Easy Breezy Interiors That’ll Make You Swoon with Delight

Dining Room A lively rug was the inspiration for the wine armchairs. Other colors in the room are warm and neutral. Round elements, including the dramatic mirror, balance the straight lines of the table and chandelier. | Photos by Emily Minton Redfield

A blank space with neutral walls poses stylistic challenges—and opportunities. The homeowners of this new build in Denver’s historic Washington Park neighborhood worked with c2Design to personalize the indoor and outdoor spaces for their family. “I wanted the style of our home to be modern and fresh, with some subtle pops of color,” the wife says.

Those colors came from an unexpected source: a watercolor-inspired area rug. “We started in the dining room,” explains interior designer Corinne Ekle. “The client fell in love with this rug, with all the colors, and it worked its way through the house.” Ekle pulled the rich wine color from the area rug and infused it into the office and powder room. “As you walk in the front door, you see the show-stopping bookcase,” she notes. The wall of deep color sets off the books and objects on the built-in shelves. Ekle also painted the powder room in deep wine, combining it with an agate wallpaper.

Entry A colorful bench in the entry alcove adds some color, while the textured rug invites people inside.

“That’s one of my favorite additions of color in our home,” the wife says. “We continually receive comments from guests about how beautiful the bathroom looks.” In the dining room, Ekle paired the area rug with linear furniture and lighting. The straight lines of the chairs, dining table and chandelier “juxtapose the abstract nature of the rug,” Ekle says. It turned out to be the designer’s favorite room in the house: “It’s so much fun because the rug is such a statement piece—it’s like art for the floor.”

The wife loves how the dining room turned out, although the primary suite is her escape. “Each time I walk into the room, I immediately feel a sense of coziness and calmness,” she says. “The chairs face the fireplace, and I love to sit and drink my coffee while working on the computer first thing in the morning. I love my children,” she admits, “but when I need time alone, our bedroom is the first place I go!”

With two young children and a rambunctious Whoodle (Wheaten terrier-poodle mix), the homeowners asked c2Design to remodel the second-floor patio. “I had two requests for the outdoor space,” the wife explains. “To be able to see our yard from the patio and to create an open fire pit that people could gather around.”

Office The wall of built-in bookshelves offers a deep dose of color.

Lounge A navy sectional and vivid art make the hangout room fun.

Living Room Blue-gray walls surround the fireplace, emphasizing the symmetry of the room. Two couches make the space perfect for conversation.

Ekle replaced the solid concrete balcony walls with an open iron railing and took advantage of every square inch of entertaining space. The wife sums it up: “Now we have a beautiful outdoor space where we can enjoy time with our friends and family while the kids play in the yard.” The family’s other favorite space is the basement, where everyone has a place to play. The homeowners enjoy watching television on their cozy navy sectional, and the kids have a dedicated play area with ample toy storage. “We were able to designate a portion of the basement for the kids and then designed a separate theater space for adults,” the wife says. “I never imagined we would spend so many relaxing hours there.”

Bedroom The homeowners wanted a place to relax, so their bedroom mixes neutral colors with rich textures and metallic accents. Two lounge chairs face a fireplace, providing a lovely spot to enjoy coffee in the morning before the day gets busy.

INTERIOR DESIGN: C2Design