With its picture-perfect postcard location, this Boulder, Colo., property was already off to a great start. “The inspiration came from the natural surroundings; we didn’t want to take away from the exterior,” Heather Duggan, principal designer with Heather Duggan Interiors in Troy, says about the new construction home for the empty-nester clients she first worked with when they lived in Wixom. “The views are what brought them to the lot.”
Other than material delays experienced during the pandemic, Duggan says there were no major challenges during the project. She describes the home as “modern cozy,” with a subtle backdrop that features white oak floors and neutral walls. Since her clients are practical, each piece had to serve a purpose. “The interiors are streamlined and clean,” the designer says. “It’s more about the textures and having different materials, like the slabs on the fireplace.”
The classic palette takes a slight turn in the guest suite, above the garage, which reveals more color. “It’s an appropriate spot (to use some color) because they don’t have to live with it 24/7, so it gave us a little more opportunity to do something different,” Duggan says about the apartment, where an upholstered bed is embellished with lively accents like patterned pillows and a striped rug. “They look like they were meant to be together.”
Unique art pieces include one on the main level that was created using paint that was applied to wood with a condiment bottle, then sanded down. “It’s very smooth to the touch,” the designer says. In the same area, a Moroccan-style rug supports a black cocktail table with a textured top, and gray linen sofas meet the couple’s overall request for comfort in what the wife dubbed “the snuggle room,” where they like to spend time. “Out of the whole house, that’s their main space,” Duggan notes.
Accordion glass doors blur the lines between inside and out. “The whole back of the house opens up,” the designer says, noting that the location gives the outdoorsy couple easy access to mountain biking trails. Fewer contents inside the home mean each piece had to stand out, like the boucle chairs with bolster backs that take on a sculptural tone in the dining room, along with the 3-D paper airplane artwork above the credenza.
In the kitchen, quartz stretches beyond the counters to create a full-height backsplash, resulting in a calm and cohesive feel. Cabinets with a dark blue/almost black finish add contrast, and the waterfall island gets a boost with upholstered stools that are super comfy. Unique light fixtures throughout the residence include strap-suspension pendants that offer a welcome departure from the standard rod or chain.
The home’s comfort factor weaves its way inside and out, from the sectional in the family room by the two-sided fireplace to the woven chairs around the spacious table on the terrace. Lounge seating out back includes daybed swings by the pool house and chaises alongside the pool. Back inside, a swivel chair in the family room and a pitched chair with an ottoman in the “snuggle room” are among the coveted picks. “If you sit in that chair, you have to have your feet up,” Duggan says.
Another significant contributor to the custom structure, Steve Dodd — an architect and owner of Dodd Studio in Boulder, Colo. — designed the home to have net-zero energy efficiency with highly insulated exterior walls, roof, and window systems. In combination with high-efficiency mechanical systems and solar panels mounted on the roof, the home produces more energy than it consumes on a yearly basis. Other energy-efficient elements include expansive gridded windows, the mechanical system, and the solar panels that make the house twice as efficient as a standard home.
The long and narrow lot allowed the house to have south-facing views of the Flatirons, unique rock formations in the area. “The (goal) was to line the southern edge of the home with the public spaces and the ones up above,” Dodd says. “The main level leads out to the patio with covered trellises, a pool, and a pool house. The whole idea was to move very freely within the spaces in the home, and also from the house into the yard.”
On the exterior, the main material is plaster, while hemlock — a light, natural wood with a clean finish — was used for the outdoor soffits. The sustainable construction also includes limestone accents. “It was built so that it wouldn’t need to be rebuilt,” Dodd says. “The standing-seam metal roof is very durable, and the roof pitch was very favorable for solar panels. Steel trellises provide shade, reduce heat gain, and don’t require any maintenance.”
The architect admits he did face one challenge along the way: “The floating staircase was more complicated than the ones we built before. The way it’s configured in this particular space is tricky, with steel details and glass panels. It was one of the more challenging elements.”
With so many distinctive details, the house feels seamless inside and out. “We wanted to have sort of grand spaces and to bring in light and views without it feeling overly ostentatious,” Dodd says. “That was the goal.” Mission accomplished.
BEHIND THE DESIGN
INTERIOR DESIGNER
Heather Duggan, Heather Duggan Interiors, Troy, heatherdugganinteriors.com
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS
Architect: Steve Dodd, Dodd Studio, Boulder, Colo.
Builder: Tim Ryan, Ault Park, Colo.
TRUE GROWTH IS A LEAP INTO THE DARK
Seth Marksberry, CHC Art, chcart.com
“Sophisticated fun provides interest to any space,” interior designer Heather Duggan says of this work by artist Seth Marksberry, who was inspired by his son for this piece. “There are some who follow the herd and those who choose their own route. It’s when we embrace our fears that we truly progress,” he says.
ZINC TEXTILE GERONIMO IN MUD CAKE
Romo, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy, romo.com
“(This) colorful embroidered fabric helps tie the space together,” Duggan says of this bold design found in the home’s guest loft.
GREYSON SOFA
Verellen, Chatham House Lifestyle Gallery, Michigan Design Center, Troy, verellen.biz
“Comfort was key when it came to the snuggle room and these sofas didn’t disappoint,” Duggan says. “The style of these sofas is so versatile and they can be paired in so many different settings.”
WINK BAR STOOLS
Thayer Coggin, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy, thayercoggin.com, caidesigns.net
“The metal base with white leather upholstery provides a classic, modern look,” Duggan says.
MARNI CHAIR
Nuevo, nuevoliving.com
“These chairs are like sculpture to the space,” Duggan notes. “Clean lines and neutral tones still make a bold statement!”
SOHO GRAY RUG
FJ Kashanian, fjkashanian.com
Duggan says, “this ‘high/low’ wool rug provides durability and depth.”
Text by Jeanine Matlow. Photography by Dane Cronin. Portrait photography by Brad Ziegler.
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