A Colorado Home Epitomizes Time And Devotion

Details

traditional living area music room...

This Highlands Ranch dwelling with elegant, old-world charm is a pinnacle achievement for its patient owners.

traditional hallway dark porcelain chevron...

Dark porcelain tile from Decorative Materials is arranged in a chevron pattern on the floor of the corridor leading to the master suite. Iron lanterns by Visual Comfort hang from the spectacular groin-vaulted ceiling. "This space is designed to be tranquil," Watts says.

traditional neutral foyer staircase sitting...

Chairs covered in Pierre Frey fabric and a wooden table, all from Kravet, maintain a low profile in the dramatic entry to a Highlands Ranch dwelling. "The foyer was designed to introduce the home and the elements that will be seen again throughout it," says interior designer Nadia Watts.

traditional neutral great room lofty...

Suspended from the lofty beamed ceiling in the great room, a custom Formations chandelier illuminates a comfortable seating area that includes Kravet's Allegro sofas, Lee Jofa's Stephens chairs covered in a Ralph Lauren Home fabric and a fireplace mantel from Materials Marketing. The patterned drapery is by Kelly Wearstler, and the rug is also from Kravet.

traditional great room coffee table

The great room's custom Kravet coffee table with a natural stone surface has been specially designed to conceal a quartet of the brand's Mataket ottomans, which can be pulled out for extra seating. Watts had a patterned Samuel & Sons trim applied to the base of the ottomans as an accent.

traditional music room black cabinetry

In the music room, builtins are covered in Benjamin Moore's Jet Black and fitted with glass shelves, allowing light-colored accessories to be showcased by overhead lighting. "We wanted to create a contrast here," the interior designer says. "We also used gold accents to complement the gold used throughout the room."

traditional neutral kitchen limestone subway...

Light-colored limestone subway tile from Decorative Materials pairs well with the custom William Ohs cabinetry in the classic open kitchen. The quartzite island countertop is from The Stone Collection, and the range hood is from Materials Marketing. A pair of Dessin Fournir Karlin Hall lanterns hangs above the walnut-wood island.

A set of Kravet's Marseilles...

A set of Kravet's Marseilles chairs surround the owners' heirloom table in the dining room. "They have had it since their children were young," Watts says. "It has shared many special moments over the years with their family." The piece is lit by a custom Seguso two-tier chandelier.

traditional neutral bedroom

A grass-cloth wallpaper from Kneedler Fauchere and a custom silk carpet from Floor Coverings by CPA add a rich texture to the master bedroom. Lee Jofa's Wallace bench sits at the foot of the Kravet Cambridge bed, which is flanked by the brand's Bombe chests holding lamps purchased at Wynn Las Vegas.

traditional bedroom desk and chair

Positioned to take in views of the Rockies, the wife's desk by Creative Metal & Wood is covered with faux shagreen and lacquered. The Kravet Gentil side chair that fronts it has a shagreen upholstery, and the skirted armchair is by Alexa Hampton. The light fixture is from Boyd Lighting.

traditional neutral hallway to bathroom...

The stone-tile floor by Artistic Tile flows from the master bedroom gallery into the en-suite bathroom. The molding is by DBR Construction, and the oval bench seen through the door is Kravet's Bilbao. The light fixture, from Boyd Lighting, is covered with Kneedler Fauchère fabric. Walls are clad in White Wisp by Benjamin Moore.

traditional white and brown bathroom

The bench and the Kravet Georgetown side chair in the master bathroom wear Holly Hunt Great Outdoors fabric. They, along with the silk Sabina chandelier by Oly, are soft counterpoints for the tile surfaces. The wall color here is also White Wisp by Benjamin Moore, and the Valencia Lucido tile is from Artistic Tile.

Slow and steady wins the race–at least that’s how the old saying goes. The expression has borne out for a pair of empty nesters who took five years to build the elegant home they had long imagined for themselves on a spectacular double lot in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, overlooking the Rocky Mountains. “I didn’t have children when I started this project, and now I have two,” interior designer Nadia Watts says, putting things into perspective. “The clients wanted it to be their dream home, so they weren’t in a rush.”

With its vaulted ceilings, porte cochere, and arched windows and doorways, the result of their years-long effort makes a striking addition to the area, which is known for its eclectic mix of architectural styles, including Cape Cods and modern farmhouses. “It’s a fresh interpretation of the kind of classic and elegant architecture you don’t often find these days,” says architect and project manager JR Lamicq, who collaborated with principal architect Mike Woodley on the project. “It’s timeless and profound.”

The soaring ceiling and curvaceous open staircase in the foyer makes his point. A white porcelain-tile floor with a brown diamond-pattern inlay creates a sense of movement that leads the eye toward the exterior balcony, which extends over the landscape and delineates the private spaces on one side of the house from the public areas on the other. The separate wings, which sit at slight angles to the outdoor structure, also provide a shield. “On this location, there’s not much protection from the wind, so it was important to shelter the area,” Lamicq explains.

In the nearby great room, the architectural high point (literally) is a series of dramatic arched ceiling beams hovering 20 feet above the floor, a striking feature that took careful planning. “We had every piece of trim mocked up first, so we could see it in the space,” Watts says. Down to earth, the flooring changes to brown porcelain tile designed to resemble wood but without the natural material’s care requirements–a crucial point for the owners, who have busy lives and two large Bernese mountain dogs. Patterned draperies provide a lively backdrop for the neutral leather sofas and upholstered chairs and, along with the double-height fireplace mantel, draw the eye up to the striking ceiling.

That’s just one of several overhead statements. The drama continues in the turret adjacent to the great room, where the round wood ceiling features spoke-like beams. The space serves as a breakfast nook with a near 360-degree view, illuminated by a Swedish chandelier and furnished with a round antique table and a set of upholstered chairs. There’s more seating at the island in the adjoining kitchen, which has been outfitted with classic white-painted cabinetry, a walnut-wood island and quartzite countertops. And in the corridor to the master suite, a groin-vaulted ceiling holds its own against a porcelain-tile floor laid in a chevron pattern. “It adds interest to the spine of the home, which connects the private and entertainment spaces,” Lamicq says.

A coffered ceiling does the same for the master bedroom, a peaceful space with grass-cloth-covered walls and built-in cabinetry. A plush chair and an oversize ottoman create a lovely location to sit and read by the room’s stone fireplace. Another place to unwind is in the spacious soaking tub nestled in the bay window of the en-suite marble bathroom. “The owners travel often, so I wanted them to have a serene space to relax when they are home,” Watts says.

The way the spaces and materials harmonize makes a pleasant atmosphere–and, as Watts explains, “it’s all about the details.” The taupe marble-tile floor in the dining room, for instance, seems to flow up onto the walls in the form of a natural-stone patterned wallpaper, and the cabinetry has been painted in a matching shade.

The pleasing nature spreads through the house with key details carried from room to room. “It feels good when there is a strong relation between the spaces,” Watts says. For instance, the color and pattern of the dining room ceiling has been replicated with a faux finish on the inlay of the coffered ceiling in the music room–an adult space with an ornate black-marble fireplace mantel, custom-painted cabinetry and tailored, neutral furnishings.

The owners are thrilled with the outcome of the project and enjoy hosting friends, who have their own space in the detached guest home that has a more mountain aesthetic with an exposed-stone wall and rustic beams. “The clients have a very tight group, and they like entertaining,” Watts says, “The house is like a hotel sometimes.”

The story of the residence proves another ancient adage is sometimes true: Good things come to those who wait. As Watts says, “They finally built their dream home, and they love it here.”