There are two kinds of homes in Lake Tahoe, according to Mike Beallo: the view home and the home with ski-in, ski-out access. It is a rare mountain residence that ties both together. Yet that is exactly what he has achieved with his latest creation in Mountainside — an exclusive enclave of 25 properties with privileged access to the Ritz-Carlton and its luxurious amenities. The property’s location off Timberline Trail leads directly to Northstar California Resort and places you in the path of a breath-stealing view reaching through the pines and across the Sierra Nevada mountains to Castle Peak.
“You can find lots of properties in Tahoe with a view but no access,” explains Beallo, a longtime Lake Tahoe resident, who has listed the property with Christy Curtis of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Tahoe-Truckee. “Access to the mountain is what made me enthusiastic about this property. It’s the best ski-in, ski-out access I’ve experienced in the world.”
Beallo purchased the Mountainside lot in 2013 and quickly began creating his vision with Scott Gillespie, principal of Truckee-based Sandbox Studio. He formed an instant rapport with Gillespie, a former freestyle skier, who shared his affection for snow country and understood the nuances of alpine construction. Their visions aligned without so much as a word: Gillespie framed the architecture around the view, siting the house both to control solar exposure and focus the views to the north so they were front-facing.
“The house is designed so that every room gets a view — even the bathrooms,” says Gillespie.
The view and natural surroundings drove most design decisions. For example, you are introduced to the 6,299-square-foot home with a dare: cross a bridge over a stream and prepare to be awed. From the beginning, you come to face-to-face with a jaw-dropping panorama as the foyer leads you into the great room with 20-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass, clerestory windows and sliding-glass door walls spilling out to the large entertaining deck. Gillespie positioned the windows “to take advantage of the sunlight as it changes throughout the day,” and strategically placed multiple decks off different rooms of the house to provide a clear “indoor/outdoor connection,” he says. A three-story staircase punctuated by large picture windows overlooks a stream that flows from the front of the home, underneath the entry bridge, and dives down under the master suite to the rear of the house near the deck in a dramatic finale. The stream also has a functional aspect, says Beallo— so “when it snows a lot, you have room for the snow to pass underneath the house.”
While Beallo gave Gillespie design freedom, he was also a highly engaged client who came with a few must-haves: contemporary architecture and an open floor plan, with the main living areas positioned on one level.
“The traditional Tahoe home has many steps, since most homes are sited on hillsides and require the creation of multiple stories to get square footage,” says Beallo. “So, often, you won’t have the main public spaces on the same floor. But that’s not what buyers are looking for — they want one large open space where family and friends can be together.”
In that regard, Gillespie delivered. His interpretation of a contemporary mountain chalet resulted in a rich palette of reclaimed barn wood, exposed steel and locally sourced stone, with a refreshingly open concept designed to promote socializing. The great room, flanked by a massive fireplace lined in native Sierra stone quarried from Donner Summit, includes a voluminous living area, kitchen and dining area that flow together. A large media room, wine room, master suite and guest master suite are also located on this level, providing an additional sense of connection. Upstairs, there is a kids’ bunk room and two other guest suites. Downstairs, Gillespie and Beallo drew on their experience as slopeside dwellers to create an ingenious ski cave for storing gear and lounging.
“You can grab your gear in the morning and head outside to the trail right from the back porch,” says Gillespie. “When you’re ready to take a break, you can easily come back to this space, pop off your gear, grab a beer from the fridge, turn on the game and warm yourself by the fireplace. We thought a lot about how people like to use their homes up here, and we made sure to incorporate the expected ski town amenities.”
Curtis sums up the home’s allure best: “If you’re passionate about the mountain lifestyle, or skiing and snowboarding, then you’re going to love this location.”
19145 Glades Place
Truckee, CA 96161
$5,400,000
5 bed
6.5 baths
6,299 square feet
Represented by: Christy Curtis – Team Tahoe
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Tahoe-Truckee
C: 530.913.1668
O: 530.587.2856
Christy@LiveTahoeNow.com
Article by Alyson Pitarre; This story originally appeared in the fall 2017 issue of Homes & Estates magazine.
