Vail Designer Transforms Avon Home With Sage Green Overhaul

What does it cost to turn a stark, black-and-white mountain home into something warm and livable?

The answer isn’t in a single price tag. It’s in the choices.

A Denver couple bought a four-bedroom home in Avon. They wanted legacy. They wanted views of Beaver Creek to the south. They wanted direct access to the West Avon Preserve trail system for their dogs. The location sold them. The house? It was only a "light refresh."

They hired Kelli Holtz, founder of Holtz Design Studio in Vail. She didn’t just paint the walls. She rethought the entire aesthetic.

Holtz said the color acted as a reset button for the space. “A fresh, fun kind of a look.”

The previous owners had gone for high contrast. Black cabinets. White walls. Stark. Cold. Trendy for a short while in the mountains, but not for this family. They wanted sage green. It reflects the surrounding environment. It softens the space.

Holtz applied that color theme everywhere. Kitchen cabinetry. Shower tile in the primary bathroom. Even the window treatments.

“We always like to dress up an entry,” Holtz said. “Even if it’s a mudroom entry off of a garage.”

The previous owners had faux-painted the wood flooring in the entryway. They tried to match it to the lower garage entry. It didn’t work. Holtz ripped it out. She installed a 4-by-4 tile with a distinct pattern. It breathed life into the lower level. There was no window down there. The tile became a statement.

“The green became like a breath of fresh air,” Holtz said. “We wanted a much more natural-feeling home.”

The remodeling started in spring 2025. It finished last summer.

Holtz contrasted the sage green and natural oak cabinets with darker furnishings. Black slate-backed chairs line the kitchen island. They line the dining room table, too. Black light fixtures hang above. Dark slate flooring sits in the bathroom.

“The green became like a breath of fresh air,” Holtz said. “I think people are starting to embrace more color and wanting to have more fun and have a softer look in general.”

She noted that the previous black-and-white scheme was too much contrast. Too cold. People want more color now. They want it in fixed finishes. In furnishings. In art.

“The green became like a breath of fresh air,” Holtz said. “Our clients are having a lot fun these days.”

The couple recognized the house had only undergone a light refresh. They knew it wouldn’t last. They loved the sunlight. They loved the views. They hired Holtz to fully update it.

“It’s pretty common that when houses go to market, they do a light refresh,” Holtz said. “They try to paint the base, case, doors and the cabinetry and give it a ‘half refresh.’”

This wasn’t a half refresh. It was a complete overhaul. From the entryway tile to the primary bathroom. From the kitchen cabinets to the dining room chairs.

The result is a home that feels natural. It feels soft. It feels like a place to live, not just a place to park.

The Denver couple got what they wanted. Legacy. Views. Trail access. And a home that doesn’t look like every other mountain house trying to be stark and modern.

Holtz said the trend is shifting. People are done with cold contrast. They want fun. They want color. They want a softer look.

The sage green cabinetry isn’t just a paint job. It’s a statement. It’s a rejection of the black-and-white norm. It’s an embrace of the natural world outside the window.

The project took six months. It cost a lot. But the couple didn’t mind. They wanted a home that reflected their love for the outdoors. They wanted a home that felt like theirs.

Holtz delivered.

The entryway tile still pops. The kitchen is still green. The bathroom is still slate. The contrast is gone. The warmth is here.

That’s the new standard in Avon. Not stark. Not cold. Just soft. Natural. And frankly, a lot more inviting.