Alpine Aesthetic: 5 tips for a room refresh from Arhaus Studio Aspen

Growing up in Akron, Ohio, I vividly remember visiting one of Arhaus’ original furniture stores with my interior design enthusiast of a mother quite frequently. The log cabin-like structure opened my eyes to a mountain aesthetic far from the Midwest — one that I would ultimately end up living in as a grownup equally as obsessed with home décor.

Based in Boston Heights on the perimeter of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Arhaus was family-founded in 1986 on a simple idea: “Furniture and décor should be sustainably sourced, lovingly made and built to last.” Today, Arhaus partners with artisans around the world to bring a collective vision of creating beautiful, heirloom- quality pieces to life across its 75 showrooms in the U.S.

Following the debut of the brand’s elevated retail concept, which debuted last year in Carmel, California, Arhaus Studio Aspen opened its doors in the downtown core in December, offering customers concierge-style design assistance and advanced customization capabilities within a smaller store footprint.

The 3,114 square-foot store, located in the Muse Building (adjacent to the Aspen Art Museum), is part of a wave of expansion with additional Arhaus Studio openings in Burlingame, California, Princeton, New Jersey and Miramar Beach, Florida, over the past six months. This more exclusive, intimate setting provides a “white-glove” level of one-on-one attention and furniture customization.

Arhaus Studio Aspen also welcomes homeowners and industry professionals alike to collaborate with its team of in- house design consultants in a digital capacity, as each Studio is equipped with a Design Center featuring cutting-edge technology including 3D room-planning software and touchscreen monitors to display pieces within a space.

“We’re thrilled to bring the Arhaus Studio experience to Aspen, a place that shares our values in community connection, enthusiasm for design and appreciation for the beauty found in nature,” said Arhaus CEO and co-founder John Reed in the opening announcement last year. “We take pride in helping our clients curate homes they love, and we know how invaluable that guidance can be throughout the shopping, designing and purchasing process. Our goal is to create an immersive experience for our clients as we collaborate with them through every step.”

Carrying on its legacy of sustainability and in celebration of its Aspen arrival, Arhaus has also committed to planting 20,000 trees in Colorado in partnership with American Forests — contributing to the brand’s ongoing, formal Green Initiative mission to plant 1 million trees across the country.

During the final stretch of offseason downtime — the perfect window for refreshing a room or a few in your home — Arhaus director of interior design Maggie Gienger shares what’s trending for summer, plus five tips with product picks.

TRENDS

“Summer this year is all about organic shapes, soothing neutral colors and comfortable textures bringing lightness into your home to create a mindful, calm space both inside and out. We’ve been seeing the incorporation of textures like bouclé in fabrics, paired with cocooning, laid back shapes in furniture consisting of gently sloped arms, delicate curves and softened corners.”

TIPS

1. “Curating a new pillow combination can be one of the most impactful ways to begin updating your space. Look for pillows made of materials like velvets and linens; a couple of my current favorites are the Stone Washed Velvet Pillow ($69) in taupe and the Nubby Stripe Pillow ($59).”

2. “Swap out some of your smaller accent pieces, like your coffee table, for something that has softer edges and is made of natural materials. I am currently loving the Ilaria Coffee Table ($3,599) made from beautiful Italian travertine.”

3. “Bring in a new accent chair that is upholstered in a light textural fabric, has curved edges and forgiving lines; something like the Fresno Swivel Chair ($2,799) with its orb like shape would do the trick.”

4. “Changing out the dining chairs around your existing table is another easy substitution to update your home. Try the Rodin Dining Chair ($1,099), which is a gorgeous take on an antique chair found in a German flea market. The combination of varying materials and the subtle curvature are guaranteed to give your dining space a face-lift.”

5. “Nature has increasingly become an integral part of our homes, so don’t forget to bring the outdoors in by incorporating plants throughout; a few that I love are a Monstera plant, snake plant or fiddle-leaf fig tree. Less is not more when it comes to greenery this summer!”

Katie Shapiro can be reached at katie@katieshapiromedia.com and followed on Twitter @bykatieshapiro.