Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2018/January 2019 i 5280 Home

SORRY, CHARLES DICKENS. That’s a terrible rip-off of a lovely book title, but it’s a good headline for the two Denver homes that share the spotlight as winners of our third-annual Top Denver Design contest: both historical architectural styles, both in established city neighborhoods, both purchased by owners who loved them despite many, shall we say, unfortunate aesthetic choices made by previous inhabitants. One is a Victorian whose renovations preserved its genteel lines outside and led to a modern aesthetic on the interior (“So Fresh, So Clean,” page 90); the other is a century-old home with architecture inspired by the Italian Renaissance style that got a true-to-its-roots update, complete with faithfully recreated millwork (“The Rest Is History,” page 82). For design geeks like me, the fastidious, thoughtful work that gives…

Interior designer Andrea Schumacher’s move to a new office and showroom was spurred by an annoyance many of us have experienced: Her landlord was going to jack up the rent. So she did what you might expect from one of Denver’s most enterprising creative minds: She cut and run—and purchased a 3,500-square-foot storefront in a 1924 building in the Art District on Santa Fe. She turned it into her ultimate design lair, with an upstairs office and vibrant mural-lined showroom stocked with everything from a brass-and-mica praying mantis coffee table (with a light-up tail) designed by Jacques Duval-Brasseur in 1970s Paris, to an 1870s West Indian four-poster bed Schumacher inherited from her grandmother’s home on St. Thomas. The space opened in early October (call for shopping hours) and houses both…

If you’ve been paying any attention as you’ve passed through Denver’s hotels, theaters, office buildings, and hospitals, you’ve noticed that great art—not those mass-produced abstract watercolors, but bona fide fine art—is popping up everywhere. Behind many of those pieces are Martha Weidmann and Molly Casey, co-founders of Denver-based corporate-art-curation company Nine Dot Arts, who have made it their business to use the power of original art to transform everyday spaces—from hotel lobbies to city blocks—into experiences. Since founding Nine Dot Arts in 2009, Weidmann and Casey—both formally trained studio artists—have helped clients in more than 33 states and four countries source original works by emerging and established artists from Colorado and around the globe. (Along the way, they’ve helped launch the careers of local favorites Ian Fisher, Sandra Fettingis, and…

1. BLOOM BY ANUSCHKA NEIGHBORHOODS: CHERRY CREEK NORTH AND UNION STATION When Alice fell down the rabbit hole, she must have felt a bit like customers do upon entering this Cherry Creek boutique for the first time: completely enchanted.“The stores are supposed to feel like a fantasy world, a curated treasure hunt,” says owner Anuschka Pashel, who opened a sister store at Union Station in 2014. A former model who began traveling the world at 18, Pashel now brings the world to her storefront: You might spot a 6-foot-tall Balinese carved-stone sculpture, paintings by European artists Sabine Maes and Matti Berglund, ceramic origami-inspired incense holders, and a Brazilian quartz-crystal cluster (a striking focal point for your foyer) that weighs more than 200 pounds. What’s New: A collection of Moroccan wool…

ABEND GALLERY You’ll find a broad spectrum of mediums—think oil paintings, encaustic, and mixed media—from local, national, and international artists at this gallery. (A robust inventory practically guarantees you’ll find something you love.) Tuesday–Saturday noon.–6 p.m.; 1412 Wazee St., 303-355-0950, abendgallery.com ACCESS GALLERY Nearly 20 percent of Americans have disabilities, yet rarely do we see art and images that reflect this number. Showcasing work by both emerging and renowned artists with disabilities, this Art District on Santa Fe gallery explores societal views and disability culture. Tuesday 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m.– 4 p.m., First and Third Fridays 3–8 p.m., and Second Saturdays 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; 909 Santa Fe Drive, 303-777-0797, accessgallery.org ART STUDENTS LEAGUE OF DENVER Since 1987, the Art Students League of Denver has supported artists…

1 THE EATING NOOK A mix of natural and artificial lighting is key to helping spaces like this one work equally well for a cozy cup of coffee in the morning, a working lunch with a laptop, or a date-night dinner. Sunlight drenches the lobby through more than 16-foot-tall windows during the day. In the evening, thick velvet drapes (Clarke & Clarke’s Palais Velvet Indigo) are drawn to create a more romantic, exclusive ambience. “I’ve been in so many restaurants or bars that are beautifully designed, but the lights are too cool, too white on the spectrum,” says Ryan Diggins, a partner at Gravitas Development Group, which built the independently owned and operated hotel. His solution: custom crystal chandeliers (see page 64) by Spike Lighting—fitted with Philips Lighting’s Warm Glow…

Rebecca Stumpf PHOTOGRAPHER “White! Plain old white,” says photographer Rebecca Stumpf. “It’s an amazing blank slate to build upon and create one’s own unique style.” And if you need a little help cultivating a distinctive look, turn to our story about the best decor stores in Denver (page 43), which Stumpf photographed. “I loved exploring the breadth of design styles right here in the city,” she says. “There’s something for everyone—from a midcentury sofa to a new French country-style armoire.” Stumpf’s work has been featured in Outside, Food & Wine, and Sunset. Jessica LaRusso WRITER 5280 managing editor Jessica LaRusso might just try to move into the Ramble Hotel: “The developers did an amazing job of bringing something exciting and elevated to the city and making it feel like it’s…

Entrepreneur Margot Elena carefully turns the page of an oversized portfolio book, yellowed and torn at the edges like aged parchment, stained by the touch of many hands over the years. It—and each page that follows—reveals swatches of fanciful, intricate prints: delicate roses and feathery greens here, muted stripes and vibrant splashes of lilac there. Smudged, hand-written script is scrawled across the margins—design notes from artists of a bygone era. The book—more of an artifact, really—is a miniscule piece of a prestigious historical design archive recently acquired by Elena, whose eponymous Englewood-based company makes bath, body, and home products (think: TokyoMilk and Lollia) known as much for their whimsically beautiful packaging as for their seductive fragrances. Purchased from textile collector Dimitrios Apostolou, who has housed the collection in New York…

1. Where: THE ELIZABETH HOTEL, Fort Collins, first-floor elevator lobby Look For: Mixed-media artist John Garrett’s curtain-like “Mourning,” which is made of crocheted audio cassette tape—in keeping with the hotel’s music theme. 2. Where: LE MÉRIDIEN DENVER DOWNTOWN HOTEL, behind the reception desk Look For: “Marie,” a giant assemblage of more than 1,100 miniature oil portraits of Marie Antoinette, by Denver painter Jonathan Saiz. 3. Where: THE MAVEN HOTEL, LoDo, first-floor elevator lobby Look For: Denver visual artist Travis Hetman’s “Dark Matter Gathering” (above), comprising hundreds of old black-and-white photographs embellished with tiny, hand-painted “dark matter clusters.” 4. Where: DENVER THEATRE DISTRICT Look For: “The Blue Trees,” an installation for which artist Konstantin Dimopoulos and volunteers coated 156 real trees with nontoxic, natural blue pigment that will naturally degrade over…

Where: David B. Smith Gallery When: December 14–January 26 Opening Reception: December 14, 6–8 p.m. What: San Diego–based artist Laura Ball presents a collection of 12 new watercolors at this solo exhibition. Inspired by the impressive and curious creatures she frequently visits at her hometown zoo, Ball uses her art to draw attention to connections that exist among all living creatures. In her dreamlike paintings, she weaves realistic renderings of endangered species together to create colorful mandalas and mythical hybrid beasts.…

It’s a great time to be a design fan. Thanks to Instagram, Pinterest, and cable TV, we’ve got more gorgeous rooms than we could look at in a lifetime—and expert tips to help us get the look—right at our fingertips. But with the same modern farmhouse kitchen popping up on the feeds of viewers from Cleveland to Fresno, it’s no wonder that design these days has become rather, well, homogenous. ¶ That’s why we’re especially proud to represent a community of design pros who dare to create spaces that say more about the people who live and work in them than about what’s trendy now. For this issue, we pored over portfolios to find the best examples of forward-thinking design for your home and office (and because this is sunny…

The faces of ARCHITECTURE AIAColorado empowers architects to design a better world where we all can live, work and play. Its annual Design & Honor Awards celebrate architects who are innovative designers, community leaders and are advancing architecture in Colorado and beyond. 2018 Architect of the Year Nan Anderson, FAIA; Principal/Founder, Anderson Hallas Architects For nearly 30 years, Anderson has dedicated her practice to the preservation of the West’s rugged and refined architectural heritage. 2018 Young Firm of the Year Meridian 105 Architecture Founded in 2010 by Chad Mitchell, AIA, Meridian 105 specializes in both residential and commercial, having designed the notable Avanti Food & Beverage. 2018 Young Architect of the Year Ryan Meeks, AIA; Architect, Shears Adkins Rockmore Architects Early in his career, Meeks has led the design of…

If the undulating bends of Jason McCloskey’s chairs and side tables make you think of the curved tips of your skis—or the slopes you might cruise down on them—that’s no mistake. The Wheat Ridge furniture-maker, who grew up carving turns down New England’s White and Green mountains, then spent 13 years rafting rivers in Colorado and Utah as part of his work for Outward Bound, takes design inspiration from backcountry terrain. His technical cues come from the way skis (which he also crafts, as a hobby) are constructed. But it wasn’t until 2010, when he was studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, that he began combining his passions for woodworking and outdoor adventure. “I had [the Outward Bound] part of my life, and I had my furniture-making, and…

Batya Stepelman has a passion for wallpaper—one so strong that in 2016, the former PR professional left her career to launch the wallpaper boutique and design consultancy WallTawk & Design. But simply selling gorgeous wallpapers by independent designers and artists wasn’t quite enough to satisfy Stepelman’s creative appetite: “I had dreamed of creating a Denver-centric wallpaper for several years,” says Stepelman, who was inspired by Flavor Paper’s Brooklyn Toile wallcovering, which incorporates iconic Big Apple imagery into an at-first-glance traditional toile pattern. There was just one problem: “I can’t even draw a stick figure,” Stepelman says, “so I thought about local artists who do amazing work.” Top of mind was Meredith Feniak, a botanical illustrator and artist whose work Stepelman had spotted around town—on the windows at Bloom by Anuschka…

5280 Home : Most important question first: Can anybody shop here? Jo Mabary: Yes! You can browse anytime with no appointment. Most showrooms require a designer to make a purchase; we always have one on duty, complimentary. When you come in the West Building, the receptionist will give you a card with the designer’s phone number on it. He or she will join you wherever you want to make a purchase and facilitate it. You’ll pay net price, plus 20 percent, which is still way under retail. Let’s say you’re purchasing something for $100: The designer’s net price is $60, which means you get it for $72. For people who are looking to hire an interior designer, we also have a free referral program; take…

Where: RULE Gallery When: through December 29 Opening Reception: December 14, 6–8 p.m. What: The late John Fudge was a veteran of the Colorado art scene, but his paintings certainly don’t depict the mountain landscapes that come to mind when you think of the Centennial State. Instead, his artwork—which features dinosaur pets in the backyard and long-haired, anthropomorphic birds—falls somewhere between suburban Gothic and comic-book fantasy.…

The grande dame of Cheesman Park was looking—at 106 years old—more than tired. Built in 1912 in the Italian Renaissance style, she’d housed only three families over a century, during which time careless renovations had rendered her a strange conglomeration of disparate design epochs—right up to her third level, last updated in 1972 and every bit the Brady Bunch set sprung to life. Her new owners asked themselves the inevitable question—one that aging Tinseltown sirens have pondered silently for decades: How do you give an icon a major facelift while preserving her unique character, so she still looks like herself? The answer was to call in the professionals: design-build firm Factor Design Build and interior designer Beth Armijo. “THE HOMEOWNERS WANTED TO MAKE THINGS A LITTLE MORE ACCESSIBLE for a…