The wish list read like amenities at an exotic resort: Japanese onsen spa with ofuro tub, sunroom, gourmet kitchen, rooftop lounge, bamboo garden and pool, recreation spaces, and sleek modern architecture—with a seamless indoor/outdoor flow—that borrows from Japanese and Scandinavian design traditions.

Dining Room: Wishbone chairs from Interior Icons were the perfect complement to the Mosleys’ existing dining table and bench. Kelly Wearstler’s Nodes chandelier adds to the modern vibe. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Powder Room: Flavor Paper’s tropical Élan Vital wallcovering “makes me think of [Brett’s home state of] Hawaii,” Julie says. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Staircase: Rather than installing one large window wall alongside the stair-case, architect Katrina Eckelhoff created a mosaic of standard-size windows. Some have clear glass, to let in light, while others have privacy-providing reed glass—“because we all know what we walk down the stairs wearing on Saturday mornings,” she laughs. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Bar: A print by local maker Strange Dirt pops against Jill Malek’s moody Sleepy Briar Rose wallcovering. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Main Bathroom: The light-filled main bathroom grants Julie’s wishes for a sunroom and a spa inspired by Japanese onsen (bathing facilities in which the water comes from natural hot springs) with its large skylights and traditional ofuro soaking tub in aromatic hinoki wood. Custom matching built-ins provide tub-side storage space. The vintage runner is an Etsy find, and the Akari ceiling lamp is from the Noguchi Shop. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Calvin’s Room: Son Calvin’s Pom Pom single bed from Gautier Studio made the move from the family’s previous residence, and looks right at home against the woodsy backdrop created by Wallartica’s Forest Trees wall mural. The Bungalow rug is by the Novogratz. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady

But Brett and Julie Mosley, the authors of this list, didn’t have sprawling, resort-style grounds at their disposal. They had a 37.5-foot-wide empty lot in Denver’s South Pearl Street district, which had been just the right size for the 1,300-square-foot bungalow that had previously occupied the site for more than a century.

5280 Home June/July 2022
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Fortunately, the couple also had a creative architect who could play genie. “They gave me flexibility to achieve the items they wanted,” says Katrina Eckelhoff, principal of StudioHoff Architecture, “and that allowed me to be more creative as I worked to achieve a cohesive design.”

When confronted with a narrow city lot like this, “most clients want to push the house as far forward as possible, so the backyard is bigger,” Eckelhoff says. “But I thought, what if we pushed the house as far to the north side of the lot as possible, created a patio courtyard on the south side, and wrapped the house around it? This gave us more indoor/outdoor connection, more [windows], and really made the outdoor spaces [including an in-ground container pool] an extension of the house.”

Eckelhoff’s unique design fits 4,174 square feet into four levels, including a partial top floor at the front of the house, which allowed for vaulted ceilings and skylights in the couple’s sunroom-inspired bathroom (which features the ofuro tub of Julie’s dreams) at the back. This move also allowed Eckelhoff to give the front facade a gable roof, which nods
to the character of the neighborhood’s original homes.

But the materials the Mosleys chose to clad their new house—slender dark bricks and clear vertical-grain cedar—are inspired by the architecture the couple encountered while traveling around the world. “Julie and I love the Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics; the simplicity of design and use of natural materials,” says Brett, who has developed and built numerous Denver homes through his company, HIWA Development.

Living Room: The sofa’s soft terra-cotta hue repeats in furnishings and accessories throughout the house, including an accent pillow on Crate & Barrel’s Lotus chair-and-a-half. Artist Mike Willcox’s Ibis & Hurricane art print hangs to the right of the fireplace. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Living Room Fireplace: Custom white-oak built-ins anchor a fireplace clad with the same brick used on the home’s exterior. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Kitchen: A broad island topped with dolomite countertops from the Stone Collection and white-oak and matte-black cabinetry anchor the minimalist kitchen. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Exterior: The vertical-grain cedar siding’s warm tones contrast dramatically against slender bricks with a manganese Ironspot finish. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Isla’s Room: Rebel Walls’ May Meadow wallcovering, purchased locally through WallTawk, sets a playful, colorful tone in daughter Isla’s bedroom. A quilt from Vintage Kantha Maui, Floss Check sheeting from Society of Wanderers, and the lilac cord on a Basket light shade from Color Cord Company echo the vibrant hues. The Sensory Swing is from Etsy shop RestNests. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Kids’ Playroom: Designer Kate Carroll devised and hand-painted the basement playroom’s treehouse and climbing wall, which has grips painted to match the kids’ Home Depot stools. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady
Kids’ Study: A clever half-wall gives the Mosleys a glimpse into the kids’ study from the open staircase. A wall-mounted Ikea desk provides a workspace for two—and the perfect frame for illustrated photo portraits of Isla and Calvin, from the Inner Child Project by local photographer and family friend Sara Ford. Photo by Ian Warren. Styling by Natalie Warady

With help from designer Angie Graham of Compliment Design Interiors, the couple carried some of the clean-lined finishes into the house, where black brick clads the fireplace wall, and warm white oak defines the millwork and floors. “Angie also recommended that we use the same plumbing fixture collection throughout the house, lighting from the same brands, and subway and penny tiles in just a few colors and finishes, so everything is related,” Julie says.

But while simplicity was a goal, austerity was not. “We also like color and fun,” Julie adds, “and we really went hard on the florals.” In the powder room, a wallcovering featuring a tangle of tropical blooms complements glossy black wall tile. In daughter Isla’s bedroom, a wall mural depicts a meadow of spring blooms. And in the basement playroom, interior designer Kate Carroll of HUT Collective created a custom treehouse and climbing wall, on which she painted giant tropical leaves.

Carroll also helped the homeowners select modern furnishings in natural materials that offer plenty of visual interest. “The color of our living room sofa is called Terracotta, and there are pops of that hue all over the house, from our bedroom’s woven-leather headboard to the kitchen’s counter stools,” Julie says. “It’s not in-your-face matching, but subtle ties.”

Vibrant textiles and local art add more color to the mix. Family favorites include a custom painting by street artists Pedro Barrios and Jaime Molina, a stoneware wall-hanging by Adriann Leigh, and illustrated photo portraits of Isla and little brother Calvin by photographer Sara Ford.

“I love that we commissioned local art; I feel proud of that—and of the local, female design professionals represented here,” Julie says. “There was so much intentionality behind every choice we made,” Brett adds. “The wish list was long, but we wanted every detail because it spoke to us.”

Design Pros
Architecture – StudioHoff Architecture
Interior Design – Compliment Design Interiors (fixed finishes), HUT Collective (furnishings) + Platte Designs (kitchen design)
Construction – HIWA Development