DREAM HOME: The DeMartino-Quattrocchi Residence

What differentiates the ordinary from the exceptional? It’s the difference between a movie you watch and forget and one that leaves such a lasting impression that you feel no need to see it again, yet find yourself returning to it repeatedly. It isn’t simply effort, story, or passion; those qualities exist in anything meant to endure. What truly moves us is intention, paired with an exacting attention to detail. The more deeply we engage, the more we’re drawn back. It invites, reinvites, and grows richer with each experience.

That same philosophy defines the dream–home collaboration between Durango’s Classique Builders, Dallas–based owners Joseph DeMartino and John Quattrocchi, and their designer, John Lively & Associates. The DeMartino-Quattrocchi Residence was conceived with a singular purpose: to become a mountain destination for family and friends to gather. It moves beyond luxury and function, asking to be fully experienced. Like a favorite film, it leaves guests eager to return—again and again.

The story begins with Joseph DeMartino’s “inspiration binders”—literal books filled with the creativity, passion, and attention to detail reflected throughout the home. More than a source of ideas, the binders articulated the vision behind DeMartino and Quattrocchi’s desire to host their guests in true Rocky Mountain style, embedding intention from foundation to finish. Like a painting that captivates at first glance and reveals greater depth with closer study, the home promises to reward those invited inside, offering comfort that deepens with every passing moment.

Guided by DeMartino’s inspiration binders and a steadfast design principle, the multi–leveled Colorado oasis emerged as a true symphony of collaboration. The owners brought together John Lively—the designer of their Dallas home—and Classique Builders’ owner Frank Enea, along with Director of Design McKenna Miller.

Before construction began, Enea and Miller flew to Dallas for an immersive, collaborative retreat with Lively, DeMartino, and Quattrocchi—an opportunity to connect, align, and tour the Dallas residence Lively had also designed.

“It’s rare to have the opportunity for an immersive design session that truly melds a project,” Enea emphasized. “It allowed us to begin bringing the dream to fruition and opened the door to an egoless process. We strive to be more than a builder—we want to be a trusted partner.”

Like a seasoned sherpa, Miller reinforced Classique’s role on the project: to serve as a guide, leading the vision thoughtfully from concept to completion. With DeMartino’s inspiration binders in hand, the project was off to the races without looking back. “Blame Joseph…” became the unofficial battle hymn.

The foundation of the three–story home—with its wire–banister floating staircase—is supported by 80 pieces of unseen structural steel.

“Bury the function, and enjoy the space” was a specific request of Classique on this project, yet the elements that conceal the infrastructure are anything but secondary.

The home is outfitted with an elevator, a second–floor spa, a mudroom with heated floors and ski lockers, a dog shower (Topps and Theo are Joseph and John’s “kids,” and any dog family knows the pups rule the roost), a gym, media room, office, outdoor living and cooking area, and the fan–favorite bunk bedroom. These amenities complement multiple custom bedrooms and baths, a bespoke kitchen, and a series of inviting living spaces.

When function and feature align, shared authorship elevates the home from a well–crafted structure to a living, breathing gathering place—the project’s central and most enduring theme.

There is nothing in the house that isn’t custom-built. Enea and the team at Classique enlist a trusted collective of local artisans to preserve authenticity, ensuring nearly every detail is uniquely designed and fabricated with creative intention. It’s a true “farm–to–table” approach to construction: think global, build local.

The greatest technical challenge of the design and build was the second–floor spa. Constructing what is essentially a small pool (calling it a hot tub would be an understatement) seamlessly within the home’s middle level, without exposing any mechanics or plumbing, proved easier said than done. Challenge accepted: it’s suspended on a steel structure with the entire mechanical room directly below.

“The outdoor spa was a unique ask but a welcome challenge and one–off,” Enea said.

The Classique team’s commitment to concealing function became an obstacle that ultimately added character and intrigue. Good luck figuring out where everything is hidden: the design is seamless.

DeMartino and Quattrocchi have been traveling to Durango for nearly a decade, drawn by the cooler temperatures and mountain setting that have come to hold a special place in their hearts. After thoughtful consideration, building a permanent residence here felt both inevitable and inspired—a destination designed to welcome family and friends, a shared place to enjoy together.

“We want an emotional and creative place that is not just for us—a mental and physical connection,” DeMartino explained.

There’s an element of surprise to the home’s overall look and feel. Beneath its classic, clean, contemporary exterior are layers of subtle—and not-so-subtle—art and style. (The colorful, custom Gucci–inspired mirror designed by Joseph and John’s dear friend, artist Donald Robertson, in the bunk–bedroom bathroom pops you squarely into the image staring back from the reflection.)

There’s a distinct nod to Art Deco, balanced by a deep respect for the surrounding mountains and natural landscape. Blacks and whites are tempered with espresso wood tones, meticulously wire–brushed by hand, and layers of softened cream. It’s both urban and rustic, posing the irresistible question: What would happen if Andy Warhol went camping?

The home is conceived as a backdrop for the owners’ furniture, art, interior décor, and distinctive sense of style. While the wall surfaces remain smooth and clean, complemented by refined stonework, many are papered with sharpened design—most notably a powder bath featuring custom Warhol silver Diamond Dusted high–heeled shoes. Pop art meets Halston fashion; minimalist Art Deco meets Mother Nature.

Elsewhere, the gym is wrapped in subtle Southwestern fabric by Ralph Lauren in black, gray, and white. Meanwhile, the bunk bedroom walls feature magnified off–white curves, a kaleidoscopic pattern sourced from the United Kingdom. DeMartino’s favorite playful retreat is the ground–floor bunk bedroom, complete with two sets of connected bunks, fluffy shearling chairs, and a block–style game table. “A fun space with an attention to detail,” he noted, is what draws him in.

Another iconic designer moment appears in the lacquered wall media room carpeting, where Italian designer Missoni’s blue and black zig-zags bring graphic energy underfoot. Together, these artistic elements blend with the home’s wood, stone, and natural textures, giving each space a warm, livable quality infused with a subtle metropolitan edge—a home away from home, cloaked in urban camouflage.

John Lively & Associates’ design carefully ensured that each floor flows with both function and comfort. Ralph Lauren interiors round off the home’s stone and marble surfaces, complementing its inherent angularity. That sharpness is felt from the entry foyer glass wall through the exposed staircase and beyond, yet Lively and Classique introduce curvature as a visual counterpoint, inviting fluidity throughout the space.

Ralph Lauren’s furnishings—warm, classic, and comfortably refined—anchor each room, creating spaces that feel inviting in their own right while remaining seamlessly connected to the whole. When all of these elements come together, the home comes into harmony with its guiding intention: invitation.

Architecture, like any art form, tells a story. When the story is good enough, it invites return visits, each one deepening the experience. For the inhabitants and guests of the DeMartino-Quattrocchi Residence, that story begins with gathering.

Born of a shared creative vision and a collaborative process, the home was designed to invite and welcome family and friends. The collective effort of everyone involved is fully realized in the finished space, expressed through its spatial flow, material warmth, and sense of belonging. Like a well–crafted film, the DeMartino-Quattrocchi Residence doesn’t ask to be consumed once, but revisited—its intention, detail, and warmth revealing themselves more fully with time. It is architecture with a story worth returning to.

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