Our team returned a historic Tudor cottage to its original 1930s splendor in Denver’s Cherry Hills neighborhood. The clients commissioned Paul Mahony, Senior Architect, to undertake a whole-house remodel of the property rich in detail, nostalgia, and plenty of quirks. The husband in particular held a special attachment to the property — he fondly remembered childhood visits to the home while attending business meetings with his father.
He tasked Mahony and team to retain the spirit of the home’s historic Tudor design while removing and renovating outdated features that no longer work for his family’s lifestyle. Past remodels also had to be addressed, well-intentioned projects gone wrong that looked out of step with the home’s flow and character. Mahony’s approach was a delicate dance of looking back and looking ahead, and evolved into a rewarding process of bringing a design with deep historical roots into the modern era.
Project Details
- LOCATION: Cherry Hills Village, CO
- PROJECT TYPE: Whole House Remodel
- BUILDER: Squibb Estates
- INTERIOR DESIGNER: Jeffrey Alan Marks
- SIZE: 7,830 SF house + 960 SF pool house
Balancing the Exterior
Much of today’s remodeling design ethos centers around complete transformation. And while that’s often necessary if a home requires it, Mahony’s approach to this luxury home remodel followed a more conservative and established set of design principles that still left room for lots of creativity.
There’s a lot to love about this historic Tudor’s original 1937 exterior — he simply removed the features that didn’t serve the design to let it shine. In fact, most of the home’s original elevations were kept intact. Dormers were also kept and refreshed, and chimneys were repaired or re-created down to the flue tile. Interestingly, various colors of brick were discovered during construction, leading us to believe the painted brick dates back to the original design.
From Entryway to Foyer
The front door moved to the other side of the original stair tower to accommodate the new foyer (replacing the original kitchen location). Mahony removed a second-floor sleeping porch and bedroom to transform the dark and too-small entryway into a light-filled sense of arrival. “Creating that kind of volume for the tall doors and transom glass and high windows in the back — that by itself was huge and allows light to spill into all the spaces on either side.”
Moving into the foyer, three large windows create a soft pull toward the interior and frame views of a new guest courtyard.
Tea Room Treatment
Few homes are fortunate enough to boast a tea room, and this bright and airy space helped set the tone for the exterior. Its black steel windows inspired the new steel windows and doors by Riviera Bronze that were commissioned for the rest of the home. The tea room windows are the only original windows that were kept, serving as a lovely bridge between old and new.
Creating a Contemporary Kitchen
A dark outdated kitchen with low ceilings was reimagined for the modern era. Its new location between the foyer and tea room is better situated near primary dining and entertaining spaces. The client’s interior design team infused a bright and refreshed palette with innovative features and fixtures. Subway tile offers a subtle sheen and helps light move around the room, and custom cabinetry by William Ohs offers a warm counterpoint to ground the space. The fireplace from the original living room was kept to impart a warm, old-world feel (because what’s cozier than a fireplace in the kitchen?).
Off the kitchen, Mahony transformed an old outdoor porch into a comfortable sunroom. When the French doors open they expand the kitchen and sunroom into the outdoor living space and beyond to the pool and pool house.
Balanced Living Spaces
A two-story living room is ample yet cozy — its relatively smaller footprint and layered neutrals bring the vaulted ceiling to human scale. A turret, one of the home’s previous additions, was problematic. It didn’t match the existing architecture and blocked natural light to the living room. Mahony replaced it with large windows to open up the space and bring in light from the courtyard.
The living room also reveals some of the home’s unique quirks and characteristics that both Mahony and the clients embraced. “We all got on board with the idea that this just isn’t like every other house. We decided to do something different.”
Interior dormers open to a second-floor hallway that flanks a wing of bedrooms. This area is completely separated from another upstairs wing that’s accessible from a different part of the home. Varying ceiling heights throughout the main level were also retained, a playful nod to the home’s historic nature.
Refreshing a Well Loved Conservatory
The living room transitions to a conservatory, the husband’s favorite part of the home. Mahony updated this sun-drenched space that serves as the client’s year-round study. Its leak-prone glass roof was replaced with a copper roof and cupola. French doors and powered windows open to let in the breeze and establish a connection to the courtyard beyond.
Main Level Primary Suite
A primary suite should feel like a destination, which fits well with this historic Tudor remodel. Primary suite entry is off the conservatory, which helps separate the space from the rest of the home for added privacy.
Our team’s removal of the old study and gym opens up the space for a retreat-style feel. A light wood plank vaulted ceiling softens the room’s volume, and black steel windows and doors open to a new private outdoor living space. Dual his-and-hers primary bathrooms and walk-in closets occupy the remaining square footage.
Multi-Functional Pool House
A 960 square-foot pool house addition serves multiple programming needs and anchors the home’s primary outdoor living space. A fitness enthusiast, the wife had initially set up a makeshift home gym in the office. The pool house now houses her gym and exercise studio, and includes an infrared sauna and bathroom. It is also a place to relax and entertain under the covered patio and outdoor grilling and dining area. Mahony relocated the pool here, too – its original location encouraged wet kids to run through the nearby primary suite.
The pool and pool house view from the sunroom is one of Mahony’s favorite parts of the home. “Looking out the glass door to a beautiful pool, fireplace, and pool house — I could look at that every morning. Have some coffee and start the day right there, and I think that’s exactly what they do.”
A wonderful example of transitional architecture, this Tudor home luxury remodel artfully blends classic details with a modern style and sensibility. Fill out the form below to learn more about our full range of historic remodeling capabilities and to discuss your project goals.
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