RADAR / SCENE
MEET the MAKER JESSICA MAGEE
There’s a sense of bright optimism to the abstract paintings by Denver-based artist Jessica Magee, even when she veers from the fresh pinks, blues and pops of red she often gravitates toward when capturing the organic shapes found in nature. “I grew up canoeing and always enjoyed the sounds and sights of water moving over river rocks and pebbles. I was super interested in seeing what a colorful interpretation of that memory would be,” she says. “My main intention was to create something soothing to look at.” Magee begins with a few large gestures, then adds layers of flowing patterns in quick-drying acrylic paints, including the bubble-like forms that have become a hallmark of her work. Also deeply ingrained is Magee’s obsession with color, which she attributes to her background in commercial interior design. “I treat so many of my pieces as grand studies because I just love playing with color and composition,” she says. “I don’t think there is any color that is off-limits.” jessicamageeartist.com
the INSIDER As homeowners have rediscovered the importance of well-designed living spaces this year, they’ve been turning to the decorating experts for help creating rooms that feel good without making too much of a fuss—which is why Jamie Nusser has been so busy. The Denver-based founder of J Designs, Inc. has made her mark by creating modern interiors softened by just the right mix of subtle, special details, from fine antiques to timeworn textiles. Here, she shares with Luxe what drives those designs. jinteriordesigns.com What role does simplicity play in your designs? I love creating a canvas for people to live life in, and for me that looks like a simpler, more neutral palette with the occasional funky wallpaper thrown in. Starting with this base of simplicity allows my clients and me to build a design that fits their specific needs. That explains your affinity for white spaces. I do have a love affair with white spaces, and I will usually paint an entire house the same white shade to create that great backdrop against which I can layer different textures to create a calm, cohesive space. For example, I have been loving 064 / luxesource.com
dramatic lighting fixtures that act as sculptural elements, and I have also been focusing on furniture that incorporates textiles and woven elements that add dimension to a room. What sparks your creativity when combining decor elements? The interesting ideas coming and going in the fashion world often inform my approach. I love clothing and textile design and find that it’s a nice way to get me thinking outside the box. Locally, a trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens always sparks my creativity—the colors and textures always seem to show me new combinations I can use.
SHELF LIFE WORKING TITLE WRITTEN BY ANGELA HAMILTON
The fourth monograph published by celebrated architect Tom Kundig and Princeton Architectural Press follows Kundig across the region and around the globe for an inside look at 29 recent projects in residences, hospitality, culture and more. Full-color photos, plans and sketches fill its pages, along with excerpts from Kundig’s University of Washington Distinguished Alumni Award acceptance speech and a conversation with Michael Chaiken, curator of the Bob Dylan Archive. Working Title highlights the vast interpretations of Kundig’s signature style as reflected in recent launches like Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and luxury clothier Shinsegae International’s new 15-story headquarters in Seoul. papress.com WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE DEORIO
the insider photo: lindsey drewes photography. meet the maker photos: michael smith at mber creative@mbercreative. shelf life photo: nic lehoux.
JAMIE NUSSER
RADAR / SCENE
ON the HUNT SUSAN WEISS
It should come as little surprise that interior designer Susan Weiss, founder and principal of Denver-based Emerson Bailey Collection, makes her living sourcing unique and hard-to-find furnishings and architectural accents. This is, after all, the daughter of a man known for his unusual collections—his most notable acquisition being the boat that inspired the movie The African Queen. “My childhood was a hunt for the perfect this or that,” Weiss says. “I love things with substance and character; pieces that tell a story.” These days, the designer travels to Europe several times each year to gather the fine antique furnishings, accessories and building elements that mingle with contemporary accents—think Libeco linens, Verellen furnishings, Apparatus lighting—at her Cherry Hills Village design studio. (More acquisitions fill a nearby warehouse, the A Line Boutique in Cherry Creek, and an online shop.) Here, Weiss reveals a few favorite sources for such fabulous finds. emersonbailey.com
STUDIO COMO
NEIGHBORHOODS: RINO AND COLE, DENVER
POST MASTER @premastyle
WHO: Prema, a Denver-based boutique floral design studio helmed by Frances Harjeet, who lends her artistic, nature-inspired twist on tradition to lush, texture-rich floral decor for large-scale luxury events and weddings—and, as of this spring, to a collection of floralpatterned partyware and home accessories sold through its sister brand, Frances H. Designs. WHAT: Prema’s feed serves as a portfolio of the studio’s one-of-akind designs. Look for still-lifes that showcase single arrangements in gorgeous detail—depicting the artistry that goes into each composition—plus professional images from events and styled photo shoots, and Instagram stories that share behind-the-scenes coverage of event-design days. WHY: Scrolling offers a peaceful escape into the loveliness of flowers but provides practical takeaways, too. “We hope to showcase the immense variety of flowers available and our belief that floral design can be a way of expressing personal style,” Harjeet says. IN HER WORDS: “My hope is that seeing our flowers brings a smile to the faces of our followers and encourages them to view floral design as a living, seasonal, beautiful art form.” 066 / luxesource.com
ROBISCHON GALLERY NEIGHBORHOOD: LODO
Why she loves it: “This is an amazing gallery space in which to view art—from the volumes of the rooms to the lighting, everything is perfect. The staff is extremely helpful in supporting the very personal, highly important experience of art selection. I go for the incredible collection of contemporary art, which I often place with European antiques and authentic furnishings to magically complete a space.” Favorite finds: Work by Gary Komarin and pieces by the artist Jae Ko. robischongallery.com
ERON JOHNSON ANTIQUES NEIGHBORHOOD: ATHMAR PARK, DENVER
Why she loves it: “This is a great place to find authentic antiques of all kinds, and to soak in owner Eron’s amazing knowledge about everything. The treasures you’ll find here are guaranteed to be authentic, wellresearched and documented.” Favorite finds: A pair of 19th-century Chinese purple elm-wood armchairs. eronjohnsonantiques.com
post master photos (clockwise from top right): sara corona, clancey, laura murray, ashley sawtelle. on the hunt photos: studio como, courtesy studio como; robischon gallery, courtesy robischon gallery; eron johnson antiques, courtesy eron johnson antiques.
Why she loves it: “This fantastic, ever-changing showroom is such an inspirational experience and a great source for contemporary furniture and lighting that pairs beautifully with antiques. The knowledgeable, personable staff is invaluable when I’m working to find the perfect piece.” Favorite finds: A horsehair sconce by Apparatus that can be found in her own studio. studiocomo.com
RADAR / SCENE
FRESH Perspectives THESE FOUR ARTISTS USE THEIR PLATFORMS TO REFRAME THE NATURAL AND MANMADE WORLDS.
At first glance, the artworks of Suchitra Mattai reveal two things about their creator: First, her mastery of a wide array of mediums, from sewing, crocheting and embroidering to painting and sculpting. Second, the Denverite’s deep connection to her family’s South Asian roots and the far-flung places she has called home—from her birthplace of Guyana to Canada, India and France—celebrated with indigenous colors, textures and motifs inspired by Indian miniature paintings, plants from the Caribbean, and European, Colonialera patterns. In Mattai’s hands, these elements share untold histories while challenging authoritative narratives, especially those surrounding colonialism. suchitramattai.com
JOEL SWANSON ▲ Joel Swanson’s hope is that after you’re struck by the minimal, conceptual and playful qualities of his work, you’re also persuaded to question words and their meanings. “Language can be beautifully expressive, complicated and poetic, but it can also be reductive, marginalizing and destructive,” the artist says. “Once we learn how to read…it becomes autonomic, like breathing. My work attempts to interrupt this immediacy of reading, giving people the opportunity to perceive language, and its power, from new perspectives.” joelericswanson.com
OLIVE MOYA ⊲ Denver-based illustrator-turnedpainter Olive Moya refers to her vibrant, graphic compositions as abstract storytelling. Some of Moya’s stories are autobiographical—“a way for me to convey fear and frustration through tangled, angry line work or make calming spaces in lieu of any in reality,” she says—though abstraction allows viewers to create their own meanings and connections. “It’s the same reason I love painting murals,” she says, referring to the public works that adorn the Cherry Creek Trail at Speer and Clarkson, downtown Denver’s Republic Plaza building, and a variety of Mile High City retail and restaurant locations. “It’s out there for anyone to see or find ownership over.” olivemoya.com 068 / luxesource.com
▲ DAMON LA SCALA “The flow of the brush is instinctive to me,” says Denverbased artist Damon La Scala, who has gravitated toward painting since his childhood. But it was when he began creating reverse paintings on Plexiglas that he found “great rhythm,” he says. “I’m dyslexic, so I tend to see layers of a painting backwards, and I feel that this technique best captures my creative process and energy.” Often commissioned by homeowners and designers to create art for specific spaces, La Scala explores a variety of themes through his work, from mountain landscapes and iconic Western animals to cubist human figures—some expressed with a minimalist’s palette, others in bold, saturated hues. The common thread, La Scala says, is “abstraction, flow and texture. I celebrate a paint drip or an imperfect line and the energy the raw strokes leave behind. There is a symbiotic relationship between me and the brushstroke. We use each other.” studiolascala.com
suchitra mattai photo: wes magyar. damon la scala photo: courtesy damon la scala. olve moya photo: courtesy olive moya. joel swanson photo: courtesy joel swanson and david b. smith gallery.
▲ SUCHITRA MATTAI