By Suzi Mitchell 

It’s early in the morning, the sun is barely up and the only signs of life at Lake Agnes are a couple of deer and birds swooping above the forest. Chenza Lazof is walking down a winding pathway from her lakeside home, clutching a flask of coffee and heading for her kayak. This is her favorite time of day, when the lake feels like her own.

Chenza and her husband, Ron, have owned their secluded property three miles south of Rabbit Ears Pass for over a decade, but only decided to build on the steep lot three years ago. “It was Chenza’s 60th birthday and I gave her the option of a trip, jewelry or a place at the lake,” Ron says. “Luckily, the gamble paid off,” he laughs. 

The two-bedroom property is the Dallas-based couple’s second home in Steamboat Springs. “This is the getaway from the getaway,” Chenza says.  

With a clear vision of what they wanted, they approached Ric Ostrom – owner of MEO Construction and Management, who had renovated their house in Dakota Ridge – to build the new property. Architect Ian Wagner was enlisted to do the design. The goals were simple: a shed-style roof, masses of windows, stone walls inside and out and a floating staircase. 

Views of Lake Agnes – one of the deepest lakes in Colorado – provide the backdrop for every room. Material for the Colorado buff stone walls, sourced in Eagle, complement the quartzite flooring, which is used throughout the main living space. The neutral palette of soft grays chosen for the accessories and granite countertops enhances the warmth of the walnut kitchen cabinets, fir beams and wood ceiling in the seamless kitchen, dining room and living space. 

“I created mood books from looking online at Houzz, then basically took the ball and ran with it,” Chenza says. “For the kitchen pantry door, I wanted it to look like wood that had been burned in a forest fire. Luckily, Rod Williams of Blacktail Cabinetry was able to do that using paint.” 

The walls are adorned with Chenza’s photography, including a panoramic image of an aspen grove in the fall, to conceal a flat screen television above the fireplace in the sitting room. 

The home is designed for relaxation and a break from their busy lives in Dallas. Two decks offer a spot for outdoor dining and a place to throw the ball for Cosmo, their nine-year-old Standard Poodle. Summer days are filled with cruises in their non-motorized pontoon boat, fly-fishing, hiking, and entertaining friends or their two daughters and five grandchildren. 

Set off the beaten track in the private Lake Agnes subdivision, the home is a true retreat. “Working in Steamboat, you don’t get a chance to do a waterfront home often, so this was pretty special,” Ian Wagner says with a smile. 

List of contractors

Architect –                  Ian Wagner, Wagner Design Studio

Engineering –            Steamboat Engineering and Design

General Contractor –Ric Ostrom,  MEO Construction and Management 

Excavator –                Native Excavating

Cabinetry –                 Rod Williams, Blacktail Cabinetry

Quartzite Flooring – Larry Lapoint Tile and Stone

Stone Walls –             Dan Kuzminsky, Bender/Kuminsky Masonry Inc. 

Staircase –                  Ryan Curry, Certified Welding