In the master bedroom, a striking wood bed anchors the room and balances the intricate details of the coffered ceiling. Throughout the house reproduction furnishings incorporate classic design with modern lines making them the perfect fit for this contemporary take on traditional.    

“In most cases form follows function but when you are dealing with a piece of architecture that makes such a strong, commanding statement, function definitely takes a back seat,” shares Laurel about this two-story, 3,200 square foot Vail home, a carefully detailed mix of concrete, glass and wood elements. “To make it work everything has to be well coordinated with the architecture.”  In the living room the metal chairs are mixed with a comfortable sofa and armchair.  The assorted pieces are grouped along the massive concrete fireplace wall to offset the size of the room. The contemporary selections also complement the railings in the stair hall and trussing.  In the master bedroom the architecture and view make such strong statements it made sense to go minimal with furnishings that include a platform bed topped with Italian linens, a painting by minimalist artist Charles Thomas O’Neil’s, and two chairs.  The cowhide rug adds interest and warmth. 

When budget constraints prohibited an addition, Laurel converted a laundry room into a breakfast area to free up space for the egg-shaped island. Blue cabinetry links the cooking and dining areas and the honey-hue honed limestone counters and sleek iridescent-glass tile backsplash add to the room’s breathtaking drama. The living room provides a place for the family of six to gather and watch television. The atmosphere is relaxed but fits in with the more sophisticated areas. In the master suite squares of mulberry paper create a backdrop for a mix of Asian inspired furnishings. “I wanted a textural paper that was subtle and would keep the space open but would still have drama,” she explains.    

This Lower Downtown (LoDo) Denver loft utilizes the interplay of quiet Asian touches with the strong architecture to strike a harmonious balance.  “It’s hard to incorporate the bricks, beams and inherent architecture of historic buildings because they have so much character,” shares Laurel. “But lofts are also very contemporary so we went with a Colorado Modern idea and selected furnishings that were modern but not too hard edged.”  Items like the clean lined sofa upholstered in blue denim calm down the brick, and the grouping of two slipper chairs and a settee create a casual but elegant conversation grouping. A round walnut dining room table expands to a large oval so the owners can host intimate dinner parties or comfortably seat twelve.

“Very few interior design projects start with a totally clean slate.  More often than not homeowners have family heirlooms or items from a previous home they hope to fold into their next environment,” says Laurel.  In this case the homeowner was hoping to breath new life into some existing neutral furnishings by mixing them with bold pops of color. To answer that request Laurel introduced orange, pink and blue and used variations on the three hues as design threads throughout the house. In the living room, the cream colored sofa comes alive with bright pink Ikat patterned pillows while in the dining room deep plum wall paper with salmon colored leaf outlines sets off the walnut buffet stripped to show off its cerused grain. To add effervescence in the kitchen Laurel designed the circular backsplash tile to bubble up in blue, cream and brown.

For a client who is “classic with a tweak,” Laurel selected a timeless camelback sofa with a curve, the latter element providing the tweak.  The living room is rounded out with a French Moderne coffee table and a Victorian end table that pays homage to the traditional Tudor’s Denver roots.  The French fitted kitchen is meant to look like it was put together over the years with the existing ash cabinets combining with a blue painted piece with a Gothic arch and more contemporary walnut cabinets. The eye catching light fixture provides a focal point. In the master bedroom the French curved headboard is upholstered with squid ink colored linen fabric. For contrast the Chinese red chests with leather pulls add a pop of color. “I love the design challenge this home provided. We had to pare down for the modern feel and yet communicate the past and present,” says Laurel. “We created something restrained and modern at the same time.”

With its brown-gray opaline sandstone walls and Chinese slate and pine floors the interiors of this residence tucked away on 70 acres in the high Colorado desert just cried out for interiors that complemented the colors and textures of the environment. “I wanted the stone and wood to stand out on its own so I went with simple furniture and accessories made of natural fibers and materials,” says Laurel. “And with so many strong hard surfaces it was key to create some softness.”  Focusing on upholstered pieces the fabrics are heavily textured and natural in tone.  In such an expansive architectural setting scale also plays a major role so furnishings were chosen that both harmonized with each other and added volume to balance the incredible backdrop.