I often joke that all one needs in life is a well-read lumberjack and a cabin in the woods. A few years ago, when I first met my dear friend Nancy Mack while skiing in Montana, I realized that I had perhaps set my sights too low. Instead of a literary woodsman cozied up in a modest cabin, how about an alpine retreat outfitted for an actual rock star and a Harvard-educated architect? Fast friends, Mack invited me to come visit the home she and her husband, Chad Smith, drummer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, had recently acquired. So began our fortuitous collaboration to create a worthy escape for a vibrant young family looking for something beyond the clichéd mountain aesthetic.Perched three quarters of the way up the mountain, the cabin had recently been built to replace a smaller, more rustic one that had—as legend goes—been nearly burned down by a famous domestic goddess. It was a new structure of timber and stone but lacked the character and charm of its inhabitants, so we set out to craft deeply comfortable spaces, intentionally eccentric but high-performing, and ready to accommodate a multitude of family and friends.The great room in Ken Fulk’s custom shade of “Naughty Pine” green wall plaster features a velvet Holly Hunt sectional with swagger. Brass accents throughout add a touch of glamour and visual contrast to the stone fireplace. What ensued was a meeting of the minds between Mack and I, as we lobbed reference images and inspiration points back and forth via text message. With visions of charmingly ornate Alpine chalets, 1970s fashion and vintage fondue pots, screen grabs from 1980s ski films, and the obligatory fur hats from Dr. Zhivago, we began to compile what would become “Naughty Pines,” a Greatest Hits collection of après-ski style in one of most enviable private ski resorts.The primary objective for Smith and Mack’s ski getaway was to accommodate up to 12 guests with ease. With a family that includes three sons from grade school through college, the destination needed to be a timeless hangout that would endure for generations. Priority was placed on lounge-worthy gathering places and versatile sleeping spaces. Out of an underused utility room we fashioned a bunk room reminiscent of a paneled train car. The guest suite features custom twins designed to be pushed together for a king as needed, and the loft was outfitted with two built-in double beds.