Elm Street Residence

Hilltop, Denver, CO

Serendipity led the Hunters to discover not only an overlooked and underappreciated midcentury gem for sale in Hilltop, but once they purchased the home, they unearthed in its old cabinetry a Rocky Mountain News article from 1961 profiling the home in its original condition.  Work began soon after to return the ranch to its midcentury elements slightly reinterpreted with a modern touch. 

The entire home was gutted down to the original framing.  The most notable plan changes included converting the laundry room and storage room to Stephen’s office, removing the wall between the kitchen and family rooms, vaulting the ceiling in the foyer and connected stairwell,  removing a poorly constructed sunroom off the master bedroom, enlarging and reconfiguring the master suite, and completely redesigning the garden level basement to convert it from its origins as a separate entrance apartment to a movie room, laundry room, music room, two bedrooms, and bathroom.  All doors and windows in the home were replaced and some reconfigured to achieve a greater degree of openness. 

Important period-appropriate details included uncovering and restoring the original brick hearth and its two fireplaces between the family room and living/dining room, restoring a private sun deck directly off the master bedroom, reconstructing the family room built-in cabinetry with quarter-sawn mahogany, replacing the single acting slider between the family room and patio with a double slider to improve flow while entertaining, installing a custom-welded hand rail at the newly opened stair core, designing a custom front door with glass block hand-selected to match the original glass that frames the entrance, and designing a master bedroom hearth with poured concrete and a corner fire box to emulate the original living room and family room hearths.

Kitchen Featured in Modern In Denver Winter 2016/2017 Issue

Completed: 2016

Construction: HUNTER DESIGN