Rustic Modern Clubhouse Remodel

Last month, I went back to Denver to install my first clubhouse and leasing office. This project was SO MUCH fun! Heavily driven by a tight budget and time-line, the late 1970's architecture of this large scale apartment complex spoke to me -- and when it did, it told me to not deny it its right to be a little funky. The exterior's mansard roofs, *glory days* rock facades and retro globe lighting fixtures could not be denied. With a tenant base of mostly young families, I suggested we just have fun with what we were given and not try to make it look like something its not.

While new siding and paint is being applied to the exterior (pictures on that later), it still has a fun vibe with some of its original details. I wanted to bring some of that same flavor to the interior spaces when remodeling both the clubhouse and the leasing office.  The complex is also ideally located on the outskirts of Denver, between parkland, farms and other apartment buildings, so bringing in the whole *rustic* vibe was just another no-brainer.

Here it is today:

I missed getting a good shot of the built-in bookshelf and media center I designed, but here is a detail shot. Made from reclaimed wood, we stained this a walnut color and painted the wall behind it to offer a bit more contrast for all the colorful books. This apartment complex is located in an incredible school district and the property just comes to life with kids once school lets out. I wanted to give these kids a place to come and flip through picture books that would give them windows to other areas of our world. I filled the shelves with books on travel, good eating, animal life and American pop culture.

The *before* shot above shows the original kitchen, equipped with a refrigerator, oven, sink and microwave. Because those big appliances rarely got used, I suggested we downsize the kitchen to just a counter area for coffee with a small refrigerator.

I love this little stool with its quilted detail on top. I found them on Overstock for about $80 each. There is one at each end of the table.

You can *kinda* see the built-in above and to the left.

I also redid the leasing office, which is right off the clubhouse. I couldn't get any great pics of it though because there was still a lot of cords and files out when I left. Hopefully on my next visit I can get some better pics of it.