Contempo House in Wyoming.

Okay, this one is better. Remember my blog posting a few weeks ago railing against that hideous concrete mess in Idaho? If not, HERE it is. Anyway, I just have a thing about modern houses set in natural landscapes just to make a statement. Why don't you work with the landscape--it's so rare!? Well, I came across this house above in Western Interiors (amazing mag), and was pleasantly surprised. I feel like they (the couple and the designer) actually gave a little thought to the location of the home. They worked with the landscape and tried to integrate it in a modern sort of way. The house was designed by a couple, Lori Ryker and Brett Nave in Wapiti Valley, Wyoming. Take a look.

The materials that were used were glass, wood, steel, and rammed earth. I'm not sure what rammed earth means but it sounds natural.

You can see right into their living room from the outside, but they don't exactly have close neighbors. I like how the angle of the roof is a mirror reflection of the jutting angles of the mountains behind it.

From the magazine: "We took our cues from the rock formations and their varied colors,” says Ryker. “The exterior forms were shaped by our thinking about the interiors, and we strove to make them an integral part of this wild and beautiful landscape." I think this choice is quite apparent. Well done.

Like the other house, the decor feels a tad stark for my taste, but I know that must reflect the style of the home. The window to the right looks like a framed landscape picture and can you imagine waking up to that view?

What do you all think? Better? Worse? Same? I feel like this home looks like a string of old miners huts on the side of a hill. I like how they respected the old style of the area but brought a little of their modern personality to the site.


Alicia B.