Innehållsförteckning för February/March 2018 från 5280 Home

MY HUSBAND AND I are sitting on the couch, binge-watching yet another BBC series on Netflix, and his phone dings to let us know he’s gotten a text. I check my watch. It’s 9:52 p.m. “Who’s that?” I ask. After-hours communication makes me nervous: Doesn’t all bad news arrive when we’re supposed to be asleep? (That’s how it happens in BBC series, anyway.) “The sprinklers,” he grins. He flips the phone to show me, like our kindergartener holding up an art project of which he’s quite proud. Sure enough, the message says that because of rain in the forecast, the system will skip the scheduled watering cycle. “Our sprinklers text you?” I ask. “Since when?” He explains that he upgraded the sprinkler controller to a system called Rachio, which connects…

VASE Cactus Vase with Gold Fin, $125, by local artist Lia Pileggi, liapileggi.com WALLPAPER Rye Wallpaper from Custhom UK, $466 for 48-cm-by-10-m roll, WallTawk, walltawk.com WINE RACK Hex Wine Rack, $68, Jayson Home, jaysonhome.com THROW Happy Habitat Recycled Cotton Throw in Dove Gray/Gold, $170, West Elm, westelm.com PILLOW Marcona Pillow, $98, Anthropologie, anthropologie.com BOWLS Copper, Brass, and Enamel Colored Louise Bowls, starting at $50, Food52, food52.com SPEAKER Stellé Audio Pillar in Bronze, $299, Shop Horne, shophorne.com CHAIR Jemma Dining Chair in Gold, $395, Jayson Home, jaysonhome.com…

ROADWORTHY PLANTS Faux succulents from Target and World Market add a zero-maintenance, organic touch that will never need replacing (or watering!). HANDMADE CURTAINS When she discovered how pricey mini blinds were, Cole designed and sewed chic fabric curtains (using Robert Allen @Home’s Handcut Shapes in charcoal) that can be rolled up and secured with a leather strap or snapped down over the windows. DIY BACKSPLASH Diminutive subway tile from Ann Sacks—affixed to the wall above IKEA cabinetry (from the company’s new line made of reclaimed wood and recycled plastic bottles)—adds a little luxury to the kitchenette.…

In an era of iPhones, Nest, and driverless cars, great home design is no longer just about pretty window coverings and elegant backsplash tile. It’s also about innovative technology that makes it easier to enjoy your home. But let’s be honest: Most gadgets come with cords, plastic, and all manner of generally unattractive things. Which is why we tapped local tech and design teams to show us how they’re creating efficient and lovely homes by hiding all that tech in plain sight.…

AWAIR AIR MONITOR // Breathe easy: This retro-looking gadget monitors inside air quality, tracking dust, chemicals, CO2, humidity, and temperature in your home, and sends updates and recommendations for fixes to your phone via an app. From $199, getawair.com BREVILLE ONE-TOUCH TEA MAKER As pretty as it is precise, Breville’s smart tea maker never over- or under-steeps your tea, and it will even keep tea warm for up to an hour without scorching the leaves. Thanks to a convenient auto-start function, coffee-drinkers are no longer the only ones who can wake up to their favorite freshly made cup. $250, brevilleusa.com SAMSUNG FRAME TELEVISION Finally, a solution to the big black hole above the fireplace mantel! When this sleek, framed television is turned off, it looks like a piece of framed…

1. Know your compromises. Homeowners Amy and Adam Maher were willing to live with tight bedroom quarters in exchange for their king-size mattress. 2. Learn to let go. “That’s the most important thing you need to know,” interior designer Stafford Bensen says. “If it doesn’t fit, you have to be OK with getting rid of it.” 3. Get creative with furniture. The desk in the home office is an IKEA counter placed on top of two IKEA drawer units. The bar cart in the living room displays accessories and offers extra storage. 4. Dwell on the upsides. “Storage is the challenge of living in a small space,” Amy says, “but it is so freeing to clean the whole apartment in 20 minutes.” 5. Embrace your inner Kondo. “It’s a bit…

ARCHITECT Role: Draws up structurally sound blueprints for larger additions or renovations Special Skills: Ensuring plans meet zoning and code requirements; creating thoughtful design solutions that complement the existing aesthetic of both your home and your neighborhood Tip: Although it’s never bad to have an architect on the roster, you can save money by going straight to a designer for projects that don’t involve major structural changes. BUILDER/GENERAL CONTRACTOR Role: Executes an architect’s or designer’s plan by bidding out the various jobs—framing, dry-walling, electrical work, plumbing—to sub-contractors Special Skills: Leveraging established relationships with subcontractors to get jobs scheduled in Denver’s labor-short market; pulling permits; orchestrating and managing construction Tip: Make sure your contractor is insured and bonded—contractors are not licensed at the state level in Colorado, so you’ll need to…

LOCATION IS THE ONE THING YOU CAN’T CHANGE IN A REMODEL. That’s why the family of five that lives in this recently renovated 1987 Craftsman happily overlooked its dated interiors when they bought the home—set on an acre lot near downtown Boulder—in 2010. But, as Factor Design Build co-founder and CEO Josh Fiester says, “they finally got fed up with not being able to access their backyard and entertain.” The renovation, which was done by Factor (the design was a collaboration with Boulder’s Studio 119), focused on modernizing and expanding the kitchen; the results are broadly appealing and highly personalized. Fiester gave us a rundown of the design elements that make the space a case study for an ideal renovation. To achieve a clean-lined look, the team skipped the window…

“IT’S FUN TO SAVE HISTORIC BUILDINGS WE’VE GROWN UP AROUND AND LOVE, places that would otherwise get torn down and replaced with another set of apartments.”—Homeowner Christy Kruzick Admit it: You’ve thought about how cool it would be to buy the old church that’s for sale in your neighborhood and convert it into a home, but you’ve never been quite brave enough to take that plunge. Take heart; most of us aren’t. But then there’s Danny Newman, a guy so obsessed with renovating—and living in—unusual places (his previous house was a renovated burrito factory) that he asked his bride to promise in her wedding vows to support his unusual passion. “He made me agree to live in weird buildings for the rest of our lives,” Christy Kruzick says. “I think…

It takes about 10 seconds to figure out that Kirsten Coe isn’t your typical interior designer. A true Western girl with a cool, boots-on-the-desk vibe, she talks about gumption, hard work, and chasing “wild” ideas. Her mission is to make great design—“and more importantly, design thinking,” she says—accessible to everyone, which is why her full-service Denver firm, Lasso Design, tackles even the smallest of projects—from “a floor plan for the rockstar DIYer who needs help with their IKEA kitchen” to full-scale renos. “If there is a design problem, it will generate a fierce curiosity that drives the project,” Coe says. “Even the smallest ones take effort; there is no ‘easy button’ to good design.” We sat down with Coe to discover what’s inspiring her now. lassodesign.com 5280 Home :…

Littleton’s Residential Systems Inc. (RSI) has been in the smart-home game for more than three decades, so they’ve got terabytes of intel on what works—and what doesn’t—in terms of good design. In 2016, the home-tech firm teamed up with Denver’s Old Greenwich Builders to design this home in Cherry Creek North, replete with discreet technology that makes the house as livable as it is beautiful. We asked RSI CEO Travis Leo to point out the tech you can’t quite see. DESIGN PROS: Tech design: Travis Leo, RSI Architecture: Larry Cohen, LGC Architect Interior design: Lindsey Kruger, Kruger Design Studio Construction: Chris Withers, Old Greenwich Builders…

ABECEDARIAN GALLERY This small, meticulously curated gallery has a unique niche: book-art exhibitions. It’s open by appointment only, so grab some fellow bookworms and make it a group visit. By appointment; 910 Santa Fe Drive, Unit 15, 720-230-4566, abecedariangallery.com 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 large, well-lit 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…

1. Contractors tend to over-order materials such as tile, sometimes by as much as 15 percent, to ensure you don’t run into unexpected costs and/or delays by running out. But for most projects, an overage of 5 to 10 percent should be sufficient, according to Elizabeth Metz, principal of Elizabeth Metz Architect. Let your builder know limiting leftovers is important to you. 2. Tapping responsible local makers—Jonas DiCaprio, owner of Denver design/build firm Design Platform, recommends Vogo Cabinets, Vonmod, and AvenueTwo Design—for your millwork lowers the carbon footprint of your cabinetry and built-ins. 3. One homeowner’s trash might be a treasure someone else is willing to pay for. Try padding your budget by selling your old fixtures and scrap wood on online marketplaces such as Craigslist. 4. You can donate…

MID-MOD Cabinet: Ovation Cabinetry’s Como in Walnut Hardware: Forge Hardware Studio’s Mid-Century Cabinet Pull in Brass Tile: Heath Ceramics’ Dimensional Oval in Gunmetal G4.2 TRADITIONAL Cabinet: Graber’s Bloomfield in Parchment Hardware: Rejuvenation’s Octagon Glass Cabinet Knob in Burnished Antique Tile: Waterworks’ Architectonics Handmade Boss Decorative Field Tile Tangier Petite in Solid GLAM Cabinet: Wood-Mode’s Soho Recessed in Matte Eclipse on Maple Hardware: Anthropologie’s Prismatic Gem Knob in Bronze Tile: Akdo’s Allure Rug Mosaic in Calacatta with Bronze and Pewter Mirror FARMHOUSE Cabinet: Graber’s Venice in Estate White Hardware: Restoration Hardware’s Gilmore Pull in Oil-Rubbed Bronze Tile: Ann Sacks’ Eastern Promise Field Tile in Mamounia CONTEMPORARY Cabinet: Wood-Mode’s Vista MDF in Urban Revival Hardware: Stone Harbor’s Contemporary Square Cabinet Pull in Polished Chrome Tile: Ann Sacks’ Beau Monde Mosaics in Leonardo…

SAVE MONEY BY… Choosing a moderately priced tile; you can get beautiful, classic designs pretty inexpensively Forgoing those tempting but pricey lift-and-slide glass doors Buying less expensive (but still good-looking) light fixtures Cutting the fancy backsplash from your do-it-now budget, as it can easily be added later on BUT DON’T SKIMP ON… The labor to install the pattern Adding natural light to your interiors via high-quality, traditional floor-to-ceiling windows or doors Faucets, countertops, and other items you get up close to every day Core and shell issues such as heating and cooling BECAUSE… “If you pay a good tile-setter to set it perfectly, it’ll look like a million dollars even though it didn’t cost anything near that.” —Cress Carter, owner of Old Greenwich Builders “The lift-and-slide doors are really cool,…

When Heather Ng, owner of the Niwot-based jewelry business Bohemi, started making her perfectly imperfect clay nesting bowls, plates, and ring cones, they were only meant to be display pieces for the juried craft shows where she sold her handmade baubles. But after countless customers asked to buy them, the designer teamed up with her friend Efong Yee, a high-school ceramics teacher, to develop Bohemi’s first collection of ceramic accessories. ¶ Ng’s designs, which feature watercolor-like glazes and shimmering gold and silver accents, strike a balance between trendiness and timelessness. “I want to create elegant designs that have staying power,” she says. Her efforts yield delicate, eye-catching vessels that enhance the jewelry displayed on them—and function beautifully as objets in their own right. bohemi.com…

When husband and wife Patrick Neely and Kerri Cole first stepped inside the 21-foot-long aluminum-clad trailer that would become “Bonnie,” the new empty nesters were just looking for their next fix-and-flip project. Neely, a jack-of-all-trades who has rehabbed everything from houses to vintage cars, had started fixing up unconventional spaces—shipping containers, a RoadRunner camper—when the Denver market got too hot for flipping houses, and Cole, a professional stylist for national advertising clients and local magazines (including this one), was happy to lend her skills to his endeavors. But once she saw this 1969 Airstream Globetrotter cleared of its rodent residents (it had been sitting unused near Fairplay for more than a decade), she knew this was one fixer-upper she couldn’t bear to sell. Luckily, the tiny trailer offers just the…

The air-traffic-control tower at Stapleton International Airport has sat dormant ever since its former occupants guided the last flight off the runway 22 years ago—until now. A massive remodel transformed the first two floors of the iconic 12-story structure into the flagship restaurant (and corporate headquarters) of Punch Bowl Social, the “eatertainment” concept from local entrepreneur Robert Thompson. Here, carefully considered design elements pay tribute to the building’s former life while also playing up the restaurant’s bold, quirky personality. Built in the late 1920s and abandoned in 1995, the Stapleton tower required a complete overhaul, but Thompson and the team at OZ Architecture knew from the start that they were working with a gem. “The tower is the last vestige of the old Stapleton, and we want to preserve that,”…

RACHIO Launched at Denver Startup Week in 2012, the Denver-based Rachio sprinkler system ($200) lets you turn your water on and off via your smart-phone. Too busy to nix your afternoon watering after that unexpected thunderstorm? Rachio has you covered: It tracks local weather forecasts and will sidestep preprogrammed watering if it has recently rained, helping you cut 30 to 50 percent of your outdoor water use—and earning you plenty of planet-saving karma. rachio.com RAVENWINDOW Denver’s RavenWindow has been lowering energy bills (by up to 30 percent!) and protecting homes and offices from glare and UV damage since 2006. The company’s clever thermochromic filter senses temperature and sunlight changes, and transitions from clear to tinted glass when things heat up. Not surprisingly, the National Renewable Energy Lab installed several RavenWindow…

5280 Home: Which renovations yield the most return on investment? Kathy Nelson: Without a doubt, it’s the kitchen; the return on value is about 90 percent. The open-floorplan concept has been desirable for at least the last decade: The heart of the home is the kitchen, which is connected with the dining space and the living space. Bathrooms follow closely behind, at about an 80 percent return on value. And which remodeling choices tend to turn off would-be buyers? A lack of quality. We see this a lot, and not just in fix-and-flips, but [in homes where] people have done their own remodeling. They start out with what they feel is a lofty budget of $25,000, only to find out that doesn’t go very far, and they start…