Rugged Luxury in Big Sky Montana
As world renowned 2-Michelin Star Chef Grant Achatz wraps up his M by Alinea residency at Big Sky Resort in Montana, it’s a good time to look back at the unique nature of this project from December 2025.
A Ski Resort Dining Project Like Few Other
When we got the call in early summer for a unique restaurant project at Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Montana we were instantly intrigued. Back in 2019 Mariel and I, looking for something a bit different, did our honeymoon (we called it our snowy-moon) in Big Sky and absolutely loved the place. The rugged nature, the raw beauty, the perfect powder, and the understated elegance of the resort itself. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to go back to the Bozeman and Big Sky areas quite a few times, including the boutique hotel project we did at the Wandering Buffalo last summer.
Any project we can tack snowboarding, fly fishing, or any of our other hobbies onto exceptional work, we are generally “in” without too many questions. But as we learned that this project was being designed by Fettle, a London based design firm specializing in unique hospitality and designers of such projects as The Georgian hotel in Santa Monica right in our backyard, as well as many projects from New York to across Europe, and the restaurant was going to be specifically for a residency for 2-Michelin Star chef Grant Achatz and a limited run project of his world renowned Alinea; we were extra “in.”
A Unique Timeline
With the pressure of a short (in the case of the western US this year, extra short….) ski season and a limited residency for M by the Alinea Group and chef Achatz, from the outset this project had a hard and fast deadline unlike many others. But with a dedicated team on the construction side, Big Sky Resort, and Fettle it felt real and achievable. But for us, that meant doing some things well in advance of when we would normally like to.
The real crux of the project was a meandering lobby area that Fettle had designed with a continuous drapery rod that snaked around the angles of the room seamlessly. This meant spanning some open and unsupported spaces to create a dramatic swag of an entrance that felt like literally dipping behind a curtain into a speakeasy or secret lounge. This also meant making templates on-site of a geometrically complicated room while it was still under construction, making the bends for these rods back in California, and flying everything back to Montana for a seamless install. With attention to detail and meticulous planning (and a large duffel bag to transport the templates), it all came together seamlessly.
Elevated yet Understated Materials
Every project has a budget, even an elevated restaurant project in a resort town in Montana designed by an internationally recognized interior design firm. And when it came time to price things out, given the scale and complexity, some of the materials originally spec’d did not pencil out. One of the strengths of Field Work is our relationship with suppliers and our ability to source material as needed. We were able to supply the fabric used for the draperies, roll shades, and leather at a fraction of what would be the cost otherwise without compromising on style, quality or design.
The reception at M by the Alinea Group
Unique Roll Shades and Custom Trimmed Leather Work
Given the timeline and scope of the project, as well as the unique ask when it came to the inside mount fabric roll style shades, we tapped our friends at Topanga Creek Outpost, nestled in the hills of our one-time home of Topanga, to help with some of the work. Chris and his team do custom leather work literally under the oak trees. They helped knock out some truly unique and beautiful leather trimmed roll shades that would sit beneath the large dramatic draperies.
The Delivery
After going out and taking field measurements in the late fall, install in a snowy December with the buzz of an imminently opening restaurant felt quite a bit different. Though when all was said and done, the project came together beautifully thanks to a team committed to excellence and execution on every level. This project was a beautiful way to wrap up 2025. We pushed ourselves, learned some skills, tested some methods, and got to collaborate with some exceptional minds to bring this all together.
