The Peak of Rustic Chic

If you haven't picked up the latest issue of Elle Decor, I'll ruin it for you. I got mine the other day and while laying in bed last night, I virtually escaped to this beautiful country place in the Sawtooth Mountains in Ketchum, Idaho -- the American Alps as they are called.

"The beauty of these majestic mountains (not to mention the world-class skiing) has been luring Rusty and Mary Lynn Turner and their three children here from their native Newport Beach, California, for more than a quarter century. But it was only three years ago that the couple decided to build their ideal family retreat, one that Mary Lynn, an interior designer, insisted appear as if it had been there all along. 'I always wanted to do something rustic,” she says, “but I didn’t want a luxury log home or a modern ski chalet. I wanted a house that looked like we had rescued it, like we brought it back to life.'" In my opinion, that's the only way to do it.

With daughters Emily and Marie, Lynn set out to make her dream come true. Her inspiration were the Old World barns that dot the European countryside. For years, Mary Lynn had been filing away pictures of stone farmhouses snapped on repeated visits to Provence that she knew she would one day draw inspiration from.

I don't want to ruin the rest of the story for you of how she set about to build her home, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek at the finished result. Get yourself a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the view!


I just adore the mixing and matching of these dining room chairs. The "captain's" chairs on each end are beautiful Louis XIII style arm chairs, almost exactly like the ones I just recently restored for my store.

These have not yet been listed on 1stdibs... but I'm dying to show them off. Completely restored down to the springs, these highly detailed carved arm chairs were upholstered in thick Belgian linen and french brass tacks.



Sorry, I digressed.......

Now, back to Mary Lynn's beautiful home in the Sawtooth mountains....

Can you imagine waking up to this beauty?????

Mother and daughter design team - Mary Lynn, Marie, and Emily.

I love the white linen sofa. For a similar version, check out the Belgian Linen Slipcovered Roma sofa.

My children would adore these bunkbeds!

Photos from Elle Decor, December 2010 issue

Hope you enjoyed the tour.