Bozeman and Big Sky, Mont.-based SAV Digital Environments would be hard pressed to find a more idyllic corner of the country in which to operate. Stunning mountain vistas and expansive swaths of alpine forests present the perfect backdrop for showcasing the company’s luxury design and integration solutions.
Balancing the View with the Design
While the company typically works to bring clients’ preferences and needs to life, its latest display project at an executive rental property in Lakelodge — located in Moonlight Basin in Big Sky — presented a ripe opportunity to showcase what it could create when left to its own devices.
With a jaw-dropping view of Lone Peak, the interior design team led by Stephanie Gilboy, SAV’s technology advisor, had to toe the fine line between accentuating the landscape’s natural beauty, while not going overboard and drawing attention away from it.
“You get in and you really can’t stop looking. It’s one of the best views of Lone Peak in the area,” said Gilboy. “So in designing the space we wanted a monochromatic, seamless flavor that felt intentional but was unintimidating. We wanted nothing that said: ‘Don’t use me.’”
The project provided a unique opportunity to “showcase some of our product decisions and to collaborate with other partners on the mountain that we work with regularly,” said Gilboy. Regarding the purpose of the project, she went on to say, “It was built for our team to use as a demo both for potential customers and for other designers on the mountain. A lot of this was to show that you don’t have to be scared of technology in a design format.”
Making the Most of Collaborations
Not only was this build an opportunity to show off what SAV could do from a technology and design front, but it was also an exciting way to collaborate with other local businesses.
“SAV is driven by design, and we have an affinity for art,” said Gilboy. “For this project, we worked with local design firm Open Studio Collective, which helped select and procure housewares, bedding and wall treatments; placed artwork through Courtney Collins Fine Art and Echo Arts; and of course, partnered with Studio Como for furnishings.”
One of the challenges of the unit was its location, which was in a newly-built complex where they could not do the infrastructure wiring.
“It was hard coming in on somebody else’s template that was very minimal,” said Gilboy, adding that his was a major change of pace for SAV. “We pride ourselves on strong infrastructure and thinking forward to provide for years of potential changes. We always use a strong, robust network as a foundation for all of our platforms.”
Offering Intentional Technological Design
That road bump turned into an important cornerstone, which helped Gilboy devise her plan for bringing to life a space populated with top-of-the-line freestanding devices headlined by a pair of Special Edition Meridian DSP7200 loudspeakers. According to Gilboy, “we started with the custom dipped Meridian speakers and just worked around the technology at that point to say, how do we make everything look like it was meant to go together?”
The hi-fi audio experience doesn’t end with the top-of-the-line Meridian speakers. Each bedroom is equipped with McIntosh headphone amplifiers on each bedside table. And since no hi-fidelity audio experience is complete without the proper audio files, the whole unit is equipped with a Roon Music player, which gives visitors access to hi-fi audio files from Tidal or QoBuz.
The apartment also features the Lutron RA2 wireless lighting control and the Lutron Palladium Shading System, which provide the luxurious feel of smart home integration without the centralized wiring.
“There is no big fancy centralized lighting system and no wired shades; instead, we used the wire-free palladiums,” said Gilboy, “but you wouldn’t know the difference. That is the kind of intentional design we were after.”
Keeping Control Simple
A 10.5-in. iPad with Luxeport Docking station is provided for the global control of the house audio and of course, no luxury apartment would be complete without one of the best TVs money can buy: the Samsung 65-in. 8K Neo QLED TV. Strategically positioned in the living room and flanked on either side by the Meridian Speakers, the TV begs to be used for Sunday watch parties and family movie nights.
Given the unit’s small floorplan — just three bedrooms and roughly 1,800 sq feet — there was no reason for SAV to overcomplicate the space. According to Gilboy, intentional simplicity was the best course of action: “Comfort meets design meets technology meets architecture. That was the theme.”
