The housing market is BOOMING in Denver and while with Work Shop I was able to work along side a team of fabricators and investors who where wanting to build pop tops as well as have some of our very own houses built from the ground up. This was a very fun opportunity to be able to build brand new homes and to have full reign over the design and build out process. With our new builds, we did everything from designing the interior and exterior layout to full construction plans to the complete build out. The crew at Work Shop is fully equipped in project management, design, concrete work, welding, and a full scale wood shop which made it possible to cover all aspects of the design/build process.

*While working for Work Shop as their designer, I had the opportunity to design pop tops around the Denver area. My specific work duties included; concept ideas, site measuring, construction drawings, elevations, detail drawings, meeting with city officials, color palette, procuring samples, 3D SketchUp model, presentation drawings, detail design, meetings with clients, contractors, vendors, clients, overseeing contractor and vendor correspondence, and perspective and rendering drawings.

*Photos below are projects completed while I was on staff at Work Shop Denver

furniture.

while working for Work Shop as their designer and project manger i got the great opportunity of designing a furniture line, my specific work duties included; concept ideas, branding and naming ideas,  construction drawings, elevations, detail drawings, color palette, procuring samples etc., 3D SketchUp model, presentation drawings, detail design, meetings with vendors, vendor correspondence, perspective and rendering

furniture is has always been a passion of mine. i have loved this time of designing so many pieces for Work Shop Denver. in the winter of 2012 i was brought on to help design some pieces of furniture for Work Shop's first furniture line. i started with about 50 ideas and then we narrowed them down to about half and then we started building them. the process went very quickly because we were putting together a pop up shop off of 38th and Meade to open in May of 2013 and the goal was to sell the pieces out of this location and we did just that. we sold many pieces of furniture and i think it is very cool that they are in people's houses getting used everyday.

*projects completed while i was on staff at Work Shop Denver

Work & Class

while working for Work Shop as the designer on this project my specific work duties included; concept ideas, interior and exterior space planning, construction drawings, interior and exterior elevations, detail drawings, color palette, procuring fixtures/furniture/textiles/tile/samples etc., 3D SketchUp model, presentation drawings, detail design (custom steel tables and shelving, art wall, booths, bathrooms, patio wall and planters), client and contractor meetings, client correspondence, and perspective and rendering drawings.

in partnership with the owners of Work & Class, graphic design group Matter and the contract team from Sprung,  Work Shop* designed a restaurant within shipping containers where LoDo ends and the RINO neighborhood begins. this up and coming area has fully embraced this cozy new restaurant with it's hard edges and big city feel. with the building being made out of shipping containers we kept with the reused feel adding in old conveyor belts for the host stand and community table, repurposed lath from a building in Denver for feature walls and chairs from all over the world, literally. the focal point of the restaurant is a photo of an old warehouse in Detroit, MI which is where the owners and I drew inspiration from for the entire space. one of the biggest inspirations from the photo was the windows. we mimicked the old warehouse windows with custom built windows that open up to the patio to give it that warehouse feel and they really make the space. this space is for everyone, the working class people, and Denver is loving it. 

*project completed while i was on staff at Work Shop Denver

Ace. Eat. Serve.

In partnership with Josh Wolkon and his Secret Sauce restaurant group, Xan Creative* designed a large scale restaurant that has become an 'end cap' to the 17th Ave dining scene. This large scale restaurant is divided into 4 different areas: the dining room, the bar, the ping pong hall and the patio. The design scheme was simple because the building it self was super rad and filled with materials that could be reclaimed and reused. We knocked down walls, kept the original floor and exposed the existing brick and beams. We reused the old window grates to create custom cabinetry and repurposed the original drop down ceiling for the partitions of our booths. We also bought an old shipping container, used rustic wood from a decrepit old barn and utilized salvage airplane parts to create unique accents in the space. Ace is contagious, open, and exciting to be in and people from all over Denver have discovered that for themselves.

While working for Xan Creative as a designer on this project my specific work duties included; concept ideas, branding and naming ideas, interior and exterior space planning, construction drawings, interior and exterior elevations, detail drawings, color palette, procuring fixtures/furniture/textiles/tile/samples etc., 3D SketchUp model, presentation drawings, detail design (chair wall, booths,bathrooms, private dining, patio railing and planters), client and contractor meetings, client correspondence, perspective and rendering

*project completed while I was on staff at Xan Creative

while working for Xan Creative as a designer on these three Snooze locations my specific work duties included;​ interior and exterior space planning, construction drawings, detail drawings, interior and exterior elevations, procuring fixtures/furniture/textiles/tile/samples etc., presentation drawings, detail design (bathroom doors), client and contractor meetings, client correspondence, perspective and rendering.

while designing at Xan Creative* ​i had the great opportunity to see three new Snooze locations come to life. being a part of the Snooze brand was an experience that every designer wishes for. to have a constant project and a chance to redefine and improve your work at every location was a blast.

the color scheme of Snooze rotates from store to store and the layouts are always  different. we feel that the signature Snooze booths have now been perfected and the Snooze branding is complete. the owners and management team of Snooze made designing every store a fun and excited endeavor. ​ the photos in this gallery are from multiple Snooze locations in Boulder and South Glen Colorado and in San Diego California. just like the very first store Xan helped open in the Ballpark district of Denver, each store now has a loyal group of patrons who love waiting in line for this great food.  

*project completed while i was on staff at Xan Creative

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This new build in sunny San Diego was the second location for DBar and its owners Keegan Gerhard and Lisa Bailey. Xan Creative* was brought on to expand the design and brand that had already existed in the first location by updating and polishing the color palette and refining the environment. The 30 foot ceilings and large sky lights allowed us to creatively think about lighting. During the day natural light pours in and at night custom glass blown chandeliers sparkle throughout the space. It was very important to the owners to have a gallery type of space for their dessert sculptures. We designed a large display wall that separated the two bars from one another, the dessert bar and the cocktail bar, and the wall now features dessert as art. Isnce its opening DBar San Diego has been as big of a hit in southern California as it has been in Denver.

While working for Xan Creative as a designer on this project my specific work duties included; concept ideas, interior and exterior space planning, construction drawings, interior and exterior elevations, detail drawings, color palette, procuring fixtures/furniture/textiles/tile/samples etc., 3D SketchUp model, presentation drawings, detail design (lighting, booths, bathrooms, display wall, host stand, tables, patio railing), client and contractor meetings, client correspondence, perspective and rendering

*project completed while i was on staff at Xan Creative

while working for Xan Creative as a designer on this project my specific work duties included;​ concept ideas, space planning, construction drawings, detail drawings, elevations, procuring fixtures/furniture/samples etc., presentation drawings, detail design (shirt display, water fountain), client and contractor meetings, client correspondence, perspective and rendering

i love Great Divide Brewing Company on so many levels! i got the chance to design the offices and expansion of this beautiful tap room while at Xan Creative* and i loved every drink of it. what Great Divide needed was more seats for their guests, a display for their merchandise as well as more office space for their expanding company. 

for the tap room expansion we designed​ new seating that was community oriented and that allowed for interaction among guests. we deigned a tall booth that i am in love with and that i truly enjoy sitting at.​ we reclaimed old wooden beams from the  space and used them along with other reclaimed wood for the tables and drink rails. with some great lighting, new walls and giant windows we created an inviting new hang out space for Great Divide.

while working on this project i came up with an idea for the t-shirt display. i envisioned something made of recycled bicycle tubes, steel, and bolts. the idea behind ​it was to create a hanger system that would allow the guest to interact and touch the shirts while also preventing them from being able to remove them without permission. this is where the bike tubes came into play, they are stretchy and can be pulled in every which way, while keeping their rubbery form. the hanger was designed to keep the shirt on display while the customer touched and turned the shirt as they got a good look at it.  ultimately the display came out being as functional as it is creative and i am proud of that work.  today hundreds of beer fans pour into the Great Divide tap room to get a pour of this incredible beer.

*project completed while i was on staff at Xan Creative

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When it came time for Rabble and Rouser to move offices they called on Xan Creative* to design their office space for a second time. R&R had out grown their previous space and were moving into an old warehouse in the Rino art district of Denver. This project allowed them to have private offices in the front and an open floor plan in the back. We took the opportunity to cut into new walls with fun big windows to keep the space open and airy. We retained the original concrete floors and gave them fun area rugs around the office. We added more of a residential feel to the lighting in the open bull pen area as a way to help ground the space and soften the warehouse feel. The owners wanted the space to be effective and inspiring while being able to host happy hour parties and small gatherings. With that came intimate and creative meeting spaces and areas where their employees felt comfortable working. With this newly designed space, R&R continues to grow and is now expanding yet again with the help of Xan Creative.

While working as a designer for Xan Creative, my specific work duties included; concept ideas, color palette, space planning, construction drawings, elevations and detail drawings, procuring fixtures/furniture/textiles/tile/samples etc, presentation drawings, detail design (acoustic tlle boarder, desks, rug, cloud lighting, kitchen), lighting, client and contractor meetings, client correspondence, perspective and rendering.

*project completed while I was on staff at Xan Creative

Another example of a Denver company who had outgrown their space, Pure Branding was in need of an office move. A modern and well established branding firm, Pure came to Xan Creative* to have their new space designed.  They were looking for their new office to be fun, with creative meeting spaces and conference rooms, custom office dividers, and tables with inlays of dry erase surfaces. We had a great building to work with so we retained the existing brick walls, concrete floors and structural wood beams while contrasting those surfaces with 'Pure' white everything. Pure wanted the layout of their space to be open yet connected because they have no need for hierarchy in their firm.  This allowed the focal point of the room to become the unique and fun meeting spaces we designed through the space. One of those spaces is the unique and welcoming meeting table that sits inside of a retro-style trailer.  The other, is a large glass structure near the back of the room that utilizes a bright blue barn door at its entrance.  These days, the employees of Pure have the tools and space they need to continue to create the beautiful branding they have become known for.

While working as a interior designer for Xan Creative, my specific work duties included; concept ideas, interior space planning, construction drawings, interior elevations, detail drawings, color palette, procuring fixtures/furniture/textiles/tile/samples etc., presentation drawings, detail design, client and contractor meetings, client correspondence, perspective and rendering.

*project completed while i was on staff at Xan Creative

New clients can come from anywhere. And the men behind the scenes at Diablo Media, Ben and Mike, were regulars of mine during my bartending days. When I told them that I was a designer as well, I was their first choice!. Diablo Media was growing and had just signed on a new office space. With Xan on board, we helped them re-design their cubicles, buy new office furniture, designed a conference table, and facilitated choices for carpet and paint. 

*While working for Xan Creative as a designer on this project my specific work duties included; concept ideas, space planning, construction drawings, elevations, detail drawings, color palette, procuring fixtures/furniture/samples etc., presentation drawings, client and contractor meetings, client correspondence, perspective and rendering.

*project completed while I was on staff at Xan Creative

while working for Xan Creative as a designer on this project my specific work duties included; color palette, concept ideas, detail drawings, procuring carpet and glass samples, detail design (white board frames), client and contractor meetings, client correspondence.

this project was actually supposed to be an office move for The Morey Group but they decided to stay in their current location on 16th Street. we went in and helped spruce up the reception area with new paint, re-upholstering and signage. we also went into two of their conference rooms and put in new carpet, white boards and paint. this was a simple fast solution to an already amazing work environment.

As a life long student, I love learning. ​I wrote a bit about my schooling in my bio but what I didn't say is that I loved it. Creating and being in an environment of challenge and goals, I really felt my craft grow. Here are just a few things from my college years.