It began as a dream, one born and nourished within the pages of local and national architectural magazines. Slowly it evolved and matured into a home that became the embodiment of an ideal family haven.

The beautiful southeast Denver home of Linda and Brent Smith, built 12 years ago, entices visitors to wander the rooms in search of the fascinating antiques that adorn virtually every wall and table.

With her background in interior design, Linda says she always dreamed that one day she would design and build a home from scratch. When the opportunity arose, the couple enlisted architect Richard Lubischer and Bond General Contractors to create a dwelling that would stand apart from the rest. However, they issued a further challenge to Lubischer: His design would have to incorporate several architectural antiques they had collected during their domestic and international travels.

“When this process first began, I pulled out all my favorite magazines and spent the next three months compiling pictures of everything I liked. I categorized everything and put it in a notebook so that when the time came to meet with the architect and builder, I could offer a clear idea of what I wanted in the house,” Linda explains.

From the onset, Linda conceptualized a home that was informal, warm and welcoming, a vision she pulled off with perfection. She was looking to create an “Old World” feel and insisted on thick walls, soft colors and plenty of interesting architectural touches.

Immediately after they decided to build their dream home, the couple began searching in earnest for unique architectural antiques. Their quest resulted in the many railings, chandeliers and doors that provide a decorative entryway into various rooms.

The home projects a feeling of art for art’s sake, with breathtaking gilded mirrors, chandeliers and paintings. Indeed, each piece of art has a story, and Linda is eager to share the origins of the pieces, some of which date back to the 17th century. The tour begins in the entryway, where a solid bronze chandelier, gilded in 24-karat gold, hangs from the high ceiling. The chandelier, which was traced to the late 1800’s, is so heavy that the builder had to install additional support in the ceiling to accommodate its weight. Framing the wall on one side of the foyer is a huge Italianate wood mirror, recognizable by its intricately carved wood covered with gold-painted plaster. This piece dates back to the late 1600s, and is the first true antique the Smiths acquired.

Another grand chandelier illuminates the dining room. This particular relic was acquired by Linda’s father from an abandoned Chicago hotel. Brent Smith spent an entire winter refurbishing the antique crystal piece, which is more than 100 years old.

The impressive entrance sets the tone for what promises to be a memorable home, one lovingly furnished with patience and foresight. Linda says that even when her home was but a concept on paper, she and her husband began accumulating antiques that would one day lend the house its own unique style.

Not all the home’s decorative elements are true relics — consider, for example, the set of colorful framed prints that hang above the sofa in the foyer (the sofa is a signed and dated pre-Revolutionary War piece). These prints were purchased from a flea market in Montreal and framed so as to give a timeless appearance.

With so much to catch the eye, it’s no wonder the homeowners opted for a largely monochromatic color palette. The walls and high ceilings are painted shades of tan and beige, so all eyes are drawn to furniture and antiques that stand out individually and collectively in their enduring beauty.

By design, the kitchen is situated in the center of the home, where it serves as the heartbeat of all family activity. For such a formal home, one filled with priceless treasures from around the world, the Smith house frequently overflows with kids. With four children of their own, two now in college, the Smiths have made their house a popular stopover for friends, in addition to being a special place for meetings, dinners and parties.

“You can have the most beautiful home in the world, but everyone always gravitates to the kitchen. For that reason, we put it right in the middle of the house, and people always gather in here when we’re home,” Linda says.

For Linda’s involvement in several charitable organizations, her home provides a superb backdrop on many fronts. The kids, for example, love the swimming pool, which is surrounded by gardens that Linda carefully tends and nurtures.

In the downstairs game room, probably the most whimsical room in the home, a chandelier with wrought iron bears hangs over a grand pool table. A rack of cow bells is displayed nearby, tribute to a long-ago trip that was marked by the couple’s observation that the happiest cows were the ones wearing bells around their necks.

One of the most charming rooms in the house is the younger daughter’s bedroom, a large area that is divided into two spaces to accommodate living and sleeping. Tommy Hilfiger blue walls provide a splashy backdrop to the canopied bed. Tucked into a small alcove, a quaint baby dress dangles from a hanger, a cherished relic passed down from Linda’s great-great-grandmother.

Not all the home’s antiques are merely ornamental, as evidenced by the original Baker sideboard in the dining room, which dates back nearly a century. “Designers typically caution people to buy quality, and to acquire things that will last a lifetime,” Linda says. “These kinds of items cannot be replaced and have stood the test of time.”

One of her favorite dining room touches is a Henry Scheffer painting purchased from Kurt Shon Galleries in New Orleans. The picture depicts a patriarch reading the Bible to his family, while they all listen raptly, including the maid who stands to one side. This painting seems in many ways to sum up the Smiths’ home, which focuses on family time, togetherness and collections.

It’s safe to say that the Smiths are a family of collectors. Whether it’s the beautiful collection of antique family Bibles, which began as a Christmas present from Brent to Linda, or one daughter’s bobbing wooden turtles, collections abound within the home. “Brent has always been a collector, beginning with coins as a child, beer steins in college, silver martini shakers and a lot more in between,” Linda explains. This newest collection includes numerous bound Bibles, as well as several rare heart-shield Bibles, which were small, metal-covered Bibles that WWII soldiers carried in their breast pockets for protection.

Conversation pieces are plentiful in the couple’s master bedroom suite, beginning with a chaise that once belonged to Linda’s great-aunt. Linda had the piece reupholstered in deep green velvet and ivory trim, which copied the original piece. Along the wall is a working antique grandfather clock built in Provence, depicting a French soldier dressed in full uniform in the inset. Two antique mahogany chairs, both several hundred years old and still covered in their original upholstery, frame one wall. Above one chair is an English landscape dating from the 1870s. Interestingly, the English artist is a distant relative of Linda’s, dating back four generations.

“When you buy antiques, it’s all about the story behind them,” Linda says. “If the antique dealer can tell you a good story about a piece, then chances are you’re going to have to have it. People want a legacy.”

That said, the Smiths have created their own legacy, one filled with a rich history that spans two continents. It all comes together with grace and flows through the rooms of their home in a timeless wave.