21st-Century Traditional
Streamlined spaces and contemporary patterns bring this traditional home into the modern world
Imagine a spacious, well-appointed home that recalls a French chateau, nestled into Littleton’s horse country with panoramic views of the Front Range. On paper it sounds like an ideal abode for homeowners with a penchant for classic design and outdoor living. But for these 30-somethings and their designer, it didn’t quite make the grade. “This house was your typical serious, brown Colorado home and we wanted to give it some life and energy. We wanted to ‘young it up,’” says interior designer Andrea Schumacher.
The homeowners liked the family-friendly layout, but they wanted to strip away some of the ornate millwork in favor of a more streamlined, mountain-appropriate look, balancing the formality with more playful touches. They recruited Schumacher and project manager Shadie Copeland of Denver-based O Interior Design, and general contractor Brian Husmann of Diamond Homes in Englewood, to renovate nearly every room in the house.
The design team refinished the floors, staining them dark brown for a more contemporary look, and spent months re-plastering walls and refinishing millwork. They painted and wallpapered, and installed new cabinets and crown molding. They reworked almost every surface, inside and out. “It was a pretty extensive renovation, although no walls were moved,” Husmann says. “It took six or seven months to complete because of the attention to detail.”
In the family room, the team removed an ornate mantel and a gas insert, and installed a wood-burning fireplace with a limestone surround. They flanked the fireplace with custom Shaker-style cabinetry. To balance the masculinity of the weighty stone and heavy beams, Schumacher introduced a few feminine touches, including a Moroccan-style coffee table and a pair of armchairs upholstered in a bold, red ikat print. “The ikat chairs are a little daring, but I thought the room needed a fun pop of color,” she says. “I wanted that space to maintain some formality because it’s the first room you walk into from the front door, but it still has to be comfortable because it’s where people hang out.”
In the adjoining kitchen, Schumacher chose deep blue Moroccan tile for the contemporary backsplash, a counterpoint to the classically styled cabinetry, to play off of the orange-red fabrics in the family room. “In the family room, everything was brown on brown on brown,” Schumacher says, “so I turned to opposite sides of the color wheel to add some visual interest.”
Classic patterns and saturated hues add more visual interest in the dining room, which Schumacher clad in a soft, seemingly faded floral wallpaper and custom wainscoting. A blue beaded chandelier and metallic papered ceiling crown the space, adding a younger, more playful touch to the room’s traditional design scheme.
That balance of formal and fun carries into the powder room, which is a study in contradictions. The classic cane-printed wallpaper shows off a contemporary geometric pattern, and the oversized, modern sconces and small-ish mirror hang above a classically-shaped porcelain sink.
In this room, as in the rest of the house, Schumacher played with scale, layered classic and geometric patterns, added traditional and contemporary touches, and balanced formal beauty with family-friendly comfort. Her rule-defying approach shows that you can bridge design eras and styles to create a home that’s planted squarely in the here and now—and full of good surprises.
Design Details
Interior Designers
Andrea Schumacher
Shadie Copeland
O Interior Design
ointeriordesign.com
Builder
Brian Husmann
Diamond Homes, Inc.
diamondhomesinc.com
Fine Art Gallery
Walker Fine Art
walkerfineart.com
INTERIOR DESIGN Andrea Schumacher, O interior Designs, 303-458-6462, ointeriordesign.comENTRY LIGHTING Global Views, globalviews.comENTRY ART Walker Fine Art, 300 West 11th Ave #A, Denver, CO 303-355-8955, walkerfineart.comENTRY RUG Floorcoverings by CPA, 595 S. Broadway #116E , Denver, CO, 303-733-2455, cpacarpets.com, ENTRY ACCENT TABLE John Brooks, johnbrooksinc.comENTRY SOFA owner FAMILY ROOM RUG Synergy Floorcovering / Stanton Carpet stantoncarpet.com, FAMILY ROOM DRAPERY Kravet / Brunschwig & Fils, kravet.comFAMILY ROOM FURNITURE DC UpholsteryFAMILY ROOM SWIVEL CHAIR FABRIC Kravet / Brunschwig & Fils, kravet.comFAMILY ROOM SOFA FABRIC Kravet,kravet.comFAMILY ROOM OTTOMAN FABRIC Kravet, kravet.comFAMILY ROOM CONSOLE TABLES Worlds Away, worlds-away.comFAMILY ROOM COCKTAIL TABLES Mr. Brown FAMILY ROOM PILLOWS Kneedler Fauchere / Clarence House clarencehouse.comDINING ROOM ART Walker Fine Art 300 West 11th Ave #A, Denver, CO 303-355-8955, walkerfineart.comDINING ROOM WALLPAPER Shanahan Collection / Osborne and Little shanahancollection.comDINING ROOM CEILING PAPER Gold leaf paper, Gracie, graciestudio.comDINING ROOM CHANDELIER Arteriors, arteriorshome.comDINING ROOM STATUE Wesco DINING GROOM DRAPERY Schumacher, fschumacher.comDINING ROOM CHAIRS Bob Mackie, bobmackie.com DINING ROOM LAMPS Century Furniture, centuryfurniture.comBREAKFAST NOOK RUG Floorcoverings by CPA. 595 S. Broadway #116E , Denver, CO, 303-733-2455, cpacarpets.comBREAKFAST NOOK ROMAN SHADE Kravet / Brunschwig & Fils, kravet.comBANQUETTE FABRIC Kravet, F.Schumacher,kravet.comBREAKFAST NOOK CHAIRS Phoebe Marsh, phoebemarsh.comBREAKFAST TABLE ACCESSORIES Objets, objetsltd.comKITCHEN PENDANTS Arteriors, arteriorshome.comKITCHEN TILE BACKSPLASH Decorative Materials decorativematerials.comKITCHEN BENCHES Phoebe Marsh, phoebemarsh.comKITCHEN PILLOWS Phoebe Marsh, phoebemarsh.comKITCHEN SIDE TABLE Objets, objetsltd.comKITCHEN VASES Kravet, kravet.comKITCHEN SHADES Schumacher, fschumacher.comBEDROOM DRAPES Schumacher, fschumacher.comBEDROOM ART Walker Fine Art, 300 West 11th Ave #A, Denver, CO 303-355-8955, walkerfineart.comBEDROOM FIREPLACE WALLCOVERING Town / Phillip Jefferies, phillipjeffries.comBEDROOM CLUB CHAIR Lee Jofa, leejofa.com BEDROOM ANTIQUE CHAIR Kravet, kravet.comBEDROOM LAMPS Arteriors, arteriorshome.comNIGHTSTAND Antique, Phoebe Marsh, phoebemarsh.comPOWDER ROOM BIRD WALLPAPER Schumacher, fschumacher.comPOWDER ROOM GEOMETRIC WALLPAPER Shanahan Collection / Osborne and Little shanahancollection.comPOWDER ROOM WALL SCONCES CAI Designs / Currey & Co, caidesigns.net BATH CHANDELIER Arteriors, arteriorshome.comBATH CHEST Horchow, horchow.com BATH MIRROR Kravet,kravet.comBATH SIDE CHAIR Egg & Dart, egg-and-dart.comBATH FLOOR RUG Antique, Floorcoverings by CPA, 595 S. Broadway #116E , Denver, CO, 303-733-2455, cpacarpets.comBATH ROMAN SHADE Egg & Dart / Cowtan & Tout, egg-and-dart.comBATH WALL SCONCES Global Views, globalviews.com DESK CHAIR Phoebe Marsh, phoebemarsh.com DESK LAMPS Egg & Dart, egg-and-dart.comCALLIGRAPHY BRUSH SET Century Furniture, centuryfurniture.com DESK owner PAINTING ABOVE DESK owner
