“This is the first house where we’ve really had the opportunity to do whatever we want,” declares owner Josie Kagey of the Denver home she shares with her husband, Dan, three kids and two dogs. And what she desired for their Hilltop property—a 2006-built French- and neoclassical-inspired residence they imagine as their forever home—were spaces resplendent with color, contemporary art and character. The Kageys tapped Edel Legaspi, who had designed their previous abode, to usher that vision into reality. “Edel helped me discover just how much I enjoy art and living among color and creativity,” Josie says. “And so much of this house was like a blank canvas.”
Home Details
Interior Design: Edel Legaspi, Legaspi Courts Design
Home Builder: Grant Duin, Duin Construction
Styling: Tawney Waldo
It really was, agrees Legaspi, a LUXE NEXT honoree, noting that the interiors were uniformly neutral when she and her clients first glimpsed the home. The challenge was to find the best way to respect the house’s traditional character while crafting interiors that felt modern and thoughtfully curated, she explains. Working with general contractor Grant Duin, Legaspi and the Kageys opted to avoid major architectural renovations and instead focus on modern updates. “When I look at an existing house, I try to really analyze what I can incorporate that’s reflective of my clients and take the opportunity to ask, ‘How can I enhance this?’ ” the designer says. In this case, that meant refreshing the fireplace surrounds throughout the dwelling (“The heavy stonework of the originals felt disproportional to the rooms,” Legaspi recalls); remodeling the kitchen with custom cabinetry and high-end marble; revamping a walk-in pantry; refinishing the home’s light hardwood floors in an elegant espresso; and adding plenty of details. Perhaps it’s no surprise that the all-beige walls were the first to go. “We nearly repainted the entire home,” Duin points out.
A deep teal shade now sets the vibe right from the threshold, as the walls and ceiling of the entryway, living room, dining room and adjacent pantry are drenched in this atmospheric hue. It’s Josie’s favorite color and also unapologetically demonstrates the family’s bold design choices, observes Legaspi. “They’re pretty fearless—not everyone is willing to embrace such a moody shade in their main spaces,” she says. To prevent the rooms from feeling too dark, she introduced elements like the dining room’s antique mirror accent wall—which brings light and dimensionality to the space while reflecting the adjacent living room—and utilized jewel-tone fabrics and vibrant artworks that add a sophisticated richness. See, too, a few yellow and gold accents (a lampshade, a painting, a pendant) that act as sunny highlights. “I look at rooms as if they’re outfits when I’m putting a palette together, with lighting as the jewelry,” the designer muses. “In terms of color, I constantly think, ‘Would you wear those shades together?’ ”
The open kitchen, alongside an adjacent pantry and nearby powder room, was treated to a gut renovation to create a more modernized and spacious gathering zone. Here, the atmosphere lightens thanks to a brighter color scheme of whites and grays yet the space doesn’t lack for drama. Just see the richly veined, violet-hued marble counters and backsplash that accent the room. “It’s active and fun with so much movement and dimension,” Legaspi comments of the high-contrast stone. Finished with brass accents that gleam, the space exudes polish yet feels welcoming. “I’m proud of the overall attention to detail and of how cohesively all the finishes came together,” Duin adds.
That refined sense of whimsy extends to the private areas too. In the owners’ bedroom, dashes of rose and lavender meet an array of materials, like brass, marble and a wallcovering that mimics the look of silk—features that carry into an adjacent study. And in the kids’ rooms, each child had a hand in the design scheme, with their interests portrayed through artwork that can be updated as their tastes evolve. “I really want our kids to see our home as an example of how you can choose things that bring you joy and make you feel good—like how our color choices make me really happy,” Josie concludes. Because in this house, self-expression is the key to a life well lived.
