Step Inside this Denver Desert Oasis New Build

A home reflects a family’s refined vision through Desert Modern design, natural light and indoor-outdoor living.

4 hours ago

Rachel Seekamp,

Exterior A saltwater pool anchors the backyard, where warm wood soffits and wide glass doors make the family’s Desert Modern retreat feel open and inviting. | Photo: Sierra Ann Photography

With one build already behind them, these Denver homeowners jumped on an unexpected opportunity in Platt Park to build again—this time with a shift in their style and a home that reflects who they are today. Returning to their builder, Apex Homes, they designed a home that balances modern influences and desert tones with the neighborhood’s character.

“We didn’t work with a designer on our previous home,” the homeowner says, prompting a different approach this time. Apex Homes uses interior designer Marcella Domonkos of MD Design Co, and she assisted the couple in shaping their Desert Modern vision. “Marcella helped narrow decisions and kept the process moving,”
says the homeowner.

Dining Room Framed by floor-to-ceiling windows, the dining area treats desert plantings as a living backdrop, with a substantial table grounding airy walls painted in creamy white Sherwin-Williams Alabaster. | Photo: Sierra Ann Photography

Domonkos credits designer Chris Chidley of Fury Design for doing “a wonderful job making the architecture feel cohesive. We went organic and light, with Glen-Gery white brick and horizontal wood elements wrapping the exterior.”

Floor-to-ceiling windows on the southern and eastern walls connect the home to the landscaping on two sides. “The reason behind the understated color palette was for the foliage and outdoor beauty to be the focal point,” says Domonkos.

Kitchen White oak cabinetry from VOGO Cabinets anchors the kitchen, and a full-height backsplash of glazed ceramic tile from Zia Tile adds organic texture and subtle glistening movement in Casablanca white. | Photo: Sierra Ann Photography

“We didn’t want the interior to compete with that, but in the winter, when everything is snow-covered, the materials and tones still needed to feel warm.” That approach carries into the kitchen, where Scandinavian-inspired cabinetry in light-toned wood emphasizes functional simplicity, while in the living room a stone-clad fireplace and integrated millwork introduce a midcentury composition.

Domonkos chose natural materials, using white oak across the cabinetry and key furnishings to maintain continuity, with intentional moments—like curated cactuses—expressing the homeowners’ interest in biophilic design. “We didn’t want too many elements that weren’t truly natural finishes,” she says. “We chose wood handles instead of metal pulls wherever possible, and even some light fixtures moved away from metal in favor of stone or wood.”

Living Room Atop a salmon- hued area rug, the caramel-colored corner sofa and midcentury-style lounge chair from Article turn inward for family gathering, while the exposed black I-beam directs sightlines across this desert-style retreat and landscape. | Photo: Sierra Ann Photography

Upstairs, the main bedroom opens to a deck framed by a mature spruce. “When we’re in bed, all we can see is the tree—it feels like you’re in a forest,” the homeowner says. The architecture shapes this retreat, where a pitched roofline lifts the ceiling to capture natural light, reinforcing a broader emphasis on brightness. The team addressed what could have been a dark reading nook beneath the slope by opening the overhang as an open trellis. This allows sunlight to filter into the space while preserving the roofline, resulting in a light-filled spot for reading and reflection.

“We all love swimming, so we decided early on that the pool would be the main feature of the backyard,” says the homeowner. In place of a traditional lawn, hardscape and low-maintenance plantings define a continuous outdoor space, with earth-toned tile at the waterline echoing the palette inside, creating a desert oasis of their own. Here, afternoons stretch into evenings spent poolside with family and neighbors.