Democrat Design
Donkeys, delegates, and donors have descended on Denver for the Democratic National Convention, which wrapped up yesterday Thursday, August 28th. A team of local furniture shops and a team spearheaded by Heather Mourer of One Home and the Denver Film Festival partnered to see that another D was added to that list: design.
Earlier this week Mourer sent me these images of the VIP lounge that she and a team of volunteers put together for out of town Dems whose problems are less about Congressional gridlock than aggressive paparazzi.“The VIP lounge was for movie stars coming in from out of town,” says Mourer, who had only 24 hours to whip the 4000 square foot warehouse in Lower Downtown into shape for the celebs, whose enthusiasm for democracy does not appear to extend to mingling with the hoi polloi.“The warehouse was really close to the Pepsi Center, but aside from the occasional limo, you wouldn’t think anything was going on there.They were tyring to keep it low key, as a kind of escape.”
Eschewing the traditional patriotic motif—no bunting in sight—Mourer included a mix of design classics and the work of local artists, like Bill McDonald, in dressing up the space. In addition to bathrooms, a bar, food, drink and a Nintendo Wii, any starlet overcome at the power of Joe Biden’s oratory could simply collapse in a B&B Italia Big Momma chair or slump in a Fritz Hansen Egg chair. Mourer did manage to sneak in a nod to Old Glory, though. “The Big Momma chair was red and white stripes and then the Eero Aarnio dog, or donkey as we called it, was blue.”
Big Momma Chair and blue dog / Image courtesy of Jason Jung/ESTETICO
Who precisely had the pleasure of lolling in such a design-savvy spot? “Jennifer Aniston was there and J Lo is rumored to have been there. [She] requested a section organized with some privacy for her entourage, so we placed the planters at the right where other areas are. There were also all sorts of secret service and they’re not saying who was there,” reports Mourer.
Eames Chaise with artwork by Bill McDonald / Image courtesy of Jason Jung/ESTETICO
Though she didn’t get to hang out at the lounge while it was occupied by those who like their politics mixed luxury, she was happy to participate in the DNC. “I was so excited to be a part of this, though I felt like I was on one of those design reality shows on an insane deadline,” she says. “There I was, this very pregnant woman with her hands on her hips shouting, ‘Come on guys. Move it!’”
Earlier this week Mourer sent me these images of the VIP lounge that she and a team of volunteers put together for out of town Dems whose problems are less about Congressional gridlock than aggressive paparazzi.“The VIP lounge was for movie stars coming in from out of town,” says Mourer, who had only 24 hours to whip the 4000 square foot warehouse in Lower Downtown into shape for the celebs, whose enthusiasm for democracy does not appear to extend to mingling with the hoi polloi.“The warehouse was really close to the Pepsi Center, but aside from the occasional limo, you wouldn’t think anything was going on there.They were tyring to keep it low key, as a kind of escape.”
Eschewing the traditional patriotic motif—no bunting in sight—Mourer included a mix of design classics and the work of local artists, like Bill McDonald, in dressing up the space. In addition to bathrooms, a bar, food, drink and a Nintendo Wii, any starlet overcome at the power of Joe Biden’s oratory could simply collapse in a B&B Italia Big Momma chair or slump in a Fritz Hansen Egg chair. Mourer did manage to sneak in a nod to Old Glory, though. “The Big Momma chair was red and white stripes and then the Eero Aarnio dog, or donkey as we called it, was blue.”
Big Momma Chair and blue dog / Image courtesy of Jason Jung/ESTETICO
Who precisely had the pleasure of lolling in such a design-savvy spot? “Jennifer Aniston was there and J Lo is rumored to have been there. [She] requested a section organized with some privacy for her entourage, so we placed the planters at the right where other areas are. There were also all sorts of secret service and they’re not saying who was there,” reports Mourer.
Eames Chaise with artwork by Bill McDonald / Image courtesy of Jason Jung/ESTETICO
Though she didn’t get to hang out at the lounge while it was occupied by those who like their politics mixed luxury, she was happy to participate in the DNC. “I was so excited to be a part of this, though I felt like I was on one of those design reality shows on an insane deadline,” she says. “There I was, this very pregnant woman with her hands on her hips shouting, ‘Come on guys. Move it!’”
Posted by: Aaron Britt on Aug 29, 08 at 08:41 AM PDT
