Residential Walk-Through
The home’s French eclectic architecture influenced the interior design, a mix of antiques, vintage finds and modern pieces. The living room is framed by angled beams. The arched window perfectly frames a Christmas tree during the holidays.
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French Accent
Denver, Colorado
Toni Palmer
Toni Palmer Designs, LLC
Alex Orkow
Alex Frank Orkow & Associates
Denver, Colorado
By Nora Burba Trulsson
Photography by Emily Minton Redfield
When they do work for others, interior designer Toni Palmer and architect Alex Orkow are adept in a variety of styles, always giving clients what they want. On a personal level, though, they have distinct tastes. “Toni’s taste is really contemporary,” explains Orkow, “and I tend to lean toward American Arts and Crafts.”
But when the couple purchased a historic Denver home, its French eclectic style of architecture dictated the renovation and interior design. “This house made a definite aesthetic statement,” says Orkow. “We chose to honor that.”
Palmer and Orkow were first smitten with the house in the late 1990s, when they attended a wedding there. “I told Alex that if it ever came on the market, I would buy it,” says Palmer. “Several years later, when it was for sale, I had a contract on it the first day it was on the market.”
The 2,400-square-foot, three-bedroom house was built in 1937 by Harry Morris Bittman, who was known for crafting French- and English-influenced residences in that same central Denver neighborhood. The home’s exterior is marked by a shake shingle roof, stuccoed brick walls, flagstone trim, wrought iron details, and arched windows and doorways. The interior includes a small sun room, a dining room that can be closed off with wrought iron gates, arched doorways and vintage terra cotta tile flooring. Its previous owners had apparently known to leave well enough alone. “The house was pretty much in its original state,” explains Palmer. “Somewhere along the line, an owner had updated the kitchen and replaced the old windows with vinyl ones.”
Master Bedroom Bathroom.
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The renovated kitchen includes furniture-style cabinetry and plenty of room for friends and cooking demos.
While the home exuded French grace and charm, its “original state” was a tad too original for Orkow and Palmer, who embarked on a two-year renovation project shortly after moving in. The goal, says Orkow, was to do a remodeling that was seamless with the home’s 1930s ambiance, leaving the exterior as it was and concentrating their efforts on the interior spaces.
The biggest project was the kitchen, which they expanded into the original master bedroom to create a combined kitchen/great room. The kitchen area includes a generously proportioned, granite-topped center island, furniture-style cabinetry and state-of-the-art gourmet appliances. The great room area includes a new fireplace surrounded by built-in bookcases designed by Palmer and Orkow, which open to reveal hidden storage.
Bathrooms were also updated, including one for the newly designated master bedroom. Inspired by a bistro bathroom Palmer had seen in Paris, she and Orkow designed a double sink and vanity set into an arched niche that’s flanked by two tall cabinets. “That configuration was highly engineered,” says Orkow with a laugh. “The cabinets open up, and shelves roll out for easy access to stored items. They save a lot of space.”
Palmer and Orkow added new wood-framed windows, lighting and electrical throughout the house, and uncovered oak floors, long preserved by carpeting. “The interior walls are plaster, all done in different textures,” says Palmer. “We kept them as they were, but with different colors.”
Palmer’s inspiration for the aqua, gold, orange and copper interior color palette came from a Lee Jofa fabric she used for the master bedroom’s draperies. Working with their existing furnishings as well as new, Palmer deftly mixed antiques, vintage finds, custom designs and modern reproductions to create an interior that hints of Paris, the French countryside and even a touch of Venice.
Wrought iron gates lead to the dining room, which is crowned by a custom chandelier.
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Gold walls warm the living room, where sunlight floods through a tall, arched window. A curvaceous sofa anchors the sitting area, which is underscored by a Aubusson-style are rug and illuminated by vintage French figurine table lamps. The dining room’s coppery walls encircle Biedermeier-style dining furniture, while the silvery aqua ceiling is crowned by a Venetian glass chandelier, designed by Palmer.
Palmer also designed the curved headboard for the master bedroom. “The only place to put the bed was in front of a window,” she says, “so I created a headboard that dips down in the middle to allow the light in.” Palmer reflected the room’s aqua hues with mirrored bedside chests and a pair of antique mirrors, set in gilded frames.
Two years of construction behind them, Orkow and Palmer can now enjoy the fruits of their labor. The work in a home office, which they’ve crafted out of a former basement family room. Upstairs, they cook and entertain, and will often bring clients to the home to discuss kitchen design. They’ve also hosted chefs to do cooking demos in the kitchen, which features no-nonsense appliances such as a Wolf dual-fuel range, Sub-Zero wine storage, two Asko dishwashers and Miele coffee system. When they’re alone, Palmer and Orkow often take tea in the curving sun room or play chess in the great room by a window that overlooks the shady grounds.
The home is a both a sanctuary and a design lab, offering the pair places to find respite from their work as well as to energize their creativity. It’s not the first project on which the two have collaborated, and certainly not the last. Says Orkow, summarizing this project as well as others, “Toni is responsible for making it look good. I’m responsible for making sure it stands up.”
Interior design: Toni Palmer Designs, LLC, Denver, CO; (303) 394-4416 or www.tonipalmerdesigns.comArchitecture: Alex Frank Orkow & Associates, LLC, Denver, CO; (303) 394-4416.
Builders: Kane Creek Construction, LLC (structural renovations), Golden, CO, (303) 988-7699 or www.kanecreek.com; and Snow Builders (interior renovations), Lakewood, CO, (303) 549-4796.
Faux finishes: Sauvage Designs, Denver, CO; (303) 371-4405.
Kitchen cabinetry: M.L. Fowler & Company through Interior Intuitions, Inc., 288 Clayton St., Suite 100, Denver, CO 80206; (303) 355-2772 or www.interiorintuitions.com.
Kitchen island granite countertop: Capco Tile & Stone, 5800 E. Jewell Ave., Denver, CO 80224; (303) 759-1919 or www.capcotile.com.
Kitchen limestone countertops: Marble Unlimited, Inc., 2155 W. Bates Ave., Englewood, CO 80110; (303) 783-8834 or www.marbleunlimitedinc.com.
Kitchen backsplash tile: Decorative Materials International, Ltd., Denver Design District, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 722-1333 or www.decorativematerials.com.
Kitchen and bathroom sinks and faucets: DSKB Plumbing +Tile, Denver Design District, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 744-9189.
Kitchen barstools, living room secretary and sofa table: TJ Hooker, Inc., Denver Design District, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 722-4333 or www.tjhookerinc.com.
Living room side table and dining room sideboard: Hoff Miller, Ltd., Denver Design District, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 698-0800 or www.hoffmiller.com.
Living room sofa: Century Furniture, Denver Design District, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 282-5000 or www.centuryfurniture.com.
Living room cocktail table: Objets, Ltd., Denver Design District, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 777-6830 or www.objetsltd.com.
Living room area rug: The Rug Source, Denver Design District, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 871-8034 or www.rugsourcedenver.com.
Dining room area rug: Karastan, through The Carpet Studio, Ltd., Denver Design District, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 777-1716.
Master bedroom bedside lamps: Moda Antica, Denver Design District, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 733-9003.
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