If you’re the jet-set type, Aspen is the domestic ski destination in the nation. But Aspen serves a different purpose for Carrie Bellotti, a jet-setter herself. It’s not only her childhood home, it’s her current home: The place she has returned to, after traveling the world, to raise her own children.

Having lived in Singapore, New York and London with her Australian husband, an investment banker turned developer, Carrie came home to the snowy peaks and flower-strewn meadows of her youth. And after searching for the perfect location, the Bellottis stumbled upon a site like no other, high atop West Buttermilk Mountain. “The views are just incredible,” says 36-year-old Carrie, mother of 3-year-old Wyatt and 6-month-old Carlyle and owner of O2 Aspen, a downtown yoga and Pilates studio and day spa. “You feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, yet [the house] is just four minutes from town.”

The living room is a study of textures, from the clean lines of the fireplace’s smooth limestone to the textured stone walls and the coffee table, a converted zinc-topped teak door from India. (Click image to enlarge)

To the Bellottis, Aspen is the “greatest square mile on earth.” But they didn’t want their home to take on Aspen’s predictable mountain-lodge look. Instead, they envisioned an old-world villa sprinkled with touches of modernity.  And the 11,400-square-foot house, which is now on the market, is all that and more: a sophisticated mountain dwelling that’s an amalgam of memories gleaned from the family’s world travels, as well as a living monument to the home’s architect, Carrie’s brother-in-law Thompson Schutz.
For Schutz, who restored Aspen’s historic Andres building (now a Prada store) and helped design the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., this home was to be his pièce de résistance, but he became ill with cancer halfway through the project, leaving many calculations to his assistant. “[He] had to figure out a lot of the things that were in Thom’s head and never got translated onto paper,” Carrie says, alluding to the massive steel supports that frame the structure’s airy interiors. “There aren’t many houses like this in Aspen.”

Likewise, there aren’t many residential interiors like the Bellottis’ home. Gazing at the downstairs dedicated theater, it’s clear that Carrie’s tastes are young, modern and energetic, and that they steer clear of the lodge look.  To help achieve her vision, Carrie worked with interior designer Kathy Hansel-Lock, whose use of color, rich textures and unconventional shapes is evidenced throughout the home.  “Carrie knows what she likes because of her travels and exposure to very fine things,” Hansel-Lock says.

The bedroom’s warm hues lend a sense of restfulness to the contemporary furnishings, which are protected from the sun by automated blinds; a 24-inch Sony flat-screen TV is concealed in a Chinese armoire opposite the bed. (Click image to enlarge)

Rich cherry woodwork softens the home’s towering stone walls and countertops. Railings, light fixtures and the surrounds of the home’s five fireplaces were handwrought by Flying Dog Forge Inc. in nearby Carbondale. Massive arches of Kansas cream limestone frame the entrances and windows on the first floor.  “I wanted to make it feel like a Colorado home minus the antlers, fur and flagstone,” Hansel-Lock says.

The dining room boasts the same rough-hewn limestone treatment seen throughout the house. Anchoring the space is a walnut dining room table that can accommodate 12 guests. “Ennis Horses No. 7” by Theodore Waddell is from the Duval Smart Gallery in Aspen. (Click image to enlarge)

Floors are bathed in that same cream limestone, and they, like the kitchen’s ironwork and the weave of the sisal-looking wool carpeting, are marked by a raised pyramid motif—a recurring design element in the home.  The pattern is particularly striking in the spectacular gallery that encircles the main living areas like an ancient coliseum. Here, antiquity plays off austerity; old-world textures and earthen hues commingle with Asian-inspired minimalism.
The home’s elite technology, designed and orchestrated by Aspen-based ESC (Electronic Systems Consultants), allows alterations to the lighting, heating, air-conditioning, security, and music selection and volume to work like magic. Making such modifications requires little effort, thanks to various subtly designed and strategically positioned keypads. The high-end audio system is woven throughout the house—even in the master shower, steam room and outdoor hot tub, making music an integral part of the homeowners’ lives.

Gold hues cast the theater in a warm glow as evidenced by textured fabrics and a handblown Italian amber glass lamp, circa 1940. (Click image to enlarge)

In the theater, practicality trumps design somewhat because of the entertainment room’s basement location and technical requirements. Nevertheless, the intimate space is visually stunning—a sophisticated-yet-approachable room that’s comfortable, casual and user-friendly.  Colors are warm with traditional undertones to complement the custom woodworking, yet the space is bold in attitude.  “We wanted it to feel like a living room, not like a theater where the seats are lined up,” Hansel-Lock says.
Cherry wainscoting warms the walls here just as it does throughout the home.  Taupe fabric-clad acoustic panels, one of which conceals a secret door leading to the equipment room, top the wainscoting. The illuminated recessed cove above elongates the ceiling’s 9-foot height, casting a dramatic yet delicate wash of light throughout the room. Art Deco-style sconces of hand-painted silk flank the viewing screen, which, when raised, reveals a handmade cherry cabinet for additional equipment storage.

“There’s also room to hang a large piece of art behind the screen,” says Hansel-Lock of the theater, which has a 1930s or 1940s look to it.  “You could have a cocktail party here or listen to music. It’s a very multifunctional room.”

The space’s small size works to make the viewing experience intimate and extraordinary. “Because it’s small, the sound is really intense,” Hansel-Lock continues. “Once you close the door, you’re in a cocoon.”

The cherry coffee table is a custom design that disguises the 10-inch-thick bundle of wires linking the space to the AMX Viewpoint touchscreen remote control; it also allows for the addition of game machines, laptops and digital music players. Each of the three down-filled sofas upholstered in caramel-colored mohair was approved by the sound technician for bounce and absorption. A platform raises the sofa about one foot, ensuring a clear view of the screen.

Wall speakers supplement handsome freestanding Meridian DSP 8000 digital loudspeakers at the room’s front, creating state-of-the-art surround sound. Using the AMX keypad, the homeowners can control lighting, temperature and music playlists for the entire house—an especially handy tool if the dinner party spills into the theater. Guests can even check stock-market prices or weather on the touchscreen control panel.

Every ESC equipment room is meticulous in its design—from the carefully wrapped wiring to each stacked and labeled piece of gear. (Click image to enlarge)

Need another bottle of wine while entertaining? The cellar and tasting room are just around the corner.  The beautiful space looks as if it were culled from a European castle with its dry-stack farmer stone walls, oak floors, barrel-vault ceiling and leather chairs. Delicate recessed lighting, massive 5-foot-tall Indonesian pillar candlesticks, and a pair of antique lanterns lend a romantic glow. Glass doors at either end offer views into the storage room.

Downstairs in the comfortable library, guests can cuddle up on a 6-by-6-foot ottoman flanked by a sofa and cozy reading chairs. ESC custom designed a sturdy mechanism that allows the 42-inch Sony plasma TV to swing out for optimum viewing. (Click image to enlarge)

The cellar, of course, is monitored by the home’s AMX system. If the temperature rises or falls to a level that’s detrimental to the wine, a tripped alarm sends an e-mail to the appropriate parties so a repair person can be called before any wine is damaged.

“[The home theater] is absolutely top of the line,” Carrie says. “We went all out and made it spectacular. It’s such a high-quality TV, and the screen, projector and sound are brilliant. Once you watch a movie in there you won’t be able to watch a movie any other way.” For real estate information about the Bellotti home, please contact Aspen Real Estate Co. (970.920.2006) or Lorrie B. Aspen (970.920.0020).