A CASTLE PINES home embraces the owner’s ranching history
By Heather Shoning
Photos by S. Brenner Photography
IN THE ROLLING HILLS of Castle Pines, a newly built home stood as a blank canvas: white-on-white finishes and builder-grade basics begging for personality.
But for the homeowner—an urban professional with deep roots in cattle ranching—it wasn’t just about filling space. It was about creating a refined yet rugged home that spoke to his Western heritage without falling into the trap of kitschy cowboy clichés.
Enter Tennille Wood, principal designer and founder of Beautiful Habitat, who was tapped to bring this vision to life. The client had first tried to go it alone— purchasing a few leather bar stools, a modern dining table and some live-edge wood furniture—but quickly realized he was out of his depth. “He got to the point where he said if he made one more purchase, he was going to ruin the house,” Wood says, laughing.
The homeowner connected with Wood through a designer matchmaker, drawn to her portfolio that featured a modern take on taxidermy. “It wasn’t real taxidermy, but a nod to it,” Wood explains. “That resonated with him and the aesthetic he wanted, even if he didn’t know how to articulate it.” Wood dubbed the style “mountain modern meets sophisticated ranch,” and from that moment on, every decision-every fixture, fabric and finish—was chosen to walk the line between Western grit and modern polish.
The home’s architectural palette leaned toward stark minimalism—white walls, white cabinetry, white tile. To combat the sterile feel, Wood worked with the client’s existing leather elements as a jumping-off point. “We had these caramel-colored leather bar stools, and we used that color as a thread to tie everything together,” she says. She selected a leather bench for the bedroom and a lounge chair in the living room, all in matching tones.
That attention to material detail extended even to the light fixtures, including a leather-wrapped light fixture for above the dining table and a chandelier with stirrup-inspired elements and leather straps for the primary bedroom, adding a literal and symbolic nod to the client’s equestrian lifestyle. “It looks custom, but I found it retail—just a perfect fit,” Wood says.
To break up the sea of white and add richness, Wood introduced texture and contrast through wallcoverings. A faux barn wood wallpaper lines the primary bedroom wall and vanity area, offering a subtle rustic vibe without feeling overdone. Grasscloth wallcovering appears strategically: above the stairway, in the dining room and—unexpectedly—on the entryway ceiling, adding layers of visual warmth and character.
Color was another key move. A deep green paint in the foyer and stairwell wall provides a moody contrast to the lightness elsewhere and acts as a backdrop for oversized artwork.
The powder room offered an opportunity to crank the personality up a notch. “Powder rooms are where I like to go bold—it’s a small space with big impact,” Wood says. Here, she installed a cheeky horse-print wallpaper. A leather strap mirror and matching hand towel holder reinforce the leather motif throughout the home.
Lighting played a transformative role. The home was built with capped electrical boxes but no fixtures. That gave her free rein to incorporate statement pieces. In the kitchen, small yet impactful black pendants harken to a black woven rattan chandelier in the living room, which draws the eye upward while adding organic texture and a hint of edginess.
Window treatments also played double duty: aesthetic and functional. The homeowner had already installed roller shades, but they lacked softness. Draperies in the dining and living rooms feature bold black-and-white patterns harmonizing with the artwork and furniture, softening the spaces while reinforcing the design’s modern edge. Wood specified room-darkening drapery in the bedroom with a midcentury modern print on the bottom— another strategic blend of rugged utility and curated design.
“Everything in this house is about balance— between masculine and modern, Western roots and urban sophistication,” Wood says. “We didn’t want it to look like a themed ranch house. That was the biggest design challenge— and also the most fun.”
Today, the homeowner is surrounded by thoughtful design elements that reflect his lifestyle, history and taste. “This was a home that needed soul,” Wood says. “And we gave it one – layer by layer, leather by leather.”
