Coat Tower

This Telluride, Colo., home weathers an average annual snowfall of 325 inches, so it’s only fitting that the coat closet is a monumental two-story stone tower. The addition of decomposed granite exaggerates the texture of the mortar, which is applied in a heavily smeared “butter application” to chunks of Telluride Gold stone. Recessed 20 inches into the stone surround, an 8-foot-by-7-foot niche offers oversized hanging pegs braced by steel bands of varied widths. A waxed finish gives the steel a warm, leather-like quality, says architect Larry Yaw of Cottle Graybeal Yaw Architects, Basalt, Colo. Guests and family members use the thick walnut bench to pull off boots. “In snow country we often include a mud room where everything goes,” explains Yaw, “but in this case we didn’t want to formalize it into its own room. The clients liked the idea of not making a big deal out of it and allowing the coats to become part of the décor.”