Our clients in this Central Park home in Denver were recent empty-nesters. With more time freedom on their hands, they suddenly realized their home was beginning to show some wear, and they were ready for a visual refresh to mark this new chapter in their lives.

The Central Park neighborhood, formerly Stapleton, was planned when the Stapleton International Airport closed in 1995, allowing for the creation of Denver’s largest residential neighborhood. Construction began in 2001, so many of the homes in the neighborhood are fifteen to twenty years old now, and that’s the upper end of the lifespan of builder-grade materials, so this is a common story.

The powder bath was fully overhauled with white vertical wainscot wall detail and a stunning floral, metallic wallpaper in rose, a free-standing vanity in light wood with dramatic countertop, and updated light and bath accessories in matte black finish.

We leveraged what was working in the space — beautiful natural light, a functional space layout, and well-maintained warm wood kitchen cabinetry — and identified areas of opportunity to make affordable updates with maximum visual impact.

In the kitchen, new quartz countertops with a marble look replaced dated and dark laminate tops, and we added a blue arabesque mosaic tile with lots of color and texture variation and a handmade artisan look. Granite composite kitchen sink and brushed nickel kitchen faucet modernized the kitchen and coordinated with the new countertops. One of my most favorite low-budget makeover targets is hardware, which we also integrated here. This adds style and function, often with a price tag of $300 or less. And, finally, we updated the pendant lights in the space to a seedy glass, maximizing task light over the island for meal preparation. I can’t overstate the difference that LED bulbs (more and truer light) and updated ceiling fixtures have on any space.

The homeowners’ only complaint was that they hadn’t done it sooner. The primary bathroom is coming soon, so stay tuned for that.

A fresh coat of airy paint throughout the main floor, along with a bold accent color, ethereal wallpaper, and a gorgeous brass and linen chandelier elevated this bright and sunny main floor. The natural light in the home was already hosting the most gorgeous family of plants, so biophilic elements were already integrated beautifully.