This Post And Beam House Is A Renovation Success Story
Necessary updates blend seamlessly with the restoration and enhancement of original features in a custom 1957 Colorado home.
Written by Lindsay Jarvis Photography by Brian Walski - Styling by Elaine St. Louis
Already living in a 1955 Cliff May home in Denver, Colorado, Danielle and Cole St. Peter of Post and Beam Living were enjoying their recent restorations and mid century neighborhood of Harvey Park when another home fell into their laps.
“Ultimately we weren’t looking. We planned on staying in the Cliff May for a while,” admits Cole. However, when their friend Adrian Kinney—a Denver, Colorado, Midcentury Modern real estate expert and specialist—notified them about a custom 1957 house in Northglenn, plans began to change. “We came to see it and immediately fell in love,” Danielle remembers. “We were ready for another project… We saw the potential here,” she continues.
THE SALE
Amazingly, the St. Peters’ buying process was contingent upon a string of four off-market transactions. “It was a crazy deal and tested my abilities!” says Adrian, who handled each exchange. Adrian, also a former Cliff May neighbor, shares that, “It was a super stressful time making sure each one was able to move along for the next. But in the end, everyone ended up in the place they wanted, for the price they wanted and on time.”
THE MOTIVATOR
Just a week after moving in, the happy news of Danielle’s pregnancy meant that renovations needed to be tackled quickly. “The very first thing we did was rip up the carpet. It was old and needed to be done,” says Danielle.
Drywall was repaired and flooring throughout the house was redone in “red oak common #1,” a popular hardwood choice during the midcentury. Danielle and Cole were living downstairs while tackling upstairs renovations mostly by themselves, with Cole’s father acting as the general contractor.
THE PAST
Thanks to old photos from long-time previous owners, the Pattersons, Cole and Danielle discovered the stairs leading up to the living room were originally located near the front door. Centrally located since the prior renovation, the couple notes that the stairs create a welcoming invitation up to the living room.
During the house’s early years, the Pattersons created shade for the deck by adding a roof which connects seamlessly to the existing house. “We’re really grateful for it because now we can truly enjoy the space,” states Danielle. “We can use it almost year-round,” Cole adds.
THE ORIGINALS
While original to the home’s design, drywall covered wooden beams throughout the house. “We wanted to expose the beams and let them become an architectural feature as opposed to being hidden by the drywall,” shares Danielle. The exposed wood also provides visual breaks in the all-white living room.
Original white brick was revealed after removing Saltillo tiles from the fireplace, a painstaking task requiring hours of chipping at mortar. Cole remembers it as “very much a labor of love.”
THE ENHANCEMENTS
While the kitchen still had some original features— including a pink oven and boomerang countertops—the room needed to be gutted thanks to sixty years of wear. “It was really hard for us to decide to take this kitchen out,” Cole admits. To create a truly open floor plan, a divider was removed between the family room and one side of the kitchen, while a wall was removed on the other side to connect the dining room.
Having seen a previous renovation, the guest bathroom needed a complete makeover. Not only did the couple replace all the fixtures, they reconfigured the floor plan so that the tub could be positioned at the back of the room and the toilet next to the vanity. These changes allowed Danielle and Cole to gain a little over a foot of space to the master bath, which is located on the other side of the wall.
THE OASIS
Removing large draperies and an overgrown juniper bush cleared the incredible window work in the master bedroom, allowing for outside access and mountain views. “In our bedroom, we just see the junipers and the trees, and it does feel like a little oasis even though we’re in the suburbs,” describes Danielle.
Living happily with baby Tabor and Sidney the dog, Danielle and Cole have plans to tackle the basement next. Hoping to continue the Pattersons’ master gardening legacy, the couple looks forward to sprucing up the front yard as well