What I learned from designing my own house in Colorado

Everyone’s motivation for designing a house might be different. Some may want to have a say in every little detail, while others might desire to live in a space that is truly one-of-a-kind. As an architect, it’s always been a dream of mine to design my own home. While I get to work with people all day to craft spaces specifically catered to their lifestyles, turning the tables and designing a house for my husband and me in Colorado was a new and exciting experience. But of course, like anything, it was also a process. Here are a few takeaways I have from the journey:

Create a space that centers around values. We wanted a house that would be easy to maintain, comfortable for the two of us, and reflected our dedication to sustainability.   So we created a small home that's all electric and uses materials very judiciously. After living in a downtown Boulder condo for many years, we also wanted a home that would connect us to nature. 

This is why my favorite space is the living room, where we get to experience changing seasons in a cantilevered space that boasts floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, similar to how a birdhouse suspends in the air. Winter is fantastic—you can experience the magic of the season while staying comfortably warm inside. 

Be open to options. When we first began designing our house in Colorado and were searching for a lot, having a great view wasn’t on our list of needs as we didn’t think it was in our budget. We had originally looked for property closer to Boulder so we focused on other things like the steepness of the lot and being southern-facing, which would equate to more natural sunlight. However, we couldn’t find a property that worked—so our circle away from Boulder kept expanding. When we visited the property we ended up purchasing—we both knew immediately. We were blown away by the view—and it was in our budget. The fact that it was farther outside of town suddenly seemed unimportant. 

Balance where to splurge. For our house, which is very minimal and contains only a few decorative details, I decided that tile was the right place to splurge. Our choices really impacted the space, but because there isn’t a lot of it, the budget barely took a hit. I also wanted to add warmth with wood ceilings, but that wasn’t economical for us, so I went with oak plywood instead of tongue-and-groove cedar siding. 

Consider the whole household. We have a small dog, and we like to joke that our house is “Lula’s retirement home.” She was 14 when she moved in. She used to sit on the back of the couch in our condo so she could see outside. We had her in mind (and us, of course) when we designed the floor-to-ceiling windows. Now she can watch and bark at all the birds, turkeys, and deer until her heart’s content. We also made the floors very durable so they won’t get scratched by her nails.

It will be work, but it’s so worth it. For us, it took a year to find the property, a little over a year to design and secure a permit, and then the build took about a year, which is actually considered to be fast. COVID hit about three months into the building process, which slowed things down some, but honestly, it was a welcome distraction when there wasn’t much else to do. 

My husband, Travis, would say his favorite areas are the two outdoor spaces: the deck off the dining room and the covered porch. We love hosting “porch parties,” where we crank up the speakers in the ceiling and light the fire pit. The space encapsulates the prospect and refuge architecture concept so well. You get to bask in this incredible view of the valley and beyond to Denver while feeling comfortable and safe under the protective cantilever above. 

If I could go back and do it all again, I’d probably tell myself to relax more and that it would all end up great—because it did. It always does. My biggest concern when designing this house was that it wouldn’t be cool enough. I wasn’t sure if my few moves would make a big enough impact within our tight budget; however, if you are true to your values and goals, you’re going to love it, and it will be worth all the effort. 

Are you dreaming of designing your own house in Colorado? I’d love to help you make it happen. Let’s connect.