Great chair from Flatrock, but wrong upholstery Move-in of the furniture for this mountain designed home in the ski resort of Mammoth Lakes is not going to be until October, but the advantage of receiving the furniture now is that mistakes can be dealt with and by the time the furniture is installed, and all should be right with the world.
The rustic, hickory chairs from Flatrock were ordered in a black antique finish,
 But, we ordered hides from Old Hickory Tannery to be sent to Flatrock to upholster the cushions. For some unknown reason, Flatrock chose to upholster the chairs in leather and send them out.
When receiving the chairs, the mistake was noted and, although Flatrock did receive the order with the correct information and they did receive the hair-on-hides, they did not offer any explanation. I have dealt with Flatrock for years (see Elegant Mountain) , so I expect no huge problems. Rather than send back all of the chairs, which would be a waste of time and money for all concerned, we asked them to ship us just the cushions upholstered in the hides and we will switch them out. The correction will have taken several hours of our time, and so far several weeks to actually correct, but the correct chairs will be ready for move-in. The cost of glitches like this are absorbed by me as the designer, so my staff and I always try to minimize any possible problems from the start. When furnishing a large home, mistakes can cost weeks of time and a lot of money – another reason to work with an experienced interior designer that can anticipate and then deal with problems!
 Selecting grout colors A very small detail can seriously effect the outcome of any bathroom, but is often forgotten until the last moment. The last moment is actually a good time to choose the grout color because it is easier to visualize what the effect of the grout color will be when the tile is installed and you can hold up the grout selections while in the room.
When a client is a second-homeowner, they are not usually present for this exact moment. To wait would slow down the entire project and many would rather not have to worry about it.
If the choice of grout will seriously change the effect, I will have had the contractor make up a sample board for me, showing the tile grouted in several ways and have it approved BEFORE the tile is all installed and ready to go. In most instances, however, I will just meet the contractor on site and make the choice.
 Rustic Built-in bunks with reclaimed elements for mountain home
What started out as a plan for very simple and rustic built-in bunk beds became a project for a master craftsman. The client wanted to integrate reclaimed wood as the main posts of the bed which requires a lot of special fitting for all of the pieces that meet up with the reclaimed wood since the surface is very inconsistent.
There are three bunks that are laid out in a  U-configuration.
The corners were framed out, with openings framed into the columns to create a niche for each bunk bed. The niches will each have a light fixture, an electrical outlet and a small bookshelf.
Built-in beds offer huge advantages over stand-alone pieces and everyone just loves the thought of crawling in!
 Light fixture for bunk bed niche
 Oceana Glass Bar Sink All plumbing was chosen early on for this Vacation Home in Mammoth Lakes, except for the bar sink, as the bar area was undergoing design changes until recently. We wanted a drop-in sink to work with the wood slab counter top, andthe bar is in the main traffic flow for the downstairs so it will be highly visible. I liked the slick glass of the Oceana sink with the wood and the black has a more contemporary feel.
 Bar sink template on wood slab countertop We laid out the template and it was a tight fit because the sink has to sit behind an apron that is visible when the door is openend. We just have enough room for the faucet, but had to take into consideration the metal that will be on the backsplash. Also, there is an upper cabinet 17″ above. The oil rubbed bronze faucet is only 9 3/4″ high, so everything just fits into place.
There was a problem with the sink, which was ordered in the color black nickel, which was actually a translucent grey color. We had ordered it without receiving samples first, due to time constraints. It had to be returned, samples ordered and we found out that the black color, seen above, is actually steel grey and it is, thankfully, not translucent. We have since re-ordered the sink, but we were able to use the template from the original sink to cut the hole. There are SO many tiny snafoos on any project! Just have to take them in stride.
 Stain and Paint samples for Vacation home Painted finishes with glazes fogged over, painted finishes that are rubbed through to stain beneath, lacquer finishes for tabletops, a flat catalyzed lacquer for the reclaimed wood and different levels of distressing – all required samples to get the perfect effect and work with other elements in each area of this mountain home. Communication of the desired effect can only happen with a painter that is also a craftsman. Chet Baker is the expert that I depend on for this type of work, and the cabinetmaker, David Kuznitz, was happy to know that his creation was in such capable hands.
After the clients saw the samples and made a few choices, a paint booth was set up in the gameroom of the house. All of the cabinet doors are set up on racks and are being distressed, stained and/or painted.
All of the bathroom cabinetry will be finished first, as it is desirable to have the cabinetry stained before any nearby tile is installed, so that the cabinetry is protected from the grout.
Communicating design details can be extremely difficult, whether between the client and the designer or the designer and cabinetmaker or contractor. We have found that a 3-D program, Sketch-up, can be an extremely helpful tool.
 Sketch-up, 3-D drawing, first representation Here, you see the first drawing that was created for a built-in bed and cabinetry in the guest room.
Because there are a lot of different elements happening, such as the wainscot on the sides and wallpaper above, I wanted the client to see the possible variations.
We know we wanted a painted black element, some scraped looking wood and logs. Some of the questions were; do we bring in paneling that is the same as the wainscot, and/or the grasscloth wallpaper? Is the bed a platform with only a mattress, or do we create a frame and use a boxspring? Are there bookshelves over the bed, or artwork? What is the best height for the pendants?
 Sketch-up, 3-D representation of built-in cabinetry and bed, FINAL design Once the basic elements are entered into the computer, we can quickly change them around. After several different variations, this was the final concept.
The paneling will all be scraped with a black glaze wiped over to catch in the grain. The bed and logs at the base will be black and the wainscot will be painted a dark brown. The metal panels in the crown will be a tarnished natural steel. No bookshelves, but there will be a shelf created at the top of the headboard. There will be art hung on grasscloth, which is also on the walls above all the wainscot and on the ceiling. The lights will hang low.
 Sketch-up, 3-D representation, FINAL, seen from above While Karen loves the idea of the built-in cabinetry, there was a concern that the side-walls of the cabinetry at the bed would obstruct the light from the hanging pendants.
With Sketch-up, we can show what the built-ins will look like from any angle, including looking down from above. We made sure that the center section only protrudes 8″, so that the fixtures are forward enough to allow the light to function well for reading.
 Reclaimed Wood Dresser
The cabinetry is being installed, so the space created for the refrigerator cannot be changed, however we were able to make a last minute adjustment. Karen decided that she would prefer a freezer on the bottom so that the shelves in the refrigerator could be full width, to allow for large serving platters. We only had a 42″ wide opening and there are really not a lot of choices out there that will allow for the installation of custom cabinetry panels. This Jenn-Air is just perfect. The doors are split on top, due to the width, but the shelving inside is not divided – the shelves span the 42″ width. Thanks to Rodger Bivens at Standards of Excellence in Reno for always being my fountain of up-to-date information on appliances we were able to switch from the originally specified Sub-Zero. Standards of Excellence has supplied most of my needs here in Mammoth for appliances for several years. Rodger personally visits me to keep my materials updated and check on the various projects. Since there is not a store that sells appliances within 150 miles of Mammoth Lakes, having a relationship with a knowledgeable, customer oriented company that can deliver is vitally important.
All of the cabinetry in this house is custom, an important detail for a client that wants a very unique and personal house. The island in the kitchen is definitely a focal point with the live-edge walnut top and white oak reclaimed wood. There will be three different surfaces: the walnut for the eating area, the butcherblock at the sink and Caesarstone at the main work area. The perimeter cabinets will be painted, a light, creamy, golden color with the tall hutch done possibly in black. Now that the kitchen is in place, the client can really visualize the end result and we will come to some firm decisions on the paint color and placement as well as what the exact color will be on the countertops.
I just returned from the ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) show in New York City, where I saw this fabulous rug. Truly a new take on the traditional Oriental Rug, which I think could be great in the Iantuono’s rustic/contemporary home. Scraps from oriental rugs are dyed in a consistent colorway, such as the purple shown here. They are then sewn together with a great looking stitch and the rug is backed. Karen loves purple, so I thought of her when I saw this. This could be just the unusual item that we are looking for in the master bathroom.
 APRILUARY?
It is still snowing in Mammoth and although this may look like a mid-winter day, it is April 28th. BUT, if you love to ski, Mammoth is the best choice to have a vacation home. The ski area opened in October and will close on the 4th of July. The Iantuonos will have many years of powder days ahead. The kids, Anna and Alex, already amazing little skiers, will have the gift of being great skiers for the rest of their lives.
Today was a powder day – truly – and I got out to enjoy it myself. (Picture taken under Huevos)
Not a track in sight – just light and fluffy heaven.
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Enjoy our blog as we follow our step-by-step process of building mountain vacation homes in Mammoth, Vail, Aspen and other ski resorts!
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But, we ordered hides from Old Hickory Tannery to be sent to Flatrock to upholster the cushions. For some unknown reason, Flatrock chose to upholster the chairs in leather and send them out.
