Boulder’s neighborhood tracts built in the 1950’s and 60’s lended to a repeatable pattern: home buyers could choose Model A, B, C, etc. Martin Acres is a prime example of this repetition but had fancier model names like “The Martinique.”
These homes were built for the burgeoning scientific industry according to a Daily Camera story of Martin Acres. The flow was utilitarian for Baby Boom families: rectangular, basic, boring but affordable for young families filling up bedrooms with kids. While Mid Century, they have little of the charm of the era. We recognize some of the area’s structures have interesting “gingerbread mortar,” upside-down checkmark entryway eaves, and other “design” features. But generally the rooms are small, there was an unimaginative flow, and more likely than not have been rented – and wrecked – by CU students over the years.
#Homegoals
Our homeowner’s Martin Acres property fell into disrepair and badly needed an overhaul. His remodel end goal was to gut and update, add a light-filled primary bedroom space, build a garage, and capitalize on the wonderful location with outdoor seating areas in front and back. A single dad, his initial style direction landed somewhere between classic Mountain Modern and Pottery Barn.
Our interior designer Lisa encouraged and supported bringing some fun and a more youthful flair to exude the uniqueness and life stages of the inhabitants. The teenage son was invited to participate in the design process with an outcome of ombre bathroom tile, colorful drawer pulls and clothing hooks, and coveted sneaker display racks. To fulfill the promise of a mountain aesthetic we incorporated exterior stone, stucco, with a wood soffit to warm up the exterior. We daresay its curb appeal is the nicest on the block.
*Move the slider below with your cursor to view Before/After photos
Where Time is Spent
We reimagine homes of this sort by opening up the spaces where families spend most of their time. By capturing the original one-car garage footprint we were able to lend ample space to the kitchen, dining, and living area. Understated but well chosen lighting, cabinets, and tile went a long way in bringing the home into the 21st century.
A monochromatic kitchen palette upgraded the contemporary look. Recessed fingerpulls offer ease of cleaning plus a clean look across the board.
We love a design challenge, and this project’s test was installing a flush mount hood from a vaulted ceiling so it wouldn’t block large window views. We built a soffited hood liner that fit the space and purpose.
An open concept benefits from a unifying element across the space. Visible in the photo, a light channel runs along the top of cabinets and into the living room area. This accent lighting distributes light across the span in a beautiful and intriguing way.
See You Outside
This family can now “wave and welcome” from their spacious covered front porch. Thick timbers developed a Mountain Modern effect in material and color.
We also employed a trick we’ve used many times before. We converted most of the existing 1-car attached garage into living space and built a new standalone 1.5-car garage in the back of the property. Boulder permitting allows minimal setbacks for garages and we take advantage. We didn’t just convert the attached garage into living space, we cut off about 4’ of width from this space to accommodate the new driveway to the new garage. This required stitching in new foundation walls.
The new structure helped form a pseudo-courtyard feel by screening neighbor’s views and defining the space. A deck extension accessed by a large sliding glass door provided an entertaining area and blurred the indoor-outdoor line nicely.
*Move the slider below with your cursor to view Before/After photos
This is SoBo’s Wheelhouse
This 50’s cookiecutter rectangular footprint transformed to a sophisticated neighborhood darling. SoBo Homes got started in the Martin Acres neighborhood and we haven’t tired of reinvigorating these houses for today’s ideal living.
We know most of Boulder County’s neighborhoods like the back of our hands. The old subdivisions from the 50’s and 60’s have solid structures and “good bones.” Stacking our imagination on top of experience and informed by client goals, an old and dated tract home can blossom into a present-day marvel. We make the hard part look easy by designing a better layout, dealing with permitting jurisdictions, and managing all the moving parts and decisions from a project’s start to finish. We help our homeowners live differently, but in the same house. It’s what helps us build joy.
Photos: Dane Cronin Photography