Douglas Kerbs fell in love with 727 N. Washington St. when he first saw the property in 2008.
He wasn’t planning to buy a house, but he worried about its future if he didn’t buy the stately 9,104-square-foot Capitol Hill mansion constructed in 1911.
“I didn’t want to see it ruined,” he said. “I feared it would be turned into law offices, condos or apartments.”
So, the LIV Sotheby’s International Realty broker bought it for $1.3 million. The mansion was vacant from 2008 to 2013 before Kerbs restored it to preserve its historic architectural elements while adding contemporary amenities such as a state-of-the-art security system with indoor and exterior cameras.
“I didn’t cut corners,” he said. “What I did, I did right and I did it with quality.”
Kerbs’ first attempt to restore the home ended when the contractor scammed him. His second effort started in 2013, and he spent nearly $2 million renovating and restoring the building.
“Only a few contractors know how to work on historic properties to protect and preserve them,” he said. “I wanted to make sure the work was done appropriately.”
Kerbs has lived in the home for eight years and briefly listed it for sale for $4.8 million in the fall of 2022 after receiving multiple off-market inquiries.
Now, he’s ready to find the mansion’s next caretaker and hopes to find someone who shares his vision and won’t prejudge the home’s location in Cap Hill.
“If you picked it up and dropped it into Denver Country Club, it would be worth $10 million,” he said.
“You have to come to the house to understand it. Until you step inside it, you’ll never know what you missed.”
The mansion’s barrel-vaulted entry hall features crown molding and ornate custom plasterwork. (Courtesy Andrew Fornio)
The home includes rare features for 1911, such as bedrooms with walk-in closets, a warmer drawer in the butler’s pantry, and a button on the dining room floor that rings the butler’s pantry.
Kerbs renovated the home’s electrical, plumbing and air conditioning systems while preserving the original hot water radiators on the first floor as decorative pieces. “They’re so ornate, I wanted to keep them for the historical integrity, but they also look like art work.”
He also kept the home’s mahogany staircase, quarter-sawn oak flooring, and the original billiards room in the basement.
On the second floor, he combined two rooms to create a large primary suite with a health room and a walk-in closet, replicating the Yves Saint Laurent Boutique in New York City.
He converted the former servants’ quarters on the third floor into a guest suite with two bedrooms, a living space and an office.
Kerbs added a pool in the backyard, a catering kitchen and a wine cellar with a dining room table in the basement.
He also installed a snow-melt system on the sidewalks, driveway and patio.
Kerbs added a pool in the backyard and installed a snow-melt system on the sidewalks, driveway and patio. (Courtesy Andrew Fornio)
Kerbs, who formerly worked for Tiffany & Co. and Subaru, is selling the home with $500,000 worth of furnishings and antiques he’s collected from around the world. Because he doesn’t cook, the new owner will get a house filled with relatively unused appliances.
He plans to stay in Denver but hasn’t picked his next home yet. Instead, he’s focused on finding the right owner for the six-bedroom, six-bathroom home at 727 N. Washington.
Kerbs can envision several potential owners, from a young couple relocating from New York with young children who want to raise a family in an urban environment to a couple or family who loves to entertain.
“It’s easy to entertain in,” he said of the house. “I had one event for Denver Art Museum patrons with 175 people here. It wasn’t crowded. You wouldn’t have known there were that many people here. The home has a wonderful flow.”
He can also imagine someone choosing the home rather than moving to an upscale condo building when they downsize from a 20,000-square-foot Cherry Hills mansion. “This would be a great alternative. You’ve got your urban environment, but you’ve also got your privacy and the pool.”
Another option is for an investor to buy the property and use it for either long-term leases or short-term rentals.
“Right now, there are very few options for leasing a home this size that’s luxurious and fully furnished.”
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