Modern Mountain Stunner

A colorful, contemporary update to Carrie and Stephen Bellotti’s home, in record time.

For Barbara Mullen, ASID, of Caroline-Edwards Interior Design in Aspen, the task of transforming an outdated 4,000-square-foot home off Cemetery Lane into a modern mountain stunner came with one very challenging caveat. The clients, Carrie and Stephen Bellotti (she owns O2 Aspen, he founded Aspen Blue Sky Holdings), needed the project to be completed in just three months.

“It was fast and furious,” says Mullen, who enlisted the help of her husband and business partner, Richard Mullen, for the interior architectural work, as well as contractors Aspen Custom Builders. “We started in September of '07, and they wanted to be in the house by Christmas. Fortunately, Carrie has really great taste, was easy to work with, and made great decisions.”

The renovation touched every room, from the elegant entry to a pair of playful pink- and blue-themed kids’ rooms. The living room was opened up by replacing a heavy stone fireplace with a sleeker polished-granite hearth. Soft earth tones, grasscloth-papered walls, natural materials, and simple bedding turned the master bedroom into a sanctuary. A former breakfast nook became a whimsical family/entertainment room. An under-stair closet was reinvented as a temperature-controlled wine room.

Pulling from sources she's worked with for years, Mullen infused the house with a combination of modern shapes, textures, and materials, and accented them with bold colors. Vintage furniture pieces and Carrie's collection of contemporary artwork add contrast. The effect is both visually interesting and inviting.

Well into the process, it seemed appropriate to refresh the home's exteriors as well, which resulted in new barnwood siding all around, a bright orange front door, and an extended back patio. “It was an exciting project,” Mullen says. “In the end, the house really fit the family's lifestyle. It's open and casual, a place where they can gather and relax.”


Interior Designer: Barbara Mullen, ASID, [ital]Caroline-Edwards Interior Design, 970-920-3331, www.carolineedwards.com.
Interior Architect: Richard Mullen, [ital]Caroline Edwards Interior Design.
Contractor: Aspen Custom Builders, Basalt, 970-927-9700.
Lighting: Alex Hill, Leax Controls, Inc., Basalt, 970-927-4805, www.leax.co.uk.