Before & After: A Cherry Hills Home Refresh for a Family of 2 Adults, 4 Kids, and 5 Bulldogs

By the time Littleton natives Becky and Chris Morley decided to embark on the renovation of their Cherry Hills home, they’d already been living there for five years. Although they didn’t build the house or choose its original finishes, they loved the space—and the memories they’d made there with their four boys and five bulldogs—as if they had. They liked the home’s spaciousness, the pool, and the inviting appeal of the stone-walled parlor and great room. “We’ve always appreciated the look of a Mediterranean house, and this one had a feeling of grandness but at the same time was very cozy,” Becky says. But wear and tear inflicted by its 11 active occupants was evident. It was time for a refresh.

The Morleys’ builder, Brad Manley of Element Custom Builders, suggested they consult with Denver designer Jess Knauf, a California native known for her light-and-bright interiors. When Knauf got the call, she knew the project would be an exciting endeavor. “I grew up in Pasadena, a community with an incredible architectural pedigree,” she says. “Some of my favorite properties were designed by greats like Wallace Neff and Myron Hunt [who specialized in Mediterranean-style architecture]. It was really fun to shift gears on this project and focus on finishes and products that suit that aesthetic.”

Complete with a pool and hot tub, an illuminated pergola, and multiple seating areas, the home’s backyard facilitates year-round entertainment. Photo by KL Media

In terms of finishes, the original house was an early-aughts time capsule. “The space had a darker, more moody aesthetic that was popular when it was built,” the designer says. “The cabinetry and beam work [was] knotty wood in cherry tones.” Arched drywall niches did little more than collect dust, and the kitchen and bathroom millwork was overly ornate. “Anything that was heavy in color or material—cabinets, gaudy light fixtures, etc.—had to go,” Becky says.

But the home’s brick-lined archways and floor-to-ceiling stonework—details typically found in historic homes—would stay. With architectural bones that beautiful, “I knew from the start we just had to clean it up, lighten it up, and fill it with some gorgeous finishes that were more representative of this fun, active family,” Knauf says.

“There are a lot of charming homes in this city, and it makes me sad that people get rid of them to create white-and-black boxes,” Knauf says. “I like quirks and charm and old stuff.” Instead of replacing the kitchen’s yellowed travertine floors, she gave them new life with a thorough steam cleaning and matte-finish seal—“a total game changer,” she says. The wood flooring throughout the house was sanded and restained, the five fireplace surrounds were restored, and the ceiling beams in the great room received a custom lime-wash treatment. “The space felt cavernous with the dark woods and all that rock,” Knauf says, referring to the room’s 18-foot-tall stone walls. “Changing the ceiling to a lighter color made it feel like we opened up the whole room.”

A simple, round folding table covered in a custom skirt in Sauvage linen from Zak & Fox is topped with the Addison lamp by Christopher Spitzmiller for Visual Comfort. The stair runner, from Aztec Carpet & Rug, is a fresh interpretation of a classic animal print. Photo by Susie Brenner, styling by Tawney Waldo

A blue-green coffee table by Brooklyn furniture maker Corbin Cruise is the centerpiece of the playful parlor. Hancock & Moore recliners (upholstered in a green Schumacher velvet) are perfect for reading by the fire. Ferrick Mason’s cacao-plant-printed fabric serves as lively window coverings. Photo by Susie Brenner, styling by Tawney Waldo

BEFORE: The great room. Photo courtesy of Jess Knauf Design

A newly lime-washed ceiling and fresh furnishings were all it took to revive the stone-swathed great room. A pair of Visual Comfort’s Etoile chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling custom window coverings (in Schumacher’s Marco performance linen) draw the eye upward. Ample seating comes courtesy of a leather sofa, an upholstered sectional, and a swivel chair, all from Denver’s Design Wright Studios. Knauf scored the decorative objects at beloved local shops such as Beck’s Silk Plants & Home Decor and Homebody. Photo by Susie Brenner, styling by Tawney Waldo

The dining area, which was not part of designer Jess Knauf’s renovation, features dark furnishings that echo the deep tones of the home’s original brickwork. Photo by KL Media

BEFORE: The kitchen. Photo courtesy of Jess Knauf Design

The kitchen’s new cabinets, designed by Denver’s Aspen Leaf Kitchens, have two finishes: taupe along the room’s perimeter and rift-sawn white oak for the spacious islands and bar area. “Adding wire mesh to the upper cabinets, in addition to glass on the furniture-like display area, helps lighten the kitchen and break up the mass of cabinets,” Knauf says. Bernhardt counter stools are upholstered in Peter Dunham’s Kumbh fabric with an Urban Electric Co. chandelier overhead. Photograph by Susie Brenner, styling by Tawney Waldo

Calming grays and creams abound in the bedroom, which was not one of the renovated areas of the home. Photo by KL Media

Ivory linen window coverings and soft blue and green upholstered pieces (including a James Showroom cocktail ottoman in lieu of a table) tied together the space. “Once we did all that, the strong architectural elements, like the stonework, felt so much more relevant—like a more authentic California Mediterranean vibe,” Knauf says.

The designer worked with Aspen Leaf Kitchens to create a mix of taupe and rift-sawn white-oak cabinets that—thanks to a mix of wood, glass, and wire fronts—gave the kitchen a clean-lined yet classic feel. Leathered quartzite countertops and sparkling Urban Electric Co. fixtures visually lightened the once-heavy aesthetic.

For the bathrooms and laundry room, Knauf chose historic reproduction ceramic tiles as an homage to the home’s Mediterranean style. For the parlor, she sourced a blue-green table by Brooklyn furniture maker Corbin Cruise, green velvet chairs, and cacao-plant-print window coverings—a playful mix that perfectly represents the fun-loving family.