There is something about a spa that makes visitors feel safe and special. But is it as easy at home as employing a few candles and soothing music to get that same, spa-like sense of sanctuary?
Room checked in with three Denver day spas to answer the question, and found personality and creativity are at the heart of soothing spaces.
Estitition and Revive Spa owner Nicole Kerchmar envisioned a restorative setting. She wanted an inviting place that skipped traditional spa stuffiness – a spot where clients could either pop in or linger. She also needed it to suit Revive’s brick-and-concrete Uptown setting.
Kerchmar paired with Katherine Schroder of Atelier Interior Design to create a “fresh space where urban modernism meets natural beauty,” the designer says.
The mood begins in the lobby, where the walls are covered with dark, faux-finished wood panels. The woodsy feeling carries through with espresso-colored floors and avocado accessories, and decorative Asian-inspired botanical photography.
Atelier completed the look with whitewashed oak custom tables in boxy, geometric shapes. Kerchmar brought in simple, modular shelving from Crate & Barrel, accessories from West Elm and a rotating art collection that spotlights local artists, some of whom she finds on Craigslist
.com.
Get this look with earthy green and café au lait colors, and light wood tables and shelving. Add fresh orchids and bamboo displays, understated imported crafts, and offbeat, generally affordable artwork by Colorado up-and-comers. Keep the arrangement clean and never cluttered.
Revive Spa is located at 500 E. 19th Ave. 303-284-2550 or
revivespadenver.com.
Spa owner Heather Smith’s stay at the Hotel Principe overlooking the Arno River in Florence inspired Bella Fiore Day Spa in Cherry Creek North. Influenced by the eclectic mix of antiques inside that historic Italian building, Smith and her business partner shopped for the spa furnishings with an eye toward heavy, handcrafted wood. They found most of what they were looking for at the discount fine furnishings store Brandon’s (900 S. Santa Fe Drive) and the import store Foreign Accents (316-326 S. Broadway).
“I wanted to create something that was homey and tranquil,” Smith says. “I wanted Bella Fiore to feel like you stepped into Tuscany for a few hours.”
A 10-foot tall, carved teak cabinet from Pakistan – selected for its artful presence – was Smith’s first major purchase for the space. She exposed hardwood floors in some parts of the spa, and installed Italian ceramic tile in other parts. Italian frescos, a big sunflower painting by friend Richard Olivera, and custom pedicure stations where clients soak their toes in 17-inch marble sinks instead of the traditional plastic tubs, complete the Tuscan feel. The final touch: layers of fragrance from Sundari and Red Flower candles.
Get this look by referencing Italian classicism with an eclectic mix of antiques and imports. Select statement-making pieces like Bella Fiore’s teak cabinet or sunflower painting and then design a room around those pieces. Fragrance the home with high-quality, soy-based candles and develop a daily pampering bathing ritual, Smith suggests.
Bella Fiore Day Spa is located at 324 Clayton St., Unit B, 303-355-3365 or bellafiorespa.com.
Italian wine in particular inspired North Denver day spa owner Mari Mongomery’s choices for La Muraglia’s. Mongomery transformed a former car garage into a healing place by planting a folksy garden out front and painting the interior green and purple hues like a vineyard landscape. The colors are picked up with amethyst crystals and draped velvets around the spa.
“I wanted this place to be accessible to both men and women,” Mongomery says. “I didn’t want it to be to froufrou.”
She decided against much artwork or faux painting in the décor. Instead, the spa’s common area and treatment rooms showcase gemstone fountains, healing crystals and fresh flowers.
Get this look by including a water element in any at-home sanctuary space along with other relaxing elements like stones crystals, plenty of fresh flowers.
La Muraglia’s Day Spa & Body Shop is located at 4949 Lowell Blvd. 720-855-8858 or
lamuragliasdayspa.com.
