Transformer Furniture

I'm fully aware that I probably live in more space than I really need.

Then again, isn't that relative to what you want to live in?

As spaces get tighter though, adaptable furniture like Murphy Beds would seem to be due for a revisit, or a revolution.

Well thanks to the folks at Core77 here's the cramped decor of the urban lifestyle as we fit ourselves into tighter and tighter spaces.



The furniture is probably revolutionary, but I can't say I'd really want a kid of mine to have a bedroom where you only have room for either a bed or a desk. That coffee table that turns into a dining room table however...

It's a sign of the times.

ABOVE on the Streets

In honor of Operation Rearrange ALL the Walls tonight, a nod to ABOVE, who set the art upheaval in motion today...

SOUTH CENTRAL TOUR 2007-08 (Full Length) from ABOVE on Vimeo.

Diving into summer...

From over at Core77 and Make, a reminder that warmer days are ahead.


Perhaps an apropos sign of the times?

I just hope these have industrial amounts of chlorine in them. I've seen what goes into dumpsters like those...

Rain for McCain

If you've been through a Colorado drought, you know how tense water rights in the American Southwest can be.

My guess is John McCain assumed the distraction of OIL! OIL! OIL! and a year of abundant snows in our mountains would be a good time to support the unsustainable urban sprawl in his corner of the dry desert southwest.

Apparently the Arizona senator thinks Colorado should be a bit more generous.

The reaction here has been averse, to say the least.

Modern in Denver

Yet another reason Denver rocks.

There's a small new local modern design magazine trying to get off the ground.


Distribution's limited, so if any of you cool cats happen to scoot by Mod Livin' grab me a copy of Modern in Denver.

Old Stomping Grounds

I had a big anniversary to celebrate this past weekend, and it unexpectedly took us back to old stomping grounds of mine...

Some Chicago highlights from our surreptitious trip, in some particular order:

1) Millenium Park

This is a prime example of the city center park as a viable modern social mecca. I wish the wimpy NIMBY's hampering the redevelopment of Civic Center Park here in Denver would step a few feet into this bold reimagining of an urban greenspace. From the dramatic spitting fountains to the breathtaking Frank Gehry-designed bandshell, the park was a beating living environment. Had we known there was a concert that evening we would have shown up with a blanket and picnic on the grassy green and lazed away with some wine. Boldly, Chicago has served notice that it is still a magnet for cutting edge urban design.

2) The John Hancock Tower

Surprisingly in all my time in Windy City, I never once stepped foot in this landmark building. The Sears Tower, many times. My loss. If you pick one skyscraper from which to ogle the urban skyline I think the Hancock wins hands down. Your choice: the tourist experience or a cocktail on top of the world. Guess which one I chose...

3) Architectural River Cruise

Another thing I had managed to avoid all these years. We had the perfect sunny morning to explore the Chicago River by boat. It is a great way to see the city evolve. Frankly it was really odd to see the old Sun Times building replaced by a Trump palace. That said, the potential for a new corkscrew mega-tower designed by Santiago Calatrava was a tantalizing end to a tour of a city undergoing another transformation.

4) Neighborhoods

I can never emphasize enough to people that the real Chicago draw is just a little bit afar from the glitz of Michigan Avenue, and this trip just emphasized that. From dinner at a cute little place in Andersonville, to the usual haunts in Lakeview, to the cute strip of restaurants and boutiques in Wicker Park and Bucktown the best Chicago has to offer is in the urban neighborhoods. If you do end up amidst the skyscrapers, definitely make the time to wander a bit afield for the more approachable Chicago.

5) The L

Transit cards and clearly recorded stop information make a huge difference. I was amazed how two subtle changes went a long way towards making the L a friendlier transit system. It really is a convenient way to explore the neighborhoods and simply get around. I am glad I got to still use tokens in my younger days, but frankly, the CTA has put technology to good use making the system better.

6) Chicago Style Pizza

We skipped the line at Uno's for a pie at Due's and were not disappointed. There is something magic about a pizza that has to cook for 40 minutes to melt just right. It's a gooey calorie bomb of a meal, but it is oh-so-good.

7) The Art Institute in 45 Minutes

The grande dame of Chicago museums has a deal that is worth checking out, especially right now when many of the galleries are closed due to the museum's current expansion project. Entrance is half-off the last hour each day, which the friendly museum ticket vendor casually suggested would be a good idea. Perfect idea. While I know you could spend hours on a Picasso or a Seurat, we managed to see all we wanted to see, perhaps a bit rushed, in 45 minutes flat. Best $6 spent in Chicago.

8) Ed Debevic's

No we didn't make it to the landmark downtown diner, but if ever I needed a reminder that the more things change, they often stay the same, Ed Debevic's provided it. Just as we stepped out into the city from our hotel this weekend, a gaggle of young lost college kids asked me if they were going in the right direction looking for Ed Debevic's. I was once one of those kids, asking for the same exact directions, almost a lifetime ago.

9) Nemo Nisi Mors

A simple phrase at the end of the trip. In one swoop Chicago reminded me how fortunate I have been, and still am today.

Hastings Revisited

This past weekend I trekked back to Hastings Nebraska to celebrate my grandfather’s 80th birthday. I am never really excited to revisit this small town having spent my life growing up in Denver.

To my surprise I had a great moment of appreciation at the birthday bash being held at the old Eagles Aerie 952 club in the historic downtown. It is fitting that the club is on Second Street and Denver Avenue, which is the same block that intersects the historic Burlington Train Station.

As we drove to the event my mother and aunt were reminiscing about growing up in Hastings and all of the time spent walking the downtown streets with all of the soda shops, cafes and the movie house.

Some of that energy came back that night simply by having family and friends there to fill up the club. It was cool to see my family dancing along with my grandfather to the sounds of Glen Miller. Usually those sounds would be cringe worthy, but it brought me back to another era.

Today, the city streets in downtown Hastings are nearly dead with so many beautiful buildings just sitting vacant.


The city is doing everything it can to give a boost to its downtown and is offering incentives for small business to come back. We are fortunate to live in a city like Denver that has kept its roots in its thriving downtown. Hopefully, Hastings will figure out how to keep its city center just as viable.

For more photos of historic Hastings, check out The Adams County Historical Society.

Swatch Takes Upscale Urban Retailing Vertical

When Swatch Group Japan was faced with building a new headquarters and showcase for their various upscale brands in Tokyo, they apparently rose to the challenge.

With a small footprint in which to highlight the Swiss watchmaker's various brands including Breguet, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Jaquet Droz, Léon Hatot, Omega and, of course, Swatch, the company turned to Shigeru Ban to find an elegant, open solution.

Using significant greenery, dramatic lighting and innovative technology, Shigeru Ban seems to have achieved an iconic Tokyo flagship building, in a city swamped with modern buildings. Indvidual hydraulic elevators rise out of the open lobby to the boutiques and office space above, giving the designers an elegant solution to the limits of tight urban streetfronts in a congested urban metropolis such as Tokyo.

Thanks to my friend David for the heads up on this neat intersection of modern design and architecture!

Modular modern housing comes to Denver

Mention modular housing, and it is almost impossible not to conjure up images of dusty trailer home parks in your head. That, or those ugly wide-load cheapos that you sometimes have to wind around on the interstate.

If so, it is time to change your perceptions a bit. Upscale modern design is attempting to reinvent the prefabricated home.

All you have to do is pick up a copy of Dwell magazine or find urban design blogs, and you will find a new renaissance of design pushing modern, greener prefabricated homes.

Denver is now joining the trend

This morning on the radio, Colorado Matters profiled a new townhouse project in Northwest Denver that will be prefabricated before getting placed on a foundation. Known for her Glidehouse concept home, Oakland, CA architect Michelle Kauffman is working with a local developer to build the Marycrest Townhomes near Regis University.

I have seen many of these concepts on paper and in photos. Design-wise, they are like any other home. There are better and worse designs. The concept itself, however, has a ton of potential, especially as a solution to quality and environmental concerns involved in construction today.

I look forward to seeing a modern modular home in real life. I have honestly been underwhelmed by the many of the floorplans I have seen on paper up until now. Having built homes though, I am fully aware that what you see in a blueprint is often very different than the feeling you actually get walking into a fully realized house.

Do we really stand at the forefront of a revolution in home design that will change the way we live?

The proof as always will be in the final product.

I look forward to seeing what they come up with here.

To hear the Colorado Matters interview online click HERE. KCFR will also be replaying it on-air tonight at 7:00 PM.

A transforming Denver skyline

We were still listening to "Like a Virgin" on the radio, when most of Denver's high-rises were being finished. At 38 stories, the recently completed Hyatt Regency Convention Center hotel is the lone new skyscraper in decades.

All of that is about to change as new residential, hotel, and office projects are in the works throughout the city.

The 45-Story Four Seasons Hotel and Residences illustrated below is already under construction:

If you were hoping for a penthouse unit both have been sold already for $7.9 million and $10 million each!

Other major projects in the works include the Spire Residences at 41 stories (under construction), 1800 Larimer Offices at 22 stories, 1401 Lawrence Residences at 51 stories, Tabor II Offices at 44 stories, 1900 16th Street Offices at 18 stories (under construction), and One Lincoln Park Residences at 32 stories (under construction).

There are at least forty smaller-sized projects throughout downtown that are also helping to shed Denver’s cow town image.

To geek out on all the downtown development be sure to check out the ultimate source at DenverInfill.

What's old collapses, times change, and new life blossoms in the ruins

Things I love about older cities include the textures and colors of their aging buildings. The materials and skeletons that make a structure can often decay into a beauty all of their own.

Inevitably, over time, decayed buildings are lost to the natural course of things. Historically, cities prosper over the ruins of older cities, entombing the few remaining secrets below.

The beauty of the modern era is that this decay can now be immortalized in greater detail than ancient hieroglyphs ever could have imagined.

It doesn't just happen in far off places, but in our own backyards.

DenverInfill has an amazing photo collage of the soon to be renovated innards of the old Fontius Shoes building on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver.

For every shiny new building that goes up downtown, we shouldn't forget the history that got our city there.

Denver, like all cities, builds in the shadow of its ruins.