The Entertainer

Located near the base of the foothills in North Boulder, this large interior renovation was approached under three basic principles: to improve the energy performance and comfort of the house, to re-program the layout to better meet the client’s needs and to connect these spaces to the outdoors.

Environmental improvements include the removal of all fiberglass insulation and subsequent installation of blown-in Icynene insulation, installation of Warmboard radiant flooring throughout house, the addition of high efficiency water heaters, and a solar array installed on the existing roof.

Although almost all rooms within the house were involved in the renovation, the primary focus was the redesign of the most public realms: the entry, media room and kitchen. From the entry, the media room is buffered by a double-sided tile clad wall, and is balanced by a bar with seating. The lighting here is deliberately moody to match the use and to contrast the flood of natural light in the kitchen.

The kitchen becomes the hub of the home; its large open design with multiple islands connects to the library, dining room, breakfast room, pool and northern courtyard. Careful material transitions in the flooring and differing treatment of the islands helps to define distinct areas in the kitchen: preparing, cooking, entertaining, and storage.

The connection to the outdoors was important, as the home is nestled in verdant gardens. A new covered pavilion - directly connected to the kitchen to allow for extended entertainment - was incorporated into the north courtyard to provide covered outdoor dining and lounging opportunities throughout the seasons. A translucent roof diffuses sunlight during the day and resembles a warm, inviting lantern when uplit at night.