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PIECE TALK TAIKO CHANDLER
The danger in categorizing Denver artist Taiko Chandler as a printmaker is that the term might prevent one who hasn’t encountered her work from imagining its dimension, movement and transparency— not to mention the intricacies of the process required to create it. And for Chandler, that process is everything. Says the artist, who began studying her craft at the Art Students League of Denver in 2011, “I begin with a blank piece of paper and start layering stencils onto the plate. I respond to each layer, add new stencils, and keep going until I feel the piece is finished. The visual outcome is always a surprise.” Several years ago, Chandler began applying her organic designs to flexible sheets of Tyvek house wrap instead of paper and attaching them to walls, from which they grew into large installations. These ephemeral works exist only as long as an exhibition lasts. In contrast, she might spend three months printing and hand-cutting an installation’s 100 or so pieces, then another week on the painstaking process of placing them. “Everything is done by hand, so nothing is particularly efficient,” Chandler says, “but I find it to be very satisfying. I often think my art is my way of processing the world around me, so everything happens subconsciously in ways that I cannot easily explain.” taikochandler.com
POST MASTER WHO: Liz Bachman, a Denver-based stylist known for transforming residential interiors with her bright, livable, less-is-more style. Her method is simple: Declutter, add clean-lined furnishings, then infuse that newly minted canvas with the warmth and character of unique vintage finds. WHAT: Bachman uses her feed to share design ideas from her own home—a recently renovated midcentury-modern gem—plus behind-the-scenes peeks at her process for shopping and prepping for styling projects. It’s also a treasure trove of decor finds from small shops and makers, which Bachman sells on the Grey & Scout website. WHY: The feed is a crash course in mixing old with new and neutral tones
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with pops of color and life—“I love a good olive tree in an oversize pot!” Bachman says—and a wellspring of fresh design energy. “My desire is to connect with followers over a love of interior design,” says Bachman, who delights in sharing design feeds with small followings in her stories. “Instagram is a treasure trove of creatives, and it’s refreshing to look through photos that haven’t been plastered all over the other social media platforms.” IN HER WORDS: “I want people to take away inspiration from my photos and see the fun in taking time to curate their homes. And I hope that through my captions, they gain a sense of peace from seeing that, behind the scenes, everyone’s life is a little messy!”
piece talk photos: oehme graphics. post master photos: liz bachman.
@GREYANDSCOUT
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TREND WATCH DORY PRATT
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Upon joining the Denver design scene with the opening of her lifestyle boutique, Homebody, in 2017, Dory Pratt immediately earned a reputation for finding the best of what’s new and next in home decor—not just in Colorado, but all around the design world. Here, she shares what’s catching her eye right now. homebodydenver.com “I love French bed and kitchen linens
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in solids, plaids, checks, stripes and florals. In Europe, linen bedding is used year-round, and boy, is it divine! Once you sleep on linen, it’s hard to go back to regular cotton.”
“Lamps by the famous French ceramic artist Georges Pelletier are highly collectible and hard to find. Most are vintage, from the 1970s and ’80s, though new ones are still being produced in Cannes. This vintage lamp features a blue daisy carving that allows the light to twinkle through.”
THE INSIDER HANS BERGLUND
What impact has COVID-19 had on your residential designs? Clients are focusing more on indoor-outdoor living spaces—including larger, covered outdoor rooms where they can safely entertain. Pantries are getting larger. Exercise rooms are shifting from multipurpose spaces to dedicated facilities with larger TV screens for virtual workouts. And we are designing separate offices instead of a shared space so that everyone has a place to get away.
“Many of the sofas we get from Europe are low and have layered, mattress-style seat cushions, which are really cool-looking and comfortable. This white sofa with black trim was made in France for the Chanel offices in Paris and was so admired, the maker began producing them for the public.”
“French modern cane lounge chairs bring back natural materials and traditional techniques, while the black-stained solid wood and clean lines make them elegant and refined.”
Has sustainability become more of a priority for homeowners? As people have begun to see that they’re not giving up anything to live in a super energy-efficient home, the desire for a more sustainable design is becoming almost universal. Clients are also interested in avoiding toxic chemicals in paints, glues, carpets and millwork, and in having a continuous fresh air supply, which is especially important since we’re all spending more time in our homes. What other design details are trending now? We’re installing a lot of oxygen-enrichment systems that can effectively make a space feel like it’s 2,000 or 3,000 feet above sea level. This helps homeowners acclimate to the altitude more quickly, sleep great, ski better and stay at altitude longer while feeling better.
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“Mouth-blown Belgian glassware is special because the nature of the process makes each piece interesting, irregular and unique.”
the insider photo: ric stovall. trend watch photos: jennifer olson.
“It took a long time to convince people that you can design mountain homes in a more modern way but with beautiful materials,” says architect Hans Berglund, whose eponymous Vail Valley firm was at the vanguard of that movement when it launched 16 years ago. Since then, Berglund has earned a reputation for creating modern regional designs inspired by local vernacular architecture— not just in the Vail Valley, but from Canada to the Caribbean. Here, he shares how 2020 has changed the way we live. berglundarchitects.com
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EMBRACING HOME DESIGNER COMMENTARY
I’ve been eyeing the Bassam Fellows daybed. Its craftsmanship is gorgeous and its supple, down-filled leather cushions are the ultimate luxury. –SARAH TIEDEKEN O’BRIEN
Layering materials and textures creates a dynamic space. In my bedroom, I installed a bench covered in a bright, patterned GP&J Baker velvet and a Brunschwig & Fils two-tone blue rug. –NADIA WATTS
We use five elements to bring balance to a space: wood, metal, texture (fabrics, marble, stone), reflection (mirrors, glass) and life (plants, trees). If a room feels like it’s missing something, check to see if you have all the elements.
It’s so important to feel comfortable, happy and inspired at home, from adding a simple Jo Malone candle for ambience to a luxurious cashmere throw from Rani Arabella in a cheerful color.
–KRISTEN THOMAS
–ROBYN SCOTT
–AMY CASEY
I like the feeling of a dark paint color to create coziness. Benjamin Moore Black Forest Green is cozy in the winter and fresh enough to feel perfect in the warmer months.
Splurge on a spectacular chandelier! It creates light, centers a space and can be a work of art. –CASSY KICKLIGHTER POOLE
Make sure the flow of your home works: It can be as simple as rearranging furniture, letting in natural light and refreshing a room with accessories. –BETH ARMIJO
Color pairings found in nature always spark creativity. While hiking, I saw boulders with chartreuse lichen and rust-colored moss with red rocks behind them. I wonder how that would look as a paint color story? –EMILY TUCKER
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Luxury is a Rosemary Hallgarten throw blanket. Take your pick of alpaca, linen, silk or mohair. –EDDY DOUMAS
I live in an old church built in 1896 in Basalt, Colorado. One of our favorite spaces has a small settee that was my mothers, two A. Rudin slipper chairs I found at Habitat and recovered in a Schuyler Samperton fabric and lumbar pillows in a Pierre Frey stripe. We love to play cards, have cocktails and talk here. –BARBARA GLASS MULLEN
I recently went on a coffee table book-buying spree and I have zero buyer’s remorse. Natural Elegance: Luxurious Mountain Living by Klaus Baer and Rush Jenkins is a truly drool-worthy book. –JODI COOK
I’m gravitating toward moody colors right now: gray-chocolate walls, black lacquered cabinetry, olive and caramel mohair. Give me all the rich colors and textures.
Interiors full of color and texture bring me the most joy. My go-to is a Lee Industries sofa upholstered in a favorite color from InsideOut Performance Fabrics.
–ASHLEY CAMPBELL
–ALLISON TRIMBLE
The perfect materials palette would be a mix of beautiful fabrics with various textures and colors that play on subtle fixed finishes.
A room should reflect your personal story. For my office, I repurposed a Victorian sofa painting it orange and recovering it in a cut-velvet graphic pattern. I hung my grandmother’s selfportrait above it for an old-meets-new look.
–DEVON TOBIN AND MIRANDA CULLEN
–ANDREA SCHUMACHER
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