sun valley magazine | fall 2012

42 sunvalleymag.com | home annual

While many homeowners are fixated on the use of local and recycled materials, Lisa Rose wasn’t looking for inspiration in the Old West. She’d rather go to Europe—with her husband and architect Jim Ruscitto—and track down stone, wood and metal from the Old Continent. So, for over a year, the trio criss-crossed the Atlantic, discovering a world not of antiques, but of artifacts. What they brought back, from corbels to columns,gives “recycled materials” a whole new meaning.

For Ruscitto, whose network guided the treasure hunt, “The concept was a blending of Euro-pean materials into a contempo-rary format,” he said. Matching the two was important: Rose and her husband wanted their classically-inspired home to feel open and livable, with views of the river. Nestled amongst the cottonwoods beside the Big Wood River, this well-scaled dream home doesn’t betray its setting. The project’s true bril-

Old World

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home annual | sunvalleymag.com 51

Elaine WynnwithAt Home

he air was unusually warm and damp for a late summer evening in Hailey, Idaho, but the woman at the center of an event held in honor of four of the most powerful men in America exuded all the cool necessary to keep the focus squarely on the task at hand.

Covering what’s usually the horse arena of River Grove Farm, more than 600 guests were seated at tables adorned with centerpieces overflowing with gigantic, fresh-picked sunflowers. The night’s hostess took to the podium resplendent in white, a loose-ruffled, high-neck blouse tied at the choke by an oversized black ribbon. A radiant Elaine Wynn stood to regale four Sun Valley friends who were all turning 90; Parry Thomas, Harry Rinker, Marshall Bennett and Ken Leventhal. Each was once a master of finance and development; men whose work built cities and trans-

formed industries—and who found in one another fellow kindred spirits while traversing the ski slopes of Bald Mountain for more than a half-century. Every five years, the tradition holds, a massive joint birthday bash is thrown in their honors, an event that becomes more poignant and emotional with each party.

To set the right tone that September evening in 2011, Mrs. Wynn’s charge was to balance these diverse backgrounds, demanding families and understandably big egos. It was a tall order, but one for which she was uniquely qualified given her decades at the epicenter of high society both in Sun Valley and Las Vegas; the latter of which her (now former) husband transformed with the famed Mirage, Bellagio and Wynn resorts. “I suppose at this point there’s an expecta-tion that I will tell jokes about old age,” she told the assembly. “Well, I’m not going to do that because there are no old men here. I prefer to say that they are chronologically accelerated.”

A Coming Out PartyThe party at Thomas’ horse ranch was many things, most obviously and importantly a mov-ing tribute to the men celebrated. But it also represented a triumphant moment that placed Elaine Wynn at the center of the region’s social landscape, on her own terms and not simply as the elegant half of what for decades was widely known as the “First Couple of Vegas.” In a previous incarnation, she would have at least shared the spotlight and podium with the

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BY Steve Friess PHOTOGRAPH Kirsten Shultz


man to whom she was married for 46 years. Instead, the recently remarried Steve Wynn wasn’t even present despite the fact that Parry Thomas had been a surrogate father and seminal business mentor since the 1960s.

Indeed, this was very much an Idaho coming-out party for Elaine Wynn, a woman who has long been regarded by those in the know—Maria Shriver, Anna Wintour and the late Nora Ephron, among others—as a tour de force in her own right but whose broader public identity had heretofore been wound tightly with that of her media-magnet of a spouse.

By the time of the Wynns’ 2010 divorce, Elaine had already staked a claim as a leading education reform advocate via work in Nevada and Washington, D.C., as well as by serving as chairwoman of the nation’s largest dropout prevention charity, Communities in Schools. She also was about to be appointed by President Obama to the board of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Despite being a lifelong Republican and having a husband who was staunchly opposed to Obama’s first presidential campaign, she aggres-sively supported the Democrat. Her itch to pursue her own causes and interests, she admits, “may have even created some of the tension that existed [in the marriage] because I was always going in this direction.”

Still, she didn’t ask for any of this, to be suddenly single late in her seventh decade and then to have to watch as her ex-husband wed a woman 25 years his junior with whom he began an affair prior to asking for the divorce. While the split was publicly amicable, Elaine grows quietly emotional at the mere mention of the end of her famous marriage. It’s one of the few moments when her upbeat demeanor turns sour. In response to an inquiry about whether the divorce was a surprise, she asks curtly, “Why are you asking that question?”

Whipped Cream and CherriesThis is not the first time Sun Valley has figured prominently in the life of Elaine Wynn. She first came to these parts 40 years earlier with her husband—then a bit player on the Las Vegas casino scene who was being mentored by banker and Sun Valley second home owner Parry Thomas. Intensely athletic, Steve Wynn loved the Sun Valley atmosphere and knew that this place away from the Vegas hubbub would further his business and personal relationship with Thomas.

There was one impediment, however: his wife’s lack of skills on the slopes. After the former Miss Miami broke a foot on a European skiing trip, Steve realized something had to be done about Elaine’s failure at one of his favorite pastimes. The antidote? The Sun Valley Ski School.

“We came up here around 1969 and Steve handed me over to the assistant director of the ski school, Konrad Staudinger, and said, ‘Teach her to ski.’ I just completely entrusted myself to this guy from Austria,” she explained “So Konrad was my guy and, after I finally got over my fear, he taught me how to ski. I finally had

patient instruction. You should never have your husband teach you how to ski because they are not sensitive to where you are and what your fears are. The key, like with everything, is to have a good teacher and then to have mileage.”

While learning to ski, Elaine fell in love with this nook of the world where life moved at a different pace. In the 1970s, as Steve Wynn became owner of the Golden Nugget Hotel-Casino and a rising presence in the gaming game, Elaine found their home on the Fairways as a form of counter-programming for her children. “Oh God, it’s a dramatic con-trast. Everything in Las Vegas for me was sort of internal and indoors. Everything in Sun Valley is outdoors. Everything in Las Vegas was manufactured and imagined, recreated and embellished. Everything here is natural and authentic and wholesome and spiritual. Sun Val-ley allowed me anonymity. It allowed me to bring my girls up with certain basic values that were a little hard to impose in Las Vegas, like not to be overly impressed with material possessions or not to be focused on hair and makeup. It was opening up for them different worlds of physical fitness, of exploring your own capacity for physical demands—hiking, skiing, ice skating, horseback riding, things that would get you outside of yourself.”

While Elaine Wynn is frequently credited with divining several of the decorating flourishes of the company’s famous resorts, her life in Idaho was also responsible for making such landmark casinos as the Mirage and Bellagio possible. Elaine is the one who became best friends with her Sun Valley next-door neighbor Barbara Zax, wife of then-Hilton vice president Stan Zax who, it so happened, was a cousin of financier Michael Milken. Milken would go on to provide Steve Wynn access to more than $600 million needed to complete the Mirage in 1989 at a time when conventional banks wouldn’t gamble that kind of money on casino development.

With the Mirage’s smashing success and the 20-year megaresort building boom it kicked off, the Wynns became the undisputed monarchs of Las Vegas. With her smart fashion sense, local com-munity activism in the arts and education and an ability to project a softer public image to balance out her husband’s confrontational and

Everything in Las Vegas for me was sort of internal and indoors. Everything in Sun Valley is outdoors. Everything in Las Vegas was manufactured and imagined, recreated and embellished. Everything here is natural and authentic and wholesome and spiritual.” –elaine wynn

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home showcase // for your home

FIREPLACES, ETC.Fireplaces Etc. is a locally owned family business. From its inception in January

2000, the business has been operated by Luke Andrews and Travis Zerba—

brothers that were born and raised in the Wood River Valley.

From the day they opened their doors, they have focused on the customer.

Luke and Travis firmly believe that service should be offered professionally,

knowledgeably and with a smile. And with the simple act of returning a phone

call or showing up on time, they win over their customer’s loyalty each and every

day. In addition to their professionalism, offering quality products has allowed

the business to expand from fireplaces and barbeques to patio furniture.

From Fairfield to Stanley, Fireplaces Etc. sells, services and installs hearth

products, grills and patio furniture.

Fireplaces Etc. believes that our envirobility (environmental responsibility) is

very important. From reducing energy used in the showroom to educating cus-

tomers about environmentally friendly products, we try to incorporate the ideas

of reducing, recycling and reusing into our everyday operations.

All of us at Fireplaces, Etc. are really proud of our 2,400-square-foot show-

room located in Hailey. The showroom has 20 burning fireplace displays, mul-

tiple sets of patio furniture, grills and accessories. So head over there and enjoy

the exceptional service!

208.578.2184www.welovefire.com

EGGERS ASSOCIATES Eggers Associates is an award-winning landscape architecture firm with a focus

on custom residential design. We often are involved in the site analysis and

planning at an early stage of the associated architectural design process. We

also work on many landscape remodels to update an expired landscape and

redesign to accommodate the client’s changing lifestyle.

Eggers Associates specializes in the use of large specimen trees, drought-tol-

erant and native species, and detailed sprinkler designs. We are fully computer-

ized and utilize the latest version of AutoCAD for final drawing production.

Because mountain communities are unique, fragile environments, we work

toward maintaining their qualities and preserving their beauty.

[email protected]



WHITE CANVAS DESIGNS White Canvas Designs is an interior design firm pioneered in 2007 by Sarah Latham, LEED AP

accredited. WCD was established to provide answers and solutions to client’s traditional inte-

rior design needs. From furniture to lighting, custom home designs to spatial planning, White

Canvas Designs has the professional knowledge and experience to successfully complete any

design project. Experienced in LEED-certified buildings, WCD is unique as we provide owners the

option to incorporate responsible products and materials into the overall project design. Clients

that work with Sarah form strong relationships that translate into a well-designed project for any

home or office. Contact White Canvas Designs for a complimentary consultation.

[email protected] www.whitecanvasdesigns.net

WHITE CANVAS DESIGNS interior design

MILLER ARCHITECTS Miller Architects, PC, is comprised of a passionate and dedicated group, led

since 1992 by its founder and principal Candace Tillotson-Miller, AIA. Miller

Architects excels in creating environments that appeal to the human need

for transcendent beauty, refuge, comfort, and permanence. Our projects are

located in unique areas, from high mountain properties to expansive cattle

and horse ranches in the foothills of the Rocky Mountain range.

Whether revitalizing century-old buildings or creating inspired new struc-

tures, a profound appreciation of the Western vernacular is what assures a

strong sense of timelessness in our work. We achieve this quality of timeless-

ness by creating interior and exterior spaces that are both elegant and casu-

al, capturing at once the romance and the reality of life in the West, defining

the essence of our projects. Using indigenous and aged materials creates a

palette that blends a building seamlessly into the surrounding environment,

speaking directly to the Western landscape. Meticulous detail, rich natural

textures, spatial design sensitivity, and consistent quality are hallmarks of

what we do.

Miller Architects is fully involved from initial conception to completed

project. Our collective experience and education is broad, our focus is precise

and unwavering. We do what we do out of love for creating nurturing envi-

ronments.

Miller Architects is licensed to practice in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colo-

rado, New Mexico.

406.222.7057www.ctmarchitects.com



WILLIAMS | PARTNERS ARCHITECTS The origins of Williams | Partners Architects, P.C., go back to 1992 when Jeff

Williams was commissioned to design a home in Sun Valley, for his parents.

Over the years, first working as a sole proprietor then later with his partners,

the goal has been to deliver the highest quality service to clients. We believe

that by remaining a small firm we remain more attentive to our clients and

focused on each individual project. Our job is to act as the client’s interpreter

and guide, sifting through often conflicting requests and requirements to find

the project’s unique expression. Our team is a collaborative operation, utilizing

and integrating all of our strengths in an effort to make the home building pro-

cess as enjoyable as possible for our clients.

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BRUCE A. MARTIN Bruce A. Martin has over 26 years of experience in all phases of interior design.

He oversees all aspects of a project, from interior architectural design and

coordination with architects and contractors, through furniture design, art and

accessories selection and installation. He is committed to creating comfortable,

yet sophisticated environments for high-end homes and commercial projects.

His success comes from a desire to design elegant spaces while keeping an eye

on the smallest of details. Bruce is especially known for incorporating simple,

natural materials in all of his designs. Whether he’s designing interiors for a

house in San Francisco or in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Bruce’s abili-

ties to listen, apply problem-solving skills and remain open to new ideas are

what keep clients coming back again and again.

208.726.1028bruce@brucemartininteriors.comwww.brucemartininteriors.com

POSTER CONSTRUCTION A Sun Valley resident for over 30 years, Brian Poster founded Poster Construction

in 1997. Brian consistently built his business on integrity, strong communication

skills, hard work, expertise, and strong values. Specializing in custom homes,

Poster Construction also successfully manages renovations, remodels and

small additions. Regardless of the size of a project, every Poster client receives

the same attention to detail and personal management that strives for 100%

customer satisfaction. This commitment builds relationships that last as long

as the homes they build. Each project has its own unique requirements and

having the best qualified management team and onsite superintendent is

critical for its success. We guarantee the team we have on your project is the

right team for you and your home, otherwise we won’t accept the job.

208.726.7676brian@poster-construction.comwww.posterconstruction.com

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WALSWORTH FURNISHINGS Walsworth Furnishings creates hand-crafted, high-end furniture from

reclaimed materials of premium quality. Wes Walsworth started Walsworth

Furnishings (WF) with the vision of connecting his passion for design and

woodworking with environmental sustainability. Our designs are inspired by

the process of re-birthing old materials into new and unique pieces of furni-

ture. WF utilizes various woods that have been weathered and worn over long

periods of time resulting in one-of-a-kind pieces with an authentic history. We

also integrate metal components into our designs giving the rustic pieces a

modern touch.

RED DOOR DESIGN HOUSE Mountain contemporary best describes the style of Red Door Design House.

Red Door is a combination of an interior design firm, retail store front and a

resource for custom orders placed specifically to the customer’s specifications.

Often described by its customers as a refreshing and clean style, it is very

approachable and mixes well with a combination of styles. Red Door opened in

2003 and is still run solely by Marina Broschofsky, a native to the Valley. Clean

lines with interesting textures and neutral undertones with accents of color are

some of the characteristics that you will tend to see within Marina’s designs.

The inspiration and design concept often stems from the client’s vision and

evolves into a beautiful, comfortable and personal space for the homeowner.

208.788.9075marina@reddoordesignhouse.comwww.reddoordesignhouse.com

DEMBERGH BROWN BUILDERS Why: Dembergh Brown Builders believes they are members of a team, 100%

focused on constructing highly crafted, environmentally responsible projects in

collaboration with owners and design professionals.

How: By utilizing our 60-plus years of collective know-how, we have the

experience to help our clients realize their dreams. We concentrate on

providing the finest craftsmanship and execution supported by unmatched

project management, communication and teamwork. We are dedicated to

providing an unrivaled building experience for every client.

What: We are residential and commercial general contractors building amazing

projects. We have three decades of experience building in many architectural

styles, ranging from traditional rustic to modern cutting edge.

208.726.2440 www.demberghbrown.com

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208.720.3682 [email protected] www.facebook.com/walsworthfinefurnishings

sun valley magazine | fall 2012

Documents

old men

old age

old continent

old west

recycled materials

inspired home

home annualwhile

development men