Colorado’s Striking ‘Snow Clam’ Washes Up Onto the Market for $1.8M

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Portland architect Robert Harvey Oshatz has designed some of the country’s most striking examples of organic architecture—homes shaped like the ripples of a river, birds in flight, and seashells. His designs favor curving lines, river rocks, large sheets of glass, and lots of wood, typically in stunning settings. They rarely come up for sale, but when they do, they typically sell for millions.

One of Oshatz’s early designs in Crested Butte, CO, recently went on the market for $1.8 million. Due to the 4,816-square-foot home’s distinctive shape, the locals call it the “snow clam.”

Completed in 1987, the four-bedroom, five-bath home is perched on the edge of the Crested Butte Mountain Resort, near the top of the Gold Link ski lift. The placement is so convenient, you could easily ski off the property to the bottom of the Columbine Hill trail, take the lift back up, and ski back home again.

Kitchen

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Front view

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With that backdrop, it’s a wonder why anyone would want to leave this whimsical mountain home.

It’s designed around a central, river rock shaft that opens to three fireplaces on the home’s three levels. Oshatz writes that the home was designed as the ultimate vacation getaway for two families: The top level features two master bedrooms for the parents; the center level has the home’s entertaining, dining, and living areas; and the bottom level has a children’s playroom and dormitories.

The home was originally built by two brothers who happened to own a truckload of redwood siding and were fans of Oshatz’s work. As you might imagine, there’s a lot of rich redwood throughout the home.

One of two master bedrooms

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Top level

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It’s hard to find a straight line in any room. The open-concept living room is anchored by a wavy river rock fireplace with a generous, raised hearth. The chef’s kitchen just beyond is similarly curvy, with a custom island, stainless-steel appliances, and a circular bay of windows above the sink.

Windows feature prominently in the design, affording wraparound views of the woods. The master bedrooms both have curving, semicircular windows (with see-through bookcases). The top level has a curving balcony that overlooks the living room below.

The ground-level fireplace includes a curving bank of windows with built-in seating. Elsewhere, there’s a 1,000-square-foot balcony that spans the back of the house. For ski buffs with an appetite for a different type of home, it’ll be hard to find anything like this charming (and conspicuous) clam.

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