Vail Luxury Residence Inspired By "Walden"
7 bedrooms / 9 bathrooms / 10,515 sf / 70.53 acres
Broadly inspired by Henry David Thoreau's book "Walden", about living in natural surroundings for spiritual discovery and personal growth, this unique topography in West Lake Creek provides unrivaled privacy with close proximity to world-class skiing in both Beaver Creek and Vail Villages.
Surrounded by National Forest land with commanding dramatic scenery on all sides, the property looks out Vail's Gore Range to the east and the New York Mountain range to the south.
While the 10,515-square-foot home clearly surpasses the quaint notions of a little cabin in the woods, the sentiment and principle of organic living among a natural backdrop certainly rings true.
Designed by renowned architect Annabelle Selldorf, the seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom home is a modern work of art, recognized worldwide for its bold yet simple presentation, blending the natural environment with everyday living.
The highlight of the Walden House and perhaps its most distinctive feature is its surroundings and how the home brilliantly interacts with them. Wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass, the home's living spaces seamlessly extend outdoors and create a sensation of floating on water above the pond.
Sitting on roughly 70 acres and built in 2009 by George Schaffer, the exterior of the Walden House is comprised in large part by locally sourced beetle-kill pine. Parts of the facade are adorned with touches of locally sourced copper shingles and Anasazi sliver stone.
The pond and the home itself exist perfectly among the natural environment that surrounds them — meticulously planned by landscape architect Edwina Von Gal with the goal of preserving the natural appearance and ecology of the property.
The Walden House exists almost as a ranch-style home with all components on a single level, except for one element in particular: a three-bedroom tower that resides on the east end of the structure. The home's living space beautifully circumnavigates a natural courtyard that is visible from almost all points within, creating connectivity on all sides of the home while allowing for ample space.
Not soon to be overlooked is the contemporary pool and glass-encased cabana-gym, separate from the main house, which serves as an isolated retreat for daily workouts and summertime swims, surrounded on all sides by pristine beauty and dramatic scenery
Of course, the pond — which is accessed by a floating dock immediately off the home's back porch, as well as a dock-gazebo at the pond's center — offers more than pretty scenery; it fulfills a number of outdoor activities from fishing in the summer, to pick-up hockey and ice skating in the winter. With Gold Dust Peak immediately in the backdrop and an almost-infinity edge presence over the valley below, a more picturesque and tranquil setting you will not find in the mountains.
On all sides of the property winds a nine-mile network of private and semi-private trails, many of which are owned and operated by the Cattleman's Club, the local homeowners association. Through these trails, your barely visible closest neighbor is 10 minutes by ATV and a half-hour by car on public roads. Amazingly, the property is located only 7 minutes from the shops and restaurants in the small town of Edwards, Colorado.
With Gold Dust Peak immediately in the backdrop and an almost-infinity edge presence over the valley below, a more picturesque and tranquil setting you will not find in the mountains.
For more details, copy and images, please go to: waldenhousevail.com
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