What Our Clients Are Asking For: Designing for the Way We Live Now

Lately, clients have been coming to us with a new kind of clarity. They know how they want to live, and they’re asking for spaces that reflect it. Not just beautiful homes but homes that feel intuitive, connected, and built for the way life actually unfolds.

At BHH, we start by listening. We pay attention to what clients imagine, how they want to live, and what makes a space feel like home. A few design priorities have been emerging across both residential and vacation homes. These aren’t passing trends. They reflect how people are rethinking comfort, connection, and retreat in the Mountain West.

Here’s what we’re seeing, and how we’re responding.

Framing the View

Whether tucked into the trees or perched above a ridgeline, clients are drawn to homes that embrace the outdoors. Vaulted ceilings and expansive windows help create a sense of openness and light, anchoring the home in its setting.

These architectural elements do more than showcase the view. They shape how light moves throughout the day, how people gather, and how every room connects back to the landscape. Orientation, ceiling height, and window placement are part of the design conversation from the beginning.

Sculptural Stairs

A staircase can do more than connect levels. In many of our recent homes, it becomes a centerpiece. We’re designing stairs with solid timber treads, custom steel details, and open risers that let light travel between floors.

These sculptural details add movement and character. They’re functional, yes, but they also shape how people move through the space and how the space feels in return.

Material Honesty

Clients are gravitating toward materials that feel grounded, enduring, and authentic to the region. We’re seeing more interest in natural stone, exposed wood grain, and hand-finished metal that highlights craftsmanship and texture.

These finishes bring quiet richness to the home. They age beautifully, reflect the surrounding landscape, and often become the backdrop for daily life. Many of these choices come out of early conversations about longevity, comfort, and a desire to feel connected to place.

Spa-Inspired Spaces

Wellness is no longer limited to the primary suite. Clients are asking for spaces that offer relaxation and recovery for the whole group. That might mean a cold plunge tucked off a patio, a sauna near the ski room, or a lower-level spa with outdoor access.

These features aren’t just luxury statements. They support mountain living and create moments for rest and reconnection. We’re designing them as natural extensions of the home, integrated into the flow of everyday life.

Flexible Spaces That Adapt

Post-pandemic living has changed how people gather. Flexibility is now a priority. Clients want homes that feel comfortable when full and just as comfortable when quiet.

We’re designing open kitchens with oversized islands, rec rooms that double as guest suites, and cozy reading nooks for solo downtime. Built-in storage, smart circulation, and adaptable layouts help the home feel easy to live in and ready for whatever the day brings.

Designing for Life in the Mountain West

These requests speak to more than style. They reflect how people want to live. Feeling connected to nature, supported by thoughtful design, and surrounded by spaces that feel both personal and lasting.

At BHH Partners, we design homes that respond to landscape and light, but also to daily rhythm and long-term vision. We listen closely, collaborate intentionally, and create spaces that feel intuitive and enduring.

These are homes designed to be lived in, shared, and remembered.