When to Hire an Architect

Maybe you’re finally planning to build your dream house, or you already own an existing home that you’re eager to update. At Collective Design, our team does so much more than simply sketch and plan out homes. They are the architects of experience. You are the heart of every home we touch.

So, when is the right time to hire one of our architects? Below are some instances where we’ve got your back!

You want to build a custom home or remodel your existing home.

Our biggest inspiration for each project is YOU! When working with us, we’ll collaborate with you on creating a design that meets your family’s specific needs and lifestyle— ensuring it is both functional and beautiful. We’re passionate about good design and will bring creative ideas to the table when it comes to materials and finishes used in your home. Whether you start the process knowing exactly what you do want, or simply knowing what you don’t want, we will construct those thoughts and ideas into a reality.

You want/need to think outside of the box.

Want to capture more sunrises and sunsets? No idea where to start? We love a good challenge and have an eye for seeing things that others might miss. Maybe you’ve got some tricky features in your home that you need to work around or odd characteristics regarding the land you’re building on. We’re able to navigate a range of challenges with creative, elegant solutions that will make those once-tough spots or unique ideas seem thoughtful and effortless in the final product.

You need to maximize your space.

Who doesn’t love plenty of storage and closet space, plus an extra nook here and there? So, you’ve got a limited amount of space for your project—perhaps in square footage or available space within the land you’re building on— we’ll help you optimize that and ensure we squeeze out every bit of room we can for the lifestyle you live. We’re experienced in space-saving solutions and can create a layout that maximizes the available square footage and guarantees that things flow well from room to room based on the needs of your family.

You want to make your project to be more energy efficient.

There are so many more options today when it comes to making a home truly energy efficient. We can help you take that efficiency to the next level. Thinking beyond the traditional ways to conserve energy, we’ll make sure to incorporate sustainable materials and features into your project, such as solar panels, green roofs, geothermal heating systems and so much more!

You want to add value to your property.

Long after your project is complete, we want your family and future ones to love where you live! A home’s longevity and timelessness often correspond to its future value down the road. We design spaces that are enduring, functional, and well thought out, which will increase your home’s long-term value. While these are all characteristics that you’ll love about your home while living there, future buyers and renters will also take note, meaning that your home will likely rent or sell more quickly and for more money when the time comes.

Long-lasting and timeless spaces are the result of good planning and forethought. We love collaborating with you to bring your vision to life with expertise and creativity—not to mention preserving both your sanity and money throughout the process of a renovation or new build. So, if you’re considering a future project, give yourself a leg up and get in touch with us to create the space you’ve dreamed of!

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Building a Dream Home in the Mountains

Building a Dream Home in the Mountains with Pinnacle Mountain Homes and Collective Design

Introduction

For Mack, Laura, and their budding family, the idea of leaving the hustle and bustle of Denver and moving to the mountains of Summit County was a dream they had long held in the back of their minds. The beauty of the mountains, the fresh air, and the proximity to skiing were all enticing reasons to make the move. After owning land in Keystone for almost a decade, the time was right to build the mountain home they always wanted. However, managing different companies across architecture, construction, and interior design in a small mountain town can be a daunting task. That’s why Mack and Laura decided to team up with Pinnacle Mountain Homes and Collective Design after encountering their award winning work at the Parade of Homes. They were drawn to the integrated approach combining architecture, construction, and design as they thought about what it would take to make their mountain dream home a reality.

The Family’s Vision

As Laura tells it, the family had a vague vision for their dream home. They knew what they didnt want more than what they did. They didn’t want the same old log cabin style home that had come to define ski town architecture in the last several decades. They wanted a rustic yet modern home that celebrated the local mining history with unique finishes, plenty of natural light, and breathtaking views of the mountains.

The Collective Design team worked closely with the family to shape that vague vision into a design and plan that Mack and Laura were in love with. The team described the style like this:

“The aesthetic that arose from the clients’ personal style, desire to highlight their proximity to Keystone resort, and the history of Keystone as an old mining town manifested in a mountain modern design style with an industrial vibe. The style incorporates classic elements of the style like wood beams and warm spaces, but departs from it with the lighter monochromatic wood tones, all black accents and a metal fireplace, instead of the same barnwood and heavy stone fireplaces you often see in mountain homes.” – Collective

Keystone’s rich mining history dates back to the late 1800s. The area was known for its silver, lead, and zinc deposits, and mining operations were a major economic driver for the region until the ski resorts took over in the late 20th century. From an aesthetic perspective, this history drove the inclusion of elements such as a core-10 steel fireplace to emmulate the rusted metal ore chutes of the old mine and a piece of black granite with golden orange veins to act as the centerpiece of a unique wet bar.

As the mining history blended with the beauty of skiing keystone mountain, so to did the design of the home. “It was important to us to orient the house to capitalize on how close we are to the mountain.” says Laura. So, the design included a ski locker for easy resort access and a hot tub and patio with what some might consider the best views in the county of Keystone Mountain.

With a vision in mind, the Collective Design team moved seamlessly into construction as Pinnacle Mountain Homes began the build.

The Building Process

As the idea of building the home came to fruition, Mack and Laura initially thought to make the home a mountain retreat while keeping their home base in Denver. However, through the building process, they decided Summit County was the perfect place to raise two young children while enjoying everything the mountain lifestyle has to offer. So, what started as a part-time retreat and vacation rental turned into a full-time residence.

Building a full-time residence in the mountains of the quality that Pinnacle provides comes with its own set of challenges. It is at this junction between concept and execution that the benefits of having architecture, interior design, and construction under one roof become most evident. The design is seamlessly translated to construction as Pinnacle Mountain Homes and Collective Design put their purpose, to Enhance the Lives of Others, before anything else.

Through the building process, that meant that Mack and Laura received weekly updates on every phase of the build so that they could make decisions with plenty of time and feel comfortable with the building process of their home as it progressed from the initial design to the final touches.

“Having the design team tightly integrated with the construction team meant that we were looking at design decisions well ahead of when the construction team was working on them. No design decisions felt rushed at all.” — Laura

The End Result

The journey from vision to reality can be a long one when building a home of this magnitude and quality. As Laura puts it, “At various points throughout the building process, you walk in and it still doesn’t feel real, but ultimately, we love the house!” After months of hard work, Mack and Laura’s dream home was finally complete.

Natural light floods the home, highlighting the craftsmanship and attention to detail. The vague vision Mack and Laura started with had arrived in its final form as a mountain dream home where they could raise their family in close proximity to the skiing, community, and natural beauty they had come to love.

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Reclaimed Retreat

RECLAIMED RETREAT

It’s not often that a homeowner has a definitive vision for their vacation getaway, but right off the bat a Alabama-based couple knew exactly what they wanted for their rustic Breckenridge build. With the help of the team at Collective Design, their main priority was to ensure that the home had as little vis-ible drywall as possible. First step—bring in Hank Chapell, a wood supplier out of Georgia who previously collabo-rated with the owners on a project in Coastal Florida. His stunning reclaimed material sourced from throughout the southern states fit the bill for adding texture in lieu of showcasing drywall.

In collaboration with BHH Partners and Pinnacle Mountain Homes, the construction of the 6,500-square-foot home featuring his-and-her suites, four guest bedrooms and a kids bunk room took around three years to complete from drawing plans to finalizing the interiors. The city of Breckenridge sits at 9,600 feet of elevation, making the building process somewhat of a challenge.

In terms of snow load and the layout of the watershed, you have to make very thorough choices to suit the high-altitude climate,” explains Kody Becker, project manager at Pinnacle Mountain Homes. With the help of Carl Warnke at Engineering Designworks, the team set the plumbing and framing layouts with all seasons in mind.

When the design team first saw the build through a virtual tour, they knew they had a rare and exciting project on their hands. Beginning with an eight-foot custom walnut and steel front door, the entryway opens and guests cross a threshold of dark and light lumber floors before entering the open-concept kitchen, dining room and living room. A grand wall of windows lining the living room floods the whole space with natural light. Stitched together using rich tones, textured walls and cold-rolled steel accents, the three rooms appease the rustic vision, while also having no drywall to be seen.

The team opted for mostly custom pieces throughout, in-cluding the nearby overhead lighting fixture in the dining room. “The owners wanted it to look like the constellations at night,” says Collective. Crafted by Fusion Design and fabricated by Hubbardton, the piece was fitted with LED lights and hangs above an eight-seat table.

Before rounding the stairs to the bedrooms, a live-edge walnut slab creates a welcome bench alongside gray siding from Chapell. Upstairs, the wife’s vision was for something spa-like, and the husband’s leaned more toward the masculine. Bruno made sure the suites complement each other by overlapping textures and gray accents. “We settled on Breckenridge because we used to live in Denver in the ‘90s,” says the husband.

“We wanted to return to the state but in a city that we knew we could enjoy year-round.” With plans to spend the winters skiing and the summers mountain biking and white-water rafting, they built their home as a serene space for family gatherings. Situated five minutes from the Breckenridge gondola, the prime location makes it an ideal skiing getaway.

In many ways, the rustic and texturized home diverges from the homeowners’ beach escape in Florida, but one thing remains the same— incredible surrounding nature. On the sands in Florida, you smell the ocean air. Here, the fragrant evergreens line the backyard. “In this particular build, a moose commonly strolled onto the lot and tore up the landscaping,” Bruno laughs. The multiple raised patios that circle the property give access to top-notch wildlife viewing.

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Top 5 Projects

TOP 5 PROJECTS 2022

From sleek and modern to warm and inviting, our top 5 interior design and architecture projects showcase our ability to understand and execute our client’s unique vision. Below, we will be taking a closer look at the inspiration behind each project – from refurnishing a luxurious home in Malibu to a full remodel and new construction projects in the Rocky Mountains. We are excited to share these stunning spaces with you and hope they will inspire your next design project.

Full Remodel in Silverthorne, Colorado

The owners of this home, in a charming neighborhood north of Silverthorne, purchased the property just over a year ago. Built in 2016, the house was a blank slate: white walls and basic finishes. The owners—a Denver family with two young children—worked with Design Director, Lisa Yates to infuse the space with color and pattern while preserving a traditional-meets-transitional sensibility. The result is a richly layered home with tons of texture and color.

Interior Design Revamp in Malibu, California

Our designers helped reimagine this ten-acre Malibu estate. The clients approached Collective Design to achieve a more transitional design, blending the Spanish traditional style of the home with a more modern, minimal, and cleaner look. The home was refreshed with a neutral pallet which added warmth to each space along with a brighter, lighter feel.

New Construction in Breckenridge, Colorado

Collective Design Director, Lisa Yates worked with partner Pinnacle Mountain Homes to achieve the client’s vision of designing a home around maximizing views. The essence of mountain modern design, this home features white oak flooring throughout, a waterfall quartzite kitchen island, and stone that covers the walls from the entry through to the expansive views.

Architecture & Interior Design in Keystone, Colorado

Sleek and modern, Collective’s architecture and interior design teams collaborated to design a home around this family’s love of the mountains. The home sits at the base of Keystone Ski Resort with a lower level and patio designed as an après entertaining space to enjoy once you make your way off the mountain. The upper level is a communal space all about the views and the connection to the natural surroundings.

Finish Details for New Construction in Breckenridge, Colorado

Textured wallcoverings, floor-to-ceiling windows, industrial accents, and a custom wine cellar are just a few of the highlights of this home. Our team worked with Savante Wine Cellars to build a custom wine storage display in a temperature-controlled space. A custom leather banquette sits at the center, paired with matching leather chairs around.

Our team welcomes the opportunity to meet with you to discuss your vision of home—and how we can become your partner in designing beautiful spaces you love!

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Remodel Tips

REMODEL TIPS FROM COLLECTIVE DESIGN’S PROS

At Collective Design, we love a good remodel. There’s a special kind of satisfaction that comes from helping clients transform their existing residences into homes they love. We typically undertake remodels that fall into one of the following five broad categories, outlined here with a few tips from our pros on how to make the most of a renovation. Which remodel personality are you?

1. Furnishings: You love your home’s bones and space, but the bear-paw-print upholstery and heavy wood tables no longer suit your style. Our furniture store team and designers are perfectly positioned to give your home a full furnishings overhaul, complete with accessories that make the space feel styled and finished.

Pro Tip: Often old furnishings aren’t scaled properly for a home. When you right-size your anchor pieces—sofas, chairs, dining tables—you suddenly improve the flow and feel of the home without moving a single wall!

2. Cosmetic finishes: In addition to new furnishings and accessories, you need new paint and fixtures—lighting, plumbing, the works. Collective’s interior design team can create an entire new look within your existing walls—with consult from the architecture team if there’s any need for a shift in interior architectural elements. “Adding such things as wallcoverings and fresh textures, updating lighting, fixing drywall before you paint—all of these things make a huge impact on a home,” says Design Director Lisa Yates.
Pro Tip: If you’re updating your lighting, tell your design team you want to change out your old can lights to accommodate LED bulbs. “They replicate the color of outdoor light better,” Lisa says.

3. Structural changes: The minute you decide to move a wall, a window, or a door, you’re into a structural remodel—in which case, you want to employ architectural service. Collective’s integrated team of architects and designers makes it easy to access a full design team simultaneously. “We often lead these remodel efforts while our interiors colleagues speak to all of the details,” says lead architect Zane Levin. “The benefit is that we can coordinate to save our clients time and money and prevent headaches.” What’s more, Collective’s partner construction company, Pinnacle Mountain Homes, offers additional integration as a building partner, so you have all three professional services under a single (literal) roof.
Pro Tip: As soon as you get into construction mode, you’ll want to move out. “You should never live in the house during a remodel,” Zane says. “It’s not good for anybody!”

4. Addition: Many of Collective’s clients come to us wanting to expand their home’s square footage. Our team easily connects existing structures with additions to make the new home an integrated design when the addition is complete.
Pro Tip: An addition is an excellent time to update your home’s exterior with your design team. “Even just painting the trim and fascia can add depth and character,” Lisa says. “Your designer can help you choose the right colors to give the house a whole new look.”

5. Partial or complete gut: This one is, of course, the most major of the remodel options. “In some cases, we’re basically rebuilding the house,” Zane says. “I love these remodels because it gives us a chance to be creative within interesting constraints—we want to preserve a footprint or a view out a window. We hear from the client what they love about their home, and then we work with our interiors team to make the rest of the home fit the clients’ vision.”
Pro Tip: If you’re going to remodel a room, don’t do it halfway. “We really believe in doing the full package, even if it means touching less of the house,” Zane says. “If you’re going to redo the great room, redo the finishes, the lighting, the furnishings, the paint, everything. You’ll enjoy it more—and you can move slowly through the house if you need, doing things right as you go.”

Collective’s team welcomes the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your remodel goals—and how we can become your partner in designing a home you love!

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Our Integrated Approach

ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN:

AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH

You’ve long dreamt of building your forever home, and now you’re at the brink of starting your project. You know you need a visionary architect, a talented designer, and a smart builder to bring your new home to life—and you might assume that just having those three disciplines available to you means your project will run smoothly.

But how the professionals work together matters.

At Collective, we’ve created a streamlined approach that integrates architecture and design right from the beginning. “When people begin a home-building project, they typically start with the architect,” says lead Design Director Lisa Yates. “But with a designer at the table, we can begin helping you personalize spaces right away. We help you think about how a room will function: Do you want big sofas for lounging and/or small intimate spaces for conversation? That affects the space planning. Do you want a specific wall to be stone? Let’s show it that way right from the start so you can begin to envision your home.”

Principal Architect Zane Levin agrees. “Architecture takes the big-picture approach,” he says. “We paint with a broader brush, while our interiors colleagues give a more detailed focus. To tag-team brings our clients a lot of benefits”—such as…

Cohesive design: “When you separate architecture and interior design, you can end up with a home that feels disjointed,” Zane says. But integrating the two from the first meeting, clients’ priorities and vision go into every single decision—from big-picture questions about room sizes and lot orientation to details like kitchen-cabinet material and bed sizes in each guest room. The result: a home that fulfills the client’s wishes for style and functionality.

More efficient timelines: Zane characterizes how the old home-design model works: After the drawings were mostly complete, the interior designer and client would meet to decide that the fireplace should be stone. The designer emails the architect, who responds within a day or two and says he needs to check with the engineer. The engineer responds another day or two with information about what the contractor needs to do to support stone installation. “One decision can take three or four days to finalize,” Zane says. “With our model, we can get through such decisions in a matter of hours, not days”—which saves our clients’ time.

What’s more, with integrated design, the team at Collective can combat material delays. “We know what we need on the front end, and details are dialed-in before the builder even breaks ground,” Lisa says. “You’re not waiting for walls to go up before you choose your fixtures, finishes, and furnishings.”

A better overall experience: “It’s enjoyable for everyone to have all of the experts around the table,” Zane says. Because Collective’s team is all housed under one roof, just down the hall from one another, we collaborate easily, brainstorming solutions and ideas to create beautiful and custom spaces for each client. “I love creating beautiful spaces,” he adds. “A large component of that is interior design. I don’t see architecture and interiors as two separate disciplines; they’re just two parts of the collective whole.”

Collective’s architecture and design teams also welcome the opportunity to work with outside architects and designers. We’re always eager to start early on a project to bring our integrated approach to design for the benefit of each client!

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A Conversation with Elyse Chudacoff

A CONVERSATION WITH ELYSE CHUDACOFF

As an Architectural Manager harnessing a holistic approach, Elyse generates happiness for each of her clients by getting to the heart of their vision. With over 10 years of experience, she joins our team craving design challenges, creative problem-solving, and lasting relationships with each of her clients. Sun-filled spaces, functional layouts, intricate details, and embracing the environment are a few of the elements that define Elyse’s designs.

Here, we get to know Elyse, what inspires her, how she begins the design process, and how she strives for client happiness in every project.

Can you remember the first space that had an impact on your architecture career?
I have always been passionate about architecture, but when I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, I was stunned by the attention to detail and intricacy. I knew from that trip going forward that I wanted to apply that level of care to my own work.

What do you enjoy most when designing a home?
Forming relationships with my clients, space planning, and creative problem-solving. I love being able to connect with my clients and work with them to design a functional flow, sophisticated layout, and home to enhance their lives.

Walk me through your design process…
Upon starting a project, I really dive deep and get to know my clients on a personal level. Asking questions and forming a trusting relationship helps me dial in their personal aesthetic, functionality desires, and their overall vision of home. It’s also important for me to evaluate the lot, the environment surrounding it, and its orientation to the sun. Throughout the entire process, we’re in constant communication. I always make sure client happiness is prioritized.

How do you keep your clients engaged throughout the process?
On top of constant communication with my clients, I love the process and collaboration of creating Houzz and Pinterest boards together. It’s a fun and simple way to recognize likes or dislikes and find inspiration.

How do you pull inspiration from so many different clients?
That’s the fun part! It’s all about the details – each client’s personality, visual desires, and finding inspiration from spaces that make them feel happy and comfortable. I’ll be planning and researching design specifics for one client and stumble upon something that I think another client would love. I like to push my clients out of their comfort zone and give them a platform to think outside the box. That all starts with a great relationship.

What is most important to you when working with your clients?
Forming a strong relationship and setting up an initial trust. I want to make sure that the clients know I have their best interests in mind and that I am going to create a space that fits their wants and needs. I think the most valuable piece of information is how my clients will use their home, so it’s extremely important to have strong, open communication from the get-go.

What do you like best about your work?
I love connecting with my clients, bringing their visions to life, and seeing them happy with the result.

What made you want to be a part of the Collective team?
I made connections with the team before I started working at Collective, sourcing for another company. I always loved Collective’s collaborative team of experts. There are so many people to learn from and grow with.

What sets Collective apart from other architects?
Our people. The Collective team is passionate and personal. We get the job done and have fun doing it. We also provide design-build services that streamline the process of designing a home. Everything under one roof and a team that enhances the lives of our clients sets us apart.

If you want to learn more about our architecture services, whether a new home build or a remodel, get in touch with our team today.

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Our Take on Modern Architecture

MODERN IN THE MOUNTAINS: ONE ARCHITECT’S TAKE

Zane Levin, head of Collective’s architecture team and Principal Architect, was excited when this project on a three-acre lot in Breckenridge came across his desk: The client wanted true modern design in the mountains (not the amorphous “mountain modern” that seems to represent a whole range of styles, most of them contemporary). “These owners wanted flat roofs, big glass expanses, a material palette of metal and wood, and exposed structure throughout the home—all elements of classic modern design,” Levin says. Driven by the stylistic goals, Levin began by designing boxy volumes and flat roofs of varying heights. “With modern design comes a very open floorplan,” Levin says. So here, the great room, kitchen, and dining are all in one form with doors on both sides of the rectangle: One set of doors opens to the front patio and the other, to the backyard. “The owners wanted that open, modern feel in the public gathering space great for entertaining,” the architect says.

Upstairs are additional bedrooms, a flexible office/exercise space, and a family room with tucked-away bunk beds. The second floor also offers access to a big rooftop deck that stacks over the great room and dining area. “The house is in a valley with mountains all around it,” Levin says. “We wanted to capture those views.”

And nothing’s quite so helpful in that pursuit as glass, which Levin calls this home’s “number one material.” (It’s also essential for the home’s passive-solar design, maximizing energy efficiency throughout the year.) To accent the glass, Levin specified cedar siding to add visual warmth, metal fascia for a handsome contrast, and stone to provide additional texture.

For the home’s interiors, Levin and his team designed architectural details on par with the home’s gorgeous exterior. The most notable of these is the staircase. “We have this massive, glassy corner and the tallest ceiling in the whole house,” Levin says. “It was a great opportunity to showcase the stair from both inside and out.” Warm wood treads, an industrial-style structural system, and glass handrails all combine to give the staircase the desired effect—an ethereal, sculpture-like installation.

The staircase isn’t the only area where Levin focused on the interior details: In the entry, a slatted-wood ceiling treatment was designed to “look purposeful and elegant and also have integrated lighting,” he says. “We spent a lot of time planning exactly what that would look like.” Similarly, Levin brought an industrial look to the dining room’s tray ceiling with a faux I-beams: “We didn’t need those beams to be structural, so those are painted aluminum,” he says. His team dreamed up the design for the bar adjacent to the kitchen and planned careful recessed lighting in the main bedroom’s tray ceiling. “I think we do a really good job coordinating details, visually and functionally, so each house is just what a client wants,” he says.

During his architectural work, Levin collaborated with his interior design colleagues at Collective, who selected finishes, furnishings, and fixtures to complete the home’s modern look—and deliver the clients’ dream home.

Learn more about Collective’s distinctive, integrated approach and tell us about your next home project by getting in touch.

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A Conversation with Zane Levin

A CONVERSATION WITH ZANE LEVIN

You’ve likely seen Zane’s work before. He’s touched years of projects showcased in Summit County’s Parade of Homes and fills our new construction portfolio with stunning homes. His eye for clean lines and love of mountain design perfectly translate in his architectural work.

Born and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Zane moved to the Flatirons in Colorado to begin his studies at CU Boulder in environmental design. Knowing he wanted to pursue his passion of architecture, he attended CU Denver, earned his Master of Architecture and moved to Summit County to fulfill his dreams at Collective Design, overseeing and managing the architectural design of new construction projects.

After intensive studying, Zane passed his licensing tests in 2019 and moved into his role as Collective’s Principal Architect, where he is now empowered to lead and run projects. With his license, Collective has been able to expand its offering to include architectural design on new construction and remodels.

Here, we get to know Zane, what inspires him and how the architecture process and his strong relationships with clients are key components in building the homes of their dreams.

What made you want to be an architect?
My parents are artists and my grandparents were engineers, involved in construction. I definitely inherited their traits and took interest in both career paths. Architecture really stood out to me as it lands somewhere in the middle of the two. My love of creativity, paired with logical and strategic thinking, lead me to think architecture would be a great fit.

Can you remember the first space that had an impact on your architecture career?
The Clyfford Still Museum in Denver has always been an inspiring building to me. It’s dwarfed by the Denver Art Museum and sits in its shadow but it’s different and beautiful. Most of the building is made of board-formed concrete, which displays a unique texture.

How would you describe your style?
Leaning mountain contemporary. Homes with sleek, hard lines, rectilinear windows and flat roofs are some of my favorite to design. I also love the mountain modern look with more gables, shed roofs, and slightly more traditional mountain forms.

How do you begin the design process?
The lot and the surrounding environment influences and dictates a large portion of the home design and helps guide the basic home layout. Right off the bat, we focus on sun angles, surrounding views, the slope of the lot, and access onto the lot – via driveway, garage, or how you approach the front door.

We’ll put together an initial site plan, based off those key elements to share with the clients. Then together, we’ll create a general layout with adjacency of the specific rooms; the master bedroom, kitchen, etc.

What do you show along the way to explain the project to clients?
We’re in contact with our clients every step of the way, from initial floor plans, to the 3D model, to site plans, to final construction documents. After we create the basic, conceptual layout and floor plans, we begin to hone in on room sizes, windows and specific spaces. Once the client loves the plan and wants to move forward, we create a 3D model to look at building forms, roof lines, and how the windows and doors look on the exterior.

Then together, we look at and choose exterior materials, including siding, colors, exact window sizes and patterns. We apply materials onto the model so the client can see an exact replica of their new home. We layout interior beams, the fireplace, stairs and railings, but when it comes down to interior details and finishes, we hand things off to the interior designer.

How important is relationship when designing a client’s home?
It’s so important. From the start we work to establish great relationships and trust with our clients. We want them to trust our opinion and be confident that we’re designing them a home they’ll love for years to come. We take the relaxed and easygoing approach, which makes for an all-around easier and more fun process. We really want our clients to enjoy the process and be excited about their project every step of the way.

What do you expect clients to provide?
Inspiration images are great. We encourage our clients to create a Houzz account or start a Pinterest board to get some ideas going. We talk through the overall style they’re looking for, what they like and dislike, how they’ll be using their home, how many beds, baths, stories, or cars they’d like in the garage. We ask if they want a more secluded, woodsy feel or big mountain views which helps us in window positioning and orientation.

What role do you have during construction?
Once we’ve wrapped up the plans, we hand the project off to our sister company, Pinnacle Mountain Homes, or to the client’s chosen contractor for construction. The clients work directly with the contractor but if they have any architectural or detail-oriented questions, we’re still always here to help. Typically, we constantly coordinate with both the construction team and the clients in order to provide a smooth construction phase.

Do you ever try to nudge clients out of their comfort zone?
We’re always trying to push the envelope towards progressive design. If clients are leaning towards outdated styles, we work with them to provide more modern or contemporary suggestions all while making sure they love our input.

What are you currently working on?
A handful of new construction projects, all single-family custom mountain homes, and a handful of remodels. We’re throughout the design process constantly; always seem to be starting something new when we’re upon completion for another.

Since remodels are relatively new to Collective, how do you compare them to your new construction projects?
Our remodel projects are all different in size and scope, from a fireplace addition to a four thousand square foot home renovation and addition. They definitely present their own challenge; working on a building that already exists and turning it into a home that feels fresh and new. It’s exciting to take on different types of projects. We typically work on additions, an extra garage with a bedroom above, for example. Sometimes we move a few walls to open up a room or add walls to create new spaces.

Many of our remodel clients are those who own short-term rentals. They want to keep their home up to date and relevant for those looking to book lodging in the area.

Do you have a current favorite project? Not one specifically. I love pieces of each. Every time there’s something unique and creative to a project, I get more excited. For instance, adding a small climbing wall to the bunk room or showcasing sharp exterior lines, flat roofs and unique deck situations are all things across different projects that have me excited right now.

How do you influence sustainability in your designs? We are constantly thinking about passive sustainable practices. We take into consideration the orientation of the house and where the windows are located so that natural light can heat the house in the winter and keep it cool in the summer. We’re always pre-wiring homes to have solar or have the option to add solar in the future. We also include electric car charging battery ports in the garages fairly often.

What do you like best about your line of work? I love seeing people excited about the final product. For some, we’re building their dream home. For others, it’s their legacy project that they’ll able to pass down to their children, and their children’s children. It’s all about helping our clients meet their goals through architecture.

What made you want to be a part of the Collective team? Collective has an incredible understanding of the market, and what good design looks like. We’re always working on unique and exciting projects and have amazing clients.

What sets Collective apart from other architects? The fact that we are design-build. We have architecture, interior design, construction, estimating and lodging all under one roof. We have a really good understanding of where the market is, what things will cost overall, and what’s trending. Overall, because we employ experts in so many areas, we make a great team, and are able to design, build, furnish, manage, and rent some truly incredible homes!

If you want to learn more about our architecture services, whether you want to build a new home or remodel, get in touch with our team today.

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Remodel Before & After

BEFORE & AFTER: HOW TO TRANSFORM A LOG HOME
INTO A TIMELESS CLASSIC

This Edwards home has a remodel story that only a pandemic could produce: The owners found themselves quarantined in the home—tucked in the beloved community of Cordillera—during the COVID-19 pandemic. They had approached Collective Design Director, Lisa Yates, to help them remodel their kitchen, but the longer the pandemic wore on, the more they noticed other areas of their home they wanted to change: the dining room, the living room, the main bedroom suite, the mud room and laundry…Before long, the list of areas the owners wanted to transform included nearly every space in the 4,780 square-foot home.

Yates was up for the challenge her clients (and a worldwide pandemic) offered: In lieu of meeting in person, they connected virtually, selecting all finishes and fixtures, furnishings, and décor to give the home a warm, modern feel within the context of its original architecture. The owners wanted Yates to replace the home’s dated and overly ornate elements with a holistic look that was both casual and classic. And instead of ignoring the interior log details, the clients asked Yates to craft a design that embraced them while still giving them a brighter, more modern aesthetic.

For the kitchen, Yates revamped the island shape to make the kitchen more expansive and specified cabinetry in two different finishes from Leadville-based Cutting Edge Woodworking: The kitchen perimeter cabinets are painted Benjamin Moore’s Dorian Gray, while those on the island are finished in a warm brown finish dubbed “Spanish Oak.” Cardoso Black granite countertops on the perimeter and White Pearl quartzite in a leathered finish on the island add to the kitchen’s palette of layered neutrals. New furnishings and a modern light fixture in the breakfast nook make the kitchen a delightful place to enjoy morning coffee, prep dinner, and host guests.

The adjacent living room got an overhaul that began with the fireplace surround: Fresh stacked stone and a more contemporary sandstone mantel set the tone for the space’s new vibe. Yates replaced dated furnishings with a large sectional from Lee Industries and nesting cocktail tables. The simple, elegant lines of the furnishings and the muted color palette help draw attention to the beautiful views from the room’s large window.

One of the designer’s favorite elements in the home is the master bedroom’s live-edge wood headboard, crafted by one of Collective’s custom fabricators. Against the silk Phillip Jeffries wallcovering, the bed is a handsome standout—a contemporary riff on high-country design. Details such as custom pillows from Kravet and lamps from Jamie Young Co. add to the room’s elevated feel.

“It’s been really enjoyable to see the evolution of Cordillera throughout the years and be a part of a project that can carry the neighborhood into a new generation,” said Yates in her recent video interview.

The home’s transformation underscores Collective’s ability to slide seamlessly along the spectrum between traditional and modern to deliver the exact look and feel each client desires. We’re always eager to work with homeowners to create their dream homes—whether your project is a new build, a kitchen remodel, or anything in between. Contact us here to begin a conversation about how Collective’s team can help you achieve your home-design goals.

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