This craftsman lodge-style home mirrors the towering pines and majestic peaks of California’s Eastern High Sierra. The 5,335-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bath residence is located on a golf course in the heart of Mammoth Lakes, a town of just 7,000 permanent residents and a dozen black bears.
The home’s expansive spaces, tonal warmth and careful refinements are a blend of rustic-past-meets-contemporary-style. The home’s creature comforts mask the extreme realities that Mother Nature dishes out at a 8500-foot elevation. This island of habitation is surrounded by millions of arces of John Muir Wilderness.
Yet, its southwestern orientation is perfectly suited for a grand entrance that offers unparalleled views from most interior locations. From the great room, the view of Mammoth Mountain’s 11,000’ summit is powerfully framed by three 30-foot tall windows.
The rich history of this California Gold Rush getaway was the canvas by which the designer and the environment painted with delicate strokes. Surprising juxtapositions in flooring textures, built-ins cabinetry and bookcases, and early-American antiques offer contextual balance with nature while creating a natural sense of place in history.
Three-stories of uninterrupted stonework instantly draw the eye heavenward from two sentinel-like hearths that mirror each other while accentuating the openness. Even the foundation, constructed from large stones quarried from on-site, give the effect that this house was born from the earth.
The home exudes an intimate level of thoughtfulness in the designer’s depth of field when selecting materials. Heavily-textured walls offer a subtle weathered feel, while the verci-patterned slate reflects tones of an autumn-like sundown. Generous uses of richly-lacquered hardwood alder wainscoating contrasts the enhanced the mood of space. Locally-harvested, fallen and milled old growth red fir mimics a country mercantile with richly-wide plank flooring.
In a land of extremes this home’s color diversity speaks the local language with brick red highlights in the dining area, forest green in the sleeping spaces, bursts of orange flame in the kitchen granite, and white and mauve tumbled travertine tones in the bathrooms.
Two levels of balconies cascade off each other like a series of waterfalls. Each one offers a private peek to its own unique viewscape to the dense forest beyond. A stone-covered subfloor wine cellar is tucked neatly beneath the 270 degree stairway.
The interconnectivity of public and private spaces reflects the family-friendly lifestyle of the residents. A generous game room occupies the upper-most floor, with views to the main spaces and a strong audible relationship to the rest of the home.
To be sure, there are distinct realities of living in a place of four dramatic seasons. The integrity of the structure is paramount due to its high altitude sun, 9.0 seismic earthquake zone, sub-freezing wind chill, 30-foot annual snowfall, 70-mph wind gusts, and biblical-like rain. The extreme weather and harsh elements demand a home that can responds with a graceful harmony. Which is why only the best weather-resistant materials and construction methods were specified for the home’s exterior.
Sustainable signatures include proper daylighting, over-insulation, and a vapor tight seal offers an interior envelope that remains warm in winter. Ample amounts of natural and mechanical airflow allow the Alpine air to cool the interior in summer.
This mountain lodge craftsman home delivers serious style—with a respectful nod to its place in the natural and historical environment. It is truly a stunning marriage of wild elegance.
