Gorgeous, Swooping Contemporary on Lush Aspen Land Asks $23.5M

Listed by long-time local Colter Smith of Aspen Associates Realty Group, the Border House boasts 11.8 acres and a 7 bedroom, 5.5-bath home designed by award-winning architect Harry Teague. The property sits on an old ranch originally owned by Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke, the family who developed Aspen's first ski area and founded both the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies.

Measuring 6,400-square-feet, the house uses wood, stucco, metal, and glass to create an elongated residence that, according to Teague, mimics the way the wind moves across the land. In an interview with Western Interiors and Design, Teague said that in designing the contemporary residence, he "was trying to acknowledge the bigger picture and the openness of the West."

The Border House literally bifurcates two ecosystems, a meadow on one side and mountainous trees and scrub oak on the other. Teague "aimed to create a transition between these two environments." The theme continues with a long border wall which runs the entire length of the house, functioning as (in archispeak) an "organizing element."

Not wanting to replicate the sprawling log homes seen throughout ski country, Teague used contemporary influences to tone down traditional alpine architecture. Old barn-wood siding is mixed with rusted metal roofing to hint at Aspen's mining past. Huge two-story windows flank the living room while each of the seven bedrooms features a unique view. It's a blend of styles that both copies and serves as a foil to the surrounding peaks.

The 11.8-acre parcel is a huge amount of space on Red Mountain; similar homes rarely boast that kind of acreage. The listing also shares a 50-acre meadow with three neighboring parcels, creating what just might be the most private home in the community.

Check out the full photo tour, below:

• One of Red Mountain's Most Coveted Homes Is on the Market [Aspen Peak Magazine]
• Historic Erickson Ranch: The Border House [Aspen Associates Realty]
• This Aspen Ski Chalet Went From Boring to Alpine Chic [Curbed Ski]