1872 Christie Drive: Q&A with the Team Behind Extraordinary $12.9M New Build at Steamboat’s Base

There is a moment, after you pass through the front door of 1872 Christie Drive, when a first-time visitor pauses and takes it all in: the floating oak staircase, the glass wall framing an eye-catching light fixture, and the glass-enclosed wine room. Then, the second moment of surprise occurs as the great room reveals the full panorama of Emerald Mountain, the Flat Tops, and Sleeping Giant views, framed by floor-to-ceiling window walls. 

Steve Cherek has watched this happen enough times that it has become one of his favorite things about the house.

"Their mouths open wider when they see the views," he said. "That first impression is pretty enjoyable. It makes us feel good about all the work we put into it."

That work spans years. Robert Covington, founder of Houston-based Covington Custom Builders, spent three decades building custom residences in River Oaks, West University, Southampton, Tanglewood, Bellaire, Rice Village, and Southside Place before his partnership with Steve Cherek and architect Kevin Cherek (LEED AP) produced what is now one of the most architecturally significant new-construction residences to reach the Steamboat base area.

The first side of the property, a 5,439-square-foot residence at 1870 Christie Drive, sold at $8.2 million upon completion earlier this year. The second side, 1872 Christie Drive, is now coming to market: 7,305 square feet, six bedroom suites, elevator, a premier corner site with wraparound views, and a design intentionally built for large-scale gathering and entertaining. It is offered at $12,900,000.

We sat down with Robert Covington and Steve Cherek to talk about how this project came to be, what drove the decisions, and why the home at 1872 Christie Drive is a different kind of offering for Steamboat.

A Conversation with Robert Covington and Steve Cherek

Robert, Covington Custom Builders has spent 30 years building in Houston's most established neighborhoods. What brought you to Steamboat Springs?

Robert: I first went to Steamboat when I was 16 or 17 years old and loved snow skiing. After that, I didn't go much until my mid-20s, and I visited probably five or six other ski towns over the years. I always had a fondness for Steamboat in particular. Once I got my wife going, we started making it once or twice a year. We had kids. Eventually, we bought a place at Ptarmigan House and spent three or four vacations a year up there. So I already loved the town before any of this started.

Steve, you and Robert started looking at homesites in 2017. What took two years to find the right one?

Steve: We were looking for the perfect lot, not just a good one. This site at Christie Drive, which Chris Paoli helped us locate in 2019, gave us something that very few lots in that part of Steamboat can offer: proximity to the base and views in multiple directions simultaneously. The corner position captures the ski slopes, Emerald Mountain, the Flat Tops, and Sleeping Giant. That combination is rare. Once we had it, Robert and I started spending time with my brother Kevin, the architect, and the three of us spent about a year refining a design that would maximize what that lot actually gives you.

Robert, Steve credits you with the realization about proximity to the base. How did that shape the direction?

Robert: I'll be honest, I initially thought I was willing to drive a bit from wherever we built. But when you're coming back from a mountain town at night, on ice, and you're from Texas, you start to appreciate not having to go far. Steve and his wife, Lea, pushed us hard toward the base area, and they were right. Proximity became the real driver. Once we had that, and once we stood on that corner site and looked at those views, which were not arguable, the rest followed from there.

Architect Kevin Cherek brings resort design experience from around the world. How did that shape what happened here?

Steve: You combine Kevin's 20 years of architectural experience, working on everything from residential to high-end resort properties internationally, with Robert's 30-plus years of building 450 custom homes in Houston. Neither of us wanted to build what was already in the market here. We spent a good year and a half before we even put pen to blueprint. We wanted to do something entirely different and set a new standard for what high-end mountain homes could be. We now see some of the features we introduced showing up elsewhere.

Robert: Kevin is genuinely an expert at laying out elevated properties and properties with views. He has worked on resort projects around the world, and he has a clear understanding of viewlines and how to achieve maximum exposure on a plan. His expertise in that specific area is what allowed every room in this house to make the most of that site.

The homes close to the mountain base in Steamboat tend to be older, built primarily for short-term rental use. You built something very different. What was the thinking?

Robert: The houses close to the mountain base are generally older, and there's not much undeveloped land remaining. People built those spaces to make the best use of smaller square footage for rental purposes. We knew that if you're going to own something at this level, you don't want to be cramped in the closets, you don't want a tight kitchen. We wanted to give a house at this price point the things it would have in any well-built primary home, not a resort rental. We were building something we wanted to spend real time in, not just somewhere to generate income.

The home has two fully realized primary suites, not one primary and one secondary. How did that design principle develop?

Steve: I know other houses claim they have two primaries. In most of those, there's clearly one that's primary and one that's secondary. One of our core design criteria was a house that could accommodate two owners sharing the home without compromise. Both suites are identical in ambition. The views differ, but both have outstanding views, balconies, all the features. We wanted someone to feel fully comfortable spending the entire day in their suite—wet bar, refrigerator, coffee maker, washer and dryer in the walk-in closet. You have everything you need without going downstairs. That sense of complete private retreat within a shared home is what we were after.

The material palette here, structural steel, 12-inch white oak, quartzite, glass, is very specific, and quite different from what you typically see in the market. Walk us through those choices.

Robert: What you see in this house is informed by our own homes, and by what we've built in Houston for clients who have very specific expectations. We also have a good read on where the market is headed nationally, and we know the people who go to Steamboat. Through our building in Houston, we know what they want. We knew that if they could find that level of finish up here, combined with the mountain setting, they would respond to it.

Steve: We intentionally didn't want to look like every other house in Steamboat. The goal was to introduce things that would be new and that would prove to be trendsetters. The butler's pantry is a good example with floor-to-ceiling cabinetry. We introduced things at that scale that hadn't been part of the conversation in the Steamboat base area before.

The entertaining program is extensive: a bar, a wine room, indoor-outdoor living, a lower-level bar and game room, a bunk room. How did those spaces come together?

Robert: Steve and I and our wives entertain a lot. We're at a stage of life where we can really use those spaces. When you're bringing a lot of people together, you want a big, open concept; something that feels warm but that is fundamentally practical. Every space in this house gets used. We thought about how we actually live in our homes right now, and we said: here's how we use a bar, here's how we move through a kitchen island, here's how we access outdoor space. And we built it from that reality.

Steve: Between the two of us, we have five kids. We envisioned it as if we had 10 or 15 grandkids running through it someday. You need multiple spaces so nobody feels crowded. The downstairs entertainment area, the downstairs bar, the bunk room, and the upper-level primary suites each function independently. That's why the house works so well for large groups.

The bar already drew attention from the Wall Street Journal. What was the design intention behind the entertaining program at 1872 Christie Drive?

Robert: We wanted to build what we would want. The bar, the wine room, the dual TVs, the access to the wraparound deck; it comes from how we actually live. Most importantly, the spaces are practical. You're going to use all of them. That's the standard we hold ourselves to.

Was there a moment during the build when you knew it had come together?

Robert: I have a strong ability to visualize the finished product. But it becomes much easier, tenfold, once the walls are up and the windows and doors are in. You can look out and see the views from inside the spaces. I could take it to the finish in my head from there.

Steve Cherek: For me, it was spending a night in the primary bedroom. I woke up the next morning feeling like I could spend the whole day in that room. I didn't feel like I had to go downstairs to enjoy the house. There are not many places where you feel that way. That was a pretty significant moment.

Steve, you mentioned that Robert is modest and that his experience and the way he stands behind his work are important for buyers to understand. Can you speak to that?

Steve: Robert has built 450 custom homes over 30 years in some of the most demanding residential markets in the country, including Houston's River Oaks, West University, and Southampton. If I were spending this amount of money on a home, the credibility and tenure of the builder would be extremely important to me. Robert stands behind his product. That matters in a way that photographs and descriptions can't fully capture.

About 1872 Christie Drive

1872 Christie Drive is a 7,305-square-foot, six-bedroom residence on a premier corner site at the Steamboat base area, within walking distance of the lifts, base area shops, and dining. Designed by architect Kevin Cherek (LEED AP) and built by Covington Custom Builders, the home is offered at $12,900,000.

Key features include: two complete primary suites, each with wet bars, soaking tubs, walk-in dressing rooms, dedicated laundry, and private terraces; a chef's kitchen with quartzite island and Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances; a butler's kitchen for large-scale entertaining; a glass-enclosed wine room; a bar with dual TVs; a wraparound deck with glass-and-steel railings, sunken hot tub, and built-in BBQ kitchen; a lower-level bar, game and media room; two ensuite bedrooms with private terrace access; a custom bunk room with two queen beds and four twins; 12-inch white oak flooring; an elevator; radiant heat; central air; tankless on-demand hot water; and pre-wiring for AV and security.

Short-term rentals are permitted in Steamboat's Green Zone, with projected annual rental income of $273,000 to $495,000.

The property is represented by Chris Paoli at The Agency Steamboat Springs. For additional information or to schedule a private showing, email [email protected]. For press inquiries, contact [email protected].