These beautifully crafted items were made by some of the Mile High City’s most talented artists and artisans—all featured in 5280 Home this year.
BY CHRISTINE DEORIO | NOVEMBER 20, 2018
For the Chef
When David Larabee, one of the designers behind DoubleButter furniture company, and his wife Megan Hudacky—founder of Denver interior design firm CKY Design—decided to start a side business, they merged their talents and their last names. Laradacky’s solid maple, walnut, and cherry cutting boards “look like fine furniture,” Larabee told 5280 Home last summer, “but we want people to really whoop on them.” Prices range from $75 to $175, and 3 percent of Laradacky’s annual proceeds go to nonprofits including Good+ Foundation and Resolve. doublebutter.com
For the Art Collector
Alyson Khan’s abstract paintings—which feature an eye-catching mix of geometric and organic shapes, along with seemingly religious symbols, blocks, stripes, rays, and lines—have struck a chord in the art community: Anthropologie sold two of her prints in its spring 2018 collection; West Elm’s holiday collection will include a few Khan pieces; several galleries, including Austin-based Wonderwall Studio, regularly feature her work; and a 2019 group show at Denver’s Space Gallery is in the works. Saatchi Art sells her full collection online, from paintings priced in the thousands—for those on your really-nice list—to prints from $40. alysonkhan.com
For the Host
Former graphic designer Vita Kacerovskis fashions flax linen in versatile natural, white, and gray hues into a collection of simple tablecloths, tea towels, napkins (like this one, pictured above), and other everyday textiles, which are made in Littleton, sold through her Etsy shop Urban Flax, and perfect for a cozy holiday table. “The texture is more important than the form,” Kacerovskis told 5280 Home. “You can make linen very smooth or leave it un-ironed for a wabi-sabi look.” etsy.com/shop/urbanflax
For the Hygge Enthusiast
Ceramist Erin Pattullo keeps customers waiting for her modern, minimalist wheel-thrown tableware (and other functional pieces), which she makes at the Mortar and Stone studio inside Aurora’s Jubilee Roasting Company and sells just a few times a year via her online shop. Lucky for us, she’s released a new collection on November 17, just in time for holiday gifting. Look for mugs, butter dishes, utensil holders, planters, and more, all finished in an earthy palette of handmade glazes. Tip: If you see something you like, don’t wait to buy. The online shop closes on December 19, but some items may not last that long. You can avoid shipping costs by stopping by the studio to pick up your order—and a cuppa joe. mortarandstone.co
For the Commuter
Denver brand Winter Session has been popping up all over town ever since it debuted classic bags made of waxed canvas and leather back in 2010. Husband-and-wife founders (and Colorado natives) Roy Katz and Tanya Fleisher and their team have since crafted leather bar-menu covers and coasters for Hotel Teatro’s restaurant, the Nickel, canvas tool pouches for Neighbor Supply, and, earlier this year, a collection of home goods including pillows, desk sets, and leather trays. This season, we’re digging their versatile waxed-canvas zip folios—available in three sizes to accommodate everything from wallets and keys to laptops. Choose from black, field tan, gray, navy, and (perfect for Christmas) olive green. $40;winter-session.com
For the Kids (or Kids at Heart)
Mother-daughter duo Chris Gray and Celina Baldwin curate a collection of alpaca goods—from handbags to blankets—sourced from around the world for their Colorado-based online business, Shabby Alpaca. Our favorites: the cute, cuddly, and one-of-a-kind stuffed alpacas inspired by the critters Gray spent more than a decade raising on large alpaca farms throughout the northeastern United States. Each has unique coloring and markings, and is handmade using real alpaca fur—fear not: no alpacas are harmed to create them. $25–$45;shabbyalpaca.com
For the Aesthete
Heather Ng, owner of Niwot-based jewelry business Bohemi, never intended to sell ceramics, but her customers had other ideas: After spotting the clay nesting bowls, plates, and ring cones Ng used to display her handmade baubles at craft shows, they demanded she sell them. So Ng teamed up with her friend, ceramics teacher Efong Yee, to develop delicate, wabi-sabi designs featuring watercolor-like glazes and gold and silver accents. Use them to display jewelry, as Ng does, or as standalone statement pieces on a countertop or bedside table. bohemi.com
For the Vintage Junkie
Last spring, we told you about Michael Dix’s hand-painted screwdriver sets, which have been flying off the shelves ever since the founder of Denver-based Neighbor Supply first began selling them from a vending machine in a local coffee shop. The sets are the perfect holiday gifts for DIY-ers with an eye for design, but this season, there’s another reason to shop this local business: a new (and very limited) collection of 10 vintage radios from the 1940s and ’50s that have been updated with enhanced audio quality and Bluetooth compatibility, so you can connect to your smartphone and blast some Beyonce from a 1957 Regency Monitoradio. neighborsupply.com
Source: Thank you 5280 Magazine for the wonderful local ideas!
