Living in Denver (not this neighborhood) I've wondered when this neighborhood would catch on. I didn't know that these were Cliff May houses. Really impressive results in less than a year. The out door areas shown must not be the back yard since there was nothing embarrassing there! Glad to see familiar stores worth supporting among the sources, including Mile High Thrift. It's the best, especially for styling out an MCM house right in the neighborhood.

Love it all. Especially the panels in the living room, the tiles in the kitchen and the interesting cabinets throughout. If it had a pool it and was in California it would be my dream home!

The 2 pug figures doing the stare down on the toilet tank... hilarious!

not as open and spacious as they had hoped for?!!!! jeeeez. more is NOT more. the house with its indoor/outdoor living is plenty spacious. our 2012 builders can learn something from the 1950's.

A little stark for my tastes, but I like how open and airy it feels. Also? PUGS!!! C'mon! I have the same figures that are on your toilet tank :)

Where is the "Obey the pug" print from? I'd love to have my own copy!

fantastic house... love the furniture choices (small, light, clean lines), all the natural light, and the outdoor space is killer... would move in tomorrow!

I have died and gone to house heaven.
LOVE IT!

Thanks for sharing :)

Love love love love.

Using a magazine rack as a dog toy holder, I HAD THE SAME IDEA! I bought this awesome brass MCM-style magazine holder for $5 while thrifiting and couldn't find another use for it because I hate having stacks of magazines...I'm glad i'm not the only crazy one.

Your pugs are cute but they look a bit overweight! My chihuahua has the same issue, and I didn't realize it until my vet said something. I used to just leave the bowl out but now I do 1/3 of a cup twice a day. The excess weight isn't good for their limbs, as cute as they are! I'm totally not trying to be rude, I just want your little pug babies to live a long life :))

i love this home. what kind of counter tops are those in the kitchen? and that armoire in the bedroom is amazing too!

where are the orange dot pillows from? I'm on a near-constant quest for orange throw pillows

Awesome. There is a neighborhood of similar homes near Atlanta, but not in an area I would want to live. I am so jealous! (In a good way!) Removing the kitchen wall was a good move!

Some of the 'animal' stuff-even the painting with the rifle creeps me out.
The area with the 4 chairs and small table remind me of a waiting room.
Otherwise, it's a very nice home.

This house is an absolute DREAM! Thanks for sharing. I would love to live in a neighborhood of these homes!

One of the best-photographed house tours... coherent image order, very easy to picture the house and its flow. Lovely work by all... thanks.

very nice use of IKEA, i must say.

This gets the Mid-C Frank seal of approval!

This is FASCINATING to me as I grew up (1985-1996) in "Harvey Park," and I would have never thought it would turn into this. This was a working-class neighborhood with a predominantly Hispanic population. I am super curious to know where all the families are moving to with this gentrification push.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/mini-pug-mini-eames-lounge-sma-48266

Please put that pug on a diet...he'll live longer and feel better.

Beautiful home! Did you build the fence yourself - or are those pre-made panels?

Mandamas, I have some friends who lived in Harvey Park from 1984-98 and they knew some of the original home owners from the late 50s when it was a white middle class new development. The change to working class Hispanic was getting going at about the time you mention living there and the original owners were moving out to retirement homes or dying. Some of the neighbors of my friends left because of the class and racial changes. I am always ambivalent about this kind of gentrification. I like to see worthy period or historic homes restored and preserved but like you can't help but womder where the less affluent prior residents are expected to go. From what I can see of Harvey Park these days, it hasn't yet been as gentrified as some other Denver neighborhoods like the Northwest side which also has the scrape off plague going strong. At least this isn't likely to happen in Harvey Park as the style of house there is currently very popular and relatively new and likely to be in better shape than the houses being scraped in other neighborhoods. It sometimes seems like Denver will have nothing affordable for the working class except the most rundown and dangerous neighborhoods. Or moving to the inner ring suburbs from the late 40s, 50s and 60s. Until those ranch houses become fashionable.

This house is delightful!

Much of Harvey Park still is a working-class neighborhood with a predominately Hispanic population – however that can be a bit of an over-generalization, since the neighborhood actually has a healthy price-range of $100k-$600k+, meaning there is something for just about everybody in the middle-class. Because the neighborhood didn’t boom with the rest of Denver, it hasn’t deflated much either – making it quite stable.

The recent increase in interest in the neighborhood has stemmed largely from its large inventory of MCM homes (about 450 or so), at half the price of the better-known MCM Neighborhoods in Denver. Add to that the increased interest in Cliff May in the last few years (170 of Harvey Park’s MCM homes are Cliff May homes), and we have seen MCM homes selling in the neighborhood in less than a week all summer!

As a resident for about 8 years, I am excited from a preservation standpoint, because the people buying the MCM homes now are buying them for the architecture, which means we will see fewer removals of floor-to-ceiling windows, insensitive additions, and other losses of valuable architectural elements, and more great restovations like this one!

wow wow wow!!
i love your middle century furnitures!!
thank u for sharing!

I love this so much. It's making me really regret buying a house built in 1982. Oh I need one of these homes...

Love the house and the residents.

Could not see the water feature, or did I miss it? Also, more info on the fence, pleaseeeeeeeee

You had me at the photo of the exterior! Wonderful design on the fence and creating that wonderful flow inside and out.

Harvey Park Modern, thanks for the information and insights.

LOVE your home! So simple and elegant. The patio is awesome!

Hello! Thanks for all of the comments! I would love to answers the questions about the elements we used and or building materials:

Q: Where is the "Obey the pug" print from? I'd love to have my own copy!
A: We got it at the "Peoples Fair" in Denver a few years back...I found more online
http://www.cafepress.com/dogs_of_war/903290

Q:what kind of counter tops are those in the kitchen? and that armoire in the bedroom is :amazing too!
A: The counters are quartz I believe...they were actually ordered through the IKEA showroom. They partnered with a local manufacturer for the sale and install.
A: IKEA armoire...we got it about 7 years ago...a lot of our stuff is IKEA.

Q: where are the orange dot pillows from? I'm on a near-constant quest for orange throw pillows

A: RE Brand from Target. A lot of our stuff is IKEA and Target...

Statement: I love the space and that backyard is fabulous!

A: Thanks!!!! We actually poured those concrete pavers directly over the patio in 1X3 forms and finished it with a white stain sealer...It was a lot of work but a lot cheaper than building a wooden deck to fill the space..please email me at graeme@graemenistler.com if you want the schematic of the forms

Statement: love the grey couch!!

A; It's IKEA again...did I mention that a lot of our stuff is..you get the picture

Q: Did you build the fence yourself - or are those pre-made panels?
A: I did it myself, out of Redwood which is not indigenous to Colorado...I had to go to 3 different Lowes to collect all of the wood. I set the posts and used a yardstick to space the slats vertically and horizontally and tapped them in with a finishing nailer. We used 3 coats of Cabot Polyurethane to seal it. I trimmed the top with aluminum that I got from Home Depot.

Q: Could not see the water feature, or did I miss it? Also, more info on the fence, pleaseeeeeeeee

A: See above for info on the fence. The water feature is on the patio...it is in the middle of the 4 white chairs...or what I refer to as an "outdoor conversation pit sans pit". I used redwood to build a box for a water feature that we got from Lowes

Thanks again!

Those are some chunky pugs!

You had me with the Shag print! Great home, nicely done, thanks for sharing.

oh my word. own a pug, and you'll know how hard it is to get their weight down, even on a diet and exercise regimen - they have breed-specific respiratory issues, knee problems, you name it - and it is easier said than done, and chunkyness/fatness does not mean an owner doesn't love his/her pug. so awesome Graeme and Megan, with your adorable pugs, you rock. as does your house. :)

Bright and clean home!. Thanks for sharing.

Your house is fun and beautiful, and it looks like you love your adorable puppies. I love the openness, kitchen backsplash, and all of the access to the outdoors. Thank you for sharing!

Everything about this house is perfection!

That is NOT backyard shame! Wished my yard looked this good! Love the whole house, yard, etc. Be careful though of the bright light in the bedroom fading your artwork. Nice picture that it is and you have no curtains or window film on there to protect the vibrant color from the sun.

Just enough of a midcentury feel to it. This is the type of home I love, but would have to have window coverings,I’d get the heebie jeebies at night.

OMG! Those black/wood chairs in the foyer? I have the same ones! :)

Love your house!

Looks great! Where is the sectional from?

Another beautifully-photographed tour. I wish all the AT tours were done so well.

Airy, gorgeous house. I don't love MCM, but I'd live here in a heartbeat.

Hi velwow, what you saw was the courtyard...we have a small backyard which is an utter shame/mess/weed infested land of doom! I can't even bring myself to mow it! Thanks so much about the suggestion of treating the windows with UV film. Privacy is not an issue since we are well shielded against the peeping eyes of neighbors due to the placement on the lot...but I never even considered what the sun could do to our stuff!! I am all on the film now...that is really relevant in Denver since we get 300 or more sunny days a year! Thanks again for helping with that!

i would KILL for this house. i sooo miss denver.

Gorgeous!

Architecture to die for, beautiful floors, love the furniture. What you did with the patio and redwood fence is amazing. The redwood is one of the best things about the front exterior. Was something similar there originally?

I like the kitchen, too. But one question about the white. It certainly does look clean and bright, so I find it attractive. But you're in Denver. When the snow is four feet deep, and you have all those uncovered windows, do you feel like you're living in a snow drift?

Hard to believe you've been there for less than a year. Great work.

Greetings from the Long Beach Ranchos! Love, love love! My only criticism is that I miss the beams on the ceilings. I think they are quintessential Cliff May Ranch characteristics.

Just one more thing...what happened to the french doors?

Great house, decor and tour!
I love the light and airy feeling and would love to live here myself.
Congratulations - job well done!

A simply amazing place - I really do adore what you've done with the ranch home. Your remodel has resolved many of the issues I always had with those homes (though your lack of attached garage was a great starting point, as the attached garage is one of my biggest pet peeves with a lot of the ranches - or homes in general - in my very not-wintery part of the country). So light, so airy, such great flow and use of space. I could honestly live the rest of my life in your open-plan kitchen/dining/living/entry area alone. In other words, fantastic job!

What a beautiful place!

I think I am going to move to Denver area now!

Hi, a few more answers to a few more questions:

Q: The redwood is one of the best things about the front exterior. Was something similar there originally?

A: Yes there were little vertical cedar fences in the courtyards...but in the neighborhood most have been replaced since they are 60+years old

Q: When the snow is four feet deep, and you have all those uncovered windows, do you feel like you're living in a snow drift?

A: In Denver the snow is usually melted within a few days...I cannot remember the last time we got four feet. When it does snow and accumulate (I think the most we had last season was two feet in one storm) it is absolutely beautiful.

Q:Greetings from the Long Beach Ranchos! My only criticism is that I miss the beams on the ceilings.

A: I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE LONG BEACH RACHOS!!! From what I have seen online they are amazing! None of the CM's in Denver have exposed beams, they jammed some crummy insulation in there and dry walled them up...which makes sense since we do have cold temps in the winter. I agree with you, the ceilings in the LB CM's look amazing and trust me I covet!

Q: Just one more thing...what happened to the french doors?

A: Again, none of them in our hood have the French doors...maybe our builder just cheaped out? We also have crawl spaces, not concrete flooring. In the crawl space is the furnace, which gives us a little extra room (but it is horrible going down there to change the filters A VERY SCARY PLACE). Where are the furnaces in LB? I am very curious. Also, a slight difference...our main beams on the outside are squared off, whereas the LB's are slightly tapered?

@GRAME NISTLER The furnace on LB CM's are located in the hallway closet. The updated HVAC varies from house to house our AC unit is located on the the roof. The main beams are tapered and are prone to the elements. The concrete slab makes for an interesting renovating challenge since the copper water pipes, sewer, gas and electric lines are all buried.

To add a bit to Graeme’s excellent comments – yes, the exposed rafters on the California models are awesome! Although I don’t have any evidence to support it, I believe that choice was driven by the need to add insulation, as well as to add structural support for snow-loads on the low-sloped roof. Still, I would give up insulation to have the rafters! Not very green of me, I know.

Here is a link to the original floor plans of the Harvey Park homes. http://harveyparkmodern.com/photo/albums/cliff-may-brochure You’ll note that the plan numbers have the prefix “RM” for “Rocky Mountain”… and if you look closely, you will see that french doors were regrettably designed out of the plans for some reason. Graeme & Megan’s particular model is the RM 4212, however as part of their renovation, they removed the “Bedroom/Den” to open up the living area.

Curiously, we have one home in the neighborhood that does have the tapered beams from California – so I believe it was optional – an option that no one elected to take… =)

Although the crawl-spaces are scary places, they do allow us extra storage in the utility closet, and very easy changes to water, electrical, etc! I believe the choice here was again climate-driven – since the house would have needed footers going down below the frost-line (about 3’) with or without a concrete slab, it was probably just easier to dig out a crawlspace.

A few other architectural notes... their shingle roof is not original. All of the homes had tar & gravel roofs originally, but due to high replacement costs, many have switched to shingles through the years – which is not ideal.

Although the brochure linked to above says that we have redwood siding, we believe that our siding is actually rough-sawn cedar… although this has been a point of debate amongst neighbors that has not been completely settled. Most of the homes still have their original siding.

Their fence follows the line of where the original courtyard fence was – however the original fence would have been cedar (or redwood) board & batten to appear as an extension of the siding. Some of the homes (including mine) also have their original fence – but all that do are in need of replacement at this point.

It looks like the carport area has now been fenced off into a side yard/ patio area. I'm wondering why they got rid of it, and where they park in the winter in Denver? On the street? That would be difficult with the snow they get there...

WOW. What a great home!

The whole house is generally lovely, though I'm less convinced about the art. I am, however, super jealous of your beautiful galley kitchen. Such nice proportions, materials. I would love to hang out there and even wash dishes!

I absolutely love it! If the opportunity ever comes for a move, I definitely want a midcentury.

The first "Enter House Tour" link is broken.

Wow!

Can I have the pugs?

Those are some pudgy pugs! Love the artwork – and can't believe a lot of your stuff is Ikea & Target. Looks expensive. So kudos on combining the classics with cheaper pieces. Love that you decorated with the vibe of the house. This place was begging to go über midmod!

I dig this to pieces. We live in a Cliff May in Dallas - same shape, same layout, same bones!

What a wonderful space, one of my favorites. Looks amazingly spacious.....and all that outdoor living space....WOW!

Thanks for sharing......

The monster posters were my absolute favorite part......Very fun

I LOVE this house! What a wonderful inspiration, since we just bought and moved into a first home last week. We'll definitely be using this to help us decorate! I have to ask where the circular coffee table is from, so great.

Hello and thanks! The coffee table is IKEA...and congrats on the new pad!

Hi love ur space ....we r converting the garage into a cottage and with cliff may homes it's a challenge to find the sewer lines since they are cast iron pipes by any chance would you know where the sewer lines meet together and lead to the street......that would help tons if you could help.
Thank you

The house is beautiful, but the dogs look unhealthy. Please take them to a vet to get some suggestions for weight management. Someone else said pugs have special challenges, but that's not an excuse. It's an established breed and your vet may have breed-specific suggestions to manage this. You did do a great job with the house though.