Classic Homeworks' WINTER 2007 Newsletter (text only)

Putting the Craftsman Back into the Bungalow
Honorable Mention - 2007 CARE Awards
Lovers of the Craftsman Style Bungalow, these homeowners adore the history and charm of their 1913 West Washington Park home. However, their kitchen, last remodeled in the 1970’s was outdated, lacked counter space and was closed off from the rest of the home.
Additionally, the small mudroom off the back of the kitchen was awkwardly arranged, dark and cramped. Ready for an update, these homeowners decided to move forward with a complete kitchen remodel.
Opening the unused mudroom to the kitchen and raising the flat mudroom ceiling to follow the slope of the existing roof allowed for a cozy breakfast nook. New windows and back door allow more light to flow from the back of the home through the kitchen creating one large bright space.
Appliances were relocated to new more convenient locations allowing for more counter and cabinet space. All new appliances, including a drawer front dishwasher, update the space while creating the desired aesthetic appeal.
An apron front sink under beautiful green Soap Stone countertops complimented by quarter sawn oak cabinets and new oak hardwood flooring throughout the house adds sophistication and style to this once lack luster kitchen. Amazingly, updating this one room enhanced the flow and character throughout the rest of the home. Now that this 93 year old Denver home has been rejuvenated, the homeowners are enjoying the space like they never did before.
If you would like to learn more about this kitchen remodel or other Classic Homeworks projects please call us at 303-722-3000.

Free Remodeling Seminar
Attend our FREE remodeling seminar, "Old Home/New Space: A Guide to Remodeling." To learn more or to register click here.

Referral Rewards
Do you have a friend, neighbor or family member who could benefit from our services? if you send them our way, you could earn fun stuff! Click here to learn more.

Neighborhood History: Park Hill
Named for an elevation just east of City Park, Park Hill was first subdivided in 1871; however, few people at the time were interested in such remote countryside. Among the few early residents of Park Hill were Colorado National Guardsmen, who used donated land in the area to prepare for the 1898 Spanish-American War. Other residents sometimes slept on the floor of their downtown businesses, making the long journey home only on the weekends. Even a large snowstorm in 1913 was sufficient to strand residents of Park Hill downtown for a week. Before the automobile era, it simply wasn't an easy trip to make.
However, remote flatland was great for some industries, including dairy farms, clay brick manufactures and airports. Colorado’s first commercial airport, Curtis Humphrey Field, opened in 1919 at 26th & Oneida. Lowry Field came shortly thereafter. Charles Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis at Lowry just three months after crossing the Atlantic, and Amelia Earhart came to Park Hill the very next year.
The neighborhood had sprouted an abundance of bungalows as well as the scattered mansions of the nouveau riche. But the demise of informal segregation in the 1950’s led to increasing race tensions throughout the city. Park Hill ultimately gained national prominence in 1973 when the US Supreme Court ruled that neighborhood schools were discriminatory. Violent reactions ensued throughout the city, as school buses, buildings and even the homes of civil rights activists were bombed. It was an ugly period for Denver and the nation.
Unrest, however, gave way to remarkably stable composition within Park Hill over the past three decades. Longtime amenities such as City Park, the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science along with Park Hill’s gracious lots continue to offer remote tranquility within the now-accessible city.
History Provided by Historical Insights: (303) 818-3263; www.HistoricalInsights.com

Colorado Homes & Lifestyles features Classic Homeworks' Project
In July 2007 Classic Homeworks entered one of our kitchen projects into the Kitchen of the Year awards, sponsored by Colorado Homes & Lifestyles Magazine. We are happy to announce that they chose this Park Hill Kitchen among their favorite before and after kitchen remodels. They featured the newly remodeled Park Hill home in their October Kitchens of the Year Issue. This is a very great honor and we are very excited to share the news!
To find out more about this remodel or to read the full text from this article click here.
Thank you to the homeowners for opening your homes to us!

Easy Tips to "Green" up Your Home
Many homeowners have a desire to be more environmentally friendly and to save money in the process. Here are several easy tips for your home to help you conserve energy and save green.
Build a Clothesline: Next to your refrigerator, clothes dryers often use the most energy. An easy solution, especially in the dry Colorado climate, is to build an old-fashioned closeline. Head to your local hardware store or shop online for the materials for this easy build.
Install a Programmable Thermostat: This tool allows you to automatically adjust your heating and cooling systems to match your family’s schedule. This small upgrade can save you an estimated $100 annually.
Insulate Hot-Water Pipes: Hot-water pipes lose heat very quickly. Water that left your boiler at a hot 105 degrees will barley be luke warm fifteen minutes later. So, while you prepare dinner and let the water run to warm-up you waste energy and water. Solve this issue by simply insulating pipes wherever you can reach them. Encase them in rubber or polyethylene foam tubes and seal the seams with duct tape. Insulation can double cool-down time in 1/2-inch pipe and triple it in 3/4-inch pipe.
Create a Rain Garden: Runoff often causes problems for homeowners. However, creating a rain garden uses runoff to your advantage. Simply channel your gutter to a low spot on your property planted with bushes, grasses or trees. You end up creating a beautiful spot in your yard while conserving water.
Build a Worm Bin: Let worms eat your garbage. Reduce your trash and gain rich compost for your garden. You can buy a plastic worm bin or build your own out of exterior-grade plywood. Line the bottom with moist leaves or shredded cardboard and then feed the worms your food scraps. Within a year, you can start harvesting compost. Red wiggler worms work best in the confined space.
Install Aerators on Faucets: These easy to install screw-on mesh screens break up water droplets. You end up using less water, but get just as much rinsing power.
Clean your Refrigerator Coils: When covered in heavy dust, refrigerator coils can’t transfer heat as efficiently, so it takes more energy to cool your food. Clean them periodically and keep your energy bills down.
Replace Weatherstripping: Over time, the seals around windows and doors wear out causing you to crank up your thermostat to keep your rooms heated. New weather stripping will conserve energy and save you money on your winter bills.
Info provided by thisoldhouse.com

Holiday Recipe: Pecan Cream Candy
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cups evaporated milk
1/2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cups margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans
Mix all ingredients except vanilla and pecans. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil for three minutes. Remove mix from flame and add nuts and vanilla. Beat three to four minutes. Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper. Makes about three dozen.
Provided by www.aliciasrecipes.com

Employee Spotlight: Dan Johnson
Dan Johnson came to work for Classic Homeworks as Production Manager in February of this year and has proven himself to be very valuable to the team.
Prior to working for Classic Homeworks, Dan worked in new home building and has been in the construction industry for more than 23 years. He has brought this experience with him and provides great know how and leadership to the company. His knowledge of older homes and great customer relation skills are a perfect match for our detail oriented team.
A Colorado Native, Dan currently lives in Parker with his wife Erica, their four children, three dogs and two cats. While working and being a parent takes up much of Dan’s time, he also enjoys wood-work, barbecuing and brewing his own beer.
Between office work and job-site visits he keeps our remodeling projects moving smoothly and on schedule. We look forward to many more projects with Dan in the P.M. seat!


Terrific Trade Contractor: Taurus Electric
In the remodeling industry, business relationships with trade contractors are one of the most significant factors in completing successful projects. Lasting partnerships built on trust and reliability are very rewarding not only for the businesses involved, but ultimately for the customer. We certainly could not complete our high-quality jobs without a high-quality electrical team like Taurus Electric.
In business for nearly 17 years, Taurus Electric, owned by Steve Torres, is a local family run business. They are committed to performing superior electrical work with accuracy & efficiency. Classic Homeworks would like to extend a thank you to Steve and his crew for years of excellent team work & commitment to the job.

Hope Communities Gives a Hand Up to Denver Families
On September 29th, members of the Classic Homeworks staff joined nearly two-hundred other Denver volunteers for Hands for Hope day (HFHD), sponsored by Hope Communities. This years annual event took place in the historic Five Points community.
Hands for Hope Day is a community-building workday that engages volunteers from the metro area to paint, landscape and repair spaces for lower income families. This year, volunteers worked on 13 different sites.
One of this years HFHD projects took place at the Urban Servant Corps, which is a house for full time volunteers. Participants cleaned up the yard, removed thick overgrown weeds, pruned the garden and removed dead branches, brush and trash. They also added a new bottom step and a hand rail to the existing backyard stairs.
Hope Communities was founded in 1980 to address the concern with the lack of decent, affordable housing for people with low incomes. In the last 27 years they have developed more than 800 affordable housing opportunities primarily in Five Points, Park Hill and East Colfax. Hope Communities also provides residents with free programs to help create self-supporting lifestyles such as English as a Second Language, computer literacy and after school tutoring.
If you would like more information on Hope Communities or Hands for Hope Day please visit www.Hopecommunities.org

Back to Newsletters