Bringing the World to the Mountains

Tell us about how you worked with the homeowners to draw in special cultural elements, knowing that they wanted an international feel.

CH&L: As a designer who has seen the world, tell us what inspires you most.
Petra Richards: Everywhere I travel, there are ideas to catch and values that I find and carry home. Cities like Florence or Rome are influential. On the other hand, London also inspires with its clean looks and funkiness. Then there are the Asian influences of the Far East. I’m German, and connected with Europe, so I definitely try to stick to my roots, too.

How did you tie the concept of culture into this home?
[The homeowners] are an international couple. She’s Korean, and he’s American. They have another home in New York, so they split their time between Colorado and there. They wanted the home to be European, particularly with some French influence, but still cozy and homey. And there are some Asian influences because of her history. We have a little melting pot—we tried to melt their marriage together in their house.

Tell us about how you worked with the homeowners to draw in special cultural elements, knowing that they wanted an international feel.
They were very much involved in the process. We went out and did a lot of shopping together. All together, it was a real joint venture—this was their vision. For example, he's more sleek and modern, and the house brings out his boldness. It's very alive, and I think it shows in the sunroom especially. But in the living room, there is more of the Asian theme with the silk on the sofas, which also brings in a more elegant and traditional feel. And there are some Asian accents to make the room playful and yet still sophisticated.

Is there a predominant cultural thread?
The dining room and the kitchen are connected, so we wanted to bring in more of the French country style. You can see this in the kitchen with the big yellow pots and the black chandelier with the candles. In the dining room, it started with the drapes and it kind of all came together from there. We hunted for some furniture and found a table and bench they fell in love with.

This home is in Aspen Glen, near Carbondale. How did you draw in those international elements and still maintain a cozy mountain feel?
Whether the home is sophisticated or modern or funky, if it's in the mountains, you have to feel like you can curl up on the sofa with a blanket. Drapes for me are very important. They make a room warmer. Also, I tend to stick animal [figurines] in mountain houses, just here and there, like a bird on the windowsill. I can't help it because I just think they belong there. But this home is more international than the traditional mountain home that has a moose over the fireplace—and that's a good thing.