Sarahliz Lawson is no stranger to a “design conundrum” or two. However, in Big Sky, Montana—the conundrum was less about floor plan and color palette, and more about needing a crane to get all of the furniture inside. But the bigger the challenge, the bigger the payoff. She tells us more about this beautiful new construction home—filled with refined furnishings and an exceptional art collection—and shares a few of her favorite details along the way.

First, we’d love to know a bit about your clients. Who were you designing for?
The clients are Silicon Valley execs with exceptional taste in art. They were looking for a well-curated collection of modern furniture, lighting, and art, that was not only appropriate for the locale, but also suitable for their growing family.

Let’s talk about the locale! Where is the property?
This project is located at the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana. It is a part of a group of new units at the Yellowstone Club called the Eglise Residences. This unit is unique because it has double height ceilings, framed views of the surrounding mountains, is ski-in-ski out, and is conveniently located next to the gondola.

What was your scope of work? 
This was a new-build, and we were involved from the beginning in most decisions, including cabinet colors, stone and slab finish selections, lighting selections, furniture, art, window treatments and all custom built-ins, including the media cabinet design, the bunkroom design, and the primary bedroom built-in bed design. The style is modern, classy, refined, and timeless all at once.

Was it smooth sailing, or did this project have any challenges?
This project did have its share of challenges, including extreme delays due to supply chain issues on the construction side. We started this project during Covid and were supposed to finish in 2022 but the installation got pushed out almost a year from its original date.  

Also, there were the logistics of craning 100% of the furniture up into the unit and over the living room balcony, and then using a hand crank to hoist the upper level furniture over another railing, into the loft, to get it to its respective room.    

It’s beautiful—certainly worth the wait and extra work! Finally, we’d love to call attention to some of the art in the space. There are some incredible pieces here!
The owners are art collectors so there is some really special original art in this home, including (2) original Banksys, (2) original Pisarros, (2) Sujimotos, and a sublime large-scale work by Guillermo Kuitca, which sits on the large wall in the living room. Kuitca is an Argentine artist living and working in Buenos Aires with work in galleries all around the world.  We sourced that piece from the Hauser and Wirth Gallery in New York.

For more details + furniture sources, check out the slideshow.

Originally published April 20, 2023.