Colorado Mesa View
We fell in love with our first home despite the bright orange tub/sinks in one bathroom and pink toilet & sink in the other along with numerous other quirky choices and needed updates.
The property offered generous living space, 26 acres of land, and best of all, a hidden room behind a large bookcase. Inside that secret room was a door leading to a concrete “valuables” room with a heavy-duty safe built into the floor—complete with a four-inch-thick steel lid. The original owner had added it to secure high-value items he occasionally sold through his trading post on the Ute Reservation. Needless to say, we were fascinated.
As first time home owners, we were like so many who can only make improvements over the years as finances allow. But we tackled as much as we could ourselves & with time we completely transformed & updated the home. We eventually added a guest cottage that functioned as a popular vacation rental until we moved in 2014.
Although this photo doesn’t show the original cedar-siding of the home (see below), it beautifully captures the transformation made possible by the addition of the 650 SF guest cottage. It was situated beside the main house and in front of the shop to the rear to take in sweeping views of Sleeping Ute Mountain in front and the dramatic 1,800-foot mesa behind the property. A fenced courtyard and generous landscaping helped soften the addition while adding privacy and a welcoming outdoor retreat.
One of the first and most impactful updates we made was replacing all of the original windows before encasing the damaged cedar siding in stucco. The rich brown color of the exterior was chosen to blend the house into the surrounding landscape and let the gardens take center stage. We also rebuilt the porch with modified arches to add both style and presence. The custom railings were hand drawn and beautifully crafted by a local artisan.
Building the guest house -later shared as our vacation rental - was both a labor of love and we tackled as much as we could do ourselves. That included painting the interior, tiling both the bathroom and kitchen counter and building the courtyard fencing with the help and watchful eyes of both of our fathers! It was a joy to share with family and visitors through the years before we moved to Bellingham.
Landscaping the courtyard garden was a fun and ever-changing challenge due to the small size of the space. Some plants grew faster than others, so I created what I called the “plant relocation program” until each found the spot that worked best. In the end we had a garden that produced grapes, plums, and nearly year-round perennial blooms.
This tucked-away patio serves triple duty—private guest seating, a lush garden view from the primary bedroom, and subtle screening for utilities. The addition of a grape arch and vintage metal furniture transformed it into a charming, shaded outdoor escape.
