|
Winter 2010: An Olympic Abode - Nelson Carmichael's home offers outside ambiance by Gena Fischer NELSON CARMICHAEL is the kind of guy who likes to go for it, whether it’s earning an Olympic freestyle medal or building the ultimate Steamboat Springs ski home — which is exactly what he created in his 3,500-square-foot, cathedral-ceiling abode.
 | | King of his Castle: Nelson, on the stairs leading to his home's second floor, which has a kitchen, dining room, living room, office, master bedroom and tow additional bedrooms, all under a post-and-beam ceiling.Photo by David Patterson |
|
Back in 1977 when Nelson’s family moved to Steamboat, no one would have thought the 12-year-old from Niagara Falls, N.Y., would someday become a two-time freestyle world champion and Olympic medalist. “I was terrible,” Nelson says. “But I gradually got into it, joined the Winter Sports Club and began competing for the U.S. Ski Team.” Nelson skied for the U.S. team for 10 years, winning two World Cup mogul titles and competing in two Olympic Games. He won a bronze at the Olympics in 1992.
Following the Games, Nelson toured with the Pro Mogul Tour but after 20 years
 | | Pine plank floors and a double-sided gas fireplace keep the space cozy, while cathedral ceilings and open views give the home an airy feel.Photo by David Patterson. |
|
of competing, he decided it was time to retire and return home to Steamboat to settle down and become involved in new ventures. “I got into marketing for the ski area and became a ski guide for Marabou Ranch,” he says. “And I also decided to build this place.”
It took awhile for Nelson to find the perfect lot, which he did in the Whistler neighborhood. “I looked at this lot for several years, trying to figure out how to take advantage of the views and seasonal stream running through it,” he says. “I wanted to be in an older neighborhood close to
the mountain, so I kept coming back here. After I realized I didn’t have to place my home the same way the neighboring homes were built, I decided to go for it.”
In a neighborhood of low-key, conventional houses, Nelson hired local architectural firm Vertical Arts to help him come up with something not-so-low key. “I wanted the outside to feel like part of the inside, and I wanted a courtyard concept to take advantage of the stream and the views of the open space,” he says. “I think I did alright.”
To read the rest of the article from the Winter 2010 issue of the magazine visit, subscribe today!
|
| |
|
.................................................................................
.................................................................................
.................................................................................
.................................................................................
.................................................................................
.................................................................................
.................................................................................
|
