A ski

Real Estate Real-estate | Aug 4, 2023

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Typically, a desire to modernize and update a home prompts a remodel. But sometimes, a problem spot or two is what really motivates change.

Such is the case with a ski-in Northwoods condominium in Vail. A fireplace that acted more as an eyesore rather than a comfort and a spiral staircase that was “downright dangerous,” said Edwards architect Beth Levine, became the impetus to revamp the aesthetics — and function, particularly when it came to the stairs.

Current-day building codes require 6-foot widths for new stairwells, but as Levine points out, under sections for existing-building codes, smaller widths can be grandfathered in, particularly when it’s an upgrade. In the Northwoods condo, Levine only had 5 feet to work with, but she was able to install a straight, as opposed to curved, staircase leading from the main level upstairs to two bedrooms and baths, and downstairs to two additional bedrooms and baths. Before, the spiral construction didn’t allow people ascending and descending the stairs to hold the handrail continuously, but now, it’s one straight shot, accented by vertical wood members for both safety and visual appeal.

“It’s an example of how to use different building codes for different clients,” she said.

“We couldn’t move the fireplace itself, so we gave it its own identity by making it all white. Now, it’s a little softer.” Beth Levine, architect

Levine couldn’t change the architectural layout of the fireplace, positioned off center under the loft, because the firebox was already off-kilter, but her solution created an enormous difference. She employed different dimensional rectangles, all painted white, to add interest and better center the feature.

“The proportions were all wrong,” she said. “We couldn’t move the fireplace itself, so we gave it its own identity by making it all white. Now, it’s a little softer. It’s still not 100 percent centered under the loft, but we put the emphasis on the television and fireplace, not the tile surround, which accented it being off center.”

New, light furnishings completed the living room, along with new wood flooring throughout the main level.

The team, which included Nedbo Construction Company in Avon, opened up the formerly U-shaped kitchen into a walk-through with a large island.

There, other architectural elements seemingly interfered, but again, Levine came up with a design solution. First, she incorporated a structural column within the island. Then, she took square footage from the adjacent powder room to allow for a recessed refrigerator. Finally, she created open shelving near the windows, where homeowners originally entered the formerly U-shaped kitchen.

“With remodel work, you sometimes have to choose how to best use the space,” she says about the lower cabinetry, which extends nearly to the windows, and the shelving, which provides an open, airy space that complements the view.

She chose a rich, dark blue to offset the predominantly white cabinetry and granite backsplash.

“What I love about today’s design is the center island is a different color, so it creates a much more modern feel. You can have a color and tie everything together — that’s the advantage of white cabinets behind the blue (island),” she said. “With the blue, we were really thinking of how we’re accenting. The white granite with a little bit of graining ties you into the blue of the (island) cabinets very subtly.”

To complete the update, she removed the wooden vanity from the main-level powder room and brightened it with white cabinetry. Vertical wood strips against the wall accent the adjacent staircase, adding a sense of cohesion and interest overall. It now looks like an entirely new condo.