Summit Creek, Utah Valley houses strut stuff in parade of homes.

• Author: Biton, Adva
• Position: Around Utah

Woodland Hills -- Driving to Woodland Hills, through the tech corridor and past the hustle-and-bustle of cities, is like entering another country. Undeveloped land stretches out as far as the eye can see, the greenery unbroken up the sides of the mountain. Cattle graze on either side of the highway, and horses flick their tails in their pens.

Up these mountains, overlooking the cities and as far out as Antelope Island on a clear day, are some of the most beautiful homes in Utah. As part of the Parade of Homes for Utah Valley, SUMMIT CREEK, a luxury community on the North Slope bench of Loafer Mountain, opened up two of its model homes for viewing.

The main home showcased by Summit Creek was called Inspiration, a four-bedroom, 5.5 bath, 7,759-square-foot mid-century modern complete with a pool, deck, sauna, climbing wall and indoor soccer area. The home's mid-century modern minimalism is not what most people expect when they imagine a mountain home.

"So many people come up to the mountains and they think of Jackson Hole, log cabins," says Summit Creek builder Don Mecham. "They come up and they see this elegance nestled in the mountains and they know, 'Wait a second, I can live here, too.'"

Inspiration's designer, Linn LeMone, took great care to make the home feel warm while staying true to its contemporary design. LeMone worked with the architect to design Inspiration from its inception and had control of everything from hardware to finishes to chandeliers to art. Classic mid-century modern pieces, like Eames chairs, can be spotted throughout. All of the home's materials are natural, from its classic walnut baseboards to the unfinished ash-color of the wide-plank oak floors.

"You want to use as few materials as possible, but the materials are very nice. You don't want to stand and see a dozen materials. There's a continuity throughout the house," says LeMone. "When you get into a minimal design, it takes more work because you have to be so exact."

As such, the baseboards...