Maximalist at heart, Lauren Richardson turns a 1970s Cabin into a cozy Colorado vacation home

By Clay Imports

Hospitality designer Lauren Richardson is the founder, chief creative, and principal designer behind The Sursy, an experiential design and development group based in Denver, Colorado.

The Sursy operates a portfolio of shoppable vacation homes. One of them is the Coal Creek Cabin.

Photography by Holly Fink of Home Skillet Photo

The Coal Creek Cabin project  was a fun design effort for a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom 1970s cabin located about 45 minutes outside of Boulder, Colorado.

The Sursy founder Lauren Richardson and her team designed this home as a retreat for the homeowners and their family. And to accommodate Airbnb guests in a vacation home. For Lauren, using locally-made furnishings, fresh paint, and customized details were a no-brainer.

The Sursy founder Lauren Richardson create shoppable vacation homes

The Inspiration

Lauren usually gets inspired by one large piece in any given space, and builds a design around it. For the Coal Creek Cabin, it was the oversized, curved Gus Modern* Modular Arc sofa that anchored the nostalgic-yet-modern vibe that she was trying to balance. The designer wanted to pay homage to the age of the home, while at the same time making it suitable and functional for the homeowners and the guests they would host.

The oversized, curved Gus Modern* Modular Arc sofa

When it came to the fireplace backsplash, Lauren knew it needed to make a statement in the large, main living space. She also realized that somehow the framing of the wood-burning stove needed to have more purpose. Originally, the small stove looked tiny and overwhelmed by the giant wall behind it, so the team chose to build in large, custom benches on either side.

Photography by Holly Fink of Home Skillet Photo

Photography by Holly Fink of Home Skillet Photo

The Tile

The Fireplace

They picked the Glazed Thin Brick Deslavado Tile to execute an intricate tile pattern. Lauren found inspiration by a design from Studio A Group, who applied it beautifully for a commercial project in Austin. 

"Working with Clay Imports was easy breezy! Seemed almost too simple. The order was placed and delivered with no hassles, even amidst the restraints the beginnings of the pandemic were presenting for companies everywhere."

Photography by Holly Fink of Home Skillet Photo

Photography by Holly Fink of Home Skillet Photo

The Clay Imports Glazed Thin Brick is the perfectly imperfect, durable, and timeless subway tile trend. Fun fact: Clay Imports was the first company in the world to glaze terracotta Saltillo tile! (Want to know more about Glazed Thin Brick? Please read Let’s talk Glazed Thin Brick.)

The Bathroom

The Sursy created a statement bathroom at the Coal Creek Cabin. Keeping the original cabinets, this eclectic bathroom features a custom mural and our Encaustic Pattern Juice White flooring. The black and white combination is a winner.

Photography by Holly Fink of Home Skillet Photo

Photography by Holly Fink of Home Skillet Photo

The Juice White is like a perfectly tailored tuxedo; classic and modern. It is versatile and has a practically infinite number of configurations. Gracefully neat and tidy, it easily conforms with many aesthetics. (Want to know more about Encaustic Pattern Clay tile? Please read Let’s talk Black and White Clay Tile)

The Style

The 1970s cabin transformation was a fun project for Lauren. The maximalist is a big fan of the 1970s style coming back into play; large curvy furniture pieces, swivel chairs, breeze block indoors, bead curtains, and funky mixing of patterns and textures. She’s here for it all! One trend the designer is happy seeing to be going away? Open concept floor plans. Lauren personally loves when rooms have purpose and a home has cozy nooks and separation. For her, the more mixing of textiles and patterns, and of vintage or thrifted items with newer modern pieces, the better! 

"Sometimes people worry too much about matching things, whereas I think I focus more on things not matching to create a unique look and feel to a design. "

Photography by Holly Fink of Home Skillet Photo

Photography by Holly Fink of Home Skillet Photo

Experiential design and development group The Sursy put a lot of thought into each of their shoppable rental spaces. They aim to promote our network of local artists, makers, and small businesses, but also to support them through their services. View the vacation home Coal Creek Cabin and thoughtfully designed spaces on their website.

Read more: Q&A with The Sursy founder Lauren Richardson. And remember, if you have any questions or require more information, don't hesitate to reach out to us at contact@clayimports.com.