The art of interior design lies in the skill of creating a room, or a project, that is properly balanced, aesthetically pleasing, scaled to the right dimensions and reflective of the particular customer or client.
Anyone who has tackled the challenge of interior design on their own can attest that it is harder than it appears. The selection of a color palette, furnishings, lighting and the ideal combination of shapes, patterns, and textures in pursuit of a pleasing interior is an elusive formula, one that takes training and practice. A talented design professional is not only a problem solver, but a visionary; one who creates a customized world for an aspiring customer.
When that client knows just who she is and what she wants, Unscripted Interior Design knows how to respond. A Centennial, Colorado-based design firm owned by sisters Kari Armstrong, CEO, Kate Pourhassanian, COO, and Kasey Miller, CFO, the firm, (formerly known as HRI) recently rebranded, selecting a name that implies the fact that every job they do is original and unique.
Armstrong oversees most of the initial contact and formalities with clients and architects, while Wendy Welsh is the design director who, along with her team, brainstorms to get the big picture and all the remarkable details.
Welsh gets the credit for the on-trend and often turnkey, faultless execution of dream home interiors for trusting customers who appreciate her creative talents, including residential and corporate clients and home builders.
A recent project that was a Home Builders Association of Metro Denver MAME-award winner was a top-to-bottom design job for a Colorado woman who wanted to enjoy a rural setting without a “country girl” profile. She personifies today’s professional who knows her worth, her potential and her strength. Leaving it up to Welsh to complete her 5,000 square-foot ranch (2,500 square feet on the main level) with a walkout basement and a lake view south of Denver, she trusted that the assignment could be interpreted many ways. What she didn’t want was yesterday’s definition of femininity—no glitz, no shine and no frills.
Welsh and her team decided to evoke this distinct persona with a refined mix of fresh surface treatments in a light and airy pallete grounded by bold furnishings with great lines, warm textures and timeless images of iconic women. “We tried to give the space an organic feel, with lots of natural materials,” says Welsh.
Because the property had abundant light and great views along with privacy, windows were kept clean and clear, devoid of window dressings. This decision added to the sense of space and clarity the interior offers.
Another notable detail repeated throughout is the selection of light fixtures. These range from work lights in the kitchen above the fun, asymmetrical counter to the chandeliers over the table and in a bedroom, all in white metal. Credit goes to the architect for providing a compact and functional envelope; a contemporary house with no wasted space, offering the flow of foyer to kitchen, dining and great room in a simple open, main floor plan.
One of the key elements of a good design scheme is the use of repetition, and Welsh excels in its application. By using the chic Porcelanosa tile applied to the face of the fireplace on the kitchen’s vertical backsplash, she ties the areas nicely together. Further, a white oak console in the entry introduces the theme of light woods, repeated in the handsome oak dining table with a sculptural, graduated base and on the striking kitchen bamboo cabinetry.
Welsh says, “We really tried to make sure that the design had a feminine edge, in the sense that ‘girls run the world’, therefore we used images of strong women in every room of the house.” Those images, with Ann-Margret packing heat from the film “Viva Las Vegas” and the seductive, larger-than-life photo of the glamorous film star Sophia Loren, each make a clear statement: bold women live here.
A feminine soul is implied in the slightly curved chambray-blue sofas in the great room flanked by two rattan chairs bearing woven leather loops along their frames. The setting feels almost rugged and Western without being cowgirl. Large circular coffee tables add weight and focus. The pale jute rug with an embroidered motif is overlaid by a full hair-on, sable colored cow hide, again referencing our Western roots. Even the bright accent pillow with a Southwestern or Turkish motif brings home one more expression of Western identity.
The two bedrooms intrigue, each full of personality. In a specially original touch, black metal mesh used against the wall behind a black leather headboard creates brilliant pattern and texture. The message: strength plus resilience.
Last but not least, the primary bath is a fun and quirky space to pamper and rejuvenate, brightly enhanced by brilliant koi-fish wallcovering, swimming from ceiling to floor. Two ovoid mirrors feel like portals into the deep, or pods floating on the imagined koi pond. A subtle color scheme in the bedrooms is expressed in painted ceilings, accent lamps, nightstands and the mix of textiles. An understated use of teal, charcoal, black and white adds rich atmosphere and a sense of intrigue.
In all, this rural retreat has everything an uptown girl could ask for plus fabulous views, clean air, and lots of Colorado sky. Without Unscripted Interior Design, this dream could have never come true.
