By Nancy Milligan

	Click for more images Architect: Semple Brown Design Interior designer: Hall Design Builder: Spectrum General Contractors Landscape designer: Phase One Landscapes Click here to read more about the general contractor for this project.

As real estate brokers and experienced renovators, Dee Chirafisi and Jim Theye know potential in a house when they see it. While working with clients in Denver’s established Hilltop neighborhood, Dee became intrigued by a 1940s brick house half-hidden behind 15-foot-tall juniper bushes. Closer inspection revealed interesting, if somewhat incongruous, 1970s additions to the house. “It had great lines and proportions. I knew we could turn this house into something really incredible,” says Dee, who had visions of sweeping open spaces reminiscent of the couple’s LoDo (lower downtown) loft.

The original one-story ranch house was built in the Moderne style, defined by linear corner-cut windows, horizontal brickwork, flat roofs, and monochromatic colors. The later additions proved to be a mixed bag: the popped top added a second floor, skylights, and sloped roof lines, but included out-of-place details such as arched windows.

“The house had good bones,” says architect Dave Robb. “We just needed to surgically remove the right pieces and add some others.” Robb and architect Dalton Davis, both of Semple Brown Design, began a 10-month renovation, tearing down interior walls that imprisoned the kitchen and other rooms, replacing windows and doors, and completely remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms. Most of the house was gutted and space was reconfigured, but no additional square footage was added.

“We cleaned up erratic additions and chopped-up rooms, subtracting some elements and refining others,” Davis says. This opened the way for a smooth flow of space, from the two-story light-filled entry, through the dining room and kitchen, and into the great room.

The architects embraced the 1977 great room addition, retaining the high ceiling and a dramatic curved wall punctuated by square windows. They echoed that curve on a steel-covered fireplace and repeated the shape on the kitchen peninsula. “Curves are used sparingly to help soften the rigorous rectilinear lines of the architecture,” Davis says.

Horizontal lines are carried throughout the structure, inspired by the original corner-cut windows. These lines are especially prominent in the bold, new steel-framed windows and doors that define the house. “We closed up some windows and added others, making broader gestures to bring light in,” Robb says. Custom designed by the architects, and fabricated by the general contractor, the windows and doors bring cohesiveness to the exterior architecture and add exceptional day lighting indoors.

Having lived through the chaos and mess of other renovations, the homeowners wisely sat this one out in the comfort of their loft. They worked as a team with the architects and contractor, with whom they had previous relationships. “Dee and Jim have vision and exceptional taste,” Robb says. “They trusted us and provided feedback throughout the process.”

A refined palette of understated colors and materials captures the spirit of the house—“kind of retro but extremely sophisticated,” Robb explains. Both the interior walls and the exterior brick were painted a soft shade of a barely discernable green. Vertical grain Douglas fir (laid up horizontally) lends richness and warmth to cabinetry, enhanced by the natural matte finish of lava stone countertops. Frosted glass and shimmering tiles add sparkle.

Upstairs, the entire second floor was reconfigured to make a master retreat comprising a bedroom, bathroom, and exercise/sitting room. The liberal use of interior windows brings additional light into the rooms and walk-in closet.

Contemporary furnishings and artwork comfortably made the transition from Dee and Jim’s loft, with only a few new items required. “One thing we’ve learned about living in open spaces is to avoid clutter,” Dee advises. “You want to notice the art, architecture, and garden.”

The connection to the garden is heightened not only by the expansive windows and doors but also by redefined landscaping that draws the eye across the yard to the perimeter of the large corner lot. “We feel like we live in the whole space, house and yard, even in the winter,” Dee says.

A stone fountain repeats the strong linear vocabulary of the house and adds a sense of welcome and tranquility. A curved brick wall and rusted steel fence panels add interesting elements and privacy.

Although they occasionally miss the downtown city lights, Dee and Jim find new energy in Hilltop. Their eclectic city neighborhood is undergoing something of a renaissance with rebuilding and remodeling. “We wanted to make a statement and demonstrate that it’s important to resurrect and preserve older homes,” Jim explains. Adds Dee: “We have noticed other houses in the neighborhood being renovated rather than torn down. I hope we provided some inspiration.”