As an architect and custom home builder, Ralph Shields has seen it all. Or at least he thought he had until he received a call that 50 copper water lines in his friend’s house had froze and burst.

Shields wasn’t just a close friend of the homeowners—though he’s known the husband since they were kindergarteners at Shepardson Elementary School—he’d also been hired to design and remodel the entire house when the family purchased it in 2022.

He rushed to the scene and, with water spraying everywhere, said to his friend, “Welp, looks like we’re getting started on the demo early.”

Room to breathe

Like many homes built in the ’90s, the potential of the expansive Windsor property was compromised by its enclosed rooms, long hallways and low, coffered ceilings. Even the stunning mountain views were cut off by the short French doors that led from the living space to the back deck.

Shields, who owns WRKSHP Design + Build, had his sights set on enhancing those views and giving the parents and their five kids ample space to take it all in.

One of the first things he did was open up the walls and remove the dropped ceiling coffers on the main floor, revealing the 10-foot ceilings hidden behind them. Still wanting to provide visual separation between the kitchen, living area and foyer, he installed dark wooden box beams along the ceiling with posts extending to the floor. The result is a light, airy space that is tastefully framed.

Natalie Lynch, co-founder of Pure Indigo Interiors, worked with the homeowners and Shields to capture the family’s style with beautiful yet practical design elements that enhance each area of the home. In the kitchen, white oak drawers, cabinets and open shelving flank both sides of the stove, and beside them, dark metal and glass display cases offer additional storage for the large family. Creamy tiles line the wall, complimenting the 12-foot-long quartzite island and the rounded light fixtures above it. Elegant brass finishes polish it all off.

“They liked clean lines and neutral colors—nothing too busy. Everything is very symmetrical,” Lynch says, gesturing to the adjacent wet bar that mimics the kitchen’s design.

Having known the family well, Shields included in the design a large double oven range and two dishwashers in the kitchen.

“They previously had one dishwasher and said they were constantly running it,” he says. “Now they have two dishwashers in here. Jokingly, I think that’s all [the husband] really cared about.”

Across from the kitchen is the family’s living area, complete with a stone fireplace, more open shelving and massive sliding doors that lead to the new covered back deck. The other end of the room opens up to the foyer, with a modern chandelier hanging above the arched double front door.

“What’s funny is that this house had so many ’90s arches all over the place. These were removed as we opened things up, but the owner loved the softened feel that modern arches can create, so we added a number of them at strategic locations throughout the home,” Shields says.

Creative spaces

Next to the foyer, the formal dining room was turned into a spacious mudroom boasting lockers, drawers and a dog wash with exquisite tile work—an innovative buffer between the clean, calm house and the muddy paws and sports equipment arriving as the family unloads their car after the day’s adventures. While Shields and Lynch both love the lockers and the tongue-and-groove cedar ceiling, their favorite part of the mudroom is the antique brick decorating the floor.

“When they pulled them out of the box, they found old nails in them,” Lynch says of the old bricks. “It works great in here because the kids can be hard on it. The family likes things that look a little older and have some character to them.”

Lynch also enjoyed selecting finishes for the bathrooms, subtly repeating their playful wallpaper, intricate tile backsplashes and European light fixtures throughout the home. The primary suite elevates the theme even further, with a large double vanity and a warm stone covering the wall where the freestanding tub sits. Inset in the shower wall is yet another creative touch: a glass fireplace with mesmerizing, color-changing flames.

“We wanted it to feel like an escape,” Lynch says. “I could see someone sitting here, watching the fireplace or looking out the window. This was all meant to add a cozy factor to the bathroom.”

The rest of the primary suite is equally impressive, from the walk-in closet with a butcher block countertop and stacked laundry to the giant, west-facing windows with easy access to the back deck. The space was designed with only the husband and wife in mind, ensuring they’d have a relaxing place to retreat to after fun-filled days with their kids.

On the second floor, Shields redesigned the kids’ bedrooms and bathrooms, adding their own laundry area and a built-in entertainment center to house games and craft supplies. They also did a room addition and designed it with semi-slanted walls to make it feel like an attic.

“We took the roof off of this side of the house and put new trusses on it so we could create a bonus room,” Shields says. “They wanted a place for their daughters to be able to play dress up.”

Other creative spaces can be found in the basement, a vast area with a tiny nook under the stairs (a “fun little space for the kids to play,” Lynch says), a bunk room for the kids and a secret room hidden behind a bookshelf that opens when the light above it is turned. Both the bookshelf and the room behind it are painted a deep blue, grounding the space while complementing the dark shiplap behind the fireplace across the room.

Yet perhaps the most impressive aspect of the basement is the two-tiered bar, which mirrors the style of the kitchen but with a dark, masculine aesthetic. The goal was to make it “pub-like,” Lynch says, referencing the concrete apron sink, industrial lighting, brass finishes and mesh cabinet doors with lights inside. Centered in the dark tile behind the bar is an arched window revealing the wine room, a space also visible from the rooms surrounding it.

“The bar top was originally constructed low, and the owner asked to raise it so someone can stand here and hang out and not have to sit down,” Lynch says. “Along the way, there were changes that were made, but because Ralph was both the builder and the architect, he was much more involved. That was awesome.”

Shields is especially proud of the bar top, which was a challenge because of the surrounding cabinetry.

“You don’t want construction to stop; you try to keep that momentum,” he says. “That bar top was a good example: We ended up building the two levels, which makes it feel like a restaurant, or like the kids can hang out with counter-height bar stools. The house was such a fun and unique project to get to work on, but especially so because it was for lifelong friends.”

To start your custom home project, reach out to Ralph Shields at 970.231.7665 or wrkshpinc@gmail.com

Photos by Mindy Geraets Photography