Denver’s interior style is a fusion of urban and rustic, chic and accessible, cutting edge and traditional. What else could you expect from a thriving city surrounded by the Rockies in one of the country’s most outdoor-centric states? Due to the environmental inspiration and the appeal of this culturally stimulating city, Denver has attracted interior design firms with an impressively diverse toolkit. They combine an appreciation for the pleasing patterns found in nature, the bold pizzaz of a global palette, and the refined sophistication of modern, urban living. The list below showcases the eclectic blend of top interior design firms that have either just begun to make a name for themselves or are earning industry awards for their stellar reputation.
MarkDesign
2535 Walnut Street, Suite C, Denver, CO 80205
Mark Haynes, the Allied American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Denver interior designer behind MarkDesign, believes one’s home is a way of expressing their personality, values, taste, and personal brand. His firm’s comprehensive services include kitchen/bath remodels, color consultations, furniture and fabrics, surface finishes, lighting, window treatments, art procurement, accessories, rugs, purchasing, project management, and installation. Haynes’ firm works off the premise that the residential design concept is 10 percent of the job, and making sure everything gets completed is the other 90 percent. To emphasize this, they offer a free one-hour consultation. Although his imprint on Denver is still evolving, his work is versatile and his skills have been sought for interior design even outside of Colorado.
In a modern hilltop farmhouse, Haynes found a way to use an eclectic aesthetic that remained uncluttered and pulled together the entire home in both fun and elegant ways. Highlights include a handsome wood island in the kitchen, white cupboards and pale green paint accents, bright contrasting in the living room upholstery and curtains, and a delicately painted tree that grows up the staircase — on the actual stairs themselves. In a downtown Denver kitchen, Mark managed to cultivate an urban look that seamlessly pairs with the backdrop of the mountains: white, gray, and brown-tiled backsplash; simple hanging lights; a handsome cupboard wine rack; a marble-topped island; gray stools; and simple splashes of orange to bring warmth.
Eve’s Creations
300 W 11th Avenue, Unit C, Denver, CO 80204
Eve’s Creations, founded by Eve Treschitta, is dedicated to helping their clients build their dream home, and they stand by the principle that a dream home isn’t just about what their client wants it to look like, but what their client wants it to feel like as well. Eve’s Creations is a member of the International Interior Design Association, the International Furnishings and Design Association, and the Home Builders of America Colorado and National chapters. Eve’s Creations enjoys drawing inspiration from patterns in the natural world, as well as the organization of color and light found in the fine arts. This design firm likes to truly understand the lifestyle of its clients in order to better craft a workable space that is not only visually appealing, but also reflective of the client’s habits, needs, and routines.
After completing the design work on a client’s city home, Eve’s Creations was invited to work on their getaway home on a majestic 70 acres of mountain property. The firm’s use of copper, beetle kill pine, reclaimed wood, and natural stone, as well as a wall of four creatively framed bed nooks, makes this house the epitome of large family, rustic luxury. The material used inside reflects the rugged, handsome beauty of the surrounding wilderness perfectly. When Eve Treschitta went to work on an elegant Greenwood Village home, she brought inspiration from the graceful aesthetic she witnessed in particular neighborhoods, on a recent trip she’d taken to Tulsa, Oklahoma. A highlight of the Greenwood Village home is certainly the elegant green dining room, with well-placed can lights, a classic chandelier, a dark wood dining room table, and two tastefully placed floral paintings.
Nancy Sanford, Inc
55 West 12th Avenue, Denver, CO 80204
Nancy Sanford has been helping her clients discover what they really want for more than two decades. Although she can be more hands on or hands off, depending on the client’s needs, she prides herself on knowing how to provide the right level of feedback for any given situation. Sanford’s background and travel experienced has helped refine her artistic vision. She received a BFA from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University and a degree in interior design from the Colorado Institute of Art, as well as traveling extensively through Asia and Europe. Sanford’s work has been featured in various publications, including Colorado Homes and Lifestyles and Better Homes and Gardens. She was called one of Denver’s “coolest interior designers” by 5280 Magazine.
The charming chalkboard wall accent that Nancy included in a sleek Colorado residence manages to combine both playful and modern in the same aesthetic. A mounted sculpture of a silver hand where pieces of chalk await provides just the right amount of quirk, and the cowhide on the wooden floors below the stairs is the final touch on contemporary cozy. At first glance, the kitchen nook seems like a montage of colors, patterns and materials, but that’s what makes it so dynamic and pleasing once you settle in. Highlights include the knobby brown rug, brightly upholstered window seat, fringe green throw pillow, and muted blue table.
A La Carte Design
6364 S. Hanover Court, Denver, CO 80111
A La Carte Design was founded in 2003 by Jeane Dole, a member of the Colorado chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and the National Kitchen and Bath Association. They offer quality custom home design that has appeared in Colorado Home & Lifestyles, Denver Business Journal and Renew Magazine. A La Carte prides themselves on being able to approach each project with a team mindset, as they bring a diverse collection of skill sets to meet the varying needs of each client. A La Carte believes in design integrity and that an interior design should reflect both the client’s living needs and personal aesthetic.
The master bedroom A La Carte designed for a house on Julian Street features a handsome leather sitting chair and corner plant, can lights, and simple tones of beige and cream, offset by a darker gray dresser and a black fireplace against a cream backsplash. This bedroom fuses sophistication with accessible comfort. The total interior home update A La Carte Design pulled off for a house in Lone Tree included new drawers and door fronts on the perimeter cabinets in the kitchen; new lighting in the kitchen, entry, and dining room; window treatments in the kitchen and family room; and accent artwork all around the house. They created an understated modern appeal, without losing the cozy factor.
Atelier Interior Design
142 W 11th Avenue, Denver, CO 80204
Led by designers Katie Schroder and Erika Rundiks, Atelier is a full-service interior design firm with over 25 years of combined experience. The firm opened in 2005, and their designs are guided by an eclectic edge, paying attention to vibrant patterns and colors as well as textural and sculptural details. Their work has been featured in Luxe Magazine and Colorado Homes and Lifestyles.
Atelier’s clients started with a blank canvas when they moved to Colorado from New York, with no furnishings for their new home. Atelier brought their appreciation for culturally inspired visuals, which blended perfectly with their clients’ extensive experience traveling the globe. Moroccan, geometric, and other worldly themes were fused to generate a diverse palette in the rugs, tile, light fixtures, and upholstery. Highlights include a corner reading nook at the end of the fireplace with a Saarinen table, a marble island top in the kitchen, green lacquered casework in the study, and a set of intricate, old carved doors at the top of the stairs. The Golden Modern Home was a slow process that moved from room to room. The clients were looking for a blend of contemporary and woodsy, and so the home became a warm mixture of bold colors, wood texture, and modern accessories. Features of the design aesthetic include yellow and metallic wallpaper in the small bathroom, reclaimed wood ceilings, a teal sectional, and built-in bookcases in the living room.
Nadia Watts Interior Design
170 S Elm Street, Denver, CO 80246
Nadia Watts received her undergraduate degree in communication studies at Hollins University, but soon discovered her passion for the world of interior design. Watts gained experience working with Elaine Stephenson Interiors in Roanoke, Virginia, and then made her way to New York City to work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the American Decorative Arts Department, where she also completed the graduate program at the New York School of Interior Design. Since being in Denver, Watts has worked with Douglas Associates, Interior Designers and has overseen multi-million-dollar residential projects. After going off on her own, with Nadia Watts Interior Design, Watts has been able to showcase her attention to detail and her versatility with different aesthetic palettes. Watts has been featured on Expertise for Best Interior Designers in Denver 2017, and her work has been highlighted in 5280.
Nadia Watts illustrated her commitment to eclecticism when she updated a classic dining room in a Cherry Hills house. She saw potential in possibilities others might overlook, like the mocha-red color combination, expressed through Pagoda wallpaper from Katie Ridder, and bold scarlet drapes for the French doors and bay window. A hanging lantern above the table and traditional anchor pieces provided by the client tied the room together with a tasteful blend of elegance and sass. The bright, spacious, open concept kitchen adjacent to the classic dining room is another example of Watt’s willingness to pair the unexpected. Simple grays, pale greens and a polished white countertop creates a country contemporary feel that is complementary, yet entirely distinct from the bold appeal of the dining room.
TruDesign
400 E Simpson Street, Suite 109, Lafayette, CO 80026
TruDesign was founded by Lindi Bolinger and Cynthia Stafford, who both have 25 years of experience and collaborate on a vision of offering clients timeless environments that celebrate life. With their studio in the Denver/Boulder metro area, TruDesign serves clients all throughout Colorado and works on projects of varied sizes. They believe in a process that is both effective and fun. Stafford grew up in a three bedroom house with a family of 10 and learned to see space creatively from a very young age. Bolinger views interior design as a fusion of art and science that can change the world we live in. TruDesign was featured in two issues of Home & Hood. They offer full-service interior design packages, as well as hourly packages.
In Broomfield, Colorado, TruDesign brought their expertise to a family room and kitchen, which shared and common space and needed an aesthetic that could seamlessly weave the two areas together. By cultivating a single decor theme that emphasized natural wood, simple lines, and environmentally inspired colors, they created a cozy, harmonized space that featured simple yet handsome wall decor, window coverings, pillows, tabletop vignettes, and warm lighting. In the Lafayette house, TruDesign had a new design challenge when they encountered the large galley entry that ran through the center of the house. They started with a focal point wall to spice up the space and give it character. They chose dramatically textured and colored wallpaper, enhanced by custom sconces from Hubbardton Forge. Add in a velvet, backless sofa, and the whole aesthetic was anchored. Well-chosen accessories filled in the gaps and transformed what was once an awkward entry into a gorgeous precursor to their client’s sophisticated home.
Andrea Schumacher Interiors
2406 W 32nd Avenue, Denver, CO 80211
Andrew Schumacher started her company in 1999 and received her bachelor’s degree in interior design from the F.I.D.E.R.-accredited Colorado State University. She also has a certificate in Universal Design from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. She works with an intimate team of five, and also collaborates with HD Interior Design in New Zealand. The firm won Zillow’s Dig Design award in 2016 for Influencer and Pro, was featured on Luxe Interiors – Design 2017 Gold List, and was shortlisted for The International Design & Architecture Awards in 2017. Schumacher Interiors is a full-service design firm, assisting with budget definition, design consultation, space planning, selection of home furnishings and fixtures, construction documentation, and final installation.
Andrea Schumacher knows how to create contrast that doesn’t clash as she fills in the disparity between simple and bold. The firm’s work on a Colorado mountain house executed this perfectly, exemplified in the breakfast nook that includes brightly patterned floral upholstery, a handsome wooden table, and an abstract, artistic light fixture reminiscent of a firework frozen in midair. The bathroom is another place where Schumacher’s creative aesthetic shines. From the muted, blue, free standing clawfoot bathtub to the glass encased shower and the sheepskin rug, this space shouts high end and intensely cozy simultaneously. The firm showcased a different angle on their ability to bridge gaps between styles when they cultivated a modern twist on traditional grandeur at a house in Cherry Creek. Highlights include an emerald green breakfast nook with a clear Saarinen Tulip table, ghost chairs, and a sculptural pendant light.
TVL Creative
999 Vallejo Street #4Z, Denver, CO 80204
TVL stands for “This Visionary Life,” and it’s TVL’s mission to bring an unmatched breadth of creative vision to every type of client it serves. Founded by Denver native Crystal Russell, TVL is committed to a full-scope process, which includes design & visualization, contractor coordination, design implementation and management, material selection, material price list development, material purchasing, and construction drawing/drafting development. Russell brings her experience with graphic design, media design, interior design, and the fine arts to TVL’s toolkit and works with an intimate team of two other designers and a marketing manager. A TVL kitchen design was featured on Waypoint Living Spaces and described as “currently cool industrial meets rustic understated sophistication.”
The master bathroom renovation on Dayton Street was designed to create an open yet anchored feel, and it combined varied shades of shite and natural wood. With the inclusion of an oversized, freestanding tub and a bronze tub filler; a shower floor tiled in marble circles; dark vanity mirrors; and lovely sconces, the bathroom feels like a private spa retreat, fusing rustic simplicity with dynamic grace. The kitchen remodel of the Pinedale Ranch, a dazzling log home in Evergreen, Colorado, really brought together TVL’s knack for merging traditional grandeur with contemporary flare. Bronze hardware, light copper paint, farmhouse-style bronze faucets, an antler chandelier, and quartz countertops make this open, high ceilinged space impressive and inviting. Because the client wanted to maintain the traditional aesthetic of the house, TVL had to keep the integrity of the original rustic appeal as they transformed the kitchen into a chic, log cabin luxury.
Duet Design Group
5650 S. Windermere St., Littleton, CO 80120
Duet Design Group is based off of the immediate friendship and working relationship that formed when Devon Tobin and Miranda Cullen met through a mutual friend. Their creative symbiosis was immediate and led them to create Duet Design Group, where they aim to create a culture of balance, pride, and creative autonomy. In their work, they hope to address the need for marvelous design that is attainable. Tobin received her BFA from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied painting and drawing, and she graduated top honors from the Interior Design program at the Art Institute of Colorado. She is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified Green Associate and is also certified in sustainable design. Cullen graduated with honors from The Fashion Institute Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. She is the former owner of MOD Interiors and has been recognized by numeros builder’s associations with awards for interior design. Duet’s work has been featured on Modern Sanctuary, Colorado Homes & Lifestyles and 5280, among others, and they were the 2016 MAME Awards winner.
When Trevor Pettennude and Katie Taggett bought their 1927 Arts and Crafts home in the Morgan Historic District, they wanted to honor the home’s historic character while also bringing in a modern feel. Duet helped them craft a functional space for their young family, while also incorporating the couple’s collection of incredible antiques and their growing contemporary art collection. The firm converted the former office into a gallery with a simple daybed from Town Showroom, and gave the dressing room six-panel art and a Noir bench covered in water-safe fabric from Link Outdoor. Adding warmth to a white-on-white kitchen was what Duet Design was tasked with when they redid the kitchen of a mid century, modern home in Greenwood Village. The client’s desires were straightforward — white walls, cabinets, and countertops, with a juxtaposition of new and old. Duet decided to mix and match finishes and textures, such as glossy cabinets and matte walls, in order to create a cozier feeling. Varying reflective surfaces, such as French T-Back Stools from Restoration Hardware and hammered-iron pendant lights with brass accents from Arteriors, cultivated an inviting atmosphere against the clean, contemporary backdrop.
