Interiors  ·  Residential

Hilary Swank’s Private Colorado World

October 6, 2023

With a starring TV role and twins now on the way, the Academy Award–winning actor invites AD into the incredible mountain home she shares with husband Philip Schneider and their beloved pack of rescue dogs

by Emil Wilbekin
Photo by Julie Soefer
“I have been looking for land since I was in my mid-20s,” says two-time Academy Award–winning actor Hilary Swank. “I find nature to be my happiest place, and animals are my other happiest place. And to be with both of them is everything to me.”
The completion of her new home nestled in the wilderness of the southwest Colorado mountains was a dream come true for the star of ABC’s Alaska Daily, who is currently expecting twins with husband Philip Schneider. “We found this 168-acre piece of land that was just magical. It just called to us and we couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was great that we were in the middle of nature. We can’t see our neighbors, no one for miles—we just had [it all] right there.”
Swank’s desire was to build a dream home that was sustainable and blended into nature. She wanted large-scale windows that would frame the expansive views of the mountains, and a place where they could grow their own food. She also cared about their rescue animals having space to roam freely.
“The dogs, much to my dismay, are allowed back in the house after they’ve been in the outdoors with the mud and the snow,” says designer Mark Zeff, who has worked with Swank on four of her homes. (Her first New York brownstone was their initial collaboration, followed by a New York apartment, an LA home, and now this Colorado retreat.) “The house is very honest and unpretentious,” Zeff continues. “There are some bells and whistles, like a movie theater, but the way they live and the way the house is designed is very conducive to the connection that they have with these dogs.”
Swank and Schneider found the land in 2016 and broke ground in July 2018. Flash forward almost two years later, and the onset of Covid delayed the completion of the project. The couple finally moved into the finished home in August 2020.
Ultimately, the house is a modern and gorgeous exercise in sustainability, reclaimed materials, and environmental upcycling—it literally camouflages itself into the Colorado terrain. “We felt it was really important to use the materials of the land and to be as sustainable as possible,” Swank explains. “[We got into] the ground, and [found] all this rock. I mean, people pay thousands of dollars for this rock. And we thought, Hey, let’s utilize this.”
Swank’s architects, Jodie and Bruce Wright of One Architects, Inc., found local masonries to build the home’s stone walls. “They took each rock and they put it on a stump of wood and they [chiseled] it to fit to the next rock, and the next rock, and the next rock,” Swank recalls of the family of artisans. “Having their energy in that rock as the foundation of the house is a really beautiful feeling.”
That thoughtful intention informed the rest of the home. “One of the things I didn’t want to see was cars in the carport,” Swank says. “When you drive up and you look out the window and see cars, it just takes you out of [the experience].” To preserve the emphasis on nature, and to draw a through line into the house, a bedrock wall was added to the entrance grounds. “It’s unexpected,” Swank notes. Zeff agrees: “We made a big move by using stone and building that stone into the house concept…. So it’s almost like this stone wall was always there, and we built this new house around it.”
The expansive wall is incorporated into the interior walls of the house, which seamlessly blend into the mountainous landscape. The masonry creates the perfect framing for the immersive windows that invite the outdoors in. “Growing up in a trailer park the way that I did, one of the very important things to me is light. I have to be in light,” Swank says. “The windows were custom made for the house. That was another expense that we really went for because we wanted to see the view uninterrupted. It’s our artwork.”
Following the light is one of Swank’s favorite parts of living in this house. “We watch the sunrise and it’s downright magical,” she muses. “But I think it is sunset in the summer—when all the windows are open and you really have that in and out of nature feel—[that] is magic.”
One of Swank’s favorite rooms is the dining room, which opens out to an indoor-outdoor area that features one of the house’s many fireplaces. “I think what’s unique about the house is the outdoor space,” Zeff shares. “The idea of an outdoor courtyard for a mountain house, you just don’t think about something like that.”
“We didn’t want it to feel like a log cabin,” Swank concludes. “We wanted it to be light and livable.” Mission accomplished.
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“In a way, it was about creating a prairie house that used materials that sort of camouflaged it into the land,” designer Mark Zeff explains. “So when you look at the house from three miles away, you [don’t] go, ‘Oh, my God, there’s this big thing coming out of the ground.’”
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Building the home was a team effort. DeLuca Construction provided general contracting services, as led by Pete Delucca.
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Actor Hilary Swank, pictured outside her home along the bedrock wall, which blocks cars from view and unites the outdoor and indoor areas of the property.
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Swank and Philip Schneider seen on the front porch of their home, surrounded by their rescue dogs.
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The couple photographed inside. “I love all the wood,” Swank says. “It’s reclaimed barn wood and comes from Washington State, which is where I’m from. It brings a part of that home to this home.”
Art: Norman Jean Roy
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“We kept it controlled,” Zeff explains of the house. “It’s not a vanity project, it’s a real home. They have muddy boots in the hallways, and you feel that sort of texture and patina. That’s how they live,” Zeff notes.
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One would think that the gable ceiling and expansive window—which reveals a breathtaking view—would be the main attraction of the living room. Instead, it’s the couple’s five happy rescue pups.
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“The main fireplace is a magnificent piece of work. It became the center point of the interior, like in the old days, when the fireplace was the most important part of the house,” Zeff explains.
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A formal dining area hides behind the freestanding fireplace, which divides the otherwise open area. Luminosity provided the architectural lighting design for the home.
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During the warmer months, the floor-to-ceiling window of the dining room opens up entirely, leading out onto this covered porch area. With space to dine, lounge—and even cook—it serves as another frequently used area of the property.
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An outdoor fireplace makes the area cozy—and still useable—during winter.
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Swank bundled up with some of her beloved dogs.
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Though the use of wood continues into the kitchen, the space also incorporates dark black tones. The stone slabs used in the kitchen—and bathrooms—were sourced from The Stone Collection.
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The kitchen features its own cozy fireplace, located between the main area of the room and the breakfast nook.
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Swank and Schneider relax by the kitchen fire.
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An open floor plan continues throughout the home. “We did lots of layering,” Zeff says, in reference to the various textures employed throughout this and other rooms, as well as a series of Moroccan carpets. Antique furnishings were used throughout. Other pieces were sourced through Obsolete Inc. and Schwung Home.
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Layered rugs were employed to deft effect in the primary bedroom, which features its own deck.
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Swank, pictured in her bedroom, curls up to read in between two snake plants.
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The massive primary bathroom and closet area is located just off the couple’s bedroom. With its custom carpeting and leather daybed, it makes for another winter-ready retreat.
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The bathtub of the primary bathroom is situated to take best advantage of the striking mountain view.
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“The floors are magnificent, and the wood on the walls and the ceilings in some of the areas play off of that,” Zeff reflects of the home, which expertly layers a variety of materials.
Art: Shepard Fairey / Obey Giant Art
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Stripes, and a call to Make Art Not War, dominate the guest bedroom.
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“Having a movie theater for me is really important because of the business that I’m in,” Swank says. “It’s really fun to go in there, especially in the winter, and just kind of cozy up.” The room, which is tucked behind rich walnut wood, stands out thanks to its red upholstered seats and, of course, some notable awards.
Art: Anand Varma
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Another lounge area—for when movie screening isn’t the first order of business.
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“We were thinking, How do we make a garden on this land and really live off of it?” Swank recalls. “We found that a grow dome was the best way to grow your fruits and vegetables because it’s a self-sustaining little ecosystem.” The addition takes up just a small portion of the total 168-acre property size.
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Swank and Schneider photographed in their grow dome, which was constructed by Growing Spaces.
This article is orginally available at www.architecturaldigest.com