Dec 15, 2006 12:58 pm US/Mountain
First Lady Owens Looks Back On Mansion's Changes
by Molly Hughes
DENVER (CBS4) ―
First Lady
Frances Owens has overseen lots of work on the Colorado Governor's Mansion during her husband's 8 years in office. Gov.
Bill Owens term comes to an end on Jan. 9, when the family will turn the mansion keys over to
Bill Ritter and his wife Jeannie.
Before Christmas, Frances Owens gave CBS4's Molly Hughes a look inside the mansion.
"We have two gentlemen that decorate every year and they do it different, so you can showcase this house every year and it always looks different," Owens said. "I think the decorations this year are stunning, very elegant."
The mansion is officially called the
Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion.
There is brand new state China in the dining room designed to host high powered guests.
Private donors have funded $5 million worth of renovations during the Owens' 8 years in the residence. Frances is proud of the work she's accomplished renovating, repairing and refurbishing everything from floors to walls.
"We found this in the attic so we replaced one of the original chandeliers back down here," she said.
Other work done: the lighting was re-wired, the bathroom plumbing is all new and a lot of historic furniture refurbished. Owens said some rooms had 18 layers of paint.
One room worked on was the Governor's master bedroom.
"It's been repainted and re-carpeted and new furniture with private funds," Owens said. "A lot of the furniture that was here, it was all historic from the Boettchers from years and years ago."
Frances Owens reflected on leaving the mansion after 8 years of work.
"I will be very sad because 8 years is a long time in a house and I really put a lot into this home," she said.
A memo prepared for Gov.-Elect Bill Ritter said that an estimated $5 million in additional repairs to the mansion are needed.
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