Tour a Ski-In, Ski-Out House in Big Sky, Montana, That Sleeps 21
The way New York City–based homeowners Arani and Shumita Bose tell it, their ski house in Big Sky, Montana, came to fruition during a coffee break. In 2015, seeking a quick winter vacation out West, where Shumita grew up and Arani went to medical school, they found themselves a bit more north on a recommendation from friends. “We had this incredible three days [in Big Sky] and kept going back” annually, says Shumita. “It felt like Colorado in the ’70s or ’80s before the big boom and that was really appealing.” On another trip three years later, while she was at a downtown café with her cousins, Arani disappeared into the real estate office next door. Soon after, the couple purchased the last remaining plot on a mountain at Moonlight Basin—a steep site at just over 8,300 feet elevation with spectacular views of the Spanish peaks and Madison Valley.
Though the Boses admit that they are not big skiers themselves, their two children and extended relatives enjoy the sport. “It made sense for our family; as much as a completely superfluous ski house can,” jokes Arani. Having worked with O’Neill Rose Architects on two previous residential projects, the homeowners knew principals Devin O’Neill and Faith Rose were the right choice to design this ground-up abode.
The site’s dramatic slope was reminiscent of a cantilevered house on a mountain in Japan that the Boses had been drawn to in a design magazine; they also wanted a place that felt unfussy and comfortable for large groups. After an unlucky flight diversion on his way to walk the lot for the first time, O’Neill took an ultimately inspirational two-hour drive and became acquainted with rural Montana’s architectural vernacular: mining structures and snow fences. “We wanted the house to be like those snow fences in a way,” he says, “to work with the land and to create spaces where you can engage the landscape.”
The result is a marriage of these ideas: a 10,500-square-foot home partly embedded in its mountainside with a roofline that climbs and descends to frame both mountain and valley vistas. In the sections not glazed with high-performance triple-pane windows, its upper levels are protected by wood screens charred in the Japanese shou sugi ban preservation technique. On the outdoor terraces, they hold back snow banks and catch glistening flakes.
“Giving a sense of the exterior as part of the interior of the house was also really important to us,” explains O’Neill. Silver Cloud granite flooring spans the outdoor entrance area and the entire first floor of the house. Large blocks of it also build a firepit’s amphitheater-style seating. His firm collaborated with woodworker Martin Nielsen of Ocular on custom ash millwork throughout the home, often fluted to recall the lodgepole pine trees that dot the surrounding landscape. A custom glaze by Made A Mano for the Basaltina tile in the primary bathroom (complete with a corner soaking tub) is meant to create “an evening sky on the walls,” the architect continues.
The Boses admit that they are an “informal” family for whom meals and group activities tend to skew more spontaneous. One of the most-loved spaces in the house is the kitchen’s lava-stone-topped circular island, where pizzas are prepared for the oven integrated into a bespoke blue-oiled ash pantry. A sophisticated speaker system by Oswalds Mill Audio allows their love of music to fill this space, whose sculptural ceiling is made of acoustical plaster by Baswa. A feat at such an elevation, a custom steel-and-soapstone fireplace heats the adjacent open-plan living room, decorated with sofas by O’Neill Rose Architects and Piero Lissoni, a ceramic side table by Eny Lee Parker, and a vintage Moroccan rug underfoot. Selene Privitera of Chora consulted on the home’s cozy yet sophisticated interiors.
A certain hermitage is celebrated in this house, which sleeps 21 people in bedrooms with a higher oxygen level to help with altitude acclimatization and has a ski-in, ski-out terrace and custom hot tub that targets aching paraspinal muscles. A movie theater, game room, and extensive wine storage mean that after a day in the snow, there’s no need to leave again.
“We wanted a place that felt like you could go ski a few runs, come back in, have a glass of wine or a cup of hot chocolate, and rest for a while,” says Arani. Low stakes, flexible fun. “I guess that’s more our style,” admits Shumita.
1/23The home’s architectural design was inspired by local snow fences and mining structures, and dramatically frames surrounding views of the Spanish Peaks and Ennis valley.
2/23Shou sugi ban screens wrap some exteriors of the house and hold back snow banks and create outdoor terraces.
3/23Bespoke ski lockers in the mudroom are lit by a 1950s Italian pendant.
4/23A 1950s teak-and-leather armchair by Ib Kofod-Larsen is positioned to take in a Spanish Peaks view from the living room, which has the same Silver Cloud granite tile flooring as the exterior terraces.
5/23Throughout the house, the bespoke fluted ash millwork by Martin Nielsen of Ocular took inspiration from the area’s lodgepole pine trees. O’Neill Rose Architects designed, and Two Foot | Ten Foot Fireplaces fabricated, the blackened steel-faced fireplace in the living room with a soapstone hearth and surround that act as a natural thermal curtain. Modular sofa by Piero Lissoni in a Romo fabric; ceramic side table by Eny Lee Parker.
6/23In the dining room, a custom pantry fabricated by Ocular of blue oiled ash has an integrated speaker system by Oswalds Mill Audio; the sculptural plaster ceiling was designed for acoustic performance. A custom pendant by Tiarra Bell hangs over the walnut dining table by Christian Troels and Jacob Plejdrup set with B.B.P.R. chairs from Arflex.
7/23Copenhagen-based Garde Hvasloe made the custom zinc and ash kitchen prep area. When detached from its lava stone–topped circular island, the bespoke table—surrounded by Bruno Rey chairs and stools from Hay—can be extended to accommodate larger family gatherings around the integrated pizza oven.
8/23A pair of 1940s sheepskin armchairs and ottomans, a side table by Pierre Yovanovitch, and a vintage Swedish floor lamp create a cozy sitting area off the kitchen.
9/23The primary bedroom features a cozy sitting area with a pair of 1950s Guglielmo Veronesi armchairs and a 1940s Ignazio Gardella floor lamp in front of the wood-burning fireplace. A 1950s Venini chandelier hangs overhead.
10/23For the primary bathroom’s Basaltina vanity and wall tiles, O’Neill Rose Architects designed a custom glaze with Made A Mano that is meant to mimic the evening sky. The bespoke mirrors can pivot or swing away to reveal the view behind them. Fixtures by Dornbracht.
11/23The primary bathroom’s soaking tub is set in a corner, with windows both to the mountains and the valley.
12/23A 1960s Hans-Agne Jakobsson pendant hangs over a bedroom clad in ash millwork.
13/23A wood-burning fireplace heats the son’s room, where the headboard is by Thornam. Vintage Gino Sarfatti sconces.
14/23A vintage Guglielmo Veronesi sofa and Swedish floor lamp surround a cocktail table by Pierre Yovanovitch in the son’s bedroom. Vintage kilim rugs throughout. Selene Privitera of Chora consulted on the home’s interior design, selecting all lighting, rugs, and furniture.
15/23A vintage Hans Wegner chair sits at the custom desk and bookshelf in the daughter’s bedroom.
16/23The bespoke bunk room can sleep 10 guests. Lighting (from left) by Arne Jacobsen, Lisa Johansson-Pape, and Fontana Arte.
17/23The bunk room’s bathroom has an industrial pair of enamel bucket sinks by Alape with Dornbracht faucets affixed to a Silver Cloud granite-tiled wall. The floor is tiled in Basaltina; vintage Italian lighting.
18/23The basement game room features a pool table by Jory Brigham Design with a 1960s Italian chandelier overhead as well as a plush lounge and snack area (at right). 1950s Franco Buzzi wall light.
19/23A custom banquette in a Sahco fabric with Dedar wool cushions is built into a curved niche in the basement game room. Vintage Alvar Aalto for Artek stool; 1970s Swedish wall lights.
20/23The custom wine storage features the same fluted ash millwork.
21/23The hot tub was designed to be flush with the terrace and has a variety of seat heights and jets that target the paraspinal muscles for soakers.
22/23Blocks of Silver Cloud granite (seen here covered in snow) surround the outdoor firepit.
Photo: Matthew Millman and Jonathan Mitchell23/23Standing at over 8,300 feet elevation, the house’s stone base is cut into its dramatically steep site. Montana-based On Site Management served as the project’s general contractor.
