Written by: Laurenz Busch | Photos by: Josh Wells
Scale matters on the western edge of Ketchum, where older homes and newer builds share the same sloping streets beneath Bald Mountain. A house can be spacious without feeling too large or overbuilt. It can capture spectacular views without dominating its neighbors. It can deliver luxury without unnecessary noise.
A SIX-BEDROOM HOME BALANCES SCALE, SETTING, AND RESTRAINT.
On a corner lot on Edelweiss Street, that balance is exactly what Mountainwood Construction achieved with a six-bedroom home that feels expansive without overwhelming its intimate neighborhood, while also drawing in the views that make this part of Idaho so desirable.
For David Wood, founder of Mountainwood, that balance is central to the company’s work.
Building in the Wood River Valley since 2008, Mountainwood Construction’s strength lies in collaborating with architects, designers, and clients to achieve balance between style, beauty, and structure. Each custom home has its unique challenges and highlights. And whether Mountainwood is beginning a remodel or building a new home, the team recognizes that each project requires a unique approach.
“We consider building a roundtable effort and we work to coordinate with each expertise and trade to create an exceptional home for our clients,” says Wood.
“WE CONSIDER BUILDING A ROUNDTABLE EFFORT AND WE WORK TO COORDINATE WITH EACH EXPERTISE AND TRADE TO CREATE AN EXCEPTIONAL HOME FOR OUR CLIENTS.”
Mountainwood serves Ketchum, Sun Valley, and areas farther north, including Stanley. On this project, the company worked closely with architect Rachel Aanestad of Draw Architecture + Design and interior designer Heather McGregor of Redeux Interiors to bring a large mountain-modern home to life on a constrained in-town lot.
Rachel approached the project with the surroundings in mind. “One element that makes a house successful is the way it exists in the larger context. I wanted to embrace the harmony and scale of the neighborhood, while incorporating all of the client’s programmatic requirements,” she says, so that the homeowners could “live large in a space that didn’t feel out of place.”
That sentiment continued to guide the home’s design and construction. The homeowners wanted space for their grown children and guests, but also a house that felt intentional and livable day to day. Rachel provided that by fixating on the views of Bald Mountain and the nearby Smoky Mountain Range, while creating interior spaces that support entertaining, cozy reads by the fire, or a pre-dinner cocktail.
“Where this house could have loomed large, it’s kind of tucked in,” she says. “The scale just feels right.”
For Mountainwood, the work was as much about problem-solving as it was execution—an example of the “solution-driven” mindset David emphasizes. On a project where architecture, code requirements, and structural challenges all came together, that approach proved essential.
“In complicated situations,” he says, “we pride ourselves in providing solutions over saying no.”
The home’s large footprint, including a 1,000-square-foot basement, was dug and poured over the winter, recalls project manager Bill Higgins. The crew worked hard, and by spring, they were ready for framing.
While Rachel primarily worked with Bill during construction, she says the Mountainwood team consistently preserved her original vision and design intent.
“RACHEL AND HEATHER INCORPORATED BEAUTIFUL, WARM, NATURAL MATERIALS THAT WERE ALSO PRACTICAL AND PERFECTLY SUITED TO OUR BUSY LIFESTYLE.”
-Lynn Christian, Homeowner
“This was very much a team effort. Bill, Heather, and I worked closely together every step of the way to find solutions to any design challenges that arose,” she shares. This approach saved time and money, created a successful working environment, and ensured the homeowners were happy.
When it came to the home’s interior design, Heather brought purpose to each space, thoughtfully articulating a mountain-modern aesthetic for the clients. The homeowners wanted a house that could entertain, but that could also withstand the rhythms of everyday life—including two large dogs.
The homeowners saw that balance in the palette and overall design. “Rachel and Heather incorporated beautiful, warm, natural materials along with modern lighting and mixed metals into the design both inside and out,” Lynn Christian, the homeowner, says.
“The finishes have to be hardworking, and they are,” she says. “They’re approachable, beautiful, and comfortable, and they’re high-end enough to stand the test of time.”
Heather intentionally steered away from trends, aiming for the timeless. “For this house, I avoided anything that would become time-stamped,” she says. Instead, she focused on durable finishes and a palette that feels warm and inviting, mountain modern without being too rustic.
“Everything’s beautiful, but nothing is fragile,” Heather says.
As is often the case, the kitchen is expected to become the home’s most-used space. There, Heather points to the custom inset cabinetry, marble backsplash, and layout that define and set the home’s tone. It’s a place where she says, “function and finish came together wonderfully.” The basement also became a key part of the home, functioning as a continuation of the main living and entertainment space rather than a more traditional below-grade level.
While Rachel and Heather shaped what the home would eventually become once the homeowners opened the front door for the very first time, Mountainwood kept the ambitious project moving, occasionally navigating challenges as they arose.
Whether David and his team had to adjust the design to meet structural or code requirements, or tweak the specific layouts of a room, the underlying idea was never lost. Instead, David says the team would find a new, perhaps better, path forward. It’s in that type of dynamic, he says, that Mountainwood shows its chops. It’s where a builder doesn’t just simplify something; they help the entire team get where they need to be.
The finished home also achieved LEED Silver Certification, adding a layer of technical complexity to the build through its efficiency requirements.
In the end, all four—David, Bill, Heather, and Rachel—were proud of the work they accomplished, while giving the homeowners credit for the trust in the team.
“It was a really good feeling throughout the project that the homeowners trusted our judgment and were happy with the result,” says David.
The homeowners echoed that sense of trust. “Working with this team was an exceptional experience from start to finish,” they say. “Dave, Bill, and their team executed the design flawlessly. The end result is a mountain-modern home that feels inviting and perfectly tailored to both the setting and how we live.”
For Mountainwood, after nearly 20 years of building in the area, the final outcome reflects a great deal about the company and its reputation. “It’s all about collaboration,” David says. “We believe great homes start with great relationships.”
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