Insiders Story on Denver Modern

The greatest things take time, and Denver Modern from the start has been increasingly innovative and producing quality furniture that has become a family and home favorite.

What started as a hobby of making tables for one of our Founders, Donnie Criswell, soon turned into a passion for furniture design. When Donnie moved from Georgia to Colorado with his young daughter, he began a career where he had his own shop in Denver developing custom pieces, mainly wood and metal tables and chairs.

Over time Donnie refined his eye for design and honed in on an aesthetic that is comfortable, and fresh, with a focus on quality and rich materials that feel unique and timeless. The style wasn’t quite a New York or California look but was influenced by the rugged beauty and independent spirit of Colorado.

Once Donnie met and married our other founder, Lindsey Price Criswell, they began to develop a new brand around this rugged and independent aesthetic. They both are so proud and excited to be a furniture brand that calls Denver home and gets to connect with so many customers around the country. Their driving factor in this has been, “the desire to create a design perspective that brings joy, ease, and connection to homes across the country.” And might we add that they are doing an amazing job of making a dream into a reality. 

Read more about the Denver Modern Showroom and our Vail Series below in a short Q&A with our Founders!

Q: What was the path like to opening the showroom?

A: We had our eyes set on a very specific location in Denver that had the architectural elements for our brand i.e. tall ceilings, exposed wooden timbers, incredible natural lighting, and other details that we felt our assortment would display well in. After finding our ideal location we signed a lease and went to work designing the space and the product vignettes that would go into the space taking into consideration our goals of an ideal customer experience. Since moving into our initial space in 2019 we have since grown into one of the adjacent spaces to provide our customers with more products to review.

Q: How did the ideas of the Vail Lounge, Ottoman, and Stools come to fruition?

A: The Vail Lounge took over 1 year of constant refinement to develop. Initially, the idea was to start with a pillow-like cushion that sits atop a steel frame. Each of the materials included - linen, wood, leather - was carefully selected to be luxurious and organic for the ultimately cozy chair. At the same time, we wanted to create a chair that was as beautiful from the back as it is from the front so that every angle has an eye-catching story.  

We tested and restored “the sit” and sling shape of the Vail Lounge to achieve a deep Lounge. Over time, we have realized that the way a chair or stool sits is a true passion at Denver Modern. 

The Vail stools were an extension of the Lounge chair and the first inspiration was to ensure the back of these stools were a total mixed material knockout. So many of today's current stools are less than impressive from the back. We wanted DM stools to be the focal point of the kitchen - something you simply cannot look away from. The leather strap detail was born and to achieve the ultimate comfort for the sit, we developed the tufted cushion. 

Vail Stool in Boucle

Vail Stool in Black Leather

Vail Stool in Saddle Leather

As Denver Modern keeps moving forward we are so excited to announce that we will be having the grand opening of our showroom on October 27th, 2022! Come join us between 5:30-8:00 PM where there will be free food including wine and beer along with a fun raffle and the opportunity to check out our favorite pieces in the showroom.