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Designing and producing our collection with care

September 12, 2019

Donnie, here! I wanted to tell you a bit more about our design and production process.

We're proud the Denver Modern collection was designed, sampled and prototyped in Denver, CO - the city we are lucky to call home and a place we are constantly inspired by.



Denver Modern Joel Edmondson collection



We partnered with friend, designer and fellow Denver resident, Joel Edmondson, to develop the designs in this collection. Our vision for our new furniture collection has always been to develop timeless, everyday modern pieces that would fit into homes in Denver and beyond. To us, that's also meant keeping a deft eye on our prices. 



Joel Edmondson for Denver Modern


We've been in the custom furniture business for many years and have terrific local partnerships with craftsmen and -women whose skill sets we admire and continue to utilize on our made-to-order designs. However, given our scale and affordability goals, we outgrew what our local partners could offer.


Lindsey and I researched online for many months, knowing it was important to us to find a right partnership for our company's values and goals. We eventually looked at China; on a personal note, Lindsey grew up in Hong Kong and has an understanding of and affinity for Chinese culture.


Denver Modern Donnie Criswell


We were very pleased when we found a place with a similar entrepreneurial, team-oriented spirit that has a true passion for furniture, pays a living wage to their workforce, and follows government laws protecting air quality and the environment.



It's funny to think about the connections you can make, even across lots of distance. To this day, I will be on WhatsApp until the wee hours, excitedly texting about packaging or new sample ideas with Kate, who is my main counterpart at our Chinese supplier. It was particularly cool when visiting Kate and her team to review samples to also hear how much her team and everyone in the factory loved the designs - spending time sitting on the chairs and relaxing with a leg up on the ottoman.

 

Connecting with people who love making furniture, together, continues to inspire us. We look forward to continuing to release new, Denver-designed collections and having lots of fun along the way. Our next release is slated for Spring 2020! 

-Donnie