By Sara B. Hansen, BusinessDen
Denver architect Andrew Sumners made good on a childhood pledge.
Nine years ago, he bought a yellow eyesore from 1953 that always stood out on Seventh Avenue.
“As a kid, I always dreamed of tearing it down for my grandmother,” Sumners said of 1650 E. Seventh Ave.
He bought the property for $900,000 and designed and built the 7,400-square-foot Mediterranean-style villa, now listed for $5.4 million.
He grew up and still lives in the historic Denver neighborhood, two houses down. And his grandmother lived nearby on the 700 block of Humboldt Street.
“My intention was to build something appropriate for Seventh Avenue. All the homes here have character. I wanted to stitch the neighborhood fabric back together,” he said.
Sumners, 59, who graduated from East High School and Hobart College, earned a Master of Architecture degree at the University of Maryland. He’s spent most of his career working for himself, developing projects in Mexico and Denver.
He started by designing and overseeing the construction of a family home in Puerto Vallarta and has since designed and built homes, restaurants and small hotels in Mexico.
In Colorado, he’s designed home renovation plans for friends and family and designed and developed the Townhouses at Cherry Creek North.
He said he prefers being his own boss rather than having clients and typically works on one or two projects at a time that take two or more years to complete.
“I found a niche that works for me,” he said.
The seven-bedroom, seven-bath home reflects his love for handcrafted materials and modernist influences, especially from Frank Lloyd Wright and Mexican architect Luis Barragán.
There’s a custom iron shield front door, 8-foot blond mahogany interior doors, and a custom garage door, all imported from Mexico, along with handmade white oak cabinets.
The house has a New Hampshire slate roof.
“I love slate roofs,” Sumners said. “They’re 100-year roofs and I think they look beautiful.”
Slate roofs also protect against hail and fire, and they match the neighborhood’s character.
Inside, the home features 10-foot coffered ceilings, white oak floors, and a kitchen with a La Cornue range and light leathered marble countertops.
The outdoor areas have two patios, a fireplace and a chef’s outdoor kitchen.
Building in the East 7th Avenue Historic District meant working closely with the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission, which reviews all changes and new construction to protect the area’s historic character.
The commission’s strict review meant every exterior detail had to be approved before construction could start. Once approved, no changes to the exterior design were allowed.
“When you design this way, you design from the outside in,” he said. “Usually, the outside grows as the inside resolves itself, but I had to fit everything within an envelope that wasn’t budging.”
Sumners credits Denver architect Aaron Hodgin for helping to shape his vision and manage the bureaucracy.
“We spent countless hours walking the neighborhood, studying the houses we loved, and collaborating on ideas that would both respect the historic context and push the design forward,” Sumners said.
“Aaron deserves immense credit for his contributions; when we presented our first design to the landmark commission, I leaned over to him and admitted, ‘I hate that.’”
So Sumners changed the mansion’s design to its current layout.
He made flexibility a top priority in the home’s design. It can suit many types of residents, from couples who want comfort without feeling overwhelmed by space, to multigenerational families with grandchildren, or even a large family with 10 children.
Sumners remembers when the neighborhood was full of kids. Now, as older residents move out, he’s seeing more young families return.
“It’s wonderful to see the neighborhood come alive with children again,” he said. “Whoever buys this home, I hope they fill it with life.”
Listing broker Ann Atkinson with LIV Sotheby’s International Realty said the home offers great flexibility and quality.
“It easily entertains 500 in an afternoon, but it’s also beautiful and comfortable with just two people,” she said.
“I hope whoever buys it enjoys it and makes it their forever home. It’s a masterpiece.”
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