Italianate Mansion

Italianate Mansion - 12,600 SF

Denver architect Robert Larsen designed this 12,600-square-foot custom residence in 2000, including its extensively detailed interior architecture.

The home’s Italianate design was influenced in part by 17th-century Tuscan architecture. Its low-sloping roofs, characteristic of the style, allowed the house to maintain appropriate architectural proportions while remaining within the maximum building height established by local zoning. The residence was also carefully designed to conform to the standards of the neighborhood architectural review board.

Stucco, cast stone, and cement roof tiles compose the exterior palette. Symmetry serves as an organizing principle on nearly every elevation, while the distinctive arched openings were inspired by the 17th-century Villa Mansi in Tuscany.

At the heart of the residence is a large central rotunda with a grand staircase. The extensive program includes a Primary Suite, four additional Ensuite Bedrooms, Formal Living and Dining Rooms, Kitchen and Pantry, Family Room, Billiards Room/Study, Private Office, Wine Room, Exercise Room, Game Room, Bar, and four-car Garage.

Above the garage, a separate 1,225-square-foot Caretaker’s Apartment includes Living, Dining and Kitchen areas, an Ensuite Bedroom, Powder Room, and Laundry/Utility Room.

The home’s interior architecture is highly ornamented and intricately detailed, reflecting the homeowners’ preference for a rich and formal traditional character. Robert Larsen designed the architectural interiors and collaborated with three interior design firms during the course of the project to coordinate furnishings, finishes, and decorative elements with the architecture.

Exterior - Front View

The formal front elevation reflects the home’s Italianate character, with low-pitched tile roofs, broad overhanging eaves, arched windows and doorways, classical columns, and ornamental balustrades. Strong symmetry organizes the composition, while projecting wings, recessed openings, balconies, and varying rooflines give depth and scale to the expansive façade. Stucco walls, cast-stone detailing, wrought-iron gates, and formal landscaping complete the Mediterranean-inspired architectural expression. Custom wrought iron entry doors were fabricated by Max Brun.

Exterior - NW View

The Caretaker’s Apartment is discreetly located above the garage at the left end of the residence. Adjacent to it, the home office opens onto a private garden terrace, screened from the driveway by a gracefully curving stucco wall capped with a decorative pineapple finial.

Exterior - Rear View with Fountain

Working in collaboration, Landscape Architect Robert Morse and Denver Architect Robert Larsen designed the backyard as a formal garden setting. A custom classical-style cast-stone fountain serves as the garden’s focal point, complemented by a custom-designed pergola and framed by the architecture of the residence. Photo by Ron Ruscio.

Exterior - Detail at NW Corner

Her Home Office opens directly onto a private garden patio, screened from the surrounding grounds by a gracefully curving stucco wall capped with a pineapple finial. Classical arched windows and doors, cast-stone trim, and wrought-iron railings complement the home’s Italianate architecture, while lush landscaping and colorful flower beds create an intimate garden setting.

Exterior - Detail at SE Corner

Robert Larsen, Denver Architect utilized symmetry as an organizing principle on the exterior of the home. Larsen designed the details of all cast stone on the house. Decorative brackets ornament the roof soffits around the building.

Rotunda

The grand entry Rotunda, designed by Denver Architect Robert Larsen, forms the dramatic central focal point of the house. A sweeping curved staircase rises to the second-floor gallery, where curving balconies encircle the two-story space beneath an ornamental domed ceiling. Marble flooring, richly detailed moldings, extensive gold-leaf accents, and an elaborate crystal chandelier contribute to the formal elegance of the room. Custom wrought-iron railings were fabricated by Max Brun. The faux-art mural within the ceiling dome was created by Cathy Poppe McNeil, with gold leaf applied by Patty Paul. Photo by Ron Ruscio

Rotunda - View Toward Living Room

Ornamented pilasters and faux painted columns frame the entryway to the Formal Living Room from the Rotunda. Photo by Ron Ruscio

His Den & Billiards Room

Dark-stained woodwork designed by Denver Architect Robert Larsen gives His Den & Billiards Room a distinctly masculine character. Richly detailed wall paneling, cabinetry, moldings, and arched window surrounds create an intimate, club-like atmosphere. Wood parquet flooring introduces pattern and contrast, while stained-wood Corinthian columns with gold-leaf capitals frame the ornate wood-burning fireplace. Photo by Ron Ruscio

Her Office

The woodwork in Her Office is elegant and distinctly feminine, in contrast to the more masculine character of His Den. Multiple layers of finely detailed moldings create the exceptionally deep ceiling coffers, culminating in an ornamental medallion above the crystal chandelier. Custom cabinetry features graceful French arch-top openings, applied composition ornaments, and slender decorative panels. An intricately detailed cornice completes the room, unifying the cabinetry, walls, and coffered ceiling into a richly ornamented but harmonious composition. Photo by Ron Ruscio

Primary Bathroom

Working in collaboration with interior designer Dennis Leczinski, Denver Architect Robert Larsen designed the custom cabinetry, mirror frames, and tub surround for this elegant bathroom. Applied composition ornaments embellish the cabinetry and mirror frames, while complementary detailing carries through the richly ornamented cornice moldings and domed ceiling. The carefully coordinated forms, finishes, and decorative elements create a refined and distinctly feminine character. Photo by Ron Ruscio

Living Room

The curving Grand Staircase provides a dramatic focal point in the distance, framed by the broad opening from the Living Room into the central Rotunda. Ornamental cornice moldings, decorative friezes, and classical columns enrich the Living Room, continuing the elaborate architectural detailing found throughout the residence and reflecting the homeowners’ preference for richly ornamented interiors. Photo by Ron Ruscio