A major remodel of the house John Denver built in 1972 was unveiled to the public Thursday during an open house held days after the property was put on the market for $11 million.<\/p>\n
As Denver\u2019s chart-topping, mellow hits from the 1970s played softly in the background, married couple and brokers Jim and Anita Bineau showed off the home previously owned by one of the Aspen area\u2019s most famous residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople talk about it and they refer to it as the John Denver house pretty consistently,\u201d Jim Bineau said, adding that the celebrity appeal \u201cadds some pizzazz, but look, it\u2019s priced right in the market so people are asking first, does it have the views, does it have the floor plan, does it have the style? That\u2019s first and foremost.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denver built the house during the pinnacle of his fame \u2014 it was one of the first structures to be erected in the gated community located between Aspen and Woody Creek.<\/p>\n
The 7,735-square-foot home underwent a remodel in 1985 and swapped ownership twice after Denver died at the age of 53, when a private aircraft he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay near Pacific Grove, California, in October 1997.<\/p>\n
The current owners of the 570 Johnson Drive home, Denis and Kelly O\u2019Donovan, \u201cliterally took the house beyond the studs,\u201d Jim Bineau said, and \u201cadded a lot of glass, a lot of windows.\u201d<\/p>\n
The remodel is a blend of the original home with modern elements. The home still has its original kitchen cabinets and bar, for instance, but they were repurposed to give them a modern feel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new owner will enjoy the modernity of new construction married with the satisfaction of owning the home of one of Aspen\u2019s most notable icons,\u201d glow marketing materials for the property.<\/p>\n
Because it has no historic designations, the home could have been razed and replaced.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey could have (demolished) it, but they really wanted to preserve what they could,\u201d said Jim Bineau, who works for Coldwell Banker Mason Morse. \u201cThey were really excited that it was John Denver\u2019s house. It had meaning to them, and they preserved all of it that they could.\u201d<\/p>\n
In its current, updated form, the home has five bedrooms, five baths and two half-baths, along with office space, a workout room, three wet bars and other features.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe house had great bones,\u201d Anita Bineau said. \u201cThey just wanted it open for today\u2019s buyer.\u201d<\/p>\n