Best of est | Snow Homes

Park City by SVK Interior Design | Photography by Malissa Mabey

From Montana’s mountain ridges to the Victorian highlands, we highlight six snow homes that reveal a thoughtful approach to alpine living—where enduring materials, layered interiors and quiet outlooks create warmth and connection.

Proudly supported by Elton Group

Park City by SVK Interior Design

Utah, North America

Set high on the slopes of Deer Valley, SVK Interior Design have embraced Park City’s alpine setting with uninterrupted views across the ski resort and surrounding peaks. A favourite pastime for the homeowners is watching skiers descend the mountain from the comfort of their living room—an elevated simplicity that speaks to the home’s immersive connection to its landscape.

Light oak flooring and panelling lend warmth to a refined interior palette, where a moody kitchen, sculptural floating staircase, and glass-enclosed wine cellar layer drama and intimacy. A custom Lindsey Adelman chandelier traces the height of the home, casting a golden glow through its glass globes—one of many moments throughout the home where contemporary design meets the quiet rhythms of mountain life.

Park City by SVK Interior Design | Photography by Malissa Mabey

Outpost by Olson Kundig

Idaho, North America

Set against Idaho’s remote high desert, Olson Kundig conceived Outpost as an artist’s live-work studio and sculpture garden. Designed for both making and exhibiting art, the home is anchored by a walled garden—an unexpected sanctuary carved from the windswept terrain. Thick masonry walls shield the courtyard from harsh winds and dramatic seasonal shifts, offering a sense of calm and retreat within the rugged landscape.

Materially resilient and architecturally restrained, Outpost is constructed from concrete block, car decking, and plywood—humble, low-maintenance materials left largely unfinished. Its compact footprint minimises site impact, reinforcing the intent to frame the natural environment rather than impose upon it. Outside the walls, the land remains untouched; within, the defined interior cultivates stillness and quiet protection.

Outpost by Olson Kundig | Photography courtesy of Olson Kundig

Summit House by Brahman Perera

Taungurung Country / Mt Buller, Australia

Set along Mt. Buller’s Bourke Street in Victoria’s highlands, Summit House by Brahman Perera is a winter retreat designed for the client, occupying a commanding position above one of the mountain’s main ski slopes. Designed to withstand the region’s extreme weather, the home is oriented to frame sweeping views of the snow-covered mountains in winter and lush alpine landscapes in summer— all while maximising thermal efficiency and natural light.

Inside, a palette of tactile, earthy, and enduring materials—leather, timber, sheepskin, kilim rugs, embroidery, and heavy linen—creates a grounding counterpoint to the snow-covered landscape. At the heart of the design was a desire to soften the traditional architectural framework of alpine homes and introduce warmth into an environment defined by its ‘cold minimalism’. This vision shaped a layered material tapestry of hard-wearing elements, each chosen for its ability to withstand the alpine climate while enriching the home’s sensory depth. Upholstered pieces and woven textiles double as thermal buffers, bringing comfort, resilience, and quiet tactility to the home.

Summit House by Brahman Perera | Photography by Timothy Kaye

Big Sky House by Commune Design

Montana, North America

Perched atop Andesite Ridge in Big Sky, Montana, this 10,000-square-foot home was reimagined by Commune Design as a refined, snow-bound retreat for a family of six. Originally purchased mid-construction for its sweeping mountain views, the home’s plans were overhauled to better suit the family’s lifestyle—balancing functionality with a deep connection to the surrounding landscape.

The interiors pair natural oak floors, walnut millwork, Domingue plaster walls, and Van Cronenburg bronze hardware in a palette that feels grounded and elegant. Avoiding Western clichés of antlers and cowboys, Commune drew inspiration from the changing seasons of the region, incorporating custom Swedish-inspired rugs by Doris Leslie Blau and sourcing furniture from makers like Sam Malouf, the Nakashima workshops, and Adam Silverman. The result is a layered and expressive home—one that reflects the rich character of the American West through a distinctive and contemporary lens.

Big Sky House by Commune Design | Photography by Stephen Kent Johnson

Tetherow Outlook House by Hacker Architects

Oregon, North America

Set within the high desert of Central Oregon, the 7,600-square-foot home designed by Portland-based Hacker Architects is an immersive response to its volcanic surroundings. Perched on a bluff and unfolding across a pumice-covered slope, the home comprises a series of monolithic, faceted volumes clad in coarse timber slats—echoing the texture and resilience of the eroding basalt and obsidian rock formations found nearby. Integral to the architecture is year-round shelter and exposure from the intense desert sun and wind, with cascading platforms and framed openings that reveal shifting desert light—allowing the high desert climate to permeate the house throughout the year. Inside, a restrained material palette blurs the line between indoors and out, grounding the home in the elements.

Tetherow Outlook House by Hacker Architects | Photography by Jeremy Bittermann

Ski Apres by FRY

Taungurung Country / Mt Buller, Australia

Located at the base of Mt Buller’s Bourke Street, Ski Après by FRY redefines contemporary alpine architecture. The former restaurant has been reimagined as a private residence—the largest of its kind in the country—designed to offer a seamless ski-in, ski-out experience. Within its expansive footprint, six bedrooms, five bathrooms, multiple living zones, a private bar, cinema, gym and sauna speak to a lifestyle of comfort, ease and considered design.

The interiors unfold as a refined interplay of materiality and mood, where European oak, travertine and textural finishes cultivate a sense of warmth and quiet sophistication. Designed with both context and sustainability in mind, the home engages with its snow-covered surroundings through framed outlooks and soft natural light, creating spaces that feel at once grounded and elevated.