Home & Garden Colorado 2026 Showhouse

Nora was tasked with designing the dining room for this newly built home on the edge of Denver's historic Belcaro and Cory-Merrill neighborhoods. A charming traditional home of antique red brick with a modern semi-open floor plan, the dining room opens to the kitchen and serves as a gathering place for both everyday family meals and special occasions. Nora's objective was to create a space that felt warm, welcoming, and family-friendly while still offering Mom a touch of elegance.

She selected a palette of muted blues and mossy greens to complement the adjoining kitchen and scullery. Inspired by the project lead designer's imaginative profile of homeowners relocating to Denver from Boston, Nora envisioned a dining room that subtly evokes New England while celebrating the beauty of Colorado’s natural world.

To establish this mood, she chose an Anglo-American mural from Designers Guild with an unmistakable eighteenth-century sensibility to enliven the interior of the buffet niche. Custom paneling frames the mural, lending the niche the character of an architectural focal point.

All other elements in the room were chosen to resonate with the mural in both mood, color and botanical motif. The linen draperies from Cowtan & Tout with their tone-on-tone printed pattern ground the entire space, bringing a sense of calm and enclosure and immediately drawing one into the room. The Persian rug from Shaver-Ramsey provides an elegant foundation but the softer color palette mutes any sense of busyness and allows the other textiles in the room to take center stage.

To introduce an unexpected and distinctly personal detail, Nora designed custom slipcovers for the dining chairs by Chaddock and loaned courtesy of Howard Lorton Furniture in Denver. The side chairs feature a lush moss-green English woven fabric on the seats, while the backs are covered in a serene English floral linen that reinforces the botanical theme. The armchairs showcase their exposed wood backs with seats upholstered in a silk gingham woven in moss green and slate blue.

Passementerie, decorative trims and embellishments, plays an important role throughout the room. Oversized ball fringe in shades of green and blue accents the draperies, while miniature ball fringe trims the slipcover backs. Embroidered cross-stitch banding finishes the chair skirts, and the silk gingham seat covers are tailored with coordinating cording and decorative banding, adding another layer of craftsmanship and refinement. Brass buttons on the slip seats complete the details.

The trestle-base dining table, courtesy of Egg & Dart Showroom, is a bench-made piece by Charles Pollock. Hand-planed and hand-finished, it possesses a warmth and authenticity that reflects Nora's belief that exceptional craftsmanship contributes to a home's enduring sense of permanence, comfort, and stability.

Rather than crowding the room with draperies on both windows, Nora chose to frame the patio doors with a curated collection of antique and vintage plates. The arrangement helps balance the room while preserving natural light and maintaining an open, airy feel. Privacy was not a concern, as the outdoor fireplace chimney directly opposite the doors naturally screens the view from neighboring properties.

The buffet is accessorized with antique china, vintage brass, and a vintage needlepoint portrait of The Blue Boy, reinforcing the room's eighteenth-century character. A lush arrangement of orchids displayed in a brass cachepot introduces a subtle note of exoticism, recalling the eighteenth century's enduring fascination with botany and the natural sciences.