A Hamptons-Inspired Cherry Hills Home

Photography by Emily Minton Redfield | Styling by Tawney Waldo

It’s nearly 2,000 miles from the Long Island shore to Cherry Hills Village, but this young couple aimed to bridge the distance and re-create some of that beachy, East Coast aesthetic, using shingle-style architecture and a resort-like expanse. “I spent a lot of time in Sag Harbor, and I wanted that sense of ahhhh people get when they leave the city and arrive at their weekend getaway,” says the husband, a trader who—along with his wife, 4-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son—was abandoning downtown Denver digs in hopes of emulating that feeling.

The job of melding seaside chic with a mountain backdrop fell to architect Carlos Alvarez, who found a sweet spot by coupling beach-style, shake-cedar siding with local stone columns and walls, the latter a nod to Colorado but neatly stacked to avoid a rustic look. “The owners gave me the ingredients: He wanted the Hamptons and she wanted something edgier, but it was up to me to create the recipe,” says Alvarez, who, in lieu of the expected white trim, for example, went with black for a more modern touch.

On the backside, a swimming pool and tennis court enhance the vacation ambience. “My daughter thinks there’s a never-ending pool party here,” the husband remarks, but the enclosed layout is pure Alvarez. “It’s not typical of the Hamptons, but at the end of the day, I always do courtyards because they work so well here,” Alvarez explains.

Inside, interior designer Andrea Schumacher—who worked with the couple on previous projects and totally understood the husband’s desire for simplicity and the wife’s affection for glamour—began as she always does: with a neutral base. In the living room, white walls balance out ebony-stained oak floors and offset gray-velvet sofas and a flame-stitched ottoman. “Black and white is an easy way to go when you want to keep things simple, while having an opportunity to layer,” she says.

In the family room, a white-washed vaulted ceiling, matching L-shaped sofas dressed in linen and an ocean-colored floor-covering evoke a Hamptons’ vibe. “There are wavelike elements on the rug, done in silk, that catch the light,” says Schumacher, who switched things up in the dining room, where black walls, curved chairs cloaked in a faux-bois pattern resembling bark and a live-edge slab table—a nod to Colorado—make a sensuous, adults-only statement. “It’s almost like a private dining room in a restaurant,” says Schumacher, noting that the glass-enclosed wine room is an ode to a similar design at Frasca, the award-winning Boulder eatery.

Ever mindful of the wife’s need for bling, Schumacher suspended a four-ring chandelier reminiscent of bangle bracelets in the family room, which she complemented with brass pulls and bar stools in the kitchen. Back in the dining room, light bouncing off the hanging glassware creates sparkle.

In the study, the convergence of black-paneled walls with a painted emerald-green desk is both dramatic and sexy, and the gilded Louis XV-style chair is just shy of flashy. “It’s the Hamptons meets glamour, but in a subdued way,” Schumacher says. “There’s nothing overwhelming anywhere, and the house is relaxed and elegant all at the same time.”

ENTRY

A classic, black-and-white marble floor defines the entry, where the walls wear a Cowtan & Tout covering. The custom bench sports Groundworks Chengtudoor Emb fabric, and the mirror and side table are from the homeowners’ collection.

DINING ROOM

Sheathed in black lap siding, the dining room features a live-edge HD Buttercup table with a base from Worlds Away, surrounded by custom chairs upholstered in Clarke & Clarke. The Apparatus Highwire chandelier adds sparkle, and a Shaver-Ramsey rug grounds the space.

FAMILY ROOM

From the kitchen looking out, custom Robert Allen sofas, trimmed with nailheads and topped with throw pillows covered in DeLany & Long fabric, surround a coffee table upholstered in Jerry Pair leather. The rug is from Shaver-Ramsey, and the Lohja chandelier from Cameron Design House brings on the bling.

LIVING ROOM

“It’s easy to throw everything away, but it’s not the right thing to do,” says interior designer Andrea Schumacher, who reupholstered existing sofas in velvet with a Tudor welt by Knoll and recovered the ottoman with a flame-stitch fabric by Kravet. The shaggy lamb’s wool stool and artwork are from CAI Designs.

MASTER BEDROOM

A series of silk-painted and -embroidered wallpaper panels by Fromental defines the master bedroom wall. The once-black bed frame was painted white and upholstered in Black Edition fabric by Romo for a fresh look in the new house. The hair-on-hide rug is from the homeowners’ collection, and the nickel-plated bamboo bench is clothed in a Schumacher fabric.

STUDY

A Shanahan Collection desk, coated with a custom emerald-green finish, complements the drama of the black-paneled study walls. The upholstered and gold-painted Louis XV-style chair is an auction find, and the desk crystal is from CAI Designs. Schumacher repurposed an existing tête-à-tête with Mokum’s Joss Terrazzo fabric, topped with faux-fur pillows from Kravet. She further softened the space with Dexter draperies from Larsen. The stools and desk lamp are from CAI Designs.

POWDER ROOM

Ex Libris wallpaper by Cole & Son infuses the lower-level powder room with a library theme. Slightly overscale sconces light the RH vanity, and the mirror is from CAI Designs.

REAR EXTERIOR

After living in Denver’s urban core for more than a decade, the homeowners wanted a resort-feel, reminiscent of beach-side summer homes. The house opens to a covered terrace before spilling down to the pool and seating area

FRONT EXTERIOR

The Hamptons come to the mountains in this Cherry Hills Village residence, crafted with cedar shingles common to beach-side East Coast architecture and grounded with Colorado stone. The squared columns meet the roofline with steel connectors, the latter an industrial reference.

DESIGN DETAILS:
ARCHITECT Carlos Alvarez, Alvarez Morris Architectural Studio INTERIOR DESIGNER Andrea Schumacher, Andrea Schumacher Interiors BUILDER  Matthew Pierce, Character Builders Colorado LANDSCAPE DESIGNER Michael Hommel, Designs by Sundown