Carla Buffington Wilcox and husband Jeff Wilcox wanted to build a home that told their story—from the bronze statue of five sheep in the front courtyard and the towering New Guinea bisj poles in the entryway to landscaping meant to mimic an apple orchard, “This house tells the story of us,” Carla said.
The couple’s approximately 9,000-square-foot contemporary ranch home sits tucked away in the Gimlet area of the Wood River Valley on a 3-acre lot, with sweeping 360-views of old cottonwood trees, stunning hillsides, and Bald Mountain. The home is a feat in architectural design from firm Farmer Payne Architects.
“We were minimalist on the architecture so we could highlight the eclectic nature of the artwork and sculptures from across the world,” noted Scott Payne, principal architect.
The result is a home that blends livability and comfort with gallery-like attention to detail. Welcoming natural light pours into every space.
“We have traveled a lot,” Carla mentioned. “We don’t have art, we have artifacts.”
A stone pathway leads to the entrance of the home between two barn gables. There, floor to ceiling windows welcome visitors to take in the first sight: the towering bijs poles carved from a single nutmeg tree by the Asmat people of New Guinea to honor the dead in funeral ceremonies. Down the hall, spears and blowguns from New Guinea hang on the wall. In the yard, a vintage blue gas pump holds court, turning the once-utilized pump into a piece of artwork. “It’s varied and surprising as you go from room to room,” Payne said.
At left are towering bijs poles carved from a single nutmeg tree by the Asmat people of New Guinea.
Carla comes naturally by her self-described eclectic style; her mother bought and sold collectibles. Jeff’s father was both a mystery writer and furniture and lamp maker. They both values pieces that hold meaning—be it a painting, sculpture, or handwoven textiles displayed on the walls.
“Pretty much everything in our home has a story behind it,” Carla said. When it came time for interior design, the couple worked with Sarah Latham of L Interiors to curate spaces to complement their existing collection. “I told her not to buy anything for the walls,” Carla noted. “I didn’t want art to just fill the space. I would rather have a blank wall and fill it with something I find and love later.”
Carla and Jeff wanted the home to feel livable and cozy while still offering ample space for their family to visit and to casually entertain. While the building envelope kept them from building a single-story home, Payne and team pivoted to create the two connected spaces: one meant to be a primary living space and the other to welcome overflow in the form of visitors and more room to entertain.
“The main wing has all of the kitchen, dining, living, and public space,” Payne explained. “And the other side is more utility driven. It is garages, their offices, their mudroom, the catchall. The guest wing is on the second floor above the space.”
“The biggest comment I get from guests is that the house is so homey,” Carla said.
The stunning surroundings are framed by floor-to-ceiling windows that bring the outside in. A serene main bathroom is glassed in on two sides and uses soft hues in the design, evoking an outdoor oasis.
Each room is a canvas for the couple’s aesthetic taste. Carla, alongside Latham, added pops of color throughout the house, like enameled lava stone countertops in the kitchen and a trio of vintage runners for the stairs.
Payne and team used a palette of natural materials for the build.“It turned into this agrarian-style where you have these two barn-like pavilions that we molded into a more contemporary style architecture,” Payne noted. “We created this look of a home in the meadow with a corrugated metal roof that exudes old-school tin Idaho barn.”
The landscaping—by Dean Hernandez of Gardenspace Design—was designed to extend the agrarian theme. “We have a bunch of flowering apple trees that are lined up by color. It really looks like we are in the middle of an orchard,” Carla said.
“You can see that rhythm throughout his design,” Payne added.
The home features exposed heavy timber, a corrugated metal roof, and is clad in dark shou sugi ban siding, combining a functional and aesthetically pleasing touch. “The siding is a Japanese technique of treating wood,” Payne explained. “They burn it, and it becomes decay resistant, insect resistant, and very sustainable and functional.” An artwork in and of itself, the exterior style pays homage to the artwork inside, Payne continued: “The wood rises from the ashes, in a way.”
“There is a lot of wood throughout and heavy timber, but we also used steel paneling,” Payne said. This juxtaposition of durable materials and natural materials created the contemporary-meets-Old-World look Scott and his team were drawn to.
“It was great to work with clients that gave us the freedom to do what we do best,” Payne said. “They let us push the design beyond their expectation level.”
THE PROJECT TEAM
Architect
Farmer Payne Architects
Interior Designer
Sarah Latham | L Interiors
Landscape Architecture
Dean Hernandez | Gardenspace Design