Kibler & Kirch Radical Remodel of Midcentury Montana Mountain Cabin Earns Attention from Big Sky Journal
A transformation by design firm Kibler & Kirch of a multigenerational cabin in Red Lodge, Montana, opened and brightened the structure to take advantage of river views. The Billings and Red Lodge, Montana-based interior design firm preserved the cabin's legacy while meeting the modern needs of the homeowners, earning the attention of Big Sky Journal in a feature in its popular "Arts" issue titled "Radical Remodel on Rock Creek."
BILLINGS, Mont., Oct. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A rustic cabin built in the 1950s on a slope above Rock Creek in Red Lodge, Montana, filled decades of memories for one family. Although it was past time to expand and modernize the growing clan's favorite getaway, they stressed the need to preserve the beloved structure's deep roots. Venerable Montana interior design firm Kibler & Kirch, known for timeless designs that embrace both rustic Western elements and livable contemporary comfort, did just that and more, creating a remarkable transformation featured in the popular "Arts" issue of Big Sky Journal, in a story titled "Radical Remodel on Rock Creek."
It was immediately obvious what needed to be addressed first, Kibler & Kirch owner and creative director Jeremiah Young told Big Sky Journal. The cabin "was dark, very dark," he says. "And there was no place from which you had a view. We needed to open it up, bringing in light and creating an experience with the river."
Originally a modest three-bedroom cabin, the newly expanded floor plan increased the bedrooms to five, laid out over two levels. While the side of the home facing the road retains its original low profile in keeping with neighborhood structures, a step through the front door reveals the dramatic new glass-fronted great room opening out to take in two stories of natural light and the lovely river view. Materials used in the remodel remain consistent from indoors to out, explains Young, who incorporated logs, river rocks and reclaimed wood in different shades and textures to maintain the home's strong connection to both its history and its natural setting.
The interior palette was drawn from special rugs that the homeowners selected. Pulling pops of vibrant color from the rugs' woven designs allowed the Kibler & Kirch design team, including Kacey Jones and Rosina Kastelitz, to bring vibrancy and fun to the structure's woodsy neutrals – from tiny details like the red knobs on the Wolf range in the kitchen to the dusty red wall in the guest bedroom.
Throughout the home, Kibler & Kirch designed and commissioned custom furniture and worked with local craftspeople to create richly layered spaces, filled with Montana artistry to suit the art-loving family. Unique local pieces include the great room coffee table with its organically twisting limbs crafted from fallen Rocky Mountain juniper by Lee Kern, or the kitchen's striking wood-and-steel range hood by Red Lodge's Back Alley Metals, who crafted all of the home's metalwork from railings to architectural elements. And local furniture maker Nick Kosorok custom crafted a live-edge Craftsman trestle dining table to a Kibler & Kirch design.
Sophisticated and comfortable furnishings are found at every turn in the cabin along with rustic, natural pieces ranging from river rock walls and hanging antler chandeliers to a modern farmhouse sink, corral-board cabinets with rusted metal insets and an organic stone washbasin. Always, function is married to style to create hard-working spaces for family and guests. For example, one of the five bedrooms was meticulously crafted to incorporate four inset and curtained bed compartments, providing a fresh take on the Western "bunk room" concept for a cozy, private slumber.
"This is a rustic cabin that doesn't feel like an old farmhouse, yet it isn't particularly modern either," Young tells Big Sky Journal. "There's quite a bit of steel, but it feels functional. I think it will age beautifully without referencing any particular time frame."
"The update manages to preserve the soul of the home for the family," writes Big Sky Journal, adding Kibler & Kirch designer Kacey Jones' words: "We maintained the legacy; we just altered it to fit the family's needs."
About Kibler & Kirch:
Annually recognized on Mountain Living magazine's Top Mountain Designers list and winner of the 2017 Western Design Conference Designer Show House "Best Designer," Kibler & Kirch, based in Billings and Red Lodge, Montana, resonates with a distinctive – and distinctly Western – style through the various branches of the business. Its Billings showroom represents more than 100 companies, and the talented design team brings those resources – and deep connections with regional artists and artisans – to bear on crafting interiors for clients who range from young professionals and just-marrieds to second-home owners creating luxurious turn-key Rocky Mountain dream home projects. Always, Young and his Kibler & Kirch team create comfortably tasteful living where the spirit of the West meets modern treasures that are built to last. For more information, visit http://www.kiblerandkirch.com.
SOURCE Kibler & Kirch
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