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High Drama

By DEB NICKLAY, Of The Globe Gazette

If you offered a design challenge, Gary and Peg Danhour of Clear Lake most likely would be the first in line to accept it.

Their home on North 10th Street is a clear example of why the Danhours, veterans of the remodeling wars, had the hardy stuff needed to turn a 1940s home into a dramatic eye catcher that mixes traditional and contemporary. The couple honed their skills while decorating three new homes and remodeling five other older homes. Gary, who works for IBM, said he knew this home “had good bones” the minute he saw it.

“In fact, we didn’t even go inside before we signed the papers,” he said. “It really didn’t matter because of what we knew we’d be doing to it.”

The couple completely gutted the home, pulling out walls and adding two additions, expanding the home to 2,800 square feet, almost double the original size. The home, once home to seven rooms, now has 12.

“One of our objectives was to make sure everyone had their own space,” Gary said. The family has four members. A new garage was added. Above it are two new bedrooms and two office areas, all lighted with dormer windows.

The couple removed plaster from ceilings and walls, installed new plumbing and wiring and added new, larger windows and recentered them when necessary. Except for the flooring, the couple did all the work themselves.

“There isn’t a room that hasn’t been changed,” said Peg.

Homes to the Danhours are like canvases upon which they can brush broad strokes of design savvy and color. Golds and reds spring from walls. Painted black woodwork throughout the home sets off the hues in bold relief. Old hands at design, they were not afraid to try today’s bold colors in their paint schemes.

“We wanted to give a European style to the house, but we’re traditional in some ways, too,” Peg said.

The home’s foyer and living room are awash in wheat color, set off by the black trim. The area opens to the home’s kitchen and dining area, painted in a bold, deep red.

The kitchen, rich with custom-made maple cabinets, serves as a central gathering area on the first floor. It also serves as a natural buffer between the more formal living room and spacious family room, created within an addition.

The area illustrates Gary’s skill as a carpenter. He installed colonnades found in another building, creating their caps and bases, between the kitchen and family room. The family room ceiling is coffered, adding depth and a richness to the room.

Peg has a sensitive eye for detail, spending as much time picking out the right lighting fixture as she would a sofa. She is also not afraid to buy what is right rather than buying at the “right place.” Discount candles mix with a coffee table from a higher end store.

Light is important to the couple. They made a special point to widen window areas in the remodeling. Wall sconces are prevalent through the home, providing accent lighting, while recessed lighting does the work in other areas.

The couple wisely understate their furniture — which is comfortable and low-slung — allowing an entire room to make an impression rather letting one piece draw the eye. Wood floors and a high-end frieze carpet add class to the rooms.

Gold walls and black trim were carried through to the upstairs, in the children’s bedrooms as well as the den areas.

Peg is successful at carrying motifs throughout the home, although not overemphasizing their use. Her love of leopard print, for instance, is carried in a variety of details, from photo frames to bathroom towels. The detail, however, is not predominant in any area. The use of a common paint color throughout most of the home gives it a cohesiveness and flow.

Protests to the contrary, the Danhours recently found out that they may, indeed, find themselves facing another decorating or construction challenge.

Gary recently discover that his company will soon relocate the family to a new state.

So once again, the Danhours will have new design worlds to conquer.