But which of the 11 urban communities (including Auraria Campus, Central Business District, Central Platte Valley, Five Points, the Golden Triangle, Highland, Jefferson Park, La Alma/Lincoln Park, and LoDo) is right for you? Are you looking for a clean-lined loft or an elaborately detailed turn-of-the-century home on a tree-lined street?

To begin your search, attend the Fourth Annual Center Yourself: LiveDowntownDenver Housing Event. Experts will be on hand to discuss your options. The event also showcases a diverse selection of downtown housing options, and provides the opportunity for one-on-one interaction with leasing agents and developers.

Other special features include complimentary appetizers, free cocktails for the first 300 guests, and prize drawings.

Designed to increase downtown Denver’s residential population through marketing these neighborhoods, the Live Downtown Denver campaign uses formal and informal communications to attract potential residents to the variety of homes available in the city’s urban core. Founded in 1955, Downtown Denver Partnership, Inc. (DDP) is a non-profit business organization that creatively plans, manages and develops downtown Denver as the unique, diverse, vibrant and economically healthy urban core of the Rocky Mountain region.

Fourth Annual Center Yourself: LiveDowntownDenver Housing Event
Thursday, April 17, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Oxford Hotel
1600 17th Street
Denver, CO 80202

Phone: 303.534.6161
www.livedowntowndenver.com

All Photos Courtesy of Downtown Denver Partnership

J Madden, the managing partner of the new fitness center and spa in Cherry Creek, Pura Vida, would emphatically disagree. He believes that a club should be more than just a place of recreation; it should be a place of serenity and relaxation, as well. “We are really raising the bar with quality, style, providing an amazing first impression, securing a lasting impression and including all the components of hospitality that will engage the members through excellent customer service. We want to elevate the level of quality and service for our customers beyond anything that they have ever seen in this area.”

From the moment you step into Pura Vida you understand what Madden is trying to achieve. From the ornate water features to the almost panoramic views of Denver that shine through endless windows, it is clear that this is not just a regular gym. The club is not sparing any aesthetic goals, either. The interior boasts a $60,000 art budget, a full service, on-site spa and several other unique amenities, including a shoe shine service, Whole Foods-catered snacks in the locker room and beautiful wooden lockers with elegant furnishings in a space you would normally just throw your towel down.

Pura Vida’s demographic is much like the demographic of Cherry Creek itself: a little older (the average age of members for the club at this point is 40 years old) and holding a distinguishable taste for more sophisticated things. They also pride themselves on being an “adult only” club with the minimum age for membership being 18. Madden explains that it’s not about being exclusive, but rather what you choose to be inclusive of. “Having two children myself,” he says, “I think our club is a great place for parents to escape the pressure and worry of their life for just an hour or two of the day and really be able to enjoy time to themselves in a beautiful and serene setting.”

And, while aesthetically Pura Vida is raising the bar on health clubs in the area, obtaining a great workout is still their main goal. “First and foremost, we are a health club, so we want to provide the best fitness equipment, the best personal attention and exercise instruction for every person who walks in our club,” says Madden. In that effort, Pura Vida offers group exercise and cycling classes and features the Italian-designed Kinesis system that functions almost like a vertical Pilates, using cables attached to the wall on the top and on the bottom of the machine for resistance. They also offer climate-controlled yoga so members can choose either a regular or hot session depending on their preference. This feature, as well as mat Pilates and group exercise classes, are included in the membership.

In keeping with their mantra of high quality service to its members, Pura Vida also provides the Nectar spa located inside the club. Nectar offers members (as well as regular Denver residences) full amenities, including various facial treatments, massage packages, manicures, pedicures and waxing services. And while anyone can come into the spa for a treatment, the club ensures that Pura Vida members get preferred pricing and preferred scheduling.

It’s clear that Pura Vida will be a notch above the rest of the local gyms in terms of quality, but everything does come at a cost. Membership fees are $150 a month with a $700 initiation fee and the club offers a dual membership of $225 a month with an initial $1000 fee. The club takes a progressive step with the dual fees, simply requiring that the basis for eligibility for a dual membership is that the pair reside at the same residence, letting members define how that shakes down for them in terms of their workout partner. So, despite the bill, it’s obvious that the idea of having a great workout at a beautiful gym and then following it up by retiring to a sophisticated locker room or getting an amazing massage or spa treatment will certainly motivate even the most unlikely of gym-goers to lace up their running shoes and make the gym a daily routine.

Pura Vida Fitness and Spa
Grand Opening
Tuesday, April 15

100 Fillmore St., Suite 150
Denver, CO 80206

Phone 303.321.PURA (7872)
www.puravidaclub.com

Thanks to Doors open Denver, anyone in town the weekend of April 12 has the opportunity to get up close and personal to some of the city’s most interesting buildings. For the third straight year, eighty of Denver’s most significant structures will open their doors to visitors all weekend. The event offers a plethora of ways to explore the participating buildings, ranging from informative group tours to family-friendly activities.

This year there are 28 expert-led tours throughout the weekend and participants will have the chance to listen in as historians and architects share their knowledge of places like the Civic Center in Golden Triangle and the Highland Masonic Center. But, if you’re like me and walking around with a bunch of strangers doesn’t do it for you, grab an event guide and set off on a self-guided tour.

Event organizers have cleverly crafted several groupings of suggested stops, revolving around specific themes. These Urban Adventure Tours, with titles like “Romancing Denver” and “The Great Outdoors”, are great for those looking for a little guidance as they explore. The “Art Spaces” adventure is an awesome way to get acquainted with some of Denver’s best new buildings. The tour includes the new Museum of Contemporary Art building by star architect David Adjaye and will also take you past the stunning façade of the Denver Art Museum’s new Hamilton Wing, designed by another well-known architect, Daniel Libeskind. Both buildings are stunning in their own right and each offers a different take on the modern museum.

Whether you’ve got the whole weekend to wander around the city admiring century-old brick beauties or just an hour to breeze through downtown, it would be silly not to take advantage of this rare opportunity to get a glimpse of Denver’s diverse and exciting architecture.

Doors Open Denver
April 12-13, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

www.denvergov.org/doorsopendenver

Pinkberry is a type of frozen yogurt, but, due to some technicalities, they can’t officially call it yogurt. It is unlike regular frozen yogurt in that it tastes real, tart and creamy, just frozen. In Los Angeles it’s a phenomenon and was dubbed the “taste that launched 1,000 parking tickets” by the LA Times.

In my post-Pinkberry depression, I was recently reading The Onion and come across an ad for EYT, a new Riverfront Park salad bar. The ad promised that, with the purchase of any salad, you would be treated to a complimentary “small, Pinkberry-style yogurt.” My heart skipped a beat. I didn’t understand why there weren’t fireworks, a front-page article announcing its arrival or, at the very least, a few people waiting in line when I got there later that day (waiting at Pinkberry is common). Where were my fellow fro-yo devotees?

I impulsively ordered my favorite concoction — a medium, plain yogurt with three toppings: Cap’n Crunch, kiwi and strawberries. The medium is actually a large at EYT, but, before you start penciling in more gym time, relax because it’s fat free and a medium serving clocks in at less than 200 calories.

I couldn’t have been happier with my order. The yogurt was sweet, yet tangy, and the fruit toppings were ripe and fresh. Although EYT only has the plain yogurt flavor (other chains offer green tea and raspberry, among others), I was pleased to see a full spread of toppings to choose from, including chocolate chips and Oreos.

The one drawback is that EYT’s prices are noticeably higher than at its Californian cousin. I wouldn’t recommend getting a medium with multiple toppings there; a small serving with one topping is the perfect follow-up to one of their yummy salads and won’t break the bank. EYT also serves up some tasty gelato, but we’ll save that rave for another day.

EYT
1590 Little Raven St.
Denver, CO 80202

Phone: 303.825.9335
www.eytsalad.com

Hours: Monday – Sunday | 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

So learning that there was a hair salon in the back of the Fabric Lab reminded me it might be time for the annual event. Finding out that its called Big Hairy Monster confirmed it. I made an appointment with Christi Lagaurdia to lighten up my own shaggy behemoth.

My reminder call for the appointment came the day before the actual event and I busily collected pictures of what I thought I wanted in my new coiffure. When I showed up, both Laguardia and Tran Wills, proprietor of the Fabric Lab, greeted me and, after discussing my photos, was soon enough settled into a smock in front of a lovely mural of a loveably large, fuzzy beast. Just as comfortable as could be.

The cut turned out fantastic — I lost a good six inches with absolutely no trauma to my psyche and I feel fresh and ready for spring. The experience was lovely, the conversation enjoyable and I wasn’t loaded up with a bunch of product and smells that I didn’t want.

Big Hairy Monster is cozy and ready for business without even a whiff of attitude. Men’s haircuts are $20 and up, women’s start at $35 and they also do facial waxing for $5 with another service or $10 on it’s own. All screamin’ deals for the quality and care. I love the way I look and I think I’ve even overcome my fear of salons.

Big Hairy Monster
Located inside the Fabric Lab

3105 E. Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO 80206
Phone 303.321.3604

Thebighairymonster@yahoo.com

Part sonic laboratory experiment, part wildly eclectic dance off, A&D whip their crowds into a frenzy of the most well known crowd pleasers and the best underground dance music. Being keen to the best grooves, wildest beats and most sing-able anthems, the DJs cut and paste their set into seamless face-offs: Snoop Dogg vs. Cher, Q-Tip vs. The Commodores, Mary J. Blige vs. Snow Patrol.

Check out the Bootie website for VIP offers and advance tickets; the first 50 dance queens will get free Bootie comps and backstage access. It’s really the best compromise. Now the only question is what to wear…

Bootie
Thursday, April 10, 9 p.m.

The Shelter
1037 Broadway Ave.
Denver, CO 80203

Phone 303.832.8628
www.bootiedenver.com

Well, what if you could say that, for your information, you went to a great new restaurant in the city, met seven cool, new people who you now know pretty well and even got a couple of business cards? That’s what Sarah Kathryn Smith had in mind a decade ago when she re-invented the idea of the 8 at 8 Dinner Club.

In 1998 and before Smith got her hands on it, 8 at 8 was a flailing business. Starting right out of college, the 22-year-old quickly established the brand as one of the premier dating services in Atlanta, the original city for the company. It was not long before the media picked up on this new romance rave and soon Smith began appearing on Oprah and CNN and in magazines like Cosmo and New York. Her idea got so big that it even started to expand outside of Atlanta, establishing in Chicago, Dallas, New York, Washington D.C. and Denver.

The idea for the company was fairly straightforward says Kelly Guth, Denver Membership Director. “It is four single men and four single women who meet for dinner at eight o’clock…its an evening of fun conversation, the opportunity to try some good food and the chance to add to your circle of friends from both sexes.”

Talk about a win-win situation. What sets 8 at 8 apart from other dating services is the ever-present group dynamic. In speaking with a group of club members, they all agreed that relieving the pressure of the traditional one-on-one date is a huge draw for most people to this type of dating. One woman, who has been going to the 8 at 8 dinners off and on for a few years, remarked that this dynamic “makes the chance of hitting it off with someone and being compatible with someone at the table that much more probable.” It is not uncommon for people to connect through this service, either. Of the few members I spoke to before an event, two of them had met at a dinner and are currently dating. The company boasts from its website that it is responsible for “50 marriages, thousands of first dates, hundreds of serious relationships, dozens of first kisses and a few children.” Guth, who has headed up the Denver operation for the past year, has seen seven long-term relationships come into fruition.

The restaurants frequented by the club members will surely entice even the coldest of hearts. Local favorites like Zengo, Vesta Dipping Grill, Coral Room and Carmine’s on Penn have all been in the mix as possible date spots in the past. And, because even good food can’t cure awkwardness, once the eight dates arrive at the restaurant an 8 at 8 hostess greets everyone, does all the introductions for the group and buys everyone a round of drinks before the meal. It’s the group’s way of side stepping all the sweaty handshakes and unsure smirks that seem to creep up on most blind dates. Here, everyone knows everyone well in advance of seating and has even had a cocktail before they have seen the menu.

And while the price of membership isn’t cheap by any means, it does set apart those who are serious about meeting new people and perhaps even finding love. The cost of membership to 8 at 8 is $500.00, which includes being matched up with five dinners over a course of a few months (not including the price of the actual dinners). But, as one 8 at 8 member commented, “It’s like anything, you pay for what you get. Dating, like anything else, is all about what kind of effort you put into it. It can either be a night of musical chairs, or you could actually meet some really great people. It’s all up to you.”

With the slew of options out there, including speed dating, Internet dating, blind dates and personal ads, the horror stories and awkward moments abounded when the 8 at 8 members were asked about their dating backgrounds. Suffice it to say, “restraining order” was a phrase that kept coming up. Contrast that with those aforementioned success stories, and it seems that local Denverites are on to something in their search for that special someone…and this time they have seven others along for the same ride.

8 at 8 Dinner Club
Phone 303.369.3888
www.8at8.com

3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Singles Summit
Red Lion Hotel (Stapleton)
4040 Quebec St.
Denver, CO 80216

The completion of this enormous task is the duty of DAM’s new Assistant Curator of Graphic Design, Darrin Alfred, who recently came to Denver from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Alfred’s job is made no less complicated by the fact that the AIGA archives go well beyond glossy brochures and fancy letterhead; the collection includes everything from promotional materials (think bags, wine bottles and clothing) to motion graphics (hundreds of CDs filled with commercials, music videos and film titles). While pieces from DAM’s new collection date back to 1980, the AIGA has an online archive system that goes back even further and includes thousands more samples.

With a collection this large to sort out, it’s no wonder there aren’t any major exhibitions planned in the near future. Alfred hopes that will change by the fall however, when a comprehensive exhibit can go on display, followed by continuous smaller rotations of pieces from the massive series. It’s a collection that will keep growing, too, as nearly 200 pieces will be added annually through AIGA’s “50 Books, 50 Covers” and “365” competitions. So, while Denver may have to wait a while longer for its first glimpse of the graphic design goods, we’re glad the collection has at least moved in. Now all that’s left is the unpacking.

Here’s a sneak peek from the rock poster collection and the AIGA archives:

Promotional Poster: by Victor Moscoso.
The Chambers Brothers, March 28, 1967. ©1967, Neon Rose.

Zero7: Zero 7 Tour, 2006
Urban Inks
Creative directors: Reed Burgoyne, Sarah Mead
Designers: Reed Burgoyne, Sarah Mead
Collection Denver Art Museum, Gift of AIGA
© AIGA

Camus Series: The Plague, 2006
Vintage Books
Art director: John Gall
Jacket designer: Helen Yentus
Collection Denver Art Museum, Gift of AIGA
© AIGA

AIGA Design Archives
Coming Soon

Denver Art Museum
100 W 14th Ave. Pkwy.
Denver, CO 80204

www.denverartmuseum.org
designarchives.aiga.org

Mister Foe, a darkly twisted highlight of new Scottish cinema, is one of 17 feature films included this year in the Vail Film Festival programming.

Great movies and powder always seem to go hand in hand — with Scarface, Blow, Half Nelson and Boogie Nights, just to name a few. And this year, staying true to the stride, is the fifth annual Vail Film Festival, located around some of the best powder in the world. Compared to other major film gatherings, the Vail Fest picked up major speed in its first year, bringing in a record number of film buffs to the area. This year’s event, held April 3-6, is expected to be no different.

Quite the movie lush myself, I get stoked on anything independent, considering the usual monotony of the Hollywood machine. In fact, I would place wagers on my ability to call out the majority of the indie films currently available at Blockbuster. Events like the Vail Film Fest will give Denverites the chance to take in some film that’s outside of the Block and meet others who are pushing the boundaries of their craft.

The festival, put on by the Vail Film Institute, works to promote independent filmmaking, focusing especially on new and innovative filmmakers. It’ll also bring in some big names, as in years previous — names from the drab Hollywood machine like Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke and Owen Wilson. They’re all great actors in their own rights, but actors that, nonetheless, often get associated with Hollywood formulas. To see them break out of the box is quite refreshing. Last year’s festival brought in 14,000 attendees from around the globe, including more than 300 independent filmmakers. The festival also featured the 2007 hit Knocked Up, written and directed by Judd Apatow.

Workshops and receptions are also offered throughout the four-day event. A Pixar presentation at the Vail Mountain School will give a behind-the-production look at the animated film Ratatouille, with a meet and greet with filmmakers also held at the Larkspur. Be sure to check the schedule for more options. And don’t forget that Vail has a few other things to check out between festival screenings. With cobblestone sidewalks and quaint boutiques, a slice or two of pizza from Vendetta’s on Bridge Street or a good Mexican dish from Los Amigos, you’re weekend is bound to be full.

Even if you aren’t the indie film warrior type, a day or two at the 2008 Vail Film Festival will do you some good. Some culture and, who knows, maybe a little powder might be in store. Though one thing is for sure, it’s definitely worth the effort.

The 2008 Vail Film Festival
Thursday – Sunday, April 3-6

Phone 970.476.1092
www.vailfilmfestival.org

Driving
Take I-70 West. Once in Vail, follow the signage to the main Vail exit 176 where you can find festival venues, lodging, parking and access to the mountain. East and West Vail can also be easily accessed by exits 180 and 173, just before and after the main Vail exit.

Recrudescence of the Pigeon Post: A Correspondence
Amy and Joseph Findeiss

Show Runs April - April 4 – 30
Reception April 4 6 to 10 p.m.

Double Daughters Salatto
1632 Market
Denver, CO 80202

Phone 303.623.3504
www.tastieconcepts.com

Amy and Joseph Findeiss the brother and sister duo often collaborate on the same canvas but with this series they have worked on companion pieces about the same subject matter Amy working in paint and Joseph working with photography and a variety of media. They then wrote postcards to each other about the work, the postcards hang with the art attempting to explain or adding to the imagery on the walls.

Evolver
Thinkmule

Show Runs March 20 – April 11

The 400
1010 Bannock St.
Denver, CO 80204

Phone 303.446.0400
www.the400.net

Thinkmule the art and design phenom other wise known as Jeremy Pruitt likes lines, lots of them. And those lines add up, to create chickens, monsters and other four-legged beasties. This guy shows all over the world and we are lucky to have him residing in the humble town of Lakewood and even luckier to see a collection of drawings from him at the 400.

Get it Threw Your Thick Skull
Antonio Diaz and David P. Madson (aka Odd Nosdam)

Show Runs April 3 – 25
Opening Reception April 3 7 p.m.

Andenken
2990 Larimer St.
Denver, CO 80205

Phone 303-941-2458
www.andenken.com

Messy, layered and full of marks, Antonio Diaz’s work comes straight from the Id. It is unmediated by the intellect, full of disembodied body parts and explosions. The color palate is limited and the subject matter is dark, the love child of SDK (see **Works on Wood** Listing) and outsider artist Henry Darger.

Also showing is David P. Madson, known as Odd Nosdam in the alternative hip hop music world has designed album covers for fellow label mates cLOUDDEAD and Greenthink. Nosdam will DJ during the opening event.

Works on Wood
SDK

Show Runs April 4 – 26
Opening Reception April 4, 6 – 10 p.m.

Sliding Door Gallery
554 Santa Fe Drive
Denver, CO 80204

Phone 720.979.4448
www.slidingdoorgallery.com

Listing primal aesthetics, urban culture and the collective consciousness as his inspiration, SDK assembles objects and ideas together in a way that combines high and low art, he takes wood scrap, discarded paper and objects of all sorts, attaches them to each other and adorns them with color, primal indeed, and beautiful too.

Control
Jay Droger, Michael Whiting and Craig Colorusso

Show Runs March 10 – April 25
Opening March 28 7 p.m.

Object+Thought
3559 Larimer St.
Denver, CO 80205

www.objectandthought.com

Object+Thought has been bringing us unconventional art exhibits and musical events for about a year now and they are consistently outside what we see in the other galleries in town, whether it’s a show curated by the interns at Plus Gallery or an event presented by the Mystery Cabal.

This month they feature the work of Michael Whiting, his steel sculptures are pixilated versions of things found in nature: animals, rocks or people, they are paired with photographs by Jay Droger of ‘80’s video games, and adding a bit of contrast to the hard mechanical nostalgia is an installation by Babylon Floral Design.

Kozma, who was born in Switzerland, but now resides in Budapest, is well known in Europe for his spectacular installations. He has shown in Hungary, Germany and Switzerland, but this is scheduled to be his first installation in the U.S. With degrees in both architecture and visual communication, Kozma is interested in the spaces buildings make and transforming how we perceive them.

The Invisible Museum was drawn to Kozma’s work because they felt an affinity with the intangible medium he works with. They are a museum without walls, bringing together exhibits showing in many different locations around the city. In the past couple of years they have put together several excellent shows including Unwrapping the Wing at the Dikeou Collection and 910 Arts — where they asked artists to work with a material called Nitto that covered the titanium of the Hamilton Wing at the DAM during shipping — and Use a Bicycle — where parking meters on California Street were covered in bags that told them to, indeed, “Use a Bicycle.”

The Denver Art Museum’s Design Council will host a lecture with Kozma during the artist’s scouting trip to Denver. There will also be a number of other events with the artist during his stay, including a fundraising dinner at Walker Fine Art, at which guests will be able to speak with the artist and his photographer, Andre Samogyi, about how they intend to transform our humble city.

Peter Kozma Lecture
Design Council Spring Lecture
April 8, 6 – 8 p.m.

Schlessman Hall, Denver Art Museum (North Building)
100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy.
Denver, CO 80204

RSVP to 720.913.0046
www.invisiblemuseum.org

The son of architect and Cranbrook Academy of Art director Eliel Saarinen and textile artist Loja Saarinen, Eero studied sculpture in Paris and architecture at Yale. Also an acclaimed architect and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Saarinen’s firm, Eero Saarinen and Associates, was responsible for sites like the commercial headquarters of General Motors and IBM, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (the “Gateway Arch”) in St. Louis and Washington Dulles International Airport.

Famous Saarinen furnishings include the “Grasshopper” lounge chair, the “Womb” seating line and his “Tulip” collection. “Tulip” and “Womb” have remained in production since their creation in the 1940s and 1950s.

This year, the “Tulip” line, which was part of his “one piece, one material” philosophy, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To mark the date, Saarinen’s daughter Susan Saarinen, local American Society of Landscape Architects member and founder of Golden’s Saarinen Landscape Architecture, and an editor from Dwell will be on hand to discuss Saarinen’s legacy.

Founded in 2002 by Heather Mourer, a graduate of New York’s Parsons School of Design, One Home is a local furnishings showroom and interior design firm, featuring local, national and international lines. To register for their upcoming celebration visit www.dwell.com/tulipcollection.

Dwell/Knoll Party at One Home
50th Anniversary of the Saarinen Collection
Thursday, April 3, 6 – 9 p.m.

One Home
2445 E. Third Ave.
Denver, CO 80206

Phone 720.946.1505
www.onehomedesign.com

Surrounded by ever-changing imagery, this local gallery assistant is inspired by simple color palettes — particularly black on black. She prefers a clean and simple silhouette accompanied with a fabulous handbag or two.

Theresa, a downtown bank teller, enjoys dressing up her wardrobe with splashes of color. “I look for pieces that work for my body and create something that’s all my own.”

Bruce, a longtime investment banker, prefers classic pieces like this trench coat and double-breasted blazer. “I’ve had this coat for over twenty years. It’s been good to me. I never leave the house without it.” His advice, invest in the items you wear on a daily basis. Visit Jim and Scott of Players Clothing Store (1501 Wazee St.) in LoDo for a similar look.

“Fashion is my life! I change clothes like the weather. New, old, trendy, vintage — I love them all.” Passionate words from Nina, a LoDo receptionist, who does her best to keep up with the latest trends. She frequents The Garment District (2595 S. Colorado Blvd.) when looking for a deal on denim or other designer pieces.

Jordheim and Stone, both members of the Industrial Designers Society of America, work both individually and collaboratively (since 2000). Their commercial projects include acrylic and stainless steel cable and hardware for Belmar Residential Sales in Lakewood; birch plywood and steel photo bins for Flash Gallery; and Baltic birch, abbet laminati and chrome hardware shelves at the Golden Triangle’s Studio Bini, among many others. While the straight edges and silver metals could make any of these creations seem cold, Jordheim, who is strongly influenced by Scandinavian designs, is quick to point out that Hinge “uses natural elements to evoke a warm feeling. This is especially important in interior settings. Incorporating warm materials helps a setting to not feel too austere or stiff.”

As for residential works, Jordheim and Stone specialize in custom furnishings and interior projects. Each assignment begins with a meeting between the designers and their clients, who typically arrive with an idea or a problem — maybe a small loft or one extra-large room. Hinge creates “designs that are solutions — either spatial or aesthetic,” Jordheim explains. Right now every furnishing the designers create is custom, however, according to Jordheim, the duo is “currently expanding beyond that” with a full line (three to four pieces that will work together in a space) to launch this fall.

Ultimately, Hinge designs have an organic feel, with clean lines and smooth materials. Jordheim finds inspiration in and is drawn to natural forms. And the pair has “a commitment to the environment. We are aware of our impact as furniture designers. [Furniture designers] use a lot of materials that can be pretty damaging, so we use our network to specify products that are of a lower impact,” stresses Jordheim. “We try to use bamboo and materials that are grown or manufactured locally. Using something with a lower impact does not detract from form or function; it does not compromise design.”

This is not your cookie-cutter furniture, mass-produced and glued together. Jordheim says she “finds joy in creating something that is enjoyable to be around. Interior products and furniture — you live with them. If you design pieces well, people can’t live without them. If a piece is designed well you keep it. I enjoy being a part of that.”

While the designers hope to move toward the global market, they find the local design community to be very nurturing. “We are appreciative of the [design] community here. Collaboration is tremendous and the community has grown quickly in a short amount of time, embracing Hinge and other small businesses. It’s great to be part of the movement in Denver,” declares Jordheim.

Hinge
Good design improves quality of life.

3222 Tejon St. Studio 1
Denver, CO 80211

Phone 303.588.0398
www.hingecollective.com

So far the songs are enchanting — pop in that they’re easily transitioned to the airwaves, but not in that they’re easily digestible. The song-writing push has Hest working hard for his memberships, with a handful of songs so far that are all multi-dimensional and fully evolved. His use of background vocals and ambient percussion are perfect additions to his chameleon-esque story telling. The songs are explorers in their own right — with “The Weight” pulling in the heaviness of Americana and “In a Rush” coming through in a sexy mambo — and it’ll be interesting to see where the final project will go.

The New York artist is coming through Denver this weekend, armed with his three month’s worth of stock and, no doubt, the seeds of songs soon to come. Even if you decide not to join up in his hi-fi, indie revolution, you can still catch him analog.

Ari Hest
w/ Zack Nichols

Saturday, March 28, 9 p.m.

The Soiled Dove Underground
7401 E. 1st Ave.
Denver, CO 80230

Phone 303.366.0007
www.arihest.com