Koselig has been featured in the newest issue of 5280 Home! We hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at this special project. For more photos of this home, check out our Portfolio page here.

Originally built in 1950, the home had already been remodeled and reorganized once more before it found its way to us. As the Newlands neighborhood is a vibrant and active hub of Boulder, we wanted to create a more meaningful connection to the surrounding landscape, while also simplifying the fractured flow of the existing home. The interior spaces felt a bit scrambled and the home had a series of wood decks that notched and stepped in an incongruent way down to the yard in the back. Our new homeowners wanted to re-evaluate this connection to the landscape on a sloping site as well as to achieve a sense of coziness and intentional family living for this family of five.

Both the interior and exterior spaces and materials were re-imagined to support a flow that fostered both connection and refuge. While spaces were given to quiet retreat, the general approach was opening up the main living spaces to allow the laughter, homework, cooking, and dining to happen in the same space. The materials were selected to lend a sense of welcoming, down-to-earth, cozy, and liveable spaces. We utilized natural woods - charcoal stained cedar siding at the exterior and white oak at the interior. The hardwood flooring was finished to retain the most natural looking state of white oak, while the cabinetry was stained to provide a more minimal counterpoint to the warmth of the floor.

Our collaboration and brainstorming with our structural engineer was crucial to reinventing the flow and opacity to make some of these spaces feel larger. The entry replaced solid walls at the stairwell with steel columns and handrails to allow visual connection from the Kitchen and Gathering to the Entry as well as gain some real estate that was taken up with a series of closets. We removed those and replaced with built in mudroom-type cabinetry that took up less footprint and offered a more realistic solution to life with three kids.

At the exterior, grey limestone was utilized to bring definition to massing which was, in most part, previously defined by the 1990’s remodel and the codified solar access regulations here in Boulder that pushed most of the home’s mass to the south side of the property and sloped towards the north. To establish hierarchy of the existing layered gable roof forms, we introduced this limestone at the front gable and two different size formats of charcoal stained lap siding, allowing us to delineate the main gable from the dormers.

At the 400 sq ft addition in the rear, we deviated from this more traditional siding concept as the massing was expressed as a cantilevered box supported by a two-story stone chimney. Articulated as glassy and more contemporary, we utilized a wide vertical board painted the same charcoal as the trim and fascia board.

We fell in love with the idea of a dark siding very early on. How it visually nestled into the landscape was also important - we knew we were working with a somewhat shaded lot due to the proximity of the foothills and the mature neighboring trees, so a shade garden was anticipated. We loved the idea of a dark, bold object within this rich green landscape that revealed an interior of lightness and warmth.

As Koselig sits within the incredibly active community in the Newlands (there are runners and bikers all over this part of town), we knew we wanted to activate the street-front side. We added a steel covered entry and extended the patio to include room to sit, color, come home from a bike ride, or simply keep an eye out on the kids in the front yard.

The rear, however, is a whole other level for all things magical and play. The rear garden was concepted as a lush and intimate place to gather with friends or family in a protected environment. Little gravel or stone paths meander through the flowering groundcover, with many moments devoted to kids and adults alike. There is a trampoline nestled into an aspen grove, a play shed (and future potting shed) tucked behind an existing mature apple tree, and vegetable planters that terrace along the side yard. The lower level walks out to this wonderful half open, half covered patio area where the two-story chimney lands with an outdoor fireplace and seating area nestled into the boulders along the property line.

We began chatting with the owners in August 2017 to understand how they wanted the space to function, studying layouts and materiality. Some of their must-haves were spaces their girls could share; to foster that sense of familiar connection and growing those ties. We converted the large existing owner’s suite at the upper level to two separate bedrooms for the girls that had shared access to the large bath and closet. With the new owner’s suite at the main level, we could take advantage of the tree canopy views to the East and the shade garden to the West.

After permit submittal and construction documentation, demo began in May of 2018 and the home was completed in June of 2019. It would be a matter of months before this cozy nest was put to the test as the world went into lockdown. No matter the circumstances, our desire was always to create a space that just felt right, where you feel centered and present, where there is harmony between light and shadow, with textures that are enjoyable to walk on, sit on, cook on.