Aspen LivingThe Rocky Mountain lifestyle has never looked this good.
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“White House” has a different connotation in Aspen, but the two do share similarities... both are home to powerbrokers. The Aspen Institute draws leaders such as Madeleine Albright, Bill and Ann Nitze, Queen Noor and Jack Valenti, while Washingtonians Wilma and Stuart Berstein, Mel and Suellen Estrin, and Samia and A. Huda Farouki, along with Henry and Jessica Catto, Sidney and Rep. Jane Harman, Joe and Alma Gildenhorn, Prince Bandar, Fred and Marlene Malek, Albert and Shirley Small, and Dick Blum and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, all own winter west wings here that would make 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue green.
The Bernstein/Estrin Residence
Former Ambassador to Denmark and succesful developer Stuart Bernstein and his wife Wilma haven’t strayed far from their childhood roots. They share their Aspe playground/residence with Wilma’s brother, business heavyweight Mel Estrin, and his wife Suellen. After falling in love with each other as children, they fell in love with Aspen and bought a house nestled into a hillside behind the exclusive Aspen Club spa (a top spot in town for celebrity sightings) and the Aspen Mountain Club (a private club that both the Bernsteins and Estrins enjoy). Its facade conjures up images of the classic Hollywood “House in Aspen,” complete with an antler chandelier and a wood-paneled library. The exterior is appropriately log-paneled with the balcony and trim in contrasting dark woods; a beautiful stone chimney r ises from the center of the house.
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Step into the interior of their residence, however, and all illusions of a Hollywood home quickly disappear, replaced instead by something far more original and captivating. Everywhere you turn, there are elements of the Bernstein’s Old-World renaissance style subtly blended with the Estrin’s taste for traditional Western interiors. Though they do share the home, each has put their own personal touch on the living space. The most obvious example of the separate yet matching motifs can be seen in the two master bedrooms. Wilma personally decorated hers while the Estrin’s hired top designer Bob Trown to create their personal sanctuary.
The dramatic front hall is adorned with floor-to-ceiling tapestries and a theme of richly needlepointed textiles is evident throughout much of the space. Passing through the entryway and into the two-story great room, the first thing a visitor notices are the windows, which soar 30 feet high. Nearby, an Italian marble fireplace stands nearly seven feet high, and the deeply cushioned sofas are upholstered with plush fabrics in warm neutral colors. But the crowning jewel of the great room is the magnificent wrought-iron chandelier, where 18 reindeer dance on three tiers of oak leaves, each one exquisitely handcrafted, and no two exactly alike.
Ultimately, this house reminds one of a Latin proverb, “De gustibus non disputandum est,” which, loosely translated means “in matters of taste there is no room for argument.” Certainly not when it looks this good.
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The Farouki Residence
This beautiful example of Victorian-style home design belongs to long-time Washingtonians Samia and A. Huda Farouki, a financial investor. Situated off Main Street and across from Paepcke Park, the exterior of the house is a masterpiece of terraces and dormers perfectly rendered in stormy blue, and off set by snow white gingerbread trim. The ground-floor interior features a beautiful wide center staircase framed by entertaining spaces on either side all of which are accessed through a wide entry hall. The airy high ceilings in the living room give way to a decadently floral dining room and out into a lovely English garden that’s brimming with flowers from May to October. Directly below the living space is another room designed for entertaining, featuring a wonderful assortment of Southwestern art and French wicker café tables, all set against walls painted a deep cantaloupe. It comes as no surprise that this house feels designed for a great party at every turn; Samia and A. Huda Farouki are known for their gracious entertaining. In addition to the one-time events, the Faroukis regularly open their Aspen house to vacationing friends and family (they have three children in their twenties and thirties), so the house always feels warm and welcoming. The décor is equally inviting, filled with rich colors and unexpected details, many of which reflect the Farouki’s Jordanian heritage. This combination of French, Alpine and Middle Eastern influences work uniquely well together, and the result is just as engaging as its elegant owners.
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The Nitze Residence
Just down the street from the Faroukis lives another of Washington’s top hostesses, the incomparable Ann Nitze, whose father-in-law, former Secretary of the Navy Paul H. Nitze, was one of the original investors in the Aspen Skiing Company in the late 1940’s. Ann and her husband, Gridpoint Chairman Bill Nitze, have been coming to Aspen for as long as anyone can remember, and their house is one of the town’s hidden gems. The architecture is mid-to-late 20th century modern, and the exterior wooden panels have been allowed to age naturally, rendering them a soft gray that seems to blend into the trees. An avid art collector and consultant, Ann Nitze designed the interior of the house to showcase a beautiful selection of both Asian and modern pieces, including a Ming tapestry and murals by the architect of the Aspen Institute, Herbert Bayer. The living and dining rooms share an open floor plan, high-beamed ceilings and clean spare furnishings. Guests are treated to a feeling of expansive quiet space, which provides an enjoyable respite from the traditional Aspen “alpine” interior. The adjoining kitchen and breakfast space also benefit from sliding glass doors, and the high counter in the center of the kitchen provides a perfect informal perch for all the friends and extended family members who enjoy the Nitze’s relaxed hospitality. Adding to the energy in the house are Ann and Bill’s charming sons, Paul (28) and Charles (21), who often join their parents in Aspen during summers and holidays. Right off the living room lies a 20x20 ft. wooden deck, home to some of the summer’s most delightful sunset cocktail parties. As you might imagine if you’ve ever been invited to a gathering at her Georgetown home, the Nitze’s Aspen fetes are known for their sparkling mix of diplomats, artists, business and political leaders, scientists and many other interesting people.
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The Aspen Institute
One of the most visible reminders of Aspen’s long-running relationship with Washington can be found on the pristine campus of the Aspen Institute, located at the far end of North Third Street. This Washington-based think tank was founded in 1950 by Chicagoan Walter Paepcke and his wife Elizabeth (nee Nitze), herself a native Washingtonian. What began with a one-time celebration of the Goethe bi-centennial has evolved over the past five decades into one of the few high-level think tanks that can claim the distinction of being genuinely nonpartisan. Under the leadership of its dynamic CEO, best-selling author and Washington resident Walter Isaacson, the Aspen Institute has undergone a renaissance during the past two years, reemerging as an intellectual powerhouse on the political landscape.In Aspen, the Institute holds symposia, seminars and public events throughout the year on a wide variety of topics, but all of their diverse programs are informed by the common theme of seeking deeper understanding through dialogue.
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All of which brings us on a chilly December evening at Plato’s, the hip new restaurant located in the recently renovated Aspen Meadows Resort on the Institute’s campus. The walls of the restaurant are made of 20 foot high glass panes, and the view is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular in all of Aspen, sweeping over 360 degrees of immaculate wilderness.
Incredible vistas like this one seem to be everywhere on the Aspen Institute’s 1000-acre property, and their quiet splendor is an important part of the total experience of attending an Aspen Institute program. Visitors are encouraged to spend time outdoors when they’re not in meetings or seminars, and while golf carts are available to those who request them, nearly everyone chooses to walk along the winding paths that hold together this miniature village.
The architecture of the Aspen Institute campus represents one of the most significant examples in North America of the mid-twentieth century German school of Bauhaus (which loosely translated means “house for building”), and the unified vision of architect Herbert Bayer is apparent everywhere. In the guest rooms, smooth lines and monochromatic furnishings allow the mountain views to take center stage, while the public spaces contain cubist murals along the way to unadorned meeting rooms. Taken together, all of these elements coalesce to evoke a deep sense of clarity and simplicity of purpose; it is as though Herbert Bayer himself were reminding visitors to look beyond the bells and whistle of modern life to the essence of things.
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Getting to Aspen
There are many direct commercial flights from National, Dulles and BWI to Aspen. Based out of Colorado, Telluride flights offers affordable private jet service to Aspen, and other destinations worldwide. Their shared flight programs matches others with similar itineraries while still offering the intimacy of private jet travel. www.tellurideflights.com