Instead of Antlers, This Deer Valley House Nods to the Sun and the Moon

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staggered kitchen windows
Pendant Lamp, YLighting; Dining Table, EQ3; Dining Chairs, 1stDibs; Pillow, Jayson Home; Art, Maddie Michaels.

In approximately four hours and 40 minutes, Jan Kolteniuk and her family can go from the sun-drenched streets of Mexico City to the snowy mountains of Deer Valley, Utah (excluding traffic and waiting in line at security, of course). “It’s a direct flight to Salt Lake City,” notes Kolteniuk. She and her husband moved to Mexico City 16 years ago (he’s originally from there) but more recently fell in love with northern Utah, which shares its arid and dry weather. So when Mexico City fully shut down during the height of the pandemic, the couple and their three daughters (ages 13, 12, and 9) retreated to the States for a period of time and rented a house along the slopes. Not long after, they toured a 2,400-square-foot, circa-1980 place across the street that was for sale. 

“I saw it and I was like, what a dump,” recalls Kolteniuk. The main bedroom was not only painted purple, but there was a bathtub in the middle of the space. A huge dumbwaiter soaked up precious space on all three floors…even though it couldn’t fit more than one package at a time. But the beautiful cedar ceilings were a selling point. “It made it feel like a modern chalet to me,” she adds. Kolteniuk tasked Jennelle Butera of Hudson + Bloum Design with helping her bring a touch of Mexico to the ski retreat. In addition to strong doses of marigold (which, to Kolteniuk, largely symbolize the Day of the Dead), Butera steered clear of rustic neutrals. “Gray is all over the place in a lot of these mountain homes,” she points out. Antlers were also out of the question.

yellow leather sofa
Sconce, Paul Marra Oak; Sofa, Eternity Modern; Rug, Armadillo; Coffee Table, CB2; Side Table, Pfeifer Studio; Pillows, HK Living and Lulu and Georgia.
gray powder room wallpaper
Wallpaper, Kelly Wearstler; Sconce, Hudson Valley; Faucet, Graff; Mirror, All Modern.

The extra-large wall hanging in the living room by artists María Fernanda Camarena and Gabriel Rosas Alemán, known collectively as Celeste, sums up the final palette nicely with its natural tints of pink, burgundy, mustard, and copper. “It has mountains, it has the sun. It reminds me a lot of Utah,” says Kolteniuk. But when you lift up the top layer and reveal the piece underneath, you’ll notice it’s shaped like a hand.

orange and pink wall tapestry
Painting, Cuerpo Celeste; Ellis Sofa, American Leather; Spule Coffee Table, Stahl + Band; Trance Rug, Beni Rugs; Ramble Table Lamp, CB2; Side Table, Jayson Home; Herringbone Throw Blanket, Evangeline Linens; Paso Throw Pillow, Morrow Soft Goods.

La mano de Dios,” she adds. “It’s there for protection.” The celestial influences continue subtly in the form of half-moon–shaped and globe light fixtures. “I’m an all-day, all-night kind of lady,” says Kolteniuk. “There’s so much nature here that it really lent itself to that. I wanted the sun and the moon to be larger figures in the home.”

kitchen peninsula
Stools, Dennis Miller; Brass Sconce, Allied Maker; Vase, Park City Mercantile.

If the second-floor living area is a representation of warm weather, the kitchen (located on the house’s top level) delivers an icy touch with its White Beauty marble countertops. “It’s a really bold stone with almost-neon green but then chocolate and black,” Butera describes. Previously, there was a closet where the dining bench—now topped with Perennials performance fabric—is situated. Because this corner offers one of the best views in the house (you can see people skiing down the slope), they decided to give up the storage for seating. “I’ll sit there in the morning with my coffee and watch 20 people pass me,” says Kolteniuk. “Or later in the afternoon, as everyone is coming down and returning to their homes.” 

mudroom bench
Pillows, Jayson Home; Hooks, Etsy.
geometric wall mural
Wallpaper by Maddie Michaels, Country Eyes Ocean Heart; Carter Square Daybed, Pottery Barn Kids; Ringo, John and George, Filing ‘Help!’ Austria 1965 Framed Photograph, Morrison Hotel Gallery; Manta Performance Two-Sided Pillow by Schumacher Manta, 1stDibs; Estela Linen Waffle Throw Blanket, Cultiver; Henley Stripe Duvet Cover, RH Baby and Child.
geometric red wall decals
Lamp, Crate & Barrel; Chest, Dresser.

Soon after discovering a handmade, geometric wallpaper for the guest bedroom, Kolteniuk and Butera were hit with the sticker shock: $10,000. Instead, they tasked local artist Maddie Michaels with painting their own version of a shapely pattern on the walls for a quarter of the cost. The main bedroom features actual wallpaper, but it has its own trompe l’oeil effect (it looks like wood). 

blue bedroom wall
Paint, Benjamin Moore; Lamp, Stone & Sawyer; Side Table, CB2; Headboard, Moe’s Home; Bedding, Evangeline Linens; Pillow, Zak & Fox.
red tiled shower
Calcutta Penny Round Marble Tile, Tile Bar; Tor Brick Tile, Winchester Tile Company; Custom Vanity; Hardware, Earth Elements; Hans Sconce, Urban Electric Co.

While Kolteniuk remembers picking out the deep red tile for the primary bathroom steam shower (Butera had to pare back the cedarwood ceiling boards to make the space moisture-proof), she didn’t remember selecting the cranberry-hued wall-to-wall carpet for the girls’ shared bunk room. “I was like, oh, yes, we did,” says Butera with a laugh as she remembers her client’s stunned reaction. Though they both ultimately think the hue is an elevated touch, Kolteniuk points out that it’s only good-looking when it’s perfectly clean. “The amount of dust that shows up on a dark rug…” she warns. 

built in bunk beds
Side table, Park City Nursery; Duvets, The Company Store; Sheet set, Anthropologie; Carpeting, Cavan Carpets; Sconces, Schoolhouse.
pink kids room
Francis I Wallpaper, Juniper 10; Custom Vanity; Brass Knobs, Park Studio; Fleming Sconce, Hudson Valley Lighting.
pink tiled shower
Red Rock Tile, Fireclay Tile.

The rest of the room is all about functionality, luckily. With very little closet space, they added storage cubbies to the custom bunk-bed steps for books and toys. Next to each mattress is an integrated outlet so the kids can rejuice their iPads and phones upon arrival after their four-hour-ish journey. 

tub with art over it
Sand Paint, Farrow & Ball; Paintings by Maddie Michaels, Country Eyes Ocean Heart; Tub, Earth Elements; Juyu Porcelain Shebu Tile, Solistone.

The Goods

Santoro Green Agate Coffee Table, CB2

$1100
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Trance Rug, Beni Rugs (from $664)

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Breckler Modern Accent Mirror, All Modern

$160
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Avena Table Lamp, Crate u0026 Barrel

$180
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Go-to local vintage shops: 1stDibs and Incollect.

Favorite local home stores: Park City Mercantile and Park City Nursery.

Biggest splurge on this project: The White Beauty marble in the kitchen and Urban Electric Hans sconces in the primary bathroom.

Nicest contractor I’ve ever met: MV Enterprises.

Electrician who can do no wrong: Smart Electric in Utah.

Meticulous wallpaper installer: Details by Others.

Other highly recommended craftspeople: We love working with Sien + Co, Project Sunday in Salt Lake City, and Aronson Woodworks.

Lydia Geisel Avatar

Lydia Geisel

Home Editor

Lydia Geisel has been on the editorial team at Domino since 2017. Today, she writes and edits home and renovation stories, including house tours, before and afters, and DIYs, and leads our design news coverage. She lives in New York City.