Mod Mix

As families grow, yesterday’s playroom becomes the oldest child’s bedroom and that child’s favorite jeans lose their knees to the youngest. Old and new mesh together.

The redesigned Mapleton Hill kitchen reflects its ever-growing and changing family in much the same way—with modern counters, cabinets and appliances, reclaimed hardwood flooring and old-fashioned molding.

“We used a silver finish on an oak panel,” said Katie Pekarek, the project manager with Kristin Lewis Architects. “You’ll see trim work that harkens back to the old house, but we wanted to maximize space, so we took everything up to the ceiling.”

They also opened a wall between the kitchen and an informal dining area with views of the Flatirons.

“It was about bringing light into the space, making a modern-feeling space that still respected the old home, and improving flow and workability of the space,” she said.

The combined remodel of the historic home took roughly a year as designers and architects worked with smaller rooms, thick walls and a heavy interior to create a warm, modern design, she said. Although the homeowner loved the location, history and outside look of the home, she wanted modern interiors.

Now, the kitchen can be closed off with pocket doors to allow a party in the front and catering in the back, or it can be left open in its normal state with room for three active children, 10 of their friends and a one-person trampoline.

A built-in banquette, casual living room and breakfast bar provide ample seating outside of the formal dining room.

“She’s really good about being a mom and involving her kids in everything, so it’s a space that allows them to chip in and work together,” Pekarek said. “(We were) trying to make it the heart of the family like it really is and just make it open enough that everybody can gather there.”

At any given time, the homeowner might have eight 10-year-old boys running around, eating at the banquette while she and their parents chat at the breakfast bar.

“So the adults always have a space and the kids have a space, but it’s together at the same time,” the homeowner said.

She said she loves the multi-use functionality of her home, providing her with a venue for community meetings, entertaining and day-to-day use.

When it’s warm, additional seating on the patio just off of the informal living room allows for larger gatherings.

“We wanted the kitchen to feel like an extension of the outside, not so separate, because it really becomes an indoor/outdoor area,” she said.

Overall respect for nature and the home’s history drove this project. They used old-fashioned molding and recycled hardwood floor, and left older patterns in tiles, molding, banisters and stairs. She said she wanted to make her older home earth-friendly, but still leave it with a clean, modern look, which drove them toward an Italian design and allowed them to use old material in new ways and vice versa.

“I think it’s a sleek modern look that a bunch of kids can hang out and eat pizza in and feel comfortable,” she said. “It’s got high-end materials and appliances, but (it’s) very low key.”