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FAMILY FRIENDLY
The lower-level guest rooms open onto a brick patio that connects the two sides of the duplex, enabling family members to move between the units without exiting to the street. The second half of the house is for the owners" grown children and grandchildren when they visit. Although similar in layout, this side uses a more casual design to better accommodate the lifestyle of a family with young children.
The open living room, for example, has a cleaner palette. The furnishings include a large sectional and an old-gold wood coffee table with clear, beveled glass. Likewise, the dining room is comparatively casual. Instead of chairs, a bench borders one side of the dining table to seat the kids.
Perhaps the room that best defines the owners' desire for this side of the duplex is the bunkroom. "It's a wonderful suite for the grandsons," Kubli comments. Besides the bunk beds, a trundle bed and a single bed in the turret, it has a full kitchen. The armoire holds a flat-screen TV. Woven leather chairs, suede drapes and woven wood shades create a masculine touch. And grandma and grandpa are just steps away, across the patio.
The transformation of this Aspen Victorian achieved the owners' three expectations - an elegant home to entertain friends and associates, a comfortable place to conduct business, and, most importantly, a home large enough for the owners to gather with their children and grandchildren.
For interior designer Eloise Kubli, the proof of her accomplishment is in "seeing them enjoying their home." «««