaks up the patio space with elevation changes and clustered seating to ensure guests can find a spot for conversations or private silence. (Upwall Design)

Lush vegetation shelters the pool and patio space for this home in Salt Lake City’s historic Marmalade District. (Upwall Design)

Having been writing about sunsets, it’s time for me to wrap this up and go out to my back patio to say goodnight to the day. I invite you to do the same!

See more galleries from Scot Zimmerman here.

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