Photo courtesy of Freedom Service Dogs. In the heart of Colorado lies Freedom Service Dogs (FSD), a Denver-based nonprofit founded in 1987, dedicated to purpose-breeding and custom training service dogs, professional therapy dogs, and skilled companions for veterans and first responders with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, young people with autism, individuals with limited mobility, and others providing mental health and crisis support. With a Freedom Service Dog by their side, individuals experience a renewed sense of hope and are empowered to live lives filled with possibility. FSD puppie ..read more

Interior designer and decorator Miranda Cullen knows interior design requires a hint of psychology. “Some know what they want, and some don’t, but everyone has a sense of style waiting to emerge,” she says. Cullen suggests taking time to assess and reinvent what you already have, then updating with new window treatments, pillows, dinnerware, light fixtures and lampshades, a coat of paint, or a new key piece of furniture. Here are a few things she loves. Top Shelf “We love us a good bar cart! This one in particular is amazing because of the finish, and the top tray is removable,” Cullen says ..read more

Photo by Susie Brenner Photography. When Sarah Foster took on the task of reimagining a poorly renovated kitchen in a century-old Park Hill bungalow, she kept several priorities in mind: aesthetics (of course), the family’s love of baking, and Roger, the four-legged member of the household. “My three main descriptors of the project are collected, fresh, and rooted in history,” says Foster, lead designer of Denver-based Foster House Interior Design. Homeowners Emily and Trent Nestman found the 300-square-foot kitchen, which had been remodeled by previous owners, lacking organization, aesthetics ..read more

Photo by Corbett Kesler. Growing up in Texas, Corbett Kesler regularly encountered cattle skulls and horns. Now at home in Wheat Ridge, he finds inspiration in the horns and skulls of not only cattle, but also elk, deer, buffalo, antelope, bighorn sheep, and other animals. Kesler creates both wall-mounted and tabletop sculptures. His artistic process involves covering skulls in thousands of glass beads, resulting in works that appear both traditional and contemporary. Born and raised in Texas, how did you land in Colorado? I wanted to get out of the Texas Panhandle and see some beauty. I’m a s ..read more

Photo courtesy of Weston Landscape & Design. Part of an elegant add-on to an Italianate house, this resplendent garden sanctuary is the perfect finishing touch to a Cherry Hills Village property with a bocce ball court and outdoor entertainment cove. This project, a testament to patience and creativity, took a team of eight a year and a half to design and six months to construct, according to Erik Knudtson of Weston Landscape & Design. “Listening to the client to build their dreamscape and negotiating various interpretations along the way allowed us to craft a decisive design,” he says ..read more

Photo by Shawn Beltran/A&D Media. Deciding which home designs to offer at their new community in Castle Rock was a unique process, says Brad Weiman, Work Shop Colorado’s owner. “We reviewed the design of every custom and spec home we’ve done over the past almost 20 years, did some quality control, and perfected them to meet the demand of the market,” Weiman says. “We’re calling this community Signature at Crystal Valley because these are our top nine best designs, showcasing the very best parts of all of our homes.” Though the homes—starting at $2.1 million—are considered semi-custom rathe ..read more

Photo courtesy of Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions. A new window covering safety standard is now in effect, and all window treatments with cords are going away. The standard was raised to minimize child safety issues caused by cords from blinds and shades. If your window treatments have cords, Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions is offering a free in-home consultation to review your current treatments and present cordless options that meet the new standard.  You can choose from cordless blinds, shades, or plantation shutters. Customers who buy this month can get up to 25 ..read more

Photo courtesy of Kylie Fitts. When Wendy and Josh Talmon bought their 1972 southeast Boulder ranch house, it was, to put it politely, a mess. The longtime rental had been divided into odd-shaped rooms. A previous tenant had turned the basement into a weed grow. But the Talmons loved the house’s high ceilings and the surrounding acre and a half of meadows. With architect Joey Pruett of Denver-based A21 and builder Ryan Wither of Boulder-based Buildwell, they took the house down to the studs. Then Wendy Talmon, who owns Wandertree fiber arts in Boulder, designed a modern interior with a vintage ..read more

Photo by Susie Brenner Photography. When Jennifer Pruett agreed to remodel an oddly shaped bathroom in a midcentury ranch home, she expected she was in for a challenge. But when the homeowners proved open to a little creative zeal, the Denver designer found the project to be surprisingly fun. “The layout was super challenging because it was so weird in there,” says Pruett, the principal of Pruett & Co. “It was all kind of open to the bedroom, with a fireplace and weird closet, one vanity with Hollywood lights, and everything at strange angles. It was all carpeted, and there was a little sh ..read more

Whatever size yard you have—even if it’s merely a sunny balcony—you can raise veggies, herbs, and flowers. “Raised beds and containers are a great option for someone who doesn’t have a lot of yard space to start a garden,” says Rachel Durkan, a horticulture specialist for Jefferson County. Planting your crops in raised beds or containers offers several benefits. Better soil You create the noncompacted soil mix (complete with healthy amendments like compost) that goes in your garden beds, so you don’t have to fight the stubborn clay that is so prevalent in Colorado. “We have notoriously bad so ..read more