Anchoring the Ridge: Reclaiming the Centrepiece

THE GREAT ROOM: RECLAIMING THE CENTERPIECEFrom "Triple-Brown" to Timeless SophisticationThe Great Room is the heart of our "Boomerang" estate—the central axis where the home’s architecture opens up to the landscape. But when we first took stewardship of the Ridge, this room was a study in 1980s confusion.
The "Brown" EraWe were greeted by an adventurous, if questionable, palette: a trio of chocolate brown, peanut butter, and olive-green walls, all anchored by a faded dusty-rose carpet. The room had incredible "bones," but the soul of the space was buried under decades of dark, heavy tones.
The First Wave: Light & LogicOur first priority was to let the room breathe. We stripped away the dusty rose in favor of rich hardwood flooring and replaced the "brown-on-brown" walls with a sophisticated, warm grey.
While the colors changed, we were careful to honor the architectural integrity of the home. The original stonework on the fireplace was magnificent—it simply needed a little TLC and a proper anchor. Similarly, the sweeping archways that define the house remained untouched; they are the "connective tissue" of the lodge.
Elevating the AtmosphereTo match the scale of the 4,000-square-foot ranch, we introduced statement lighting that acts as jewelry for the room. An elegant crystal chandelier now anchors the space, flanked by six contemporary swirl pendant lights. This blend of traditional elegance and modern movement completely transformed the room's energy.
The Defining DetailsThe transformation of the Great Room has been a journey of finding the perfect pieces to match the home's stature:

• The Entry: In 2021, we replaced the front doors, framing the landscape and inviting the mountain light into the center of the home.
  
• The Anchor: In 2022, we finally added the mantle I had envisioned from the start. It was the missing piece of the puzzle, providing a bold, grounded finish to the original stonework.
  

What was once a dark, dated enclosure is now one of my favorite spaces in the house—an inviting sanctuary that feels both grand in scale and deeply personal in detail.