Photograph by David A. Land
Ever the one for practical advice, Atlanta star designer Vern Yip has a theory: Your primary residence can feel like a vacation, provided you take a few steps to make it organized, calming, and balanced. In his new book, Vacation at Home (Running Press), Yip outlines what he’s learned from top resorts around the world to create that restful luxury at home—and shares a few of his favorite projects for inspiration, including this Park City, Utah, retreat. Here are five things to take away from the read—and what makes this slope-side lodge the perfect winter getaway.
Photograph by David A. Land
Photograph by David A. Land
Stay organized
“It’s what you don’t see that matters,” says Yip in his book. High-end hoteliers understand the power of messaging: “Visual pollution is jarring.” There are no stacks of mail and receipts lying around on tabletops at high-end resorts. Clutter causes stress, which is the opposite of vacation. Make sure everything has a place to be put away.
Reset the room before you leave
Fluff pillows, pick up toys, put dishes in the dishwasher. Each room will feel fresh when you reenter. On that note, consider a few surprises for yourself: Rearrange your furniture every once in a while; switch out the art.
Opt for low-maintenance everything
Make life easy by minimizing little tasks. Select quartz countertops, install (warm!) LED bulbs, and choose performance fabrics and rugs. Even your bed can take cues from hotels—if you want an easy bed to make, use just a comforter or duvet, and ditch all the shams. Go for extra-long Egyptian Giza cotton for true luxury.
Photograph by David A. Land
Indulge in the details
Yip is a master of warm, soft lighting—achieved with LED bulbs between 2400 and 3000 Kelvin, with dimmers on every switch. Fragrant hand soap and cream in pretty dispensers go a long way. Put one type of flower in little bud vases around your house.
Sometimes you need a real vacation
Photos of second homes Yip has designed in Utah and Florida fill the book with inspiration. This Park City house takes cues from contemporary ski lodges, framing a view of the Wasatch Mountains with floor-to-ceiling windows. Moody interiors contrast with the sparkling white outside.
Photograph by David A. Land
Visit Park City
As a major Delta hub, Salt Lake City is an easy flight from Atlanta year-round, and from there, Park City is just a 40-minute drive. This year, a new resort backing up to Deer Valley, a couple of miles from Park City, was announced as the largest in the country since Beaver Creek, Colorado, opened in 1980. The Mayflower Mountain Resort, developed by Extell Development Company, will encompass between 400 and 900 skiable acres, three hotels, condos, and townhouses, and will add five to seven new lifts, which are scheduled to start turning in 2021.
This article appears in our Winter 2019 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.
