In an interesting departure from its Laguna Beach roots, Montage Hotels and Resorts has just launched its newest property in Deer Valley, Utah. For this foray into mountainous terrain, the group chose designer Trisha Wilson and her Dallas-based firm, Wilson Associates. “Combining the use of natural stones and wood with rich fabrics and artwork from local and regional artisans, the Montage Deer Valley exudes a warm aesthetic blended with the architectural style of a grand manor house,” says Wilson, providing a prelude to the design aesthetic implemented by her team, headed by Cheryl Neumann, Wilson Associates’ COO.

Upon entry into the lobby and adjacent Vista Lounge, one is immediately offered a sense of place with mosaic floors, grand vaulted ceilings, a limestone fireplace, and custom wood and iron chandeliers. The pewter bar harkens back to the town’s origins as a silver mining community. “The resort is built on the site of the old Daly West Mine, named for John Daly, who established the Daly Mining Company in February 1880,” says Neumann. “The design brief centered around the creation of a grand manor house in this majestic mountain setting combined with influences from the local mining industry of the late 1800s.”

Another major reference to silver mining is found in the guestrooms, each of which includes a pewter chandelier as a focal point. The color palette is neutral, yet rich, furthered by leathers and deep wood tones. But the design ethos of these rooms is hardly country western. Instead, Neumann and her team were inspired by the bedrooms in European country homes, with sumptuous fireplaces and large plaster rosettes in their ceilings.