Freddy Bensch, the founder of SweetWater Brewing Company, and his wife Jennifer have put their extensively restored property in Telluride up for sale. The asking price for the property is $12.5 million. The couple viewed the over one hundred-year-old object not merely as a renovation, but as a comprehensive preservation project. In collaboration with Tommy Hein Architects, Tandem Custom Builders, and Tribe Interior Design, they modernised the residence while preserving its historic Victorian character.
The house, originally built in 1900 and featuring five bedrooms, now combines its original architecture with contemporary interiors and is located just a few blocks from Telluride's Main Street. The property is being marketed by Sally Puff Courtney of LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
Property Details
- —Price: $12.5 million
- —Location: Telluride, Colorado
- —Living Area: 3,803 square feet
- —Bedrooms: 5
- —Bathrooms: 5 full bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms
Special features include the restored 1900 Victorian architecture, a separate guest suite, a bunk room, a media room, a heated garage, and a master suite occupying an entire floor. The property also offers views of Bear Creek and the Telluride ski slopes.
Access to the house is via a black metal gate leading to a stone pathway that winds through the artfully landscaped front garden, past raised flower beds. The path opens onto a front terrace, situated beneath the roofline, offering a small seating area beside the entrance. The black-framed glass door continues the modernised exterior of the house, contrasting with the white façade cladding and stone plinth, yet blending harmoniously with Telluride's historic townscape.
Interior and Living Areas
Upon entering the house, the space opens directly into the main living areas. The dining area is situated beneath a wooden plank ceiling with exposed dark steel beams. A long dining table stands at the centre of the room, illuminated by a round pendant light, while one wall features built-in cabinets. Adjacent is the kitchen, arranged around a large central island with a light stone countertop, seating for four, and a sink. Light wood cabinets continue throughout the room, integrating a panelled refrigerator, additional storage, and a professional-style hob beneath a wide black extractor hood.
On the other side of the dining area, the open concept continues into the living room, where a large sectional sofa and a rounded lounge chair are grouped around a low wooden table. Along one wall, a gas fireplace is integrated into vertical black panelling, with a television above it and a built-in bench extending to the windows. Upstairs, the entire floor is dedicated to the master suite, which offers elevated views of Bear Creek and the slopes of the Telluride Ski Resort. The suite's bedroom is beneath a steeply pitched ceiling and features light walls, wooden floors, and two narrow, black-framed windows behind the bed.
From there, the suite opens to a walk-in wardrobe with custom wooden cabinets, open shelving, deep drawers, and floor-to-ceiling storage integrated into the sloped ceilings. The suite's bathroom echoes the wardrobe's cabinetry at the double vanity, which is positioned under marble worktops and backlit mirrors. Opposite the vanity, a glass shower and a freestanding bathtub complete the suite. In addition to the master suite, the property offers further sleeping areas, divided between the main residence and the separate guest house. Another bedroom in the main house continues the warm, minimalist design, with light wooden cabinets integrated directly into the wall, and access to a private bathroom.
Elsewhere in the house is a custom-made bunk room, designed for larger groups. It features two stacked bunk beds made of matching wood, separated by vertical slatted partitions. Black metal ladders provide access to the upper beds, while recessed alcoves and integrated lighting offer each bed its own storage space. The separate guest house complements the property with another private bedroom under a vaulted ceiling with an exposed wooden beam. Black-framed windows allow light from two sides, while warm wooden bedside tables and a leather-padded bed create a private retreat for guests.
Back in the main house, a dedicated media and entertainment room features a large sectional sofa facing a wall-mounted television and a low built-in console. A few steps away, a compact bar with stone worktops, wooden cabinets, a sink, and illuminated floating shelves provides space for snacks and drinks.
