A Homeowner Gives an Interior Designer Free Rein to Bring This Modern, Comfortable LoDo Loft to Life
This spacious loft in a historic building overlooking Coors Field is converted into a dramatic, modern showplace.
Entryway The grand entrance includes an antique door from a Denver bank (left), J. Alexander stools and a Visual Comfort chandelier over a Bernhardt table. The sconces are by Christopher Guy. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield
Usually when we talk about homes with breathtaking views, they’re overlooking Colorado’s majestic mountains or sculpted valleys. But this downtown Denver loft has amazing views of a different kind: They look out over baseball games at Rockies stadium.
The loft is part of a landmark 1922 building, one of the LoDo District’s first brick structures, which once served as the Union Pacific Railroad signal master’s head house. The structure was initially renovated in 1997 into 18 residences, with many classic architectural details preserved.
Sitting Area Four blue Bernhardt swivel chairs in Kravet velvet surround a J. Alexander table. The fireplace is clad in Neolith porcelain slabs. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield
When a Wisconsin dairy-farming couple decided to move to Colorado (“We had always wanted a second home in Colorado”), they bought a fourth-floor apartment in the building—actually two units that had been combined into a 5,000-square-foot space—and asked interior designer David Hintgen of DH Interiors to create a modern yet comfortable residence for entertaining and family gatherings.
The couple’s Wisconsin home was a historic mansion with period elements and furniture where the wife, a do-it-yourselfer, had done her own renovations. This time around, she decided to hand the reins over to Hintgen. “I’m very traditional,” says the homeowner, who has five daughters, five sons-in-law and 10 grandchildren. “This modern condo was new to me, so David was on his own.”
Living Room The custom sectional by DH Interiors has great ballpark views. The de Sede chair and Moooi blue stools, sitting atop a Chandra rug, surround an Olivya Stone coffee table, with art from Josh Young. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield
“She gave me a lot of freedom with the entire project,” Hintgen says. “She said, ‘I want to try something new. I’d like to do more modern, but I don’t have a lot of experience with that.’ She was willing to take some risks.”
What resulted was “pretty close to a full demo,” he says. “The original space was like a bachelor pad with a theater and lots of wasted space, and it was very 1990s. But the building is unique. You don’t often find a house for sale that has architectural salvage from an old downtown bank. I also thought it was really great that this is a big family who wanted to live right smack in the middle of downtown, where all the action is. They were open for adventure.”
Kitchen A large new island, with Interlude Home stools, is topped with Parana White marble. The pendant light over the island is from PureEdge Lighting. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield
So was builder Connor Howley.“Challenging spaces and unique objectives are what make a project more engaging,” says Howley. “This loft offered plenty of opportunities for thoughtful design, particularly with the use of large-format porcelain in both the primary bathroom and fireplaces.
The apartment is modern, yet the designer’s commitment to the building’s original aesthetic required us to be intentional about preserving traditional elements like the original bank doors and tray ceilings. David struck a refined balance between contemporary updates and the building’s historic character.”
Office The office, shared by the homeowners, could easily be converted to an extra bedroom. A set of old arched bank doors can be seen on the left. The built-ins are custom made by VOGO. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield
The renovation included a reconfiguring of the primary suite to include an expanded bedroom, fireplace, dressing room and spa bath; an enhancing of the common areas to accommodate a pool table, bar, multiple seating zones, a large dining space and a game area; an updating of the kitchen and all of the baths; the creation of a third bedroom, bath and dual office space; and new finishes, lighting and plumbing throughout, along with smart-home controls.
“I said, ‘I’m going to go out on a limb with the artwork and do what I think you’re going to love and what the space wants to be, but if there’s anything you guys really don’t like, I’ll take it back,” says Hintgen.
Game Lounge A pool table, under a Visual Comfort light, and a series of 20 hand-painted books on the wall, from Natural Curiosities, up the fun factor. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield
No worries there. Though the design was a new direction for them, the homeowners were thrilled. “We’re really, really happy,” says the wife. “It’s the first time I’d ever used a decorator, but we love it. It’s clean, it’s pretty, and it’s perfect for our large family. My husband is a big baseball fan, so instead of watching Netflix, we walk across to the ballpark to watch games!”
Design Details
Interior Design: DH Interiors
Builder: Connor Howley
As featured in Colorado Homes & Lifestyles’ July/August 2026 issue.
Dining Room A custom table by DH Interiors is surrounded by Bernhardt chairs, under a massive Slamp chandelier. The mosaic art on the wall is from IXXI pixel art. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield
Primary Bedroom A custom bed and headboard by DH Interiors is flanked by Holly Hunt nightstands. Hintgen kept the arched bank doors that had been added by the previous owner. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield
Dressing Room As part of a larger reconfiguration, the primary bedroom was converted into this space, which includes a tufted ottoman from John Richard and a Visual Comfort chandelier. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield
Exterior This view looks north toward the tall building (the one with balconies), that houses the residence. It sits behind the Denver ChopHouse building (with awnings) and near the new McGregor Square. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield
