Mountain Living’s 2010 Home of the Year Winner is Now Listed for $49.5 Million

A former ski-in, ski-out Vail HOTY winner gets a sophisticated update

February 13, 2024

Elizabeth Mehert-Ab,

Photo Amy Lamb, Native House Photography

At a glance, it’s easy to appreciate the grandeur of Mountain Living’s former 2010 Home of the Year winner located on 107 Rockledge Road. The estate was originally built in 1962 – making it among the first homes in Vail. Its stone and wood exteriors dazzle, as the entrance stands tall with a stunning glass apex. In 2007, builder George Shaeffer, architect Kyle Webb of K.H. Webb Architects and Cindy Rinfret of interior design firm Rinfret, LTD joined forces to renovate the home.

The homeowners initially tasked the original design team with renovating and recycling the old, however Webb quickly realized that more work was needed to accomplish this goal. “The floor plan of the entry hall and the living room of this house is actually the plan from the old house. We moved the new house a bit—rotating it so we could get better views—but it has a bit of memory of the original house,” Webb revealed in ML’s 2010 Home of the Year feature story. The result? Eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and over 12 thousand square feet of total space.

Photo Amy Lamb, Native House Photography

Almost 13 years later, the newly renovated home is now listed for $49,500,000 by Liz Leeds and Debbie Gibson of Slifer, Smith & Frampton Forbes Global Properties. “It’s an anomaly here in Vail Village due to the location, finish level, ski-in, ski-out capability, privacy, square footage size and really a resort within a resort,” Leeds explains. “For a discerning buyer, there is plenty of room for entertaining, meetings and large gatherings.” Leeds goes on to point out the estate as a private enclave with exclusive ski access surrounded by Vail’s world-class restaurants and shops. Privacy and proximity to the lively town of Vail Village makes this an ultimate luxury.

Accentrics Interiors – an interior design studio based in Tampa, Florida – collaborated with the homeowners to update and modernize the home’s aesthetic. The firm shares how a layer of sophistication was part of the creative vision while keeping the charm of existing mountain elements. “We aimed to add sleek, yet elegant, finishes and features that complemented the stone and wood elements throughout the home, ” states Kate Perry, Senior Interior Designer of Accentrics Interiors.

Photo Amy Lamb, Native House Photography

Photo Amy Lamb, Native House Photography

Going beyond casual elegance, the interior design firm made updates to the home’s look and feel. “We juxtaposed the walnut-stained kitchen cabinets with a new Francois & Company brass hood and black honed countertops. We also added unlacquered brass plumbing throughout the kitchen and bar area that will patina over time and add to the rustic appeal, ” Perry explains. “The Master Suite features custom ebony stained-oak floating vanities with coordinating custom his/her closets. The Samuel Heath brass plumbing in the Master Bath is complemented against the honed marble flooring and decorative backsplash tile.”

In contrast, the design team kept the property’s ski-in, ski-out charm throughout the home by having its color palette neutral with pops of color to allow surrounding views to have surrounding views take center stage. Recognizing the beauty of the several windows overlooking the mountains, Perry says they chose to not overshadow this trait. “We used a mix of natural stone and living plumbing finishes, and brought in tons of different textures into the fabrics to add in layers of warmth throughout the home. We wanted the home to feel like a cozy retreat after a long day of skiing.”