We’ve been talking a lot this month about historic renovations and preservation. A few years ago, our team at Charles Cunniffe Architects, completed an impressive historic remodel of a house in Aspen’s West End. Originally built in 1889, this beautifully restored ‘Miner’s Victorian’ has undergone several additions over time.
To bring this home back to its historic context, the somewhat mismatched additions were demolished as part of an overall property redesign. The original structure, as well as the garage and affordable dwelling unit above, were temporarily relocated to the adjacent lot, the basement was built-out, and the structures were placed back onto a new foundation. The detailing and materials are of more traditional style, contrasted by a more contemporary design in the newly added spaces. To maintain the visual integrity of the existing structures, vertical siding and copper panels were selected on the contemporary addition as a purposeful contrast to the older, wood siding. As you enter the home off of Lake Avenue, the original structure has been updated, though maintains it’s old world charm. The powder room reflects the styling of that era, juxtaposed by the more contemporary interior finishes of the rest of the home.
The living spaces on the upper floor take advantage of the all-day sunshine and surrounding views; integrating hardwoods, granite and grey quartzite stone and metal. The basement rooms were designed with gracious lightwells incorporating raised planters to bring a sense of landscape design to commonly overlooked spaces. Through careful historic preservation and thoughtful architectural design, this home has been restored to its original character and charm, while not overwhelmed by the new contemporary addition. For more on this home please visit Cunniffe.com.
