In rare, best-case scenarios, renovating a home is a license to dream, an opportunity to compose a personal fantasy world that suits practical dictates
and whimsical desires. intuiting his art collector client’s wishes for a complete
interior update of a vacation retreat in aspen, Colorado, designer frank de Biasi
composed the perfect assemblage, exceeding expectations for a beautiful living
space and fitting gallery backdrop.
De Biasi’s acclaimed design talent is a known commodity to the homeowner, an avid collector, museum benefactor and philanthropist. “Our primary
objective was to make the plan more useful for the owner as a getaway place
for a family with four young children,” says de Biasi, who was brought on board
at the time of purchase. “he had very distinct ideas about what he envisioned for
the house: something comfortable and inviting, but definitely interesting and edgy
enough to stand up to the art.”
It’s an incredible house with a clear, yet understated, sense of place,” de Biasi states. Originally built in the 1970s and designed by skidmore, Owings & Merrill, “
the sprawling structure is a subtle counterpoint to its majestic setting. nestled quietly
on a hillside surrounded by mountains and wilderness areas, it overlooks a natural
mesa that changes seasonally from riotous wildflower hues to ethereal, snow-clad
landscape. while the home’s multitiered floor plan was left intact, the space was
gutted, reconfigured and refurbished with all new flooring, windows and copious
architectural detailing.
Cued by an exterior of reclaimed wood, one might expect to find the usual ski lodge theme inside. instead, the interiors unfold with a surprising tour de
force of color and composition. “the client didn’t want the ubiquitous white-walled
gallery,” says de Biasi. “white wouldn’t give us the comfort level we were striving for,
plus, with the exception of some specially commissioned pieces that are stationary,
we needed to arrange the space in such a way that afforded the owner flexibility
to change out pieces at will.”
For his color palette, de Biasi drew inspiration from the sky and the outdoor view and was also guided by the owner's trove of vibrant paintings, sculptures
and furniture art. the juxtaposition of edgy works in the entry foyer signals the
unexpected and irreverent tone that prevails throughout. de Biasi defined the
space with large, shaved beams of reclaimed chestnut and oversized bluestone
tile on the floor. a contemporary work from the owner’s private collection provides
a riveting focal point: the imposing gilded and cast bronze armoire with a gigantic
“bullet hole” shot through the door from studio Job’s robber Baron series is based
on a seventeenth-century original from the workshop of french cabinetmaker
andré-Charles Boulle and intended to poke fun at the extravagances of america’s
nineteenth-century tycoons. a pair of multicolored sushi iV chairs made of recycled
materials by Brazilian design duo humberto and fernando Campana are a
whimsical wink.
