35th Annual Park Hill Home Tour And Street Fair
The Home Tour is Sunday, September 22 from 11am-5pm. The Street Fair opens at 10am.
Plan to spend Sunday, September 22 in beautiful Park Hill. We know you will be excited and delighted by the wonderful homes making their appearance this year on the 35th Annual Park Hill Home Tour. Tudor, Denver square, expanded bungalow, Art Deco – we have it all!
We want to thank the homeowners who so graciously have agreed to open their homes for the benefit of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. It is really quite an incredible commitment on their parts and we are so appreciative of their efforts in preparation for the home tour.
The Street Fair just keeps getting bigger and better. We have expanded to include the 1700 block of Forest Parkway as well as the 1900 block. You will find more than 70 vendors, at least 10 food purveyors, kids’ activities, a wine and beer garden and live music. The Street Fair will open at 10 a.m. this year to allow ample time to shop the promenade and visit all of the homes, as well.
We are always in need of more volunteers, even at this late date. A free ticket to the Home Tour awaits you if you can give us a few hours of your time on the day of the event. Please contact Larry Sondgeroth at larrysoldmyhome@aol.com, Kim Tighe at kimberlytighe@msn.com or Tannan Morris at tannandenver@aol.com.
The Silent Auction committee is still receiving donations. Please contact Susan Barden at macdougaldog@msn.com, Paula Wales at pkwales@gmail.com or Lynn Maedel at lynnmaedel@cacmle.org.
-Roberta Locke, Home Tour Organizer
1610 Grape Street
Deb Goeken
Few people would guess that this 1936 Tudor is just over 1,600 square feet. It’s newly remodeled kitchen, high ceilings, light color palate and beautiful outdoor living space give the impression that the house is twice the size that it is. This is exactly the effect that owner Deb Goeken hoped for when she hired Tom Hart Architectural Studio and Kirk Cochran of Division One Construction to renovate the kitchen.
In three months, Hart and Cochran had transformed the home’s small, dated kitchen into a country kitchen with urban accents. Modern cherry cabinets in a dark espresso stain compliment one wall while maple cabinets, painted a cool gray, are on another wall, providing a nice contrast. Goeken chose marble mini subway tile for the backsplash and replaced the refrigerator, oven and dishwasher with state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances, which add a touch of modernity to the house. At the same time, several of the home’s original design elements have been replicated in the new kitchen, including crown molding and a wrought iron banister created to look exactly like a banister along stairs at the front of the house. Coffered ceilings, and a crystal chandelier are other important design details in this room, of which the focal point is wood farm table finished in a dark stain. A cozy space off the kitchen is used as a reading nook and is furnished with a comfy, oversized chair ideal for settling into with the morning paper. Also in this space is a large picture window that overlooks Goeken’s backyard, which recently underwent a makeover.
From the kitchen, a back door leads to a backyard haven. A decorative red-brick patio is used by Goeken for outdoor dining and entertaining. At its center is a bubbling fountain surrounded by smooth river stones, creating an almost Zen-like atmosphere. Beyond the patio is a small grassy area surrounded by a low brick perimeter and more seating, partially covered by a pergola. Beautiful perennial flowerbeds and shady trees are at the back of the yard, accessible by flagstone steppingstones. Surrounding the entire yard is a horizontal slat fence, painted black, giving the backyard greenery greater emphasis.
Both inside and out, Goeken has made updates that turn her classic Tudor into a bright, open, comfortable space ideal for everyday living and entertaining.
1750 Forest Parkway
Dirk and Carol McDermott
First impressions created by the beautiful exterior details of this English Tudor Revival home are only a teaser for what lies behind the front door. Highlights include detailed brick work, spectacular double-bay windows bordered above by ornamental copper and lead work, and an ornate frieze on the facade of the house, which takes “curb appeal” to an entirely new level. Other exterior features include brick garden walls veiled in grape vines and accented by intricately designed iron gates, hand-forged more than 80 years ago.
While these details are what initially attracted the attention of current owners Dirk and Carol McDermott, the dramatic features on the inside of the house – including a formal living room with a barrel-vaulted, 16-foot high ceiling that creates a “whispering gallery” acoustical effect – inspired them to purchase the home. They are the fourth owners.
The 5,000 square-foot house was designed in 1929 by Burnham and Merrill Hoyt, architects renowned for their designs of the Denver Public Library’s Park Hill Branch, the north wing of the Central Denver Public Library, the education wing at Montview Presbyterian Church, and the amphitheater at Red Rocks State Park. In the McDermott home, examples of the Burnham’s architectural flair are represented in decorative plaster corbels, leaded glass windows, detailed plaster work and arched cutouts, as well as in an expansive living room fireplace, which still has the original iron grate.
Although the McDermotts have renovated some interior spaces, they have preserved the original character of the house by recreating period details in renovated areas. In 2006, they opened up the floor plan to create a modern style of flow and usage. This resulted in a spacious gourmet kitchen and adjoining family room, where the couple and their two children reconnect after a busy day at work or school.
4909 23rd Avenue
Bridget Walsh and Louis Plachowski
Louis and Bridget moved into this Denver Square in 2011 — a century after the house was built. And while they incorporated some of their new ideas into the renovation of this old home, they, along with architect Niccolo Casewit of Environmental Productions, have done an outstanding job of preserving its heritage.
Many of the home’s original features, including its stained-glass windows, which are in nearly every room on the first floor, and glass-front built-in cabinets, provided Louis and Bridget with the creative direction they needed for their renovation. Paint colors, light fixtures and even window coverings were carefully researched and selected by the couple to fit the style of the period.
For example, they consulted Robert Schweitzer, a teacher, writer and color historian who contributes regularly to Cottages and Bungalows and Arts & Crafts Home magazines, on interior and exterior paint colors. Schweitzer offered them guidance on paint schemes that reflect the original intent of the home’s design, including pale yellows and greens, warm browns, and even pink. Wallpaper borders featuring reproductions of designs created by Charles Voysey in the late 1800s and early 1900s compliment these colors and add interest and whimsy to the walls. (Look for the bats on a paper border in a second floor room.) The curtains throughout the house are also representative of the era. Bridget found lace designs inspired by the famous Honeybee pattern and the lively Japanese Carp pattern created in the 1800s by Candace Wheeler, one of America’s first woman interior and textile designers. The Carp pattern is repeated in a stencil, hand painted by Louis, on a claw-foot bathtub and on the walls in an upstairs bathroom.
What’s new in the house is just as striking as what’s old. New (made to look old) custom cabinets in the kitchen, soapstone countertops, and a six-burner Blue Star range-top and oven are all highlights in the kitchen. A rainfall showerhead in the updated master bathroom is also a modern-day luxury.
As a result of the renovations made by Louis and Bridget, the house is now primed to repeat another century in style.
1936 Hudson Street
Mike and Susan Barden
By the time Mike and Susan Barden moved into this 1928 Tudor in 2006, it had been vacant for nearly two and a half years. Although it was in a state of disrepair and, in some rooms, needed to be stripped down to the bones, the couple recognized that it was a diamond in the rough. They were drawn to the exterior half timbering, molded brick, heavy curved wood features, and diamond-paned, leaded glass windows, and committed to restoring the home to its original beauty.
Renovations included refinishing the home’s oak molding and floors, stripping multiple layers of wallpaper, updating the electrical wiring, replacing light fixtures to period, and rearranging the kitchen cabinetry to allow for a better use of space. In the end, two-year project revitalized the soul of the house and returned many of its once-forgotten design features to their 1920s splendor.
For example, in the front hallway, a heraldic crested 1920s era light fixture serves as the focal point. Lighting in the living room is just as intriguing, particularly a sconce near the fireplace that depicts a medieval knight scene. The rich, dark wood paneling framing the fireplace adds striking detail to this room, as do the curved wood beams supporting the ceiling.
The Barden’s kitchen is a mix of old and new. Stainless steel appliances give it a clean, modern feel, while an antique iron stove in the corner (now used to display houseplants) serves as a reminder of an era passed. Wraparound windows in the kitchen make it a warm and bright space to enjoy the morning paper and coffee and also offer views of a beautifully xeriscaped backyard living space.
Despite being neglected for a short time before the Barden’s took ownership, the house has a long and distinguished history. Ralph and Cristobel Dietler were its first occupants, along with their son Cortlandt, who recently was recognized as the Citizen of the West after a long career in the oil and gas industry. In 1932, the home was purchased by Martin and Rose Currigan, whose nephew Thomas, who was also a Park Hill resident, later became Mayor of Denver.
2245 Dexter Street
Tim and Kimm Lucas
When Tim and Kimm Lucas purchased this 1913 bungalow two years ago, it had not been updated for nearly three decades and offered only 1,400 square feet of living space. Today, after achieving “pop-top perfection,” the home offers 2,958 square feet of space for the couple and their three children.
Having completed three other whole-home renovations in historic Denver neighborhoods, the Lucases understood that a project of this nature would be successful only if careful planning and care were given to ensure the second-floor addition maintained the architectural integrity of the house, the block and the community. Hoping to avoid the stacked, top-heavy look of some second-level additions, they made a modest change to the original footprint of the home before building up. A new side porch adds lines of architectural interest that allow the vertical expansion to look and feel as though it was part of the original house plans rather than an afterthought a century later. Gables, pillars, corbels and cedar shakes, painstakingly matched to those on the original structure, also allow the additions to blend beautifully with the rest of the home.
Inside, a more functional floor plan has improved the first-floor layout and traffic flow between the living room, dining room and kitchen. Connecting these rooms are decorative arched doorways wrapped in wood crown moldings painted white and beautiful glass-front built-in cabinets. The new hardwood floors are a rich, dark oak and compliment the white moldings and neutral walls on the main floor.
In the kitchen, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and an island with built-in wine cooler balance classic with modern. The kitchen opens up into a large but inviting family room where the kids play, watch movies or finish homework while dinner preparations are underway. Highlights in this room include a fireplace framed by custom built-in cabinets, designed to look like the home’s original built-ins, and French doors that open to the new side porch and yard.
There are dozens of design details in this home that offer pleasant surprises throughout, including a cozy nook off the kitchen that serves as Kimm’s office, a playroom with built-in loft, a “chalkboard door” on the pantry where grocery lists and important dates are kept, and a rainfall showerhead in one of the upstairs bathrooms.
1790 Forest Parkway
Mimi and Eric Ruderman
The Ruderman home is one of Park Hill’s finest examples architectural artistry. While its stately turret distinguishes it from the other lovely homes on Forest Parkway, Art Deco details on both the walkway leading up to the house and on the light fixture above the front door also hint at the uniqueness of this home.
The 4,088-square foot house was designed in 1931 by Gilbert Charles Jaka, the architect famous for his work on the award-winning Art Deco Cruise Room bar in the Oxford Hotel. During construction, Jaka brought in Swedish carpenters to craft beautiful, one-of-a-kind floral designs, inlaid in the home’s staircase banister and cabinetry. This botanical theme carries over into the formal living room, where, through a process known as raised embossing, Jaka added interest and texture to the walls in an elegant pattern of leaves and petals, which today are emphasized through the use of subtle paint colors. This is replicated on the ceiling, which is given an additional dramatic effect through the use of plaster art ceiling beams. Custom-made radiator covers also incorporate the floral schematic.
While each room in the Ruderman home is more beautiful than the next, arguably, the most striking space is the foyer. Upon walking through the front door, visitors find themselves inside the turret. The focal point of this room is a winding pine staircase and ornate banister with wood inlays that depict a rosebud opening stair by stair until fully blossoming at the top of the staircase. Those who lift their gaze to the ceiling of this 30-foot-high room are rewarded with another version of botanical artistry. Leaded glass windows at the top of the turret and along the staircase wall brighten this space with natural light. The windows themselves are works of art, and in each room of the house, the panes reveal a different linear geometric pattern.
During their 28 years in the house, Eric and Mimi have renovated and redesigned, but always with an eye toward preserving the Art Deco details that Jaka incorporated throughout the house.
– Descriptions by Emily Boyle, Renderings by Marc Applebaum
Day-of tickets will be available at the following outlets:
• Montview Boulevard and Forest Parkway Kiosk
• 19th Avenue and Forest Parkway Kiosk
• 1610 Grape Street
• 2245 Dexter Street
Ticket prices:
Adult $20
Child $5 (ages 6 – 12)
Senior $10 (65+)
Children under 5 and under are free