My husband would tell you there are certain “hazards” to being the editor of a home magazine. In our house, it’s perfectly normal to overhear the following: “Um, honey, what if we moved the fridge over there to make room for a little built-in breakfast nook?” Or, “Sweetie, how would you feel if I wallpapered the ceiling in this room?” And, just yesterday: “What are your thoughts on fire pits?” Of course, we don’t act on (most of) my design impulses. But I can’t help but fantasize endlessly about home renovation projects when I spend hours every week poring over photos of the most beautifully designed spaces along the Front Range.

Which is why I was comforted to read the story about Eliza Prall and Bill Carleton in this issue of 5280 Home (“All Together Now,” page 72). The pair has spent years transforming—often by hand—their Observatory Park farmhouse into a classic stunner with a voluminous kitchen that’s made for entertaining. But it took a while to get there. They tell stories about sitting at the dinner table for months, tweaking and retweaking architectural plans. There were the 22 Saturdays they spent replacing the home’s exterior cedar shingles (with the help of a handy friend they paid with takeout salads from Mad Greens). Even today, they say they’re still making adjustments.

5280 Home Autumn 2013
More From The Issue

I suppose it’s good to know there are home-obsessed kindred spirits out there; particularly this time of the year, as I turn my focus back indoors for a new round of home sprucing. This issue is full of finds for your house—from a Denver-based retailer of vintage Navajo textiles (“Southwest Flair,” page 32) to a roundup of indoor bike racks that double as wall art (“Hang In There,” page 36). We even profile a new wallpaper store in Berkeley (“Paper Chasers,” page 24) that just might get you fantasizing about wallpapering the ceiling, too. In fact, there are so many fabulous tips and tricks in this issue, we’re pretty sure you won’t be able to make every one of them a reality. But it sure is fun to think about it, isn’t it?

This article was originally published in 5280 Home Autumn 2013.
Cheryl Meyers
Cheryl Meyers
Cheryl Meyers is a contributing writer to 5280 Home, which means she gets to spend her days writing about Colorado’s most beautiful indoor spaces.