227 Balsam Lane: A Pine Brook Hills Mountain Retreat Built Without Compromise
/Some homes get updated. Some get staged and listed. And every once in a while, a home comes along that was built by someone who simply refused to cut corners because he was building it for himself.
227 Balsam Lane in Pine Brook Hills is that home.
Elk Run Holdings, a Boulder-based team of master craftsmen, designers, and visionaries, took a 1969 home and completely renovated and modernized it from the foundation up. New roof. New plumbing. New electrical. New mechanicals. New insulation to 2020 building code. New everything. And alongside it all, they built one of the most extraordinary collector garages in Boulder County.
The result is a property that is as complete as it is rare.
The Setting
Pine Brook Hills sits just above Boulder proper, tucked into the pines along the foothills in a way that feels genuinely removed from the city while being five minutes to Broadway and eight minutes to Pearl Street. County plowed roads. World-class hiking trails right outside the door. A peaceful, private neighborhood where the houses sit on generous lots and the skies are wide open.
227 Balsam Lane occupies a gently sloping 1.26-acre lot with new landscaping, a stone patio, stairs, and a large enclosed fenced area. The driveway is paved and was professionally engineered alongside a drainage system designed to route water completely away from the home, a critical and costly detail in a hillside neighborhood. The property is Wildfire Partners certified, a meaningful distinction in a mountain community.
And the views.
From the great room, you are looking out at the foothills, the Boulder Reservoir shimmering in the distance, city lights stretching across the plains at dusk, and epic sunrises every single morning. A four-section panoramic door wall by Panoramic Door Company opens the entire room to the outdoors, creating a seamless connection between the interior and everything beyond it. There is no good way to describe what it feels like to stand in that room for the first time. You just have to see it.
The Interior
Step inside and the renovation announces itself immediately.
Soaring vaulted ceilings wrapped in oak beams anchor the great room. Wide-plank white oak floors run throughout the entire home. A designer gas fireplace with a floor-to-ceiling stacked stone surround and wireless remote commands the space. New WeatherShield windows and sliding doors flood every room with natural light. Cable railing. New three-panel solid core interior doors with Schlage hardware throughout. New LED recessed lighting alongside designer fixtures by George Kovacs, Minka, Crate and Barrel, and Pottery Barn. Klipsch speaker systems on both levels. Showplace soft-close cabinetry. Custom and designer tile throughout. Frameless shower doors in every bathroom.
This is not a partial renovation with a fresh coat of paint. Every single detail was replaced or upgraded.
The Kitchen
The chef's kitchen is a serious cooking space. A Thermador 48 inch gas range and oven. A Thermador 54 inch hood. A Thermador 42 inch built-in refrigerator and freezer. A Thermador dishwasher. A Sharp under-counter drawer microwave. A large professional stainless steel single basin Kraus sink with Delta faucet. Quartz countertops. A built-in dining room hutch with a Zephyr under-counter beverage refrigerator. A dining room slider opening directly to the deck and the views beyond.
This is a kitchen that takes entertaining seriously.
The Primary Suite
The primary suite carries the same vaulted ceilings with oak-wrapped beams as the great room, creating a sense of volume and warmth that most bedrooms simply do not have. The spa-inspired bath features a rectangular soaking tub, double vanities with Delta fixtures, a walk-in shower with dual heads and wand, frameless shower door, and heated floors. Woodbridge toilets. Every fixture and finish selected with the same intentionality as the rest of the home.
The Lower Level
The walk-out lower level feels like an entirely separate retreat. A second gas fireplace anchors the family room, which opens directly to the outdoors. The guest bedroom also has walk-out access, making this level genuinely flexible for guests, extended family, or a private work-from-home setup. Heated bathroom floors. Klipsch speaker system. The same finish quality as the upper level throughout.
The Smart Home and Systems
227 Balsam Lane is quietly intelligent. Google Nest thermostats, doorbell, and smoke and CO2 detectors. Kasa app dimmable lighting. Bliss app motorized window coverings. Smart garage door openers with WiFi control throughout.
The mechanical package is equally thorough. A new Navien 95% high-efficiency boiler with 45-gallon side arm tank. All new plumbing throughout the house. Two Mitsubishi mini splits providing A/C and supplemental heat. A new 175 amp service to the house with all new electrical wiring and Dekora trim. Pre-wired generator circuit. New meter and line to house, along with pole transformer. New septic tank and expanded leach field supporting a legal 5-bedroom designation. In-floor radiant heat. A 5KW solar farm. A whole house water filter installed in 2023.
This is a home that will not surprise you with expensive repairs. Everything has been done.
The Garage
This is where 227 Balsam Lane becomes something that most buyers stop dreaming about.
The 995 sq ft detached 3-car collector garage was not an afterthought. It was a centerpiece, designed and built by someone who understood exactly what a world-class automotive facility requires.
Here is what that looks like in practice.
Industrial firehouse rapid-rise doors. Sixteen foot ceilings. Twenty-four foot depth accommodating most trailers with room to spare. A 9,000 lb lift with dedicated wiring and epoxy floors reinforced with extra rebar to support up to three lifts, all on dedicated circuits. Compressed air plumbed throughout the entire garage. An Intelagard foam fire suppression system with nitrogen tank to protect what matters most. Three Big Ass fans for year-round air circulation. A 45,000 BTU gas heater for Colorado winters. Full-width center floor drain. A dedicated 100 amp subpanel. DarkSky compliant lighting. New garage windows. Smart garage door opener with WiFi control. And 220v EV charging.
The 2-car attached garage adds a new industrial door, a second 220v EV outlet, and its own smart opener. Combined, this is a 5-car setup that is virtually impossible to find this close to Boulder.
If you are a serious collector, you already know what this means. If you have been waiting for the right property to finally house your cars the way they deserve, this is it.
The Bottom Line
Five bedrooms. Four bathrooms. 3,053 square feet. 1.26 private acres. Completely renovated and modernized. Wildfire Partners certified. Five minutes to Broadway. Eight minutes to Pearl Street.
A property this complete, this considered, and this close to Boulder does not come along often. When it does, it does not last.
Come See It
Public open house Saturday, April 5th from 11am to 1pm. No appointment necessary.
To schedule a private showing or ask questions, reach out directly anytime.
Gretchen Heine | Broker Associate | milehimodern 805.722.5800 gretchen@milehimodern.com gretchenheine.com
