Urban Nest
“I love the Studio Sofa and surrounding bookcases by Thomas O'Brien for Hickory Chair,” designer Jim Hering says. “They are the perfect scale for the room and provide a library-like feel, which makes everything more comfortable. The flat-wood surfaces of the bookcase provide a unique and exciting opportunity to showcase some of Scott and Dave's wonderful art collection.”
The sleek design of a bar-height dining table and chairs adds drama to the dining room, and echoes the black and gold tones of a painting Coors and Hurt picked up in Santa Fe. A shell light fixture from the HW Home Collection presides over the room.
Bold red cushions play up the outdoor living area and create a city-chic vibe. “This is a unique outdoor space for Colorado, and we wanted to take advantage of that by bringing the indoors out,” Hering says. A mix of sofas, lounge chairs and other seating offers a space to escape and entertain. All-weather patio furniture by Cane-line.
The windows in the master retreat create a “lighthouse” effect, providing an expansive view of the surrounding neighborhood and distant mountains. “It's like living in a tree house,” Hurt says.
Located in the exclusive Belcaro neighborhood of Denver, the home was built in the late '90s by a prominent Denver businessman who was the mastermind behind the original design—a study in structured symmetry and boundary-breaking residential design. Features more often seen in commercial settings—like a pyramid-shaped skylight in the kitchen ceiling or the large, glass tiles on the floor in the second-story home gym that offer an aerial view of the great room below—are surprising in a residence, but work brilliantly in this home.
When the house became available two years ago, Coors and Hurt couldn't pass up the opportunity to realize the home's potential: “We have a history with the house,” Hurt admits. “We watched with a lot of interest as it was being built. We loved the architecture, the maturity of the trees and the close proximity to the city and Cherry Creek.”
The homeowners entrusted the interiors to designer and friend Jim Hering, co-owner of HW Home, and a new vision for the home emerged. “The house had good bones and clean classic lines, but it lacked focus,” Hering says. “Scott and Dave are interesting, eclectic people, and the design needed to reflect that.”
The result is a visually engaging mix of color, texture and materials that honors the architectural details already in play. The strength and scale of new steel windows by Hope's Windows define the interiors, and make the indoor and outdoor living spaces feel cohesive. In the living room, plantation-grown walnut floors replaced the original carpeting, but the floors were installed to fit within the room's existing border of floor tiles, a feature that visually defines the space (and one that Coors and Hurt decided to add in the master retreat). A custom-made cowhide rug anchors the comfortable and stylish seating arrangement of exotic wood furnishings, mohair fabric and locally made pillows. Faux painting artist Nancy Sweet added subtle texture and tones of bronze and metallic gray to both sides of the fireplace, drawing attention to its commanding scale.
Enter the large dining room, and find an exciting entertainment space, where a bar-height dining table and chairs—sold with the house—places guests at eye level with one of the couple's favorite conversation pieces: a painting with a series of dark archways. “If you study it long enough, you'll find the lone soul perched in one of the arches,” says Coors.
Outdoors, the living space combines the unexpected luxury of a pool with a city-chic lounge area. And yet it all feels organic to Denver—thanks to skillfully chosen furnishings and landscaping. “One of the best parts about living in Colorado is that no matter what the season, there will be plenty of beautiful days you can enjoy outside,” Coors says. To make the most of this perk, Hering and the owners designed the space as an extension of the interior with the help of color and texture. The handsome all-season furniture—black frames dressed in red cushions—provides a visual invitation to enjoy the space even in the winter months. Hurt added several outdoor rugs to create defined and intimate seating arrangements. The surrounding gardens, originally designed in an English style, were replanted using indigenous materials whenever possible to reflect Colorado's natural aesthetic.
The savvy indoor-outdoor design doesn't stop there. An extensive remodel on the second story transformed two guest bedrooms into one spectacular master retreat that makes the most of stunning views. A wall of windows opens the space to the outdoors, and a three-sided fireplace divides the blissful, spa-inspired bath from the sleeping and lounging area. “We both love the physical comfort and visual fascination of fire and water, and we wanted our master to incorporate these two elements,” says Coors. The oversized steam bath and shower are luxurious additions. Using Ann Sacks tile, Coors and Hurt created texture with smooth, frosted glass tiles on the shower floor and brushed stainless steel “penny round” tiles on the wall. The clear glass enclosure overlooks the fireside lounge area, complete with a wet bar and built-in espresso maker.
In a home filled with spectacular spaces, it's easy to see why the master retreat has become “our most used living space,” says Coors. Open, yet incredibly private, the “lighthouse” effect of the windows offers an expansive view of the neighborhood Coors and Hurt fell in love with years ago. Says Hurt, “It's like living in a tree house”—a statement that proves these homeowners know how to combine the best of indoor and outdoor living.
