Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Resourceful and Inviting in Denver
Frugal fixes, delightful murals and roll-up-your-sleeves energy override a modest budget in a mountain-town home
With their four young sons in tow, Philadelphia natives Stephanie and John Henry headed west six years ago to fulfill a family dream of enjoying the Colorado lifestyle. Finding the right home, schools and neighborhood, however, took patience. With sheer determination in the midst of the housing slump, the Henry family completed four moves and eight real estate transactions to finally pack everything and move into a highly sought-after Denver suburb.
"It was not exactly love at first sight; it has a 1970s mansard roof," Stephanie says. "But once I got into it, I knew it would fit our family well, provide easy living and give us a great neighborhood and great schools."
Using resourcefulness and a modest budget, Stephanie and John have made the traditional-style home their own, adding thoughtful touches over the past year.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: John and Stephanie Henry and their 4 sons
Where: Denver
Size: 4,000 square feet with 6 bedrooms
"It was not exactly love at first sight; it has a 1970s mansard roof," Stephanie says. "But once I got into it, I knew it would fit our family well, provide easy living and give us a great neighborhood and great schools."
Using resourcefulness and a modest budget, Stephanie and John have made the traditional-style home their own, adding thoughtful touches over the past year.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: John and Stephanie Henry and their 4 sons
Where: Denver
Size: 4,000 square feet with 6 bedrooms
Stephanie added chalkboard paint to the glass on this walk-in pantry door, to display weekly family menus.
The main living area of this four-level 1970s traditional home is a half-level above ground in the front. The dining room and living room areas have easy flow between the two spaces and can easily be changed from casual to formal, as occasions require.
A spacious and inviting living room in the front of the house greets guests entering from the foyer. Stephanie says, "The main floor is where I feel most at home. This is where I put the things I love most."
When deciding her color palette, Stephanie looked to nature. "I am inspired by nature and drawn to the colors of the Southwest, along with earth tones and natural wood. I love pottery and accessories that have different natural textures," she says. "In the rooms that I painted I let the rug or some other major piece of furniture suggest the wall color."
Rug: Overstock.com
When deciding her color palette, Stephanie looked to nature. "I am inspired by nature and drawn to the colors of the Southwest, along with earth tones and natural wood. I love pottery and accessories that have different natural textures," she says. "In the rooms that I painted I let the rug or some other major piece of furniture suggest the wall color."
Rug: Overstock.com
Off the back of the home is the family room, which has a vaulted, beamed ceiling. The doors in the corner lead straight to a spacious backyard.
The mantel holds treasures including five prized pinch pots created by second graders and purchased at an elementary school auction.
Immediately after moving in, Stephanie and John hired general contractor Jeff Johnston to install a built-in office in the back of the family room. The cherry-wood Shaker-style cabinets and granite slab countertops look as if they’ve been there all along.
Sectional: Restoration Hardware; textured paint: Sandstone Cliff, River Rock texture, Ralph Lauren; rug: Restoration Hardware
The mantel holds treasures including five prized pinch pots created by second graders and purchased at an elementary school auction.
Immediately after moving in, Stephanie and John hired general contractor Jeff Johnston to install a built-in office in the back of the family room. The cherry-wood Shaker-style cabinets and granite slab countertops look as if they’ve been there all along.
Sectional: Restoration Hardware; textured paint: Sandstone Cliff, River Rock texture, Ralph Lauren; rug: Restoration Hardware
All of the boys' rooms, which share the top level with the master bedroom, are painted with bright and fun thematic murals.
Down the hall, the master bedroom is comforting, soft and soothing.
Paint: Grant Beige, Benjamin Moore
Paint: Grant Beige, Benjamin Moore
Opposite the bed are two walk-in closets and the master bathroom. Stephanie purchased the bureau on a trip to a western Pennsylvania flea market with her mother.
The master bathroom is flooded with light from beautiful eastern-facing windows.
Stephanie and her youngest son, Luke.
"Once in a while John takes our sons out of school to ski for the day," Stephanie says. "I love looking at the mountains every day as I drive around town or run on the high-line canal path nearby. I love the weather and ease of being outside."
Any upcoming home improvement projects? "I desperately want to paint the exterior," Stephanie says, "and we are planning to tear down an existing deck in the backyard and install a new patio and new landscaping." For now, though, the true reward is that the family is at last home in Colorado.
More:
Houzz Tour: Traditional Home Goes Coastal
Houzz Tour: Traditional with Contemporary Shine
Next: Tour hundreds of other inspiring homes
"Once in a while John takes our sons out of school to ski for the day," Stephanie says. "I love looking at the mountains every day as I drive around town or run on the high-line canal path nearby. I love the weather and ease of being outside."
Any upcoming home improvement projects? "I desperately want to paint the exterior," Stephanie says, "and we are planning to tear down an existing deck in the backyard and install a new patio and new landscaping." For now, though, the true reward is that the family is at last home in Colorado.
More:
Houzz Tour: Traditional Home Goes Coastal
Houzz Tour: Traditional with Contemporary Shine
Next: Tour hundreds of other inspiring homes
The décor exudes Stephanie’s Pennsylvania roots. Her father is an architect in Philadelphia, and her mother is an enthusiastic decorator and collector. Her innate sense of design and the ability to decorate with warmth and style make their home inviting and comfortable.
Hardware: Rockler; pendant shades: Lowe’s