Cherry Tree Design:
American West Meets Japanese
Tradition A Ski House and Tea House in Steamboat

A mountain retreat at the famed Steamboat Resort in Colorado, this large home was built as a gathering place for friends and family of a well-known duo in the entertainment industry.

Design and Build firm Trilogy Partners was challenged by the homeowner’s passion for Japanese culture. The Trilogy Team was tasked to fuse the home’s natural setting in the American west with traditional Japanese architecture. Trilogy Partner and Designer Michael Rath says, “Whenever you combine two design elements that are so diverse from one another – in this case modern mountain and Asian - you run the risk that it either works beautifully or it misses.”

The firm chose Cherry Tree Design shoji, doors and lighting throughout the home to balance Asian elements with mountain style. Walnut hardwood shoji panels with a custom Ebony stain were installed throughout the home. A puncture-resistant Ocean Mist Laminate facing was chosen for its durability, translucence and traditional rice paper appearance.

Trilogy Partners also chose Cherry Tree Design lighting to keep with the elements of mountain and Asian design. With sweeping curves and geometric lines, pendants and wall-mounted sconces from the Kyoto collection were installed in the master bedroom.

Well into the main house build, the homeowners decided to add another structure to the property. “During the course of the build,” says Michael, “the guys signed another deal with their network. So they came back to me and said they wanted to build a traditional Japanese teahouse on the property, separate from the main house.”

“The homeowner designed the tea house. He speaks fluent Japanese and is a big fan of Japanese culture. He has many Japanese friends, so he said it has to be perfect. We didn’t compromise anything in the teahouse. It’s an amazing structure. The moment you walk in, you’re transported to a calm, serene Zen-like atmosphere. “

In the teahouse, the Cherry Tree doors are of nominal height, since traditional Japanese architecture would not incorporate eight-foot doors. Cherry Tree Design integrated transom panels above the doors so the Shoji would extend to the ceiling. Each set of four sliding doors is on a track system, so the doors can slide back to open up the room. The upper tracks are constructed of aluminum which guide wheeled hardware, ensuring efficient and smooth operation. The tracks are concealed with a matching hardwood valance that blends into the traditional Japanese interior. The grid pattern chosen is the most traditional pattern with a matching kick panel at the bottom of the doors.

The Trilogy team also purchased shoji panels from Cherry Tree Design and turned them into ceiling lights. This helps maintain the traditional Japanese feel of the teahouse.

Michael says, “The fact that the homeowner was so well versed in Japanese culture really made it work. He was the guiding influence. We have this totally authentic tea house on a ski mountain!”

“This was the first time I worked with Cherry Tree Design and I would absolutely use them again,” says Michael. “It was a real pleasure working with their staff. It’s a premium product and beautifully made.”