A full renovation gives a classic home a striking new identity
By Heather Shoning
A HOUSE CAN HOLD two truths at once: the memory of what it was, and the promise of what it could become. This traditional Mediterranean home came with an expansive lot, a pool set into stone terraces, and a classic architectural silhouette defined by tiled rooflines and arched window forms. It also arrived with the potential for a new interpretation. The homeowners jumped on the Greenwood Village property as a way to better accommodate a growing family. The goal was a full renovation that shifted the home’s traditional Mediterranean style toward a modern expression—one centered on open, functional spaces and a strong emphasis on art and edited material contrast. The homeowner grew up immersed in the construction industry and now owns the family’s construction company. He employed his background and assembled a team, including Kathy Siple of JRG Design, Inspire Kitchen Design Studio, and Elite Builders. Rather than remove what existed, the renovation would build on it. The original architecture provided scale, volume, and connection to the outdoors. The renovation would refine those strengths, opening major areas of the home to increase usability and flow while preserving the essential structure. The result is a dialogue between past and present—Mediterranean forms simplified into cleaner planes, contemporary finishes, and a
The entry immediately establishes this shift. Natural light filters through clerestory windows, drawing attention to the depth of the interior and the view extending through large glass doors to the outdoor living space. A round black table sits at the center of the travertine flooring, which runs continuously through the home and creates a seamless, grounded surface. The railing introduces a precise line of black metal, defining the stair opening without interrupting the visual field. On the wall, a large-format black-and-white photograph anchors the space and signals the role art plays in the home’s identity. Rather than overt decoration, it becomes a focal point that frames the transition into the rest of the interior.
In the dining room, the renovation heightens the existing architecture. A soaring fireplace wall in a deep, matte custom plaster finish rises beneath a vaulted ceiling lined with limewashed brick in a repeating herringbone pattern. The texture overhead creates a rhythm that draws the eye upward, while the dark central plane establishes a strong vertical axis. Light walls on either side emphasize the contrast, and a monochromatic artwork centered above the fireplace introduces a sculptural presence. Another large piece leans into a warmer palette nearby, creating balance through scale rather than color repetition. A long dining table in a dark finish extends the line of the space, while simple chairs with clean silhouettes maintain the pared-back modern language. The composition relies on proportion—the mass of the fireplace, the span of the table, and the height of the ceiling—to create visual impact.
The kitchen uses a similar approach, translating the Mediterranean structure into restrained, contemporary geometry. A substantial island with a quartzite surface forms the center of the room, offering seating and workspace within a single volume. Cabinetry combines rich walnut with cold-rolled steel panels, creating a quiet tonal contrast that complements the flooring beneath. A vertical window above the sink frames the landscape outside, reinforcing the home’s emphasis on connection between indoors and outdoors. Open metal shelving near a second window introduces repetition of the black lines seen at the entry, offering space for small objects and greenery without crowding the surfaces. Pendant lighting adds a sculptural element overhead, drawing the eye to the height of the ceiling. The layout remains disciplined and functional, relying on material contrast and symmetry for visual strength.
In the adjacent living area, the design allows for a more expressive layer. The architecture remains understated: a dark fireplace wall with a custom plaster finish, arched brick surround, and stone floors. Against this restrained backdrop, the furnishings introduce color and pattern in a deliberate counterpoint. A large Mah Jong sectional with Missoni fabric spans the room in saturated tones and varied textile patterns, creating a vivid contrast to the deep finish of the fireplace wall. An original David Yarrow photograph, expansive in scale, stretches above the seating and reintroduces the monochromatic language seen at the entry and dining room. The pairing of quiet architecture and bold upholstery creates a balanced tension that defines the space.
The private rooms echo the same restrained architectural tone, interpreted through softer forms. In the primary bedroom, a Sacha Lakic for Roche Bobois bubble bed in deep blue curves into the room as a singular sculptural piece. Neutral bedding and pale walls allow the bed’s form to become the focal element. A second Yarrow photo spans the wall above the bed, continuing the visual language of scale and contrast found throughout the house. The window wall frames an exterior terrace, extending the room outward and reinforcing the continuity of indoor and outdoor spaces. A separate sitting area includes a matching bubble sofa, paired with modern artwork and simple furnishings to maintain the cohesive material palette.
The primary bath uses geometry and repetition to create a composed environment within the wet room area. Large-scale tile define the walls surrounding a freestanding tub. A recessed niche introduces a subtle architectural gesture, and the pebble flooring provides texture beneath the smooth planes surrounding it. The vanity area features an island cabinet and integrated seating, offering generous storage within a clean, symmetrical arrangement.
The home’s exterior is subtle and disciplined. The original rooflines remain, and the forms of the house stay intact. The change lies in the quiet simplicity of the finishes and the openness of the rear elevation, where glass doors extend the interior out with the travertine flowing from inside to the terrace that steps down to the pool. The visual connection between inside and out is immediate, and the continuous stone surfaces create a unified plane from living spaces to the water’s edge.
The renovation reframes rather than replaces. The home’s traditional Mediterranean foundation remains visible, but it now supports a modern interpretation defined by openness, clarity, and an emphasis on art. By preserving the integrity of the original footprint and refining the interiors through proportion, contrast, and material restraint, the design achieves a cohesive new identity—modern Mediterranean, distilled to its essentials and reimagined for a contemporary way of living.
JRG DESIGN 303.601.9544 jrgdesignllc.com
INSPIRE KITCHEN DESIGN STUDIO 590 Quivas St. Denver 720.650.0500 inspirekds.com
ELITE BUILDERS 720.442.2471 elitebuilderscolorado.com
