In Denver, there are a handful of neighborhoods that are entirely made up of mid-century modern architecture. They’re completely charming and wonderful places to take a walk. On Saturday, one of those neighborhoods, Arapahoe Acres, invited people to come tour the homes and gardens. What a treat!
Some of the homes have been modernized, but stay true to the mid-century spirit. Others are entirely original — with no updates or changes. Such a cool way to spend an afternoon. A few things that caught my eye: 1) built in furniture (like the sofa above), 2) bamboo ceilings:
3) this really great door:
and 4) this outdoor raised seating area:
Probably my favorite thing was seeing homes with whole walls that open up to the outside. The seamless outdoor/indoor living areas were inspiring! You can see exterior shots of Arapahoe Acres homes here.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I love neighborhood home tours. Nashville has a few historic home tours in the fall and they are always so much fun to do.
Yes indeed what a treat! I love mid-century modern everything. I wish the Metro Detroit area had whole neighborhoods like that. I know how we would spend a Sunday drive then….oh well, we do have a few FL Wright masterpieces to enjoy amongst other treasures. Gives us a reason to visit other areas. XO
I love the floating concrete bench. That would be may favorite reading spot.
How fun are those houses?! I love the built ins. I am hoping to do a bench table in my kitchen next spring. I love built ins.
oh, what a dream come true!!!! i’m a tad obsessed with MCM stuff. seriously! love the furniture, design, homes, etc. i think i need to move to this neighbourhood. like stat!
Ooooh! I hope you will make it to the Park Hill Home tour in Sept! I think it is the 19th. It might not be as mod, but is very fun and usually the weather is great!
I love all of this! The bamboo ceilings are getting me thinking, too…I can see going for this look on a variety of surfaces. And, I’d so love some built in seating!
arghhhh i’m SO jealous. we’ve only driven through arapahoe acres but i LOVE it SOOOO much. I hope they do that yearly because we’re moving to denver in 3 months! I’ve never heard of any other neighborhoods like it though- please do tell about the others!
This post tugged at my heart strings –The ranch house I grew up in in Denver looks so much like these mid-century modern homes. After reading your post, I was curious to find out more about Arapahoe Acres, and discovered that the house I grew up in is just 5 blocks away! I was just in Denver last week, but next time I’m home, I’ll visit my “old neighborhood” with a new found appreciation. Thanks for turning the light bulb on! WONDERFUL!
We are so glad you came and enjoyed the tour. I hope Ben Blair and kids found a cool spot to hang.
My blog has several Arapahoe Acres interiors featured, if folks want to head there:
http://www.staciesmith.com
It was great how many people came out to support the school and neighborhood. But mostly, I’m sure they came to see these cool homes on the inside.
We hope to do it again really soon… maybe next year?? We’ll see.
Thanks so much for coming out to our neighborhood and seeing our beautiful homes. Even though I live here, it was a real treat to explore so many homes with both original and updated features.
Kirsten, there are neighborhoods like this across the country. I have a blogroll of my favorite mid-mod neighborhoods on the side of my homepage at midmodredo.com if you ever want to explore some fun homes.
Oooh – love it!
Oh, I would have LOVED to do this! So bummed I missed out.
My neighborhood (the highlands) does a home tour like this every year too and it’s awesome. Bungalows and victorians make my heart swoon!
And props to other readers for letting me know about the Park hill tour! That sounds awesome and I’m totally going to try to get over there!
I love the bamboo ceilings . Bamboo – such a sustainable material and adds a beautiful soft touch to any decor. Love the built in outdoor seating area.
Thanks for sharing ! The architect in me is itching to get back to work !!
Love that outdoor bench, need to remember that for the far away future.
Love the mobile website!