European Dreams

Author:

KTG Design realizes a French Château-inspired mountain escape in Martis Camp

In the great room, the chandeliers are by Bone Simple, the custom Mohair rug is from Kravet, the custom sectional is by PH Furniture and the coffee table is from Galerie Half.
Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.

“At our core, we believe great design doesn’t need to shout to be felt,” says Katie Geresy of KTG Design, about her firm’s design philosophy. “The spaces we create are meant to invite you in—to feel grounding, layered, and quietly beautiful. We’re drawn to materials with texture, pieces with history and details that reveal themselves over time.”

In the kitchen the countertops are made using slabs from Da Vinci Marble, the stools are by McGuire, the pendants are by Arteriors and the plumbing fixtures are by Rohl. Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.
The dining room is painted in Portola Paints’ Roman Clay and the dining chairs are by PH Furniture.
Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.

Their lived-in, soulful approach was useful when hired to design a 7,000-square-foot home in Truckee, for clients who desired a European chateau-inspired feel and maximal indoor-outdoor living. “This home is our take on a mountain retreat through a more refined, soulful lens,” she recalls. “From the beginning, it was a very collaborative process between the architect Sandbox, the clients and our team, which made the entire experience both seamless and meaningful.”

In the scullery, the paint is from Farrow And Ball, the plumbing is by Rohl, the hardware is by Ashley Norton Hardware and the lighting is by Allied Maker. Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.
In the powder room the floor tile is from Eco Outdoor, the vanity is an antique. The sconces are by Allied Maker and the custom concrete sink is by Clastic Designs. Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.

The creative partnership allowed the clients to openly communicate their dreams for the property—a home layered, from the exterior architecture to the smallest interior details. “They came to us with a clear point of view, which we really appreciated,” Geresy notes. “That clarity allowed us to thoughtfully expand on their ideas and explore contrasts throughout the design—old and new, organic and structured, quiet and bold.”

In the primary bedroom, custom Benjamin Moore Limewash paint adds a cozy layer. A Kravet Ash Mohair Rug sits under the bed facing custom PH Furniture Chaise Lounge chairs. Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.
A custom PH Furniture chaise lounge creates a seating area in the primary bedroom.
Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.
The primary bathroom features Ann Sacks’ Mosaic Tile flooring, slabs by Da Vinci Marble atop the vanity, sconces from Apparatus Studio Lighting and Rohl plumbing fixtures. Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.

The expansive footprint and scale of the structure posed challenges, including the two-story great room that the team needed to make feel more welcoming and warm. “We leaned into texture and scale to achieve that, incorporating a large, textural accent wall and three oversized chandeliers to help anchor the volume and bring warmth to the space,” she notes.

A guest room features a pair of Cermicah Table Lamps, a Loloi Rug and paint from Farrow And Ball.
Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.
A guest bathroom is covered in tile from Ann Sacks and cle and features plumbing fixtures from Rohl.
Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.

They selected a palette throughout that feels like an extension of the rustic nature that surrounds. The material selections including tile, stone and wood finishes—speak to the homeowners love for French design. “We intentionally incorporated timeless elements—like a carved antique chest repurposed as a powder room vanity, and antique Egyptian doors that frame a transitional moment in the home,” Gersey celebrates. “Those pieces carry history and craftsmanship, and they ground the newer construction with a sense of age and story.”

The bunk room features pendants from Palecek and a Robert James nightstand.
Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.
“Midway through the project, the clients decided to shift the originally planned gym into a family lounge and bar,” says Gersey. “It required a thoughtful pivot, but it ultimately became one of the more personal spaces in the home—a place designed for gathering and unwinding together.”
Photos by Stephanie Russo, styling by Rachel Forslund.

“Seeing their reaction during the reveal is always the most rewarding part of the process for us,” she recalls. “To walk them through a home that had lived in drawings and conversations for so long—and watch it become real in that moment—felt incredibly meaningful.”