Mountain Maritime

The Shore House, Aurora, Colo.

Grand, best kitchen in a single-family detached custom home—over 5,000 square feet
Special Focus, kitchen countertops

Grand, best master bath in a custom home

Waterfront living is hard to come by in landlocked Colorado. This gracious 6,168-square-foot shingle-style home makes the most of its unique vantage point overlooking a reservoir lake. Coastal in flavor, its vaulted, fir-beamed ceiling could easily be interpreted as an inverted ship’s hull, and its distressed sepia kitchen cabinets have a rustic beauty that’s reminiscent of driftwood—a style that contrasts nicely (and somewhat unexpectedly) with the fine filigreed pattern in a concrete ­veneer island countertop. A dramatic juxtaposition of light and dark finishes makes this culinary zone a show-stopper.

A similar palette, emphasizing strong contrasts, carries through to the home’s spa-like master bath, made sumptuous with floor-to-ceiling white Carrara marble and a freestanding soaking tub outlined by a natural pebble floor surround. Windows with leaded stained glass overlays and a custom clerestory skylight provide a delicate counterbalance to the retreat’s muscular stone, all the while channeling natural light inside. The doorless walk-in shower is separated from the tub only by an “air scrubber” waterfall that filters out air impurities and soothes the senses.

Entrant/Builder/Developer: Village Homes of Colorado, Englewood, Colo.; Architect/Kitchen and bath designer: Knudson Gloss Architects, Boulder, Colo.; Interior designer: Hillary Reed Interiors, Littleton, Colo.