Ku Interior Design

A first look at my space for the Denver Life Magazine Fall Designer Showhouse.

I have Upper Bedroom & Bath One, which I envisioned as a guest suite for visiting grandparents and other guests. I selected everything for the two spaces—from fixtures, finishes and lighting to furnishings, accessories and art—with comfort, function and a cohesive experience in mind.

I'm only sharing a few details for now. The complete space will be open to the public the first weekend of November.

The Showhouse benefits SOS Outreach, a Colorado-founded nonprofit that builds character and develops leadership in young people through outdoor mentoring.

I'll share more details about the Showhouse as we get closer to opening weekend.

In the meantime, you can see more of my residential work at the link in bio.

Small bathrooms leave very little room for decisions that don't earn their place.

In this main-floor bath, a family member who used a wheelchair was an important consideration. Switching the locations of the sink and toilet, specifying an in-wall toilet tank, and replacing the swing door with a wider pocket door all helped create more usable floor space without enlarging the room.

The tub was also replaced with a shower, with a fold-down bench and handheld shower positioned within easy reach.

It’s a good example of why I start with how a space needs to work. Especially in a small home, changing the layout can accomplish far more than simply replacing what is already there.

See more of this Denver renovation on my website through the link in bio.

Sometimes the best kitchen solution begins outside the existing kitchen.

The owners of this industrial loft had lived with a very limited kitchen for five years. Next to it, walls enclosed an underused room—and removing them changed what was possible.

The expanded space allowed us to incorporate the exterior windows and create a T-shaped island. The sink and dishwasher form the primary work area across from the refrigerator and range, while the other portion of the island provides additional storage and seating.

Details were planned just as carefully. Drawer bases on either side of the range make stored items easier to access, while custom beetle-kill pine at the open corner cabinet, shelving and refrigerator surround adds warmth and character to the loft.

The finished kitchen came from looking beyond the boundaries of the original space and considering how the entire area could work better.

What determines the investment in a kitchen or bathroom renovation?

It starts with how much you plan to change. Reworking the layout, moving plumbing or electrical, adding cabinetry, and addressing existing conditions can all affect the work involved.

Materials and fixtures matter, but they are only part of the picture. Labor, installation, construction details, and the decisions required to bring everything together also contribute to the overall investment.

That’s why design and budget need to develop together. A well-defined design gives contractors a much clearer basis for pricing the work—and gives homeowners better information for making decisions.

If you’re considering a kitchen or bath renovation, I have a Kitchen & Bath Investment Guide designed to help you understand what to expect before you begin. Contact Ku Interior Design to request a copy.

Not every home needs the same level of change.

In this condo, some spaces already worked well. Others presented opportunities to improve function: additional kitchen storage, a more useful laundry room, and a home office that could also accommodate overnight guests.

In the bedroom, an existing soffit influenced the height of the bed, the custom wall-to-wall headboard and the use of wallpaper. Rather than treating each decision separately, they were designed to work together.

Good design starts with understanding what already works, recognizing where change will make a meaningful difference, and recommending the right solution for the home.

Moving into a new condo? Start planning as soon as possible.

There are decisions that are much easier to make before move-in—furniture placement, window treatments, lighting, wallcoverings, art and how the rooms will relate to one another.

Planning the home as a whole also means individual selections can be made with a clear direction rather than one at a time.

The goal isn’t simply to have everything ready for move-in. It’s to make better decisions before you get there.

A restrained color palette doesn’t have to feel restrained.

In this Denver condo, a limited palette creates cohesion without making every room look the same.

Variation in shade, value and intensity creates range. Pattern adds movement. Texture changes the way color responds to light. And the balance shifts from room to room—sometimes teal dominates, sometimes purple or gold takes the lead.

That’s an important distinction when I’m designing an entire home. The goal isn’t to repeat the same colors everywhere. It’s to create relationships between the rooms so the home feels considered as a whole.

How early should you hire an interior designer? Earlier than many homeowners think.

The most useful time to bring in a designer is before the major decisions start getting made.

For a renovation, that means before construction pricing—when the design is developed enough for contractors to understand what they are actually pricing.

For a new home or condo, it can mean before ordering, when there may still be opportunities to evaluate the floor plan, electrical and lighting, cabinetry, finishes and other builder options.

And before move-in, thoughtful planning can help determine how the home should function and what changes make sense before everything arrives.

The goal isn’t necessarily to start construction sooner. It’s to start planning soon enough to make better decisions.

Renovating an older home doesn’t mean making it look new.

In this bathroom, the existing shower location worked, so it stayed. But the enclosure was rethought with a half wall, an interior window aligned with the exterior window, and a recessed niche.

The rest of the room was redesigned with new cabinetry, lighting and materials that feel current while still belonging in the home.

Sometimes the best renovation decisions aren’t about changing everything. They’re about recognizing what works, what doesn’t, and where a change will make the biggest difference.