Having lived his whole life in southern California, 3 Creek Ranch homeowner John Caskey has experienced a novel life with his family in Jackson. “My wife, Kimberly, and I grew up in southern California. We love being outside. We raised our children going to the beach nearly daily, even in the winter,” he says. “The kids are getting older, so we wanted a vacation home. We fell in love with Jackson the first time we visited. Now, it doesn’t feel like a vacation home at all. Living here for three- and four-month durations, we are experiencing life in four seasons for the first time.”

Though Caskey has always lived a nature-adjacent lifestyle, enjoying nearly uninterrupted blue skies and sunny days in southern California, 3 Creek Ranch presents an altogether different experience with the great outdoors. A lifelong surfer, Caskey now has the same access to snowboarding that he enjoyed in watersports while living at the ocean’s edge. Home to a diverse ecology of some 115 species of birds and 28 species of mammals, 3 Creek Ranch brings living in harmony with nature a whole new meaning, imparting a mindful stewardship of the land that ensures it remains unspoiled.

A real estate developer with 40 years of experience, Caskey was comfortable buying property and overseeing his dream home’s development. “In 3 Creek Ranch, there are design guidelines that each house must meet to ensure it fits in with the surroundings. On the inside, however, there is complete freedom to do something meaningful, which my wife and I wanted,” shares Caskey. The home’s palette is non-precious; while fixtures and furnishings are luxurious, they are not irreplaceable. Heavy timber beams with matte-black metal accents frame the living room. And reclaimed wood introduces a different texture to the stone fireplace. Daylight and views mingle with comfy accommodations, soft throws, and local art.

“The most important thing in building a home is to assemble a team that can bring your vision to life,” says Caskey. “We were fortunate to work with Stewart Construction Services, Hoyt Architects, and WRJ Design for interiors to design and build a home uniquely tailored to our lifestyle.”

Jenkins says a consistent process is as relevant as a well-refined point of view to bring a home from inspiration to realization. “Our primary focus is creating beauty. Certainly, we deliver inspired design, but it is equally important to us to deliver a beautiful experience,” continues Jenkins. “Building a custom home is a very long process. In this case, three years because of COVID. We’re very process driven and strive to make the client experience enjoyable and seamless.”

WRJ Design’s services are white glove. Clients are taken through a questionnaire that asks about lifestyles, casual to formal; color and material palettes that resonate; and patterns, prints, and preferences on a room-by-room basis. Clients review WRJ’s style books of past work, providing a reference point for things they love, why they love them, and how similar elements might embellish their home.

Design charrettes involve hands-on interaction with fabrics, wood tones and textures, stones, tiles, and bricks, potentially sourced worldwide. “Past clients have joined us on trips to New York City, Los Angeles, Paris, and Milan to see, feel, and experience the finishes and materials firsthand,” says Jenkins. “When the design is ready, we do a comprehensive presentation of the entire house with several layers of detail to ensure we are hitting the mark.”

At the Caskey residence, the material selection was informed by natural stone sourced from quarries in nearby Montana. Reclaimed, repurposed snow-drift fencing common to the Rocky Mountain West covers the walls throughout the living space and corridors. In the bedrooms, wallpapers in muted earth tones are joined by minimalist-
profile furnishings. Leather, linens, elegant art, and regionally sourced furs blend in an elixir of luxury bejeweled by views in every direction.

“The design showcases the soft blues and sage greens that you’ll see in nature around Jackson as the seasons change,” says Jenkins of the finished product. “Though our work is always inspired by nature, we also want worldly materials and sophistication to inform the finished spaces and the client’s experience. Most importantly, creating beauty involves both design and the relationship you build with the client.”

A veteran of the development game himself, Caskey agrees, stressing the importance of teamwork and the personal touch that makes a house feel like a home. “We have several pieces of Finn Juhl furniture from Denmark throughout the house, which is an element I picked myself,” says Caskey, before closing wisely: “My wife chose everything else.”