Summer Dispatch: 022
Featuring an interview with interior designer and creative force Ken Fulk!
Happy Thursday and happy (unofficial) start of summer!
By now, most of us have lovingly shoved our skis in a closet or garage corner. That said, I know a few of you, especially up in the PNW, are still sneaking in early summer turns. I respect it.
After a cheeky mud season break, Slopeside is back this week! If you’re new here, welcome! This is your year-round dispatch on ski culture, mountain news, skiwear, trends, and alpine living. Things do slow down a bit in the off-season, but we’re still here – covering the best of summer in the mountains (some may say the best season of all). Also check out the archive from this winter for a preview of what to expect during the ski season.
Chairlift Chatter
I just got back from London, so naturally, I’m knees deep in a royal family rabbit hole. And right on cue – Princess Diana’s iconic red ski suit is going up for auction. Bidding is already open, with the official auction set for June 26. Julien’s expects it to sell for $30,000 to $50,000 with bids starting at $8,000. It’s a dreamy 1980s HEAD one-piece with an asymmetric zip and dramatic dolman sleeves. Such a classic. On that note, friend of the letter The Sweat Lookbook did some iconic sleuthing work to identify Princess Kate’s French Alps ski look back in April.
Vail Resorts has parted ways with CEO Kirsten Lynch after a rocky season marked by internal tensions and underwhelming performance. The 12-day strike by Park City ski patrollers earlier this year didn’t help the company’s public image and lackluster stock performance only added to the pressure. Skier visits dropped by 3.1% last year and former longtime CEO Rob Katz is stepping back in to lead the company.
Speaking of Vail Resorts – Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince just snapped up Town Lift Plaza in Park City, aiming to give Town Lift a glow-up and lure more skiers toward Main Street’s businesses. It sounds like he’s also eyeing Park City Mountain Resort itself, especially after all the recent kerfuffle with Vail Resorts.
PSA for those already counting down to winter: Beartooth Basin, perched on the Wyoming / Montana border and the sole summer-only ski area in North America, officially started spinning lifts yesterday. It’s remote, rugged, and gloriously old-school (no lodge, no cell service, and definitely no RFID), but if you’ve got cash, sunscreen, and a deep desire for summer turns, this is for you.
As Slopeside settles into the off-season, I’ve been turning my attention to other corners of mountain life that are also very exciting to me, like interior design. While certain alpine aesthetics feel highly played out (read: antler chandeliers), there’s a fresh wave of designers doing really imaginative work in mountain spaces.
Today’s feature spotlights one of my absolute favorites: the inimitable Ken Fulk. If you’re not already familiar, Ken is more than just an interior designer – he’s a world-builder and tastemaker whose work spans everything from homes and hotels to private jets and restaurants. As noted in his New York Times profile this past Tuesday, over the past 25 years, Ken has worked on projects for tech titans, musicians, and Pulitzer winners alike, infusing each project with his signature theatrical flair.
Ken is behind projects like The Goodtime Hotel in Miami (in partnership with Pharrell Williams) and serves as Creative Director at Major Food Group, the culinary force behind restaurants like Carbone. He also co-founded Felix Roasting Co, a coffee brand redefining the café experience.
It’s a pleasure (and a thrill!) to share more about Ken and his approach to mountain design in today’s feature.
An interview with interior designer and creative director, Ken Fulk.
Loomis Lodge and Halfway House are two of my favorite mountain projects. Can you share a bit about the design process – what was the original vision and how did it evolve along the way?
Our Lake Tahoe estate, coined Loomis Lodge, was designed for Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom and his wife Nicole. We set out to design a year-round lakeside camp with our goal being to rival the best historic lodges that resided so prominently in our imaginations. We were primarily inspired by the romance of the area—the history of its fearless explorers, and the mystique of the Wild West and its place in San Francisco lore since the Victorian era, when timber resorts dotted the shores and Bay Area families would retreat to homes designed by the most prominent local architects. At its core, however, the real pull for us was the otherworldly beauty of Lake Tahoe to its core essence. Though newly built, the house has the character of an old-fashioned lodge with massive timbers, hand-scraped floors, and soaring ceilings—not to mention the remarkable views of the lake.
Halfway House is our modern ski chalet in Big Sky, Montana, where boutique hotel–meets–treehouse interiors that contribute to the air of festivity. It’s a haven for après ski cocktails, glorious family-style dinners, and seemingly endless fireside chats. The house combines the warmest elements of lodge living with wood salvaged from snow fences and old barns on the walls and floors. Their sparseness and texture gave the structure a spiritual quality, making it the perfect environment to connect and unwind with your favorite people. It was designed as both guest quarters and party headquarters for a sprawling family who loves to spend their winter holidays skiing powder from their back door. Inspired by notorious hotels and branded as such, each of the bedrooms were named after a famously hard partier—Elvis, Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, etc. The rest of the home was layered with a sense of history and laid-back luxury, setting the scene for unforgettable nights and magical memories.
Mountain homes often walk a fine line between rugged authenticity and refined luxury. When designing her Jackson Hole home, Lauren Santo Domingo famously declared: “No fur, no bison heads, no stone mantles, no cowboy hats, no fluffy rugs.” How do you approach the familiar alpine tropes – embrace them, overthrow them, or avoid them altogether?
I think there is something to be appreciated about the familiar elements of a particular place, especially through the lens of history and nostalgia. I look to the best parts of lodges in history, and what made them so special and memorable. Instead of reducing classic elements to novelty I like to lean into the iconic themes in a modern way. In Montana we recently created what I like to call a "Greatest Hits" collection of après-ski style in one of most enviable private ski resorts. The result translates quintessential lodge style and nostalgia with a mix of contemporary references. It feels eclectic yet storied, filled with wit, whimsy, and a sense of effortless style, providing the perfect backdrop for parties hosting the biggest and best cast of characters.
You’re also the creative force behind Felix Roasting Co – the most chic coffee shop in Aspen. How did the mountain location shape your creative direction for that space?
Felix Roasting Co is one of my favorite projects in the mountains. I was able to take a quintessential NYC coffee brand and reimagine it in a contextually fresh and new space; from the big city to the big mountains.
For some more context, Felix Roasting Co incorporates its design, hospitality, and product into harmony, with the goal to elevate what has become a timeworn routine for many: reimagining everyone's favorite daily ritual. Rejecting the industrial and welcoming in "beauty for beauty's sake", the design is heavily inspired by the aesthetic movement of the late 19th century, as well as the grand cafes of Europe. As a founding partner and creative director, we considered every detail from the conception of this brand, from the romantic color scheme and rich textures to the custom arabica flower wallpaper and graphic-forward coffee cups. This full-sensory experience serves to galvanize both the mind and creative spirit, which is a welcomed delight amongst active skiing and also leisure time in the mountains. The way Felix is translated in Aspen was a beautiful unraveling of a fresh chapter to be told. In New York, the cafe floors are intricately laid mosaic masterpieces and the feeling is more urban, serving as a reminder to slow down in such a fast-paced city. In Aspen, the flooring is a warm wood, laid out in a diamond that centers in the middle of the shop. Natural lighting of the warm sun floods the space with a gentle glow. Fiddle leaf fig trees inside the space remind you of the abundant nature that surrounds the venue. The mission of creating a space of respite is fully realized, and European cafe culture is found. The outpost is perfectly placed in Hotel Jerome, a haven within the eponymous ski and mountain scene of the Rockies.
What’s the most unexpected or unconventional design choice you’ve made in a mountain home?
While the aesthetic movement is no stranger to NYC and certainly flourished there, it is a more unfamiliar influence for a snowy mountain town. Outfitting Felix Roasting Co in colorful, romantic florals, portraiture, a saddle chandelier, and pink fringed velvet chairs was an unexpected surprise in the town. In Hotel Jerome and the rest of Aspen, the vibe is more “ski lodge” instead of elegant and fine coffee cafe. I’m confident that this European inspired, romantic and ethereal spot is a fresh and welcomed addition!
If you could dream up your ultimate mountain project (no clients, no constraints, no budget) what would it be?
I feel very lucky to say that we have a couple dream projects in the works from Aspen to Verbier. You’ll have to wait and see how the dream is realized once they are complete in the next year or so.
Finally – what’s your ideal mountain day or evening?
I’ve become accustomed to a new level of mountain living thanks to lovely clients who live within private ski resorts, where we enjoy one ski run after another with breaks for naps and revelry either at home or at one of the great mountain lodges.
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