THE OWNERS OF THIS AUSTERE 1920s home—both Realtors—saw an opportunity not only to preserve a piece of neighborhood history, but to prove that a house with good bones could be adapted to accommodate a more contemporary sensibility. “They also wanted to demonstrate that less can be more,” says architect Dalton Davis of Semple Brown Design. “That is, if a space works, adding unnecessary square footage to make a project pencil out for resale is superfluous.”
Thus, the makeover plan for 100 Dexter focused not so much on adding as on stripping back a 1970s addition to bring the house back to its modernist roots. Exterior openings were simplified, organized, and, in some cases, bricked in or enlarged. Custom-designed steel sash doors and windows unified the architecture, and translucent glass and steel awnings were added to the primary and secondary entrances.
Inside, a quest for simplicity continued to drive the design. Many walls that had been added over the years were removed, making way for airy, gallery-style spaces (perfect for showcasing the owners’ extensive art collection). For continuity, the same neutral paint colors and building materials—steel, glass, and Douglas fir—were used both inside and out.
Category: Whole-house makeover; Entrant/Architect: Semple Brown Design, Denver; Builder: Spectrum General Contractors, Denver; Landscape architect: Phase One Landscape, Denver
