Newlands House: A Custom Home Styled and Designed by Women
Written By Kelsie Michelson
At Tectonic, one of our core values is to be a vehicle to uplift businesses in our Boulder community. Why? Because we do better together. Where some may see competition, we take every opportunity to collaborate with the talent here in our backyard.
Our recent remodel at Newlands House in North Boulder was the perfect stage to shine a light on the brilliant designers, stylists, and female founders whose work we so admire. We invited the plant design experts over at Root by Design, the fashion savants at Jones + Co., the floral artists from Boulder Blooms, and Süti & Co. for their artisan homewares. Together, we wove a story of modern elegance infused with the personalities and artistic thoughtfulness hand-delivered from each of these female-led businesses.
The Future is Female
Let’s be honest. Running a business is hard and it takes extra strength and courage for women to do this work on their own. Each of the companies we worked with to stage the Newlands House was founded locally and all by women. In each of their respective industries, they have roughed the entrepreneurial weather storm and continue to show up with a strong commitment to their craft.
As a custom home build firm in Boulder, we have a refined perspective on design with a discerning eye for quality. These female collaborators align strongly with our values to create healthier and more harmonious spaces. The Newlands House remodel became a symphony of modern sophistication that celebrates the collective power of women in design.
A Contemporary Haven
We are thrilled to collaborate with the exceptional taste-makers behind Süti & Co. Located on 16th and Pearl, the Scandanavian-inspired haven is helmed by Chef Andrea Uzarowski whose famous family shortbread is served alongside hand-crafted espresso drinks, coffees, and teas. Sweet treats aside, the space has evolved into a home goods and lifestyle store that invites one into a slower pace and honors her highly-curated items designed to last for generations. You are instantly transported into the concept of hygge which becomes a felt experience inspired by Andrea's Danish roots.
There is intentionality behind everything they source with a focus on the minimal, Scandinavian aesthetic that complimented our recent home remodel beautifully.
“Tectonic’s custom home builds feel timeless and well-built. With the Newland’s House, our aesthetic and home goods reflect the same clean, modern lines with touches of texture,” says Andrea.
Andrea’s selections included kitchen wares, like oversized matte black pitchers to balance out the expansive shelving and add an architectural touch. The dining room was set with black stoneware vessels and brushed gold flatware, while deep green mid-century modern wine glasses offered color to the masculine tablescape. Hand-dyed linen pillows with brass zippers and leather pulls graced the client’s couches. She added woven baskets and candle holders to warm the contemporary interiors and bring peace into a busy family home.
“Working on this project was a dream come true,” says Andrea. “Having been a chef for over 20 years, I worked in a heavily male-dominated industry. It was refreshing to have such an effortless collaboration between the other women-led businesses. I hope for more of this in the future, not just for myself but all female-led businesses.”
In Full Bloom
For over 25 years, Boulder Blooms has been creating modern, floral-forward designs in their local shop focused on spreading the joy of flowers through unique and seasonal arrangements. From daily deliveries to plant installations and maintenance, they specialize in residential and commercial floral subscriptions and events.
As a floral enthusiast, I am first an admirer of their work and how they execute arrangements in clean, organic, and whimsical styles. When it comes to incorporating florals in an architectural space, I love how their larger arrangements can become works of art and harmonize a space with elements directly from nature. As Boulder’s healthy home builder, Tectonic emphasizes environmental stewardship and energy efficiency to harmonize a home with the natural world. This means working with like-minded businesses prioritizing sustainable practices, like Boulder Blooms who have eliminated common foam core used in the floral industry and sources local flowers whenever possible.
For our most recent remodel at Newlands House, we worked with the company’s Creative Design Director, Lily Kelly, and Zoe Tomar, the company’s Operations Director, to bring their brilliant blooms into full focus. They wanted to achieve a balanced aesthetic in this modern home remodel comprised of strong edges and prominent stonework by showcasing arrangements with depth and texture. They brought in greenery punctuated with white flowers, decorative branches, and statement vases in neutral tones. Rather than detract from the remodel, their arrangements enhanced the overall design beautifully.
“We recognize Tectonic’s intentionality and high standards. With this project, we wanted to demonstrate the intersection of how interior design can utilize florals to elevate this space,” they said.
“It was really fun and comfortable to be surrounded with other like-minded female leaders. We are empowered to see the evolution of business with women at the forefront of our community as entrepreneurs and literal bosses!”
The women at Boulder Blooms consider collaboration to be vital to business and the community at large. With bigger companies creating competition, they want to see more efforts around one of Boulder’s core values: to support local businesses and Colorado artisans. A sentiment that never goes out of season.
Embracing Nature
When it comes to plant design, it’s typical for many designers to adorn a space as the final step of an interior remodel project, but we thought there was a better way. We work closely with the deeply knowledgeable and plant-obsessed team over at Root by Design, from the very first steps of a design project and never as an afterthought. This ensures that the selected plants are ideal for their new environment, with consideration to the light, humidity, and temperature of their new custom home. The result is a cohesive aesthetic that supports our shared passion for creating healthier spaces that utilize biophilic design and honor the many benefits of plants.
Root by Design’s founder, Sierra Voss, brought her expertise to our Newlands House remodel to add the perfect addition of living elements that transformed this house into a home.
“Our contribution to the space helped breathe life into each room by way of gorgeous, live greenery,” says Sierra.
The open-concept interior has a minimalist yet earthy ambiance, inspiring her to select a Ficus Audrey for the bedroom. This stunning statement piece has soft-shaped leaves and a gorgeous gradient of colors that adds even more life to the light-filled room. The dining area became the stage for a tropical Bird of Paradise to reveal its bold, sculptural greenery, while the living room is set with a Dracaena Marginata to amplify the cozy gathering space with its impressive height and lengthy, energetic leaves. To honor biophilic design, Sierra chose planters made from natural stone materials that are crafted into organic shapes reminiscent of the earth’s curves.
“Like Tectonic, the community is the backbone of our company’s success and we believe in working within our eco-system, including with other builders and designers across commercial and residential spaces,” Sierra says. “It is a rarity to work with all female-owned businesses for a project, which made this one so special.”
Sustainable, But Make it Fashion
To complete our vision for Newland’s House, we worked with Elizabeth Jones from Boulder’s sustainable fashion brand, Jones + Co. Born from a passion for conscious living, they prioritize ethically-made, high-quality goods that minimize the environmental impact. When you shop with Jones + Co., you’re not just making a purchase, you’re joining a movement. Bringing an element of fashion into our photoshoot at the newly remodeled Boulder home was the perfect way to elevate our shared values and style the female founders with thoughtful, eco-conscious threads and accessories.
“For this shoot, we carefully selected items that harmonized with the design and ambiance of the space. This included pieces made from organic and recycled materials, fair-mined jewelry, and accessories crafted with eco-friendly practices. Each item was chosen to enhance the natural beauty of the surroundings while aligning with our commitment to sustainability,” says Elizabeth.
“This women-led project reinforced the importance of women supporting women and the incredible results that can be achieved through collaboration,” she shares. “From here, we can collectively create positive change and build a more sustainable and vibrant future for Boulder.”
