Laid-Back Luxury Elevates a Stylish Renovation

Dining Room In reimagining Lorne Polger and Lori Weiner’s Denver home, designer Kristi Dinner revitalized the dining room with a fireplace surround of black tiles by Lunada Bay Tile. The pendant is by Ted Bradley Studio. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield

“We knew each other in the late 1970s when my family moved to Denver,” Lorne Polger says of first meeting his wife, Lori Weiner. It wasn’t until decades later that the two, both widowed, reconnected. “We hadn’t seen each other in almost 30 years, and our relationship blossomed.” Polger was living in California and Weiner in Colorado when they decided to make Denver their home base. The couple found a mid-1990s house that “flowed nicely and would be great for hosting big family dinners and parties,” says Weiner, “but it needed some work.”

To bring the house up to date, they called on Weiner’s longtime friend interior designer Kristi Dinner, of company kd, and builder Dan Rooney, of Rooney Renovations, to start the transformation. “The house needed to have a cozy and comfortable vibe that would be good for hosting and for just the two of them,” says Dinner, who, with coprincipal Susan Schwab and project manager Brandon Lipsky, aimed to do just that.

Family Room A blue sectional sofa by Lazar Industries pairs with Verellen chairs atop a Stark rug. Ottomans tuck beneath a low table, both by Highland House, and provide extra seating. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield

“I like to bring things into an interior that will make people happy,” says Dinner; she worked closely with the couple to discover what they gravitated toward, starting with the color palette. A floral velvet from Designers Guild caught Weiner’s eye early on and inspired the vibrant hues for the connected living and dining areas. “Those are my colors,” says Weiner of the striking citrine-and-chartreuse fabric that covers Dinec dining chairs.

“Kristi does a great job of listening to what I love and then building from there.” “We paired the colors with neutrals, so they’d have a prominence,” says Dinner, who also revamped the dining area’s fireplace with a striking black-tile surround. To open up the floor plan, a wall was removed between the dining area and the reimagined central kitchen, which leads to the family room and terrace beyond.

Terrace Appointed with a Maxximus table by Mamagreen, the terrace offers ample space for entertaining. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield

“We wanted to give the kitchen a modern feel,” says the designer, who worked with E.C. Hall Company on the cabinetry. “Two painted finishes—the island in blue and the upper cabinets in white—mix with the natural walnut.” A backsplash of creamy floral tile “lends a lot of warmth whereas the tile in the cocktail area has a midcentury feel,” Dinner says of the plaid-like mosaic accenting the adjacent family room.

The two aesthetics also balance the couple’s distinct tastes. “Lori loves color and flowers,” says Polger, “and I’m a little more stark and modern. So the home reflects us both.” Upstairs in the primary bedroom, Dinner again melded the couple’s styles with a dramatic wallpaper featuring a large-scale floral motif against a charcoal backdrop.

Kitchen Dinner worked with E.C. Hall Company on the kitchen’s cabinetry, which has Midcentury Modern detailing. Hardware by Top Knobs from Ultra Design Center sets off the different paint finishes, and Artistic Tile’s Walden mosaic tiles adorn the backsplash. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield

“I love having wallpaper in bedrooms because it creates a private space that feels magical,” says the designer. Encouraged by Weiner, she wrapped the whole space with the Harlequin design. Indeed, that magical feel and stylish balance permeates the whole house. “It’s great for entertaining, and it’s very comfortable for us to live in,” says Polger. Weiner agrees, adding, “It’s not fancy, but it’s gorgeous.”

Interior Design: company kd
Construction: Rooney Renovations, 303-768-9101

Primary Bedroom Harlequin’s Kienze wallpaper makes a statement in the primary bedroom, which is anchored by an Old Biscayne Designs bed from CAI Designs. The Hamilton loveseat is by Verellen, and the Cruz bench is by Cisco Home. | Photo: Emily Minton Redfield