Living on the Edge

Nancy Milligan, Special to the Rocky

Published January 5, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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A painting by Dobrowolski graces the bathroom walls. Using every bit of space, she finds a spot to park her bike.

Looking down from the loft bedroom into the living area.

Open shelves, like those in Dobrowolski?s kitchen, take up less volume than closed cupboards.

The "Big Bang" chandelier by Foscarini Lighting is made of interlocking red and white Plexiglas panels. At night, it gives a warm glow to the living room's industrial setting.

Kyle and Andra Zeppelin are proud of their unusual shower - a clear glass stall right in the center of their bedroom.

Photo by Photos By Ellen Jaskol / The Rocky

A handmade, fiberglass soaking tub picks up the light from the nearby window. The same translucent material is used for the shower base.

One of the Zeppelin's two Persian cats rests comfortably on a barstool in the kitchen.

Patti Dobrowolski was bike riding, not house hunting, when her path took her along the South Platte River just north of downtown Denver. There she discovered Taxi II, a brand-new, mixed-used complex of residences and offices in the developing River North neighborhood.

It was sometime later when she came back to investigate.

"I was about to move to Seattle and needed a foothold in Denver," says Dobrowolski, a founder of the strategic planning firm Alchemy: The Art of Transforming Business. "I wanted to do this in a smart way. The minute I saw the 'Crash Pad' model, I said, 'I've got to have one of those.' "

Small but sweet

One of two primary floor plans, the aptly named Crash Pad fit her needs well. With 20-foot ceilings creating a large volume of space, the 613-square-foot condo feels bigger than it is.

Strategically placed windows bring in lots of natural light and city, river, and mountain views. A kitchen, living room and bathroom make up the main level, with a sleeping loft above.

"The key was using every bit of space efficiently," says architect David Baker, a member of the team that designed the urban property, which has offices on the first two floors and residences perched on the third floor to take advantage of the light and views. "Everything was carefully considered and fine-honed."

Concrete floors and exposed metal truss ceilings speak to the edgy, industrial surroundings of the neighborhood; high-end European cabinets, stainless steel countertops and other luxury items express contemporary refinement and come standard in every unit.

Dobrowolski added a personal imprint with her own artwork, photos by partner Julie Boardman and lots of vibrant color that works with the building's lime green hallways and hot pink window over the entry.

"I'm constantly stimulated by color and design in my business, and I crave an aesthetically pleasing environment," she says. "This building combines art and living in a unique way."

Seattle designer/artist Scott Ward helped the homeowner select brilliant colors to define and separate areas of the condo, from a lime green wall that greets visitors in the entry/kitchen to a rich teal blue in the living room and shades of purple and orange in the bedroom and bath.

"Scott creates the kind of aesthetic that makes everything feel balanced," says Dobrowolski, who spends about half her time in Denver on business. "I sometimes think of this place as my dream hotel suite."

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