A smart design triumphs over a challenging lot at The Cliffs at Mountain Park
For empty nesters from Pennsylvania, a unique lot at The Cliffs at Mountain Park presented the potential for a dream home that felt tucked away while also maximizing the stunning mountain views. But after snagging the property, they wondered if they’d made the right choice.
“It’s a tricky lot,” says MHK architect Gray Dittenhauser, who designed the home. “It felt easy coming in, but then when you got here, it just dumped off of the side.”
Dittenhauser presented an innovative L-shaped design that allowed views straight through the home to the vistas beyond without pushing the structure too far back into the drop.
“I was sure they were going to shoot [the design] down, but they didn’t,” Gray says. “They saw the vision of how we could utilize the site in a really nice way and try to minimize the amount of foundation and earthwork that was required. It just led us to have a ton of freedom.”
MHK championed both the architecture and interior design. At just 3,200 square feet, the “jewel box” home that the clients were set on maximized every inch of the interior space, and their existing furniture allowed a truly contemporary approach to design.
“They really wanted all of these clean lines and a simplistic form on the inside so they could just let [the views] shine,” says interior designer Madelyn Lewis. “So that was the reason for the neutral palette. They came into it saying we want the inside to complement the outside.”
Partnering with luxury builder Osada Construction, the team crafted a modern home that feels both simple and luxurious, and still settles beautifully between the trees.
“We designed the home around the site,” Dittenhauser says, “Not making or forcing the house onto the unique site itself.”
Cliffs at Mountain Park Home Photo Tour
“I always feel like the library is in one of those rooms that all of us designers always want to do, but nobody has enough books,” says Dittenhauser. The client assured the team he had more than enough material to fill the shelves, and the room became a pivotal, usable space that united existing pieces, like the wood art buffet, with contemporary design, which includes glass-entry doors and panels to let the light flow through.
MHK Interior designer Madelyn Lewis worked with the clients to ensure the modern aesthetic felt welcoming and avoided cool tones. The wood ceiling lends a Scandinavian warmth, and fun mid-mod touches like the Nelson saucer bubble pendant and dining room set accentuate the clean lines of the walls and kitchen.
The clients opted to keep the TV downstairs, allowing the fireplace to become an uninterrupted centerpiece that truly lets the custom tilework glow. Keeping the porch open without screens was key to the design process, maintaining uninterrupted mountain views throughout the main floor.
Tucked into the back corner of the house, the master bedroom has long windows with views of the woods, giving it a cozy, treehouse feel. The recessed shelving nods to the clients’ functional and thoughtful design ethic. “They were really honest with themselves of ‘how do we actually use space,’” says Dittenhauser. “Not ‘what do I need for show when someone comes over, but how do I actually live.’”
The upstairs powder room allowed an opportunity for Lewis to use bold color amidst the overall clean aesthetic. Simple décor, like the floating sink, let the custom-blue tile make a big statement.
