House transformed from plain Jane to Cinderella

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

"It's the ugliest house I've ever seen." Those were Rick Hatfield's first words as he surveyed the house his wife, Kate, wanted to buy.

The house in question has a great location, in the Dean Acres subdivision between Fort Collins and LaPorte. It's also right across the street from Lee Lake, a plus for the grandkids. However, it was about as plain Jane as they come, with no architectural interest on the outside. Inside, the 1960s home was fitted with dark paneling and pink - yes, pink - kitchen cabinets.

Kate, however, saw a diamond in the rough, and she prevailed. The 2,400-square-foot home has an open floor plan with large rooms, tongue-and-groove vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, providing a rustic look that the couple prefers. "It's built like a rock," Rick admitted.

"The house had everything I wanted - a large lot, a location close to town, nice view to the west and even a lake," Kate said. "All it needed was tender loving care."

That was 2001, and five years later the home has undergone a Cinderella-like transformation. With a lot of sweat equity and just $20,000, the couple have created a style they call Tuscan-Colorado, with lots of stucco and stone, a wonderful, wide veranda, water features front and back, and tile ... lots of tile.

Rick Hatfield is a tile contractor, so tile figures prominently in the new look. It also fits in well with the Old World look. One of Hatfield's first jobs was to install Satillo tiles - a soft, unglazed product popular in the Southwest - throughout most of the home. The kitchen and bath also have tile and slate on counter tops and walls. Satillo tiles cut in small squares add a nice touch around the exterior doors and windows.

There has been no shortage of projects, both inside and out. Inside, the Hatfields replaced the paneling with rough-textured drywall to keep with the Tuscan look. Outside, they added a new facade and patio, topped with a red tile roof, an addition that defines the style of the home and gives it a welcoming look. Front windows were replaced with larger ones to take advantage of the lake view, and Rick added a comfortable sitting area for enjoying the summer sunsets.

Rick also did a lot of landscaping work, adding a sprinkler system, terracing and new bridges over the irrigation canal.

This couple obviously likes projects. Next, they plan to put on a small addition for a new master bath. You guessed it; there will be colorful tile on the floor and walls of that new room as well.