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How to make an old house afunctional new house

Having renovated four historic Denver homes, he's a self-taughtexpert in difficult interior and exterior remodel projects.

But when Barnhardt began his fifth project in April 2004, he foundhimself exercising skills he never would have equated with plumbingor electrical engineering: basic survival.

"It was disgusting in here; there were cockroaches," Barnhardt saysof the 125-year-old house. "When I pulled off the baseboards,bricks would come tumbling down. I don't think I was aware until Istarted taking the house apart what bad shape it was in."

In short, the Second Empire-style home had fallen into a state ofdisrepair. The doors had colorful graffiti markings. Many of thewindows were broken. The plaster walls were crumbling. A carwithout its wheels sat on the edge of the property.

And yet, Barnhardt saw promise.

"It's almost like a puzzle to figure out how to make an old house afunctional new house," he says.

Barnhardt's vision paid off. Earlier this year, he won two HistoricDenver Restoration for Living awards, one of which was the GrandPrize for overall renovations. Heather Quiroga, communicationsdirector for Historic Denver, says that renovations on historichomes can be challenging because of the long list of choices facingthe homeowner.

Most important, the homeowner must decide which historic items canbe salvaged and repaired, and which require an update for modernliving.

"The winner is acknowledged for their hard work and theirthoughtful choices, because with every cabinet and piece ofhardware, there are choices to make," she says.

After deciding on a new floor plan, Barnhardt gutted the interior,with the help of friends.

As with the four other homes he's remodeled, Barnhardt threw a"Demolition Party," providing food, drink and a Dumpster. He andhis friends cleaned the place out in about five hours.

"Demolition is something that doesn't require any skill," says theDenver native. "If you can do it all at once and it's a party, it'sfun."

For many years, the house had been divided into two apartments:upstairs and downstairs. Barnhardt got rid of the small maze ofrooms that confined each floor, joining the upstairs and downstairsinto a single-family home.

"These older homes don't lend themselves to contemporary living,"says Barnhardt, 47. "Their layouts have smaller rooms and closets.The kitchen is usually tucked in the back of the house.

"One thing I like about the house now is to be able to stand in thefront and see all the way to the back."

The first floor is a long, rectangular space with an open livingroom that flows into the dining area and kitchen space. A cozyfamily room at the back of the house is separated by two sets ofold mahogany French doors, which were purchased at an antiqueauction.

Early on, Barnhardt decided to move the kitchen from the back ofthe house to the middle.

"It just makes sense in contemporary living," he says. "The kitchenis the core of the house."

Complete with cherry-stained cabinets and granite countertops, thekitchen is set apart from the dining area by an island, which has abuilt-in stove top. Hanging light fixtures illuminate the island,creating a partition between the kitchen and dining area. Thenearby dining table sits beneath a one-of-a-kind antiquechandelier, which once lit an old Midwestern movie theatre.

Throughout the first floor, Barnhardt uses black woodwork tocontrast the exposed brick and plaster walls. In the family room, acherry-stained maple entertainment center, bamboo flooring andbuilt- in black wooden shelving create the feeling of a downtownloft. Barnhardt uses wainscoting from the bathrooms and the kitchento create an accent along one of the family room walls.

"I like to reuse stuff, but not in the same context," he says. "Itry to salvage as much of the house as possible."

In what is perhaps the most unique repurposing of an old item,Barnhardt refurbished a large return-air grate from the house,which is used decoratively on the front of the kitchen island. Thegrate's intricate wire pattern is framed by the predominant colorson the first floor: black and cottage red.

The original staircase still connects the two floors of the house.An Amish carpenter rebuilt half of the spindles in the banister, anebony and cottage-red affair highlighted by white steps.

Upstairs, Barnhardt configured the floor plan to allow for threebedrooms and two bathrooms, including a master bedroom and bathroomsuite. White woodwork and plaster walls lend a more modern feel tothe second floor.

"The black contrasts so well with the brick downstairs, and Ididn't have any brick upstairs," he says. "I wanted somethingbrighter."

Refinished wide-plank, knotty-pine flooring lends a warm glow tothe second floor.

A master bedroom and bath are tucked at the back of the house.Barnhardt built three large closets for the master bathroom. Arefurbished claw-foot tub and a corner sink from the 1910s lend abit of history to the room, while the glass shower door and othermodern amenities give a nod to contemporary living.

Now that he's finished with the interior renovations, Barnhardt hassights set on the outside. He's working on a wraparound porch, andeventually hopes to build a two-car garage.

The process of getting to know a dwelling by stripping it down toits bare bones and uncovering its inner beauty drives thisenthusiast to finish his projects.

"I look at houses as living beings," he says. "I feel like when I'mfinishing a house, it's smiling back at me."

INFOBOX

Details

* What: Second Empire-style home in Curtis Park

* Size: 2,200 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 3 baths

* Cost: $185,000 in 2004; cost of construction: $100,000

* Major elements of the renovation: Master bedroom/bathroom suiteon the second floor. Kitchen moved from the back to the middle ofthe first floor.

Originally published by Grace Hood, Special to the Rocky.

(c) 2008 Rocky Mountain News. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rightsReserved.


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