A Large Colorado Cabin Cultivates Cozy with Dark Paint Colors

Name: Katie Colleran
Location: West Dover, Vermont
Size: 3,000 square feet
Years lived in: 4 months, owned

My husband Tom and I had been toying with the idea of making over a rental house for a while when we stumbled on this 1965 cabin at the foot of Mount Snow in West Dover, Vermont. The house had been sitting vacant for several years when we bought it, and it was full of all kinds of not-so-delightful little treats: two pairs of men’s boxers from the early aughts! An actual sad clown painting! A dead mouse! Our family and friends—and their dogs—all came up to help us whip it into shape, which was really fun and special. Pulling out a million carpet staples goes a lot faster when you’ve got good company.

The house has six bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a bunch of cozy common spaces, which makes it ideal for big ski weekends, but we really wanted to turn it into more than just a dumping ground for wet clothes at the end of the day. We ripped up the carpets and gave the whole place a fresh coat of paint (Benjamin Moore Raccoon Fur for the win), then furnished it with a combination of secondhand scores, Craigslist pieces, and a few strategic IKEA finds. We finished up with art by our friend Jodie Baehre, my Italian grandma’s antique cookie jar, and as many throw pillows and blankets as we could get our hands on. I love the kind of cozy, vintage minimalism you find at places like Scribner’s Catskill Lodge and Audrey’s Farmhouse, so I wanted to try and recreate that feeling here.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Modern, cozy New England minimalism.

What is your favorite room and why? The living room, dining room, and kitchen are all one open space, with big windows that look out onto a copse of pine trees and a wood-burning fireplace. We’ve only had the house a few months, but we’ve already spent a bunch of nights in front of the fire, drinking wine and playing Scrabble, and listening to music. I also love waking up early, making coffee, and watching the snow out the kitchen window.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? A giant papier-mâché stag head from Restoration Hardware. I’d planned for him to live above the mantel, but I didn’t measure like a dummy and he’s way too big. We call him George.

Thanks, Katie!

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