Summer 2026

Ikigai in Aspen

KC State of Mind

This Japanese-inspired retreat uses stone, wood, and ritual to create a quietly immersive mountain escape.

Words
Christine Emming

Photos
Nate Sheets
@natesheetsphoto

Architect
Z Group Architecture &
Interior Design
@zgrouparchitects

Designer
Glinn Interiors
@glinn.interiors

Contractor
Type Five Builders
@typefivebuildersaspen

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When you walk into a temple in Japan, you take off your shoes,” says the Kansas City-based homeowner of this 5,500-square-foot Aspen retreat. “Some of the stones were warmer when the sun hit them, and I loved the feel of them on my feet. To me, it was totally Zen.”

That memory became the emotional starting point for a home designed to host his three adult children, their growing families, and friends—comfortably, and in every season.

After purchasing the lot in 2021, the homeowner partnered with architect Seth Hmielowski of Z Group Architecture & Interior Design, who named the project Ikigai. Roughly translated, it means: finding life’s purpose and the meaning in what you do. This was the statement the homeowner wanted this home—the only home he’s ever built—to embody.

He chose KC-based designer Andrea Glinn, a longtime collaborator, to capture his specific vision for a home full of meaning, intention, and experience.

“Is this honest? Is this a true material? Does this feel Zen?” These were the questions Glinn repeatedly asked while designing the home’s interior. “Everything is calming,” she says. “It felt very holistic to apply the way [the homeowner] wanted to live with the way the home functions.”

Glinn used restraint and focused on handcrafted and natural materials. “A lot of the tiles are hand-glazed. We have a hand-chiseled vanity on the first-floor powder,” she says, for example. She also incorporated antiques, including Japanese screens as artwork. Glinn traveled to Aspen, with the homeowner and on her own, six times throughout the two-year build process, and developed a thorough installation map for the contractor, Sebastian Wanatowicz, whom she credits for making the long distance work. “His communication skills are honestly one of the reasons the project turned out so well,” she says.

 

Architect Seth Hmielowski named this home “Ikigai,” which he translates approximately to “finding your life’s purpose and the meaning in what you do.” In this home, the architect and designer used the term as inspiration to build intentional spaces that inspire calm, reflecting the homeowner’s values.
These two stories on a compact lot maximize both natural light and privacy. The second floor offers striking views across sedum-planted green roofs. Landscape design by Land Design 39.
Custom white oak cabinetry and the solid Leblon quartzite panel neatly outline the kitchen, while an oversized black Cardoso granite island provides ample workspace.
Apparatus pendants float above an ash-and-resin table in the dining room, where an antique Japanese six-panel screen serves as wall art.
A solid piece of quartzite with three natural sides makes a striking hearthstone, while oversized bronze pivot doors make outdoor access easy. The custom table by KC-based woodworker Matt Castilleja anchors the room, which also features artwork by Diana al Hadid.
Instead of leaning into the expected “mountain lodge” vernacular of Aspen, the interiors pursue modern simplicity: clean lines, natural textures, and spaces that encourage quiet reflection.
Tucked beneath the staircase, a second family room in the basement offers privacy for guests needing a comfortable workspace.
Above the grand-entry staircase, floral globes wrapped in lavender silk by Israeli company Aqua Creations welcome visitors; the guard rail is softened with a leather wrap.
Each bronze pivot door by Riviera Bronze weighs over 1,000 pounds and opens simply by pivoting, a quick connection that extends the living room all the way to the pavers around the fire pit.
The primary bedroom has a glass sliding door by Riviera Bronze that completely disappears into the wall. Matt Castilleja also built two nightstands for this room and this dresser, which houses a hidden TV.
In the primary bathroom, waves of Blue Bahia granite undulate across the wall toward the bath, replicating the feel of the homeowner’s Kyoto trip. A built-in stone bench provides seating or storage.
This junior suite, one of four guest rooms available with an ensuite bath, showcases a wide mountain view over teak woodgrain panels that hide convenient storage for guests.
Teak slats calm the shower ceiling in the wet room and make a cameo on the vanity, unifying the space with warm, visible woodgrain.
The sweeping sheet of Sandalus quartzite in black and brown, along with its complementary custom cabinetry, offers a masculine touch to the downstairs fireplace wall.
In the bunk room, which sleeps up to eight, reading lights by Buster + Punch offer a warm glow to the ebonized white oak paneling.
All the home’s doors are 8-feet tall and made of horizontal slatted wood. In this main-level powder bathroom, the organic-shaped Apparatus sconces offset the squared tiles, mirror, and vanity.

The fireplace itself becomes a focal point. Intended to feel as though it had been hauled directly from the earth’s core, its centerpiece is a monumental slab of Ocean Fantasy quartzite, sourced during a visit to a stone yard in Eagle, Colorado. To meet fire code, the top and bottom were hand-hewn, leaving the remaining edges in their raw, natural state.

Connections to the outdoors are equally deliberate. At 8,000 feet above sea level, Aspen’s mild summers and few bugs allow for easy indoor-outdoor living. In the main living space, two massive bronze pivot doors open effortlessly to a patio with seating, a grilling area, and a fire pit—extending the home’s living area into the landscape.

Additional outdoor spaces include a front patio often used as a casual workspace and an upper-level balcony with a hot tub, accessible from both the primary suite and hallway. From here, views stretch across one of the home’s two green roofs.

Despite its mountain setting, the project reflects strong Kansas City ties. In addition to Glinn, the homeowner collaborated with lighting designer Clint Paugh and art consultant Simone Joseph, who sourced the home’s collection.

“KC has a rich creative history,” the homeowner says, “and I was fortunate to work with several professionals from KC.”

Located just two blocks from downtown Aspen and five from the mountain, the home is designed for year-round use without reliance on a car. The layout supports both intimacy and scale: five bedrooms—including a bunk room that sleeps eight—allow the home to comfortably host up to 16 guests.

When he’s not working, the semi-retired, middle-aged homeowner focuses on spending time with the people he loves, in a place he loves: “I’ve gone to Aspen since I was a teenager, and it’s always been a special place for me. I use [the home] with family and friends about 3-4 months of the year. I love every aspect of it.”

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