From the outside, the 1918 Georgian Colonial Revival house is simple, symmetrical and stately - exactly what architecture experts would expect.

Stop to admire the columns flanking the front entryway and open the wrought-iron door and you'll see a Park Hill residence that remains true to its style inside and out. A large foyer leads to a dining room on the left, a formal living room on the right. Fourteen-foot ceilings and original bead-board wainscoting reflect the structure's grand past, as do overstuffed sofas and the antiques that dot the home.

It comes as something of a surprise that the overall impression of Robin and Cole Finegan's house is far from intimidating.

Visitors to the Park Hill Home Tour will enter a welcoming, warm space, a home that reflects the down-to-earth nature of its owners. The Finegans' home is one of several on the tour, to be held Sept. 28.

The two bought the home in 1994, certain it would be a great place to raise their two children, who are now in college. Through the years, there was plenty of room for the kids to spread out, with 3,169 square feet on the main and second floors and 1,439 square feet in the finished basement.

"We loved the diverse neighborhood," says Cole, a partner with the law firm Hogan & Hartson. "And I like the feel of an older home, with these high ceilings. There's a sense of history here."

Though both Cole and Robin were originally from Oklahoma, they met in Washington, D.C. After they married, they moved to Denver, to an older home on Fairfax Street.

"We've always loved the old homes," Robin says.

Which is not to say it's effortless to own a piece of history, she notes.

First, it was essential to furnish and decorate the home suitably.

"You should have seen the rug I put down," Robin says, gesturing to the living room. "It did not look right in this house. It was completely the wrong style. I have no decorating ability at all."

Friend Peggy Weiner, of Robbins-Weiner Designs, to the rescue. Today, comfortable seating areas and warm shades of sage, blue and yellow on walls throughout the home invite guests to sit back and relax. A baby grand piano in the living room is testament to the musical abilities of the couple's two children.

"Robin plays, too," says Cole, then adds with a grin. "I'm the only one with no musical talent."

Photos on a round, solid-wood table near the entrance to the living room document the happy years the family has spent within the home's walls.

French doors open from the living room to a library, which is painted red. Radiant heat beneath the floors keeps the room warm.

"One problem with these old homes is that radiators take up all the space along the walls," Robin says. "That makes decorating really difficult."

Custom-made bookshelves in the room hold everything from a collection of Harvard classics to novels by John Updike. Robin's recently reissued book, Hope Gets the Last Word, rests on a desk in a tiny mudroom between the library and the kitchen.

Robin, a victims-services specialist with the Denver district attorney's office, was inspired to write the book with Krista Flannigan after working with victims of tragedies and helping to train others to counsel those in need.

She's worked with victims of the Oklahoma City bombings and the Columbine slayings, but it's not only the huge tragedies she remembers, she says. Losing a child in a traffic accident is just as heart-wrenching.

"Here's what I've learned from years of doing this," Robin says, weaving around her two dogs to make her way to the kitchen. "You learn the gifts of lingering hugs and precious moments. You don't let your kids leave the house without giving them a hug."

The kitchen, which was completely remodeled, is a hot spot for the family and for frequent casual gatherings with friends.

The sunny room, with pale yellow glass-fronted cabinets displaying artful china and pottery, is centered by a large center island.

"This is where we spend 75 percent of our time, like most families," Robin says. "The kids did their homework here. It's a great place to be together."

Upstairs, two rooms were converted into a master suite, with a bedroom, large walk-in closets and a cozy seating area where the couple can curl up to read, watch TV or listen to music.

Another project: the patio. A door from the mudroom near the kitchen leads to a patio with views of the neighborhood past a sweeping lawn. Doug Unfug of Red Shed Architecture designed the new outdoor patio with help from his sister, Candy Roberts.

The existing gazebo and garage were demolished, opening the space up. Gruber Construction built the patio, edged with bricks that once made up the garage. Blue Line Landscaping handled the landscaping.

"We decided we didn't want to put a fence in, because in Park Hill, everyone walks," Robin says. "If we're sitting out here and they want to walk on up and talk with us, that's great. We have many, many friends in the neighborhood."

The couple, both 51, say Park Hill suits them perfectly.

"Park Hill is tolerant, inclusive, diverse, environmentally sensitive and politically engaged," Robin says. "A neighborhood should be a reflection of the people who live there. Park Hill is the best of who we are and who we want to be."

Details

* The home: 1918 Georgian Colonial Revival in Park Hill

* Size: 3,169-square-foot home, plus 1,439-square-foot finished basement

* Rooms: four bedrooms, 31/2 baths

* Cost: $360,000 in 1994

If you go:

* What: 30th annual Park Hill Home Tour, featuring several historic homes. Event includes a silent auction and street fair on Forest Parkway.

* When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 28

* Benefits: Proceeds go to Greater Park Hill Community Inc., which helps fund a summer youth program and other community services

* Tickets: $12 in advance for adults, available at area King Soopers, the Park Hill Cooperative Bookstore, Spinelli's Market, the Park Hill Library and the GPHC office; $15 day of tour at any of the featured homes (discounts for seniors and children).

* Information: gphc.org or call 303-388-0918

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