With winter holidays approaching, the itch to transform your home into something out of a design magazine is real. But before you dive headfirst into demo day, take some sage advice from Elizabeth P. Lord, Denver’s own renovation whisperer. With nearly 20 years of experience in residential design and construction, she knows how to turn potential remodeling nightmares into dreamy spaces that are as practical as they are beautiful. And she’s here to share her go-to strategies for a stress-free (or at least, less stressful) project—just in time for your New Year’s renovation resolutions.
We all dream big when it comes to home makeovers, but Lord stresses that budget is your guiding star. “Start with an investment amount you’re comfortable with, then decide where to indulge and where to cut back,” she says. In the featured Highlands Bungalow kitchen remodel above, the homeowners prioritized top-of-the-line appliances but kept things balanced by opting for a simple yet stunning backsplash. The open layout, achieved by integrating a sunroom and removing a wall, floods the space with natural light, creating the perfect environment for their beloved plants. Thoughtful design details, like rearranging appliances for better flow and adding extra storage under the windows, ensure that the kitchen isn’t just beautiful—it’s a joy to use.
If there’s one way to guarantee a smoother project, it’s planning. Lord’s philosophy is that the more decisions made before construction begins, the better. Change orders can be a budget buster, often adding unexpected costs and delays. Selecting and ordering materials in advance—those gorgeous pendant lights, the eye-catching rug, or even the cabinetry hardware—keeps your project moving forward, especially in a season prone to shipping delays. The key is reducing surprises, so you can toast the New Year without worrying about backorders.
The renovation guru’s design philosophy isn’t about creating magazine- perfect rooms; it’s about making spaces that work for the people who live in them. “Every decision should make sense for the way you live,” she says. Whether it’s a larger vanity and skylight in the Green Mountain Primary Suite or widening pathways in the kitchen for seamless entertaining, her approach is equal parts functional and beautiful. Lord believes every design element should have a purpose. She says to never choose a feature just for show but to make the space work better. That could mean building in storage for holiday hosting essentials or designing with the flow of guests in mind.
