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These are the after shots of my neighbors’ home. They added about 900 sq ft to their AA home and I think Chris Craver at C2 Architect did a wonderful job with the design. Lesley and Tim know what a cool house Ed Hawkins designed and built, they just needed a little extra space. Sometimes 900 sq ft just isn’t enough room for a modern family.
You know when you head downstairs in some 70’s ranch and find yourself in a wood paneled world of hell? Yes, we’ve all been there. When you see wood paneling done right it is so amazing. It sings. Makes me want to add reams and reams of wood paneling in our house. Ahhhh.

This is the original front room. You can see the stairwell on the right. This used to have waist high rod iron railing separating the living and family room. Now the family room is an extra bedroom. They also used this stairwell as a model for their’s.

The living room opens to the kitchen, as it always did. Minus the bar, which would have been smacking into my lens from this angle. Now the kitchen opens to the new family and dining room. The entire west wall of this room opens, thanks to a giant Nana Wall, to an expansive patio (still under construction, come on L and T keep lifting those pavers!) and kitchen garden. You can see Lesley and Tim at work here on their blog. There are probably a few before shots somewhere on there too.

Nana Wall.

Family and dining room looking in from the patio.

Kitchen with it’s green slider cupboards and the boy who lives here.

Ahhhhhhhhhh…………………….
The Home Tour is over!! It was a great success! We still are counting up the numbers, but I know we surpassed last year’s donation to the school by nearly double. Did you come? Did you enjoy it?
I heard lots of folks heading to their cars saying things like “That was the most amazing tour ever”. I’m so happy that people enjoyed Arapahoe Acres. Thank you to every homeowner who shared their home’s unique beauty and simplicity with the masses. I hope events like this will help to preserve this neighborhood. Could you imagine one of these homes being demolished? Oh, it would be a tragedy.
If you missed the tour and would like a commemorative book, they are still available here.

Now that the tour is over, I can concentrate on my own home. Some asked if we’d be opening our house this year. With a toddler making messes every time I try to clean one up, I knew we couldn’t do it. Not to mention the time it took to plan this event.
Now that the tour is over, I’m ready to make a to do list so our home can be a happier, more beautiful place. Our family room needs lots of help. I’m hoping to get it painted and maybe even do something with the floor (it has carpet remnants over painted concrete slab, any suggestions?). But then there’s the single paned casement windows that freeze over every winter. Oh and the mangy carpet in the kids’ rooms…. and have you seen our master bathroom? Ok, the list is eternal and funds are limited. Hopefully I can choose a few things that will make us happy without breaking the bank. A lot of the changes will seem like spring cleaning being done in the fall. I have my car’s trunk full of clothes to take to the donation center. Check!
This is how I decompress. Or is it? I know I’ll be looking for another project to distract me from cleaning my house. I really don’t like housework.

The next Arapahoe Acres Home Tour is scheduled for Saturday, August 28th 1-5pm. Head over to the site for more information.

This is the latest home I was honored to photograph in the Arapahoe Acres neighborhood.