Tour this quietly elegant Aspen house which interlinks art and nature
N'Vitale is a Colorado house designed by CCY Architects to provide a serene space to admire art amidst dramatic scenery

N'Vitale is an Aspen house quietly tucked away on a knoll, gracing over a high alpine valley in Colorado; it is also CCY Architects' latest project completion. The design studio, based locally, in the Rocky Mountains, is used to negotiating the environment's dramatic landscape to create projects that lap up the views, and this latest scheme here is no exception. With panoramic vistas across its six-acre parcel, it overlooks a dense evergreen forest to the south, a native Gambel Oak landscape to the north, and an Aspen grove between them. It's a marvellous plot designed to embrace the surrounding beauty.
Step inside N'Vitale, a quietly elegant Aspen house
The home was designed for an art-loving couple who wanted this mountain retreat to be a personal showcase of their painting, photography and sculpture collection. Although a residence first and foremost, its interconnected volumes also offer a tranquil gallery space, playing a part in its overall, contemporary feel.
The design studio noted the clients' wish for the residence to embrace the rich diversity of the site, which is no stranger to rambling foxes, black bears, elk, and mule deer.
With access to skiing and convenient proximity to town, the residence is a comfortable retreat which offers a pool, gym and spa treatment room.
The main structure of the house and its guest wing is conceived in a weathered steel box encasing a glass pavilion and a gentle winged roof. The latter gives the house a low-lying presence on the land while playing with the light as it trickles through the living spaces.
The use of both transparent and opaque materials offers a playful take on indoor-outdoor living. It helps create a cosy, private interior during the crisp winter seasons, while movement from nature is still invited in through the large windows which frame the expansive evergreen forest.
Further emphasising the client's art collection, the home was designed to feature appropriate levels of lighting allowing for pockets of exhibition opportunities. Meanwhile, the entrance axis is cleverly aligned with an outdoor sculpture. The owners view this house as a lasting legacy to be enjoyed by themselves and their children.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
With that in mind, sustainable architecture principles sit at the heart of the design too. Passive ventilation is prioritised, alongside solar panels to offset the house’s energy consumption. The garage is fitted with electric car chargers, and all appliances are highly rated for their power usage needs.
Combining crisp and comfortable contemporary design with respect for its surrounding nature, this Aspen house will no doubt be enjoyed by the clients and their families for generations to come.
Tianna Williams is Wallpaper*s staff writer. Before joining the team in 2023, she contributed to BBC Wales, SurfGirl Magazine, Parisian Vibe, The Rakish Gent, and Country Life, with work spanning from social media content creation to editorial. When she isn’t writing extensively across varying content pillars ranging from design, and architecture to travel, and art, she also helps put together the daily newsletter. She enjoys speaking to emerging artists, designers, and architects, writing about gorgeously designed houses and restaurants, and day-dreaming about her next travel destination.
-
An architect’s own home offers a refined and leafy retreat from its East London surroundings
Studioshaw has completed a courtyard house in amongst a cluster of traditional terraced houses, harnessing the sun and plenty of greenery to bolster privacy and warmth
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Finlandia Hall bistro blends culinary indulgence with reborn modernism
Finlandia Hall bistro opens in Helsinki, adding a foodie dimension to the Finnish modernist architecture marvel by Alvar Aalto
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Reimagining remembrance: Urn Studios introduces artistic urns to the UK
Bridging the gap between art and memory, Urn Studios offers contemporary, handcrafted funeral urns designed to be proudly displayed
By Ali Morris Published
-
Step inside this furniture gallerist's live-work space by Steven Holl in upstate New York
Designed by Steven Holl for modern furniture gallerists Mark McDonald and Dwayne Resnick, this live-work space in upstate New York is a midcentury collector’s paradise
By Michael Webb Published
-
Remembering architect Ricardo Scofidio (1935 – 2025)
Ricardo Scofidio, seminal architect and co-founder of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, has died, aged 89; we honour his passing and celebrate his life
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Is the U.S. about to sell dozens of architecturally-significant government buildings?
It depends, the Trump administration says
By Anna Fixsen Published
-
10 emerging Californian practices rethink architecture in the Golden State
We highlight ten emerging Californian practices that are redrawing the borders of traditional architecture with their unique creative explorations
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills launches: we take the tour
Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills launches to a design by Thomas Juul-Hansen, marking the brand's first standalone home project in the swanky Los Angeles neighbourhood
By Carole Dixon Published
-
Rebuilding LA: Altadena architects talk after the fire
A discussion with Altadena’s architects about bringing a devastated Los Angeles back to life after the January 2025 fires launches our ‘Rebuilding LA’ series
By Mimi Zeiger Published
-
This narrow home in San Francisco is a modern take on treehouse living
In San Francisco, a narrow home by Dumican Mosey Architects, Dolores Heights House, is a demonstration of how to make the most of an awkward plot, creating an expansive home overlooking the trees
By Tianna Williams Published
-
This Rocky Mountains house is a ski-lover's dream escape
Bozeman, a Rocky Mountains house by Pearson Design Group and Frederick Tang Architecture, is a contemporary retreat that sits low in its natural, Montana setting
By Tianna Williams Published