Sometimes the best-laid plans aren’t the ones that pay off in the long run—especially in the realm of design. Such was the case for a 1950s home in Hilltop, which architect Scott Parker had planned to remodel for its owners. But early on, Parker (principal of local firm Nest Architectural Design) and his clients decided to pivot from their original approach, take the house down to its foundation, and start fresh. Their primary objective, however, was to preserve the spirit of the home’s original 1950s exterior. “We wanted people to recognize it as part of the neighborhood from the street,” says Parker, who modernized the formerly stone-and-brick facade with Colorado buff limestone and reclaimed barnwood. “But inside, it needed to support the lifestyle of a young family, small and large gatherings, and free-flowing circulation between interior and outdoor living spaces.”

To achieve these goals, the home, built by local pros from Boa Construction, is laid out like an H. The central front entrance—with its honed limestone walls and towering steel-plate pivot door—gives way to a casual gathering area and then, the kitchen. On one side are the formal dining and family rooms and a butler’s pantry; on the other, a private bedroom wing. It’s all centered around another element dictated by the site: The backyard slopes down away from the house, making it less than ideal for outdoor entertaining. (Who wants to carry food and drinks down a hill?) So Parker dreamed up a rear courtyard that provides a private outdoor space for
the family to enjoy Colorado’s plentiful good weather. Folding glass doors connect the kitchen and family room to the outside, which is appointed with a ceiling fan for the summer and a large gas fire pit for cool shoulder-season evenings. Guests can move easily from perches on the living room’s sectional sofa to the courtyard’s large wooden dining table with bench seating, and then on into the sleek kitchen to admire the innovative wine wall Parker designed to hold (and protect, thanks to a built-in cooling system) the owners’ collection.

5280 Home December 2017/January 2018
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Just as the neighborhood and lot decided the home’s look and layout, the architecture drove interior designer Beth Armijo’s choices. “The furniture is good-looking, but there’s not a lot of it,” says the principal of Denver’s Armijo Design Group. “It’s more about the flow, being in the space, and not having a lot of stuff.” The raw elements of stone, wood, and steel only needed a bit of sparkle here and a touch of softness there to make the home feel warm and welcoming: a glittering ball chandelier in the walk-in closet; a pair of horsehair-covered chairs next to a glassed-in fireplace; the owners’ artwork displayed on white walls. “Clients can get nervous about going modern because it can be sterile,” Armijo says. “The goal for these owners was to have the house be inviting—with this really beautiful, minimal architecture. They wanted to do Scott’s work justice by not detracting from the materials.” Interiors and architecture that harmonize? That’s a plan that always pays off in the end.

Stools from Crate & Barrel, placed along the extra-long kitchen island, offer an ideal place for kids or guests to hang out while dinner is being prepared
Dining Room
Dining Room: The modern design shows off Eames Molded Plastic Chairs and an Akimbo Linear Suspension chandelier by Tech Lighting
Bedroom
Bedroom: An Ewing striped cowhide rug from Crate & Barrel cozies up the bedroom’s hard-edged elements, such as the Huppé Cubic bed and nightstand
Scott Parker
Front Door: Architect Scott Parker had the Colorado buff limestone facade honed where it meets the steel-plate pivot door “to create a more formal sense of arrival,” he says
Niche Modern
Breakfast Nook: Niche Modern’s Terra pendant lights hang over a Huppé Illusion table and Lenox side chairs from Designform Furnishings (an online retailer popular among restaurant designers)
Stairway
Stairway: Uplighting adds to the drama of the floating staircase and highlights the texture of the buff cleft limestone (the same material used on the home’s exterior)
Fireplace
Sitting Nook: Indestructible hair-on-hide egg chairs from Restoration Hardware star in a vignette in front of a custom glassed-in gas fireplace
Bowery Lighting Co.
Closet: A globe light fixture from online retailer Bowery Lighting Co. adds sparkle to the walnut-clad walk-in master closet
Bocci
Master Bath: A freestanding .25 Collection bathtub from Waterworks, which sits beneat a Bocci pendant light, is the focal point of the handsome bathroom
Design Pros:

Architecture: Scott Parker, Nest Architectural Design
Interior Design: Beth Armijo, Armijo Design
Construction: Boa Construction
Kitchen Design: Exquisite Kitchen Design
Custom Millwork: Abacus Cabinetry

Photography by David Lauer and styling by Natalie Warady