Design Trends in Utah Custom Homes
Episode 2 of Groundwork Spotlights James and Desiree Bastian of Beljar Home, Unpacking Emerging Trends, Intentional Living, and the Artisan Collaboration Behind GMC’s Château de la Fossette in Sandy
Welcome to Groundwork: The Art and Craft of Utah Custom Homes, where we demystify the custom homebuilding journey along Utah’s Wasatch Front. In this episode, host Pete Codella sits down with James and Desiree Bastian, founders and designers at Beljar Home + Design. From their boutique design studio in Midway, Utah, James and Desiree bring decades of residential building experience, plus a background in cinematic set design, to luxury residences across Northern Utah.
Pete, James, and Desiree explore why great custom home design prioritizes personal storytelling over fleeting fads, how Utah's mountain landscape shapes architectural orientation, and the artisan craftsmanship behind their latest collaboration with Gordon Milar Construction: Château de la Fossette.
Storytelling & Designing from the Land: The Antidote to Trends
When homeowners invest in a custom estate, chasing ubiquitous design trends often leads to an early expiration date. Drawing on years of film-industry design experience, James emphasizes that a home must reveal the character and values of the people living inside it. Rather than letting outside influences dictate a template, authentic design integrates one-of-a-kind found objects, heirlooms, and curated textures that carry emotional resonance.
In Northern Utah, that narrative begins with the dirt.
Orienting to the Horizon: The first step on any homesite is assessing the lot's disposition. Great architecture optimizes surrounding views, including panoramic mountain views, lake reflections, Wasatch Front valleys, and changing fall colors through expansive, carefully positioned windows.
Drawing from Historical Genres: Anchoring a project in a defined genre, whether Scandinavian Nordic, French Country, Cotswolds English, or Cape Cod, provides a timeless framework that outlasts stylistic cycles.
Micro-Regional Character: Design along the Wasatch Front varies by community, from the humble, cozy cottage feel of Midway to the industrial mining roots of Park City and the layered, equestrian textures of the valley benches.
Inside Château de la Fossette: Layering European Antiquity
The episode highlights the collaboration behind Château de la Fossette, a French-themed countryside manor with over 12,500 square feet in The Orchards at Dimple Dell subdivision in Sandy. When Tara Milar of Gordon Milar Construction first presented a leather-bound book of her dream-home inspiration photos, nearly every picture turned out to be a project Beljar had previously designed.
Together, the builder and design team brought European antiquity to life using authentic materials and generational craftsmen.
Architectural Harmony: Shaped like an authentic French bastide (farmhouse), the exterior features Scandinavian and East Coast colonial influences, inset cathedral-style windows, and Cotswold-style stacked brickwork laid with thick mortar.
Reclaimed Heritage Elements: The home incorporates handpicked structural headers from an East Coast farm, authentic reclaimed barn-wood ceilings, European antique lanterns, and a historic culinary island from France in the butler's pantry.
Hand-Scraped White Oak Floors: Rather than standard wide-plank wood, flooring artisans hand-scraped the edges on-site to recreate the natural wear and patina of a floor walked on for centuries.
Centuries-Old Metalcraft: A master artisan with six decades of experience restoring historic metalwork for landmark New York hotels tumbled and sanded the custom iron stair railings to an aged pewter finish.
Emerging Trends vs. Intentional Square Footage
Reflecting on recent home tours across the Salt Lake, Utah Valley, and Park City Parades of Homes, the conversation touches on popular modern amenities alongside essential design advice.
Standard Wellness Amenities: Integrated home gyms, Pilates spaces, saunas, and cold plunges have shifted from unique upgrades to expected standards in luxury homes.
Light-Filled Lower Levels: Basements are no longer dark storage spaces; they’re intentionally designed as airy bonus square footage featuring high ceilings, generous natural light, secondary kitchens, and theater rooms.
The Danger of Quick-Dating Fads: Elements like waterfall countertops or trendy boucle fabrics can label a home as "so 2026" within a few years, prompting costly, unnecessary remodels.
Intentional Square Footage: Bigger is not always better. Sprawling 15,000- to 20,000-square-foot homes often leave empty-nest couples isolated in separate small rooms. By eliminating the unnecessary so the necessary can speak, an intentionally planned, say, 12,000-square-foot home can hug the family, adapt across seasons, and stand the test of time.
Connect with Beljar Home + Design & Gordon Milar Construction
To explore Beljar Home's design portfolio and retail shop:
Instagram: Follow @beljarhome for project features and curated furnishings
Website: Visit beljarhomedesign.com to view design services and collections
Visit in Person: Stop by their boutique in Midway, Utah
Listen & Tour: Subscribe to Groundwork wherever you get your podcasts, and visit our Château de la Fossette landing page to schedule a tour (pre-approved homebuyers only) and explore our website to learn more about building custom homes the Gordon Milar way along the Wasatch Front