“Home is a place where you and your family are safe. A place where days start with promise and end with satisfaction.”
As it gets colder, we seek warmth and comfort in our space. In light of the global situation, taking shelter in our homeplace has a renewed significance this winter. Defining home has never been an easy task, but perhaps the pandemic has shown us what we truly hold dear.
Home is a place where you and your family are safe. A place where days start with promise and end with satisfaction. Home gives you a sense of arrival. Whatever it means to you, you can find what feels like home at Barefoot Lakes.
The setting
Located in the growing locale of Firestone, Barefoot Lakes sits just east of I-25, offering easy access to Denver, Longmont, Loveland and Fort Collins. Yet coming home means leaving the city behind and stepping into a peaceful neighborhood. At Barefoot Lakes, your arrival home is defined by two shimmering lakes surrounded by a master-planned haven featuring wide open space, miles of lakeside and nature trails to wander, and an entire world of friendly wildlife. When a sunset or sunrise paints the scene in vibrant pinks and purples, you know that this is where you belong, and that you are lucky to call it home.
The community’s 12-acre Peninsula Park offers new ways to experience familiar places and feelings: with a picnic on the Great Lawn, or stand up paddle boarding and kayaking launching from the dock. Water is never far from your sight in this community – and that’s the way it’s intended to be. Life at Barefoot Lakes is enhanced by the principle of blue mind science: the theory that there are tangible neurological, psychological and emotional benefits to connecting with water spaces. Proposed by marine biologist Wallace Nichols in his book Blue Mind, blue mind science is supported by the commonly shared attitude that lakeside living is relaxing and wholesome. As an added benefit, the lakes also support a wealth of wildlife, which provide an engaging backdrop in both sight and sound.
The gentle lapping of the lakes upon their shores is not the only soundtrack of your home at Barefoot Lakes. You’ll also hear the croaking of the bullfrog and the woodhouse toad, and birdsongs from a diverse bird population including the black chickadee, the western meadowlark, the blue heron, the robin and the barn swallow, among others.
The land on which Barefoot Lakes is now positioned has a rich history of homesteading. During the Colorado War, it was Fort Junction, a sod fortress that protected settlers. Before Colorado was even officially a state, this area was home to the McCissick coal mine, the first of its kind. For many years, people have been coming home to Barefoot Lakes. Now it’s your turn.
The “hearth of the home” symbolizes warmth, light and protection. (Photo courtesy: Barefoot Lakes).
Customize your cozy
The “hearth of the home” symbolizes warmth, light and protection. While a hearth is technically the area in front of a fireplace, your home at Barefoot Lakes will have many safe, inviting spaces for you to begin your mornings and close out your evenings.
New home portfolios from five different builders – Brookfield Residential, CreekStone Homes, KB Home, Lennar, and Richmond American Homes – bring a variety of single and two-story homes plans to Barefoot Lakes, each with its own version of comfort. A finished basement can bring solace in many ways: imagine the laughter of children floating up from the playroom, or the pride of bringing your out-of-town guests down to their private space. The builders at Barefoot Lakes know that the surrounding scenery is one of the neighborhood’s most valuable components, so homes have large windows and plenty of natural light. On starry nights or sunny days, you can always catch a glimpse of Colorado’s beauty.
While some define cozy as a tiny, cramped cottage, the Barefoot Lakes builders showcase that one doesn’t need to sacrifice space for that warm, enclosed feeling. Openness and room to spread out are an important part of feeling at ease in your home. Larger homes mean more space to yourself: to work, to focus, to exercise, to relax, to unwind. You can do all of it in your home. When you have a home environment that you truly love, nothing is weather-contingent.
The builders at Barefoot Lakes know that the surrounding scenery is one of the neighborhood’s most valuable components, so homes have large windows and plenty of natural light. (Photo courtesy: Barefoot Lakes).
The Cove: Your home away from home
When you need a change of scenery, as we all do sometimes, The Cove at Barefoot Lakes offers homelike comforts beyond the four walls of your own home. Situated on the eastern portion of the community’s WaterSide neighborhood, right along an open space gulch, wildlife watching from the casual seating areas both inside and outside The Cove is a happy way to pass the time. Engage in some self-care with state-of-the-art exercise equipment, use the flex rooms for personal classes, swim in the six-lane lap pool while kids play in the splash zone, or sip on a warm drink from the free coffee bar.
While the fireplace inside The Cove is always inviting, these cooler fall months provide perfect weather for enjoying the scenic outdoor firepits at The Cove. Bring your favorite beverage and few friends to enjoy the glow and heat of the fire while breathing in the crisp night air of this special season.
Come home to Barefoot Lakes this fall
The leaves are changing colors, and the buttery yellows and crimson reds remind us that this season is a time for growth and change. It’s an opportunity to reflect on our definition of home: what it means to us and what we want from it. Home is where the heart is, and you can find yours at Barefoot Lakes.
For more information, visit barefootlakes.com.
By Emma Castleberry, At Home Colorado
