Commune Design makes decor look easy. The LA-based studio is, in fact, a master of the modern American aesthetic, artfully spearheading a hugely influential blend of mid-century furniture with folk art, taking cues from both the ruggedness of the Wild West and the understated luxe vibe that characterizes the West Coast.
But because all of its projects, from the Ace Hotels in places like Palm Springs and Kyoto to private homes across the USA, all just look so comfortable, it’s easy to miss the skill and attention to detail that goes into each space.
‘People do feel that our interiors are very comfy,’ says Roman Alonso, Commune’s founder and principal designer. ‘But that’s because we always design them for the person who lives there – or who will visit if it’s a hotel. We get interested – no, obsessed – with how people live and want to make sure that everything they need is always at arm’s reach.’
This approach was no less true at Commune Design’s recent 3,350 square metre residential project in the Yellowstone Club, an exclusive ski resort sprinkled with private homes in Big Sky, Montana.
‘The owners have four grown-up kids and were looking for a perfect vacation home to spend the ski season in, one they wouldn’t rent out but would spend time in as a family and entertaining their friends,’ Roman says. ‘We really wanted the house to feel different from what you might expect, with none of the trite or trope-y Western things you often get in ski homes in Montana – so no antlers and no taxidermy. This had to be easy to live in and, above all, fun to have people over to.’
That meant working hard to create cozy nooks in the vast and vaulted rooms. ‘The seating arrangements had to be very cocktail-compatible,’ Roman says, pointing to the formulation of sofa and chairs all angled towards each other in a living room, almost creating a room within the room that steals focus from the gigantic windows and the stellar views of those (oftentimes) snowy mountains.
‘Had we been doing the architecture of this home, rather than inheriting an already-developed home, we might have framed those views more and not had quite such big windows,’ Roman says. ‘Of course, the views are part of the draw of the home, but we wanted to make sure people were able to have other experiences other than looking at the mountains. In fact, we ended up treating them like wallpaper and pulling the eye to areas like the sculptural fireplace or the art on the walls or to the people you’re with, in the case of how the furniture was laid. It just gives an opportunity for life – and the way you use the house – to be a little bit more intimate.’
The fireplace was a moment Roman is particularly proud of. ‘We thought of doing a copper fireplace, but in the end decided it would just be too Western, too expected,’ he says. ‘So then we asked a scenic painter if he would be able to create a plaster material that could have copper powder in it and after much experimentation, he could.’
An innovative idea, it means that the fireplace will change almost as quickly as the scenery outside will through the seasons. ‘It’s alive,’ Roman says. ‘It has the ability to alter and patina over time, oxidizing and shifting.’
The overall effect, as you wander around the three-storey home, through the games room, gym, bunk room and ski room on the lower ground floor and around the open-plan living areas above, is of a place you can sink into, despite the grandness of its proportions and the impressiveness of the location. ‘It’s very relaxed, but the owners invested in wonderful and refined things,’ Roman says. ‘They knew the power of – and why you’d want to live with – good fabrics.’
Upholstery was sourced from brands like Christopher Farr and JAB US and helped to create a palette of blues, greens and daring dashes of red. ‘We were inspired by the abundant nature surrounding the home,’ Roman says. ‘The blue of the incredible sky, the greens from the lush forests and then the reds that are found in the native woods, which we used to add a few racy elements, covering the cabinets in the ski room to create a chalet feel, making it all just a little sportier.’
