Gros Ventre Overlook

+ Story by Meg Daly
+ Photography by David Agnello & David Swift

The secluded lot on North Gros Ventre Butte invited a new perspective on design—and living.

Nestled near a copse of aspen, the home site does not face classic Teton views. Instead, the property offers sweeping vistas of the Snake River Range, Cache Creek Range and the Sleeping Indian. Rather than dominating its surroundings, the house “sits quietly on the land,” says architect Stephen Dynia.

The homeowners chose Dynia based on his portfolio of innovative design. A prototypical Western log lodge was not what they were after. They embraced Dynia’s philosophy of finding new ways of living in Wyoming beyond what he calls “pioneer nostalgia.”

Hallway

This textural rug mirrors the spring green of new aspen trees framed in the far window. In winter, the rug brings color and warmth when hillsides are white.

“Jackson is a frontier for new ideas,” Dynia says. The 6,000-plus-square-foot home takes an L-shape. With its clean lines, nothing gets in the way of the views and surrounding natural flora. “The home is simultaneously open and intimate,” Dynia says. “We took our inspiration from nature.”

Interior designer Jacque Jenkins-Stireman used natural colors and textures that speak to the outdoors. Her custom-designed case goods were created specifically for this home. Jenkins-Stireman says she looks at the entirety of how clients live in their homes and how sunlight, even moonlight, moves through rooms to enrich the living experience.

The concept of bringing the outside in was both “fun and challenging,” builder John Walker of Mill Iron Timberworks says. “My role is to take what the architect and interior designer want and make it come together,” Walker says.

Dining Room

Thoughtful details run throughout the home, where motifs of gentle curves play against angularity, creating a lively yet uncluttered environment.

“What is different about this house is that both the view and sunlight are to the south,” says architect Dynia. “We created an intimate uphill courtyard on the north side, with open access to the valley on the south side.”

Innovative Angles

The roof extends 8 feet out from the building’s walls and cantilevers the other direction over another wing of the house.

Rooms and spaces within the home feel warm and welcoming, not daunting or arid. Lighting rails, steel stair railings and window frames— all in black—delineate space. Triple-paned windows from a German company provide excellent insulation as well as passive solar heat. Acid-stained concrete floors add an element of earthiness. Sapele wood cupboards in the kitchen reveal a dramatic grain that will become deeper and richer over time.