Mid-Century Modern Revamped for Modern Family of Seven
When Lori and Shan Dagli purchased their mid-century, split-level home in Bow Mar, Colorado, they knew a facelift was in order. As a blended family with two boys and three girls spanning ages 7 to 15 at the time they started their remodel, creating a kid-friendly space was the primary consideration.
“I give Al and the Vertical Arts team credit for coming up with the end design. Throughout the interview and envisioning process, they revealed our needs and helped us identify how we live,” Shan told us. “We knew we didn’t want a huge home because sometimes it’s just the two of us at home when the kids are away and we didn’t want it to feel empty. We wanted a reasonable square footage that could be maximized for our lifestyle.”
Like many 1950’s era homes in the Denver Metro area, this one had great bones; however, its spaces needed to be reconfigured to function for the modern family of seven.

Mid-century modern home’s updated exterior stays true to the neighborhood
RECONFIGURED KIDS’ QUARTERS
Upstairs, our team paid careful attention to designing a mudroom suited to the active family’s hobby and storage needs. From dancing and soccer to swimming and skiing, the parents of five are “unequivocally committed” to their children’s activities and wanted the mudroom to be extremely functional to house all necessary backpacks and gear. The new design includes eight cubbies, plus a new, larger laundry room to accommodate loads on repeat.
A MASTER PLANNED MASTER BEDROOM

The family-friendly home feels cozy no matter how many members are home
FROM ATOMIC RANCH TO MODERN FARMHOUSE
Sarah Tiedeken, our studio lead and manager weighed in, “We wanted to honor the mid-century style that’s prolific in the Bow Mar neighborhood by playing up the low slung architecture, floating flat roof and triangle window configurations. At the same time, we gave the home a modern curb appeal by replacing the dated stone with brick, natural wood siding and exposed timbers.”
Inside, the main floor of this atomic ranch had been built on over time resulting in a choppy floor plan. The remodel design created continuity and fluidity between the living room, dining room and great room resulting in spaces that could be treated separately, or used together when there’s a full house.
Through a two-year design and construction process, the Dagli family is thrilled that they were able to capitalize on Vertical Arts’ architecture and design expertise to manifest their vision for their family’s ideal lifelong abode.

Remodeling vastly improved continuity for main living spaces like the kitchen
Photo credit(s): David Patterson
3 TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR REMODEL INVESTMENT
- If you’re in the market for a remodel, take a page from the Dagli’s story and educate your architect about your family’s preferences, activities and very specific needs so your space will be designed to create very functional living space for your lifestyle.
- If you’re going to make a change, commit to something that is going to change the feel of your home, and not just cosmetically. Finishes and interior design details are major and welcome improvements, but if you’re going to commit to a remodel, work with your architect to determine how structural changes can improve the livability of your home as well.
- Even if selling isn’t in your plans, it is important to prioritize for resale and get the biggest bang for your buck. Denver is a great market for this strategy due to its fast-paced market with additional growth potential, so making smart changes to your property, if approached correctly, can yield a big return.
As with any remodeling project, we encourage customers to plan ahead and choose an architecture team wisely. Choose a partner that will take the time to understand you, your style and your vision for your home as opposed to a company that will rush through the job to make room for the next.