The Heart Behind the Home
Sandy Schuster’s Personalized Approach to Interiors
ARTICLE BY VALERIE BIANCULLI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMUEL VICKREY
For Sandy Schuster, interior design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about emotion, intention, and truly listening to the people who live in the spaces she transforms. As the owner of Rooms by Sandy, a Colorado-based franchise under the Decorating Den Interiors umbrella, Sandy is building her business around connection, comfort, and the kind of personalized style that helps a house feel like home.
“I grew up with five siblings,” Sandy recalls, “and I was always organizing, decorating their rooms, moving furniture around. It’s really innate in me.” After working in corporate America for years, Sandy finally followed her passion and launched her design business in 2022. “I used to help people decorate just because I loved it. Now I get to do what I love and get paid for it.”
Sandy offers a wide range of services—from whole-room makeovers to smaller facelifts with new wallpaper, area rugs, and window treatments. She also assists clients with remodeling, helping them choose cabinetry, tile, countertops, and backsplashes.
What sets Sandy apart is her deep focus on the client experience. “I think I’m a really good listener,” she says. “A lot of times, I’ll pick up on something a client said, and they’ll go, ‘Oh, you’re right—I did say that!’ It helps me create designs that reflect who they really are.”
Designing for someone’s lifestyle is at the core of her process. “I ask a lot of questions: How do you want to feel in the space? Do you cook? Do you entertain? Do you have pets or kids? That’s helps me to design spaces that are beautiful and functional.”
Her affiliation with Decorating Den Interiors offers valuable support. “There are about 200 of us across the country,” Sandy says. “We go to markets like High Point and Las Vegas to stay on top of trends, and I receive invaluable training and support from other top notch designers.”
When it comes to style, Sandy has a distinct aesthetic—but it’s always flexible. “I love mixing old and new. You don’t have to throw out that beautiful old chair just because you want a modern sofa. I love contrast—accent walls, natural wood,
plants. Biophilic design is huge right now—curved furniture, earthy tones, natural patterns.
Among her recent projects is a vibrant Mexican restaurant in Park Meadows and a seven-room installation in Castle Pines. “The couple had totally different tastes—he loved black and white, she wanted color. It was a fun challenge to blend their styles and see them both thrilled with the result.”
But not every client is a fit. “If you’re going to hire a designer, you have to trust them,” Sandy says candidly. “Designers can bring things together in a way that works best for your space. If you’re in a huge rush or just price-shopping, I might not be the right match for you.”
Still, for those who are ready to collaborate, Sandy brings vision, expertise, and a whole lot of heart. Her goal? “I want clients to walk in after an installation and say, ‘Wow.’ That’s the best part. When they tell me, ‘It looks just like the rendering!’ or ‘This is even better than I imagined’—that’s what makes it all worth it.”
For anyone looking to refresh a space without starting from scratch, Sandy has simple advice: “Try a new light fixture, add draperies, create an accent wall, or just declutter. Sometimes getting rid of something heavy makes the whole space feel lighter.”
Sandy’s approach is all about a thoughtful transformation. “When it all comes together, it’s really special,” she says.
To learn more visit https://roomsbysandy.decoratingden.com/.
EAT
ARTICLE BY HAYLEY HYER
KEEP YOUR PLATE IN STYLE WITH THESE FOODS THAT WILL HELP YOU LOOK AND FEEL GOOD
PUMPKIN
SWEET POTATOES CARROTS
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Vitamin A is essential to protecting the corneas of our eyes. By taking care of your corneas, you can extend the health of your eyesight and reduce vision loss with age. An easy way to remember what to eat for healthy eyes is to look for orange foods. Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and butternut squash are all high in vitamin A.
SKIN HEALTHY
NUTS FLAX SEED
CHIA SEEDS FISH
Did you know that vitamin A is also imperative for skin health? So while you’re caring for your corneas, you’re also boosting your outer glow. If you want to kick it up a notch, be intentional about eating plenty of foods with omega-3 fatty acids to reduce acne and inflammation and help your skin produce its own collagen. For your healthy fats, go for flax seed, nuts, chia seeds, and fish.
INGREDIENTS
• 2 eggs
• Dash of flax milk
• Cumin
• Salt + pepper
• ½ sweet potato, cubed
• ¼ green onion, chopped
• ¼ cup spinach
• Handful of broccoli florets
SWEET POTATO SCRAMBLE
(for one)
• Ghee butter or avocado oil for cooking
TOPPING IDEAS
• Cooked salmon
• Hot sauce
• Chia seeds or flax seeds
• Fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
1. Whisk together your eggs, milk, and spices.
2. Prepare a skillet over medium heat with your ghee butter or avocado oil. Cook the sweet potato, green onion, and broccoli for 5-8 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Pour your egg mixture into the skillet and scramble together until the eggs are your desired texture, roughly 3 minutes.
4. Immediately add your cooked salmon, seeds, parsley, or hot sauce and enjoy while it’s still hot!
CONTINUED >
MIX IT UP
BROCCOLI SALMON EGGS SPINACH
HAIR HEALTHY
For soft, flowing tresses, make sure you’re getting an equal amount of B vitamins in your diet. We naturally get plenty of B-6 because it’s in most grains, but it’s easier to end up with a biotin or B-12 deficiency if you don’t pay attention. Focus on foods like salmon, eggs, spinach, and broccoli for a healthy balance of B vitamins for your hair.
MAKING HOUSES HOMES
Meet Denver Nook, Liz Rossof's
ARTICLE BY JED HENEBERRY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMUEL VICKREY & MSTEVENSON PHOTO
Even when she was young, Liz Rossof would race her brother to the Sunday newspaper. The winner’s prize? The comics section, full of funny pictures. But another visual section turned out to be Liz’s favorite.
Real Estate Dream
Welcome to the Denver Nook
“...the difference between buying a house and finding a home is paying close attention to the things that matter..."
“If I didn’t get the comics, the real estate ads had color pictures on Sundays,” recounts Liz, real estate broker and owner of Denver Nook. “I loved looking at the different homes, imagining the interiors, and learning about different parts of Chicago through those ads.”
This formative experience established Liz’s taste in two things that she’d come to build her career around: nooks and neighborhoods.
THE IDEAL NOOK
After a career in the worlds of fine art and design further shaped her taste and eye for details, Liz began her real estate career as a broker for a large international firm. Six years in she was successful, but limited in a one-size-fits-all model.
“I feel like the difference between buying a house and finding a home is paying close attention to the
things that matter to someone,” says Liz. “And I thought I could create that experience better leading my own business.”
Liz launched that business in 2024 with the name, Denver Nook, stemming from her love for a local architectural feature.
“Craftsmen homes all over Denver typically had a kitchen nook,” says Liz. “Many have been lost over time, so those original nooks are precious, though I also love homes like mine that have reclaimed the nook in a remodel. Each one has its own individual style.”
When it came time to find an office nook to fit her own style, Liz knew the perfect neighborhood.
STANDING OUT ON TENNYSON
It’s tough to miss the pint-sized bright-orange bungalow that matches her logo and marks Liz’s triumphant return to a street that is full of meaning for her.
Top: Liz walking around the neighborhood she loves.
“I love the bright color palette,” says Liz. “It fits right in next to the yellow Berkeley Inn, and lets people know that I bring a little more personal approach to the real estate process.”
The Denver Nook office, a colorful, cozy space with a speakeasy art gallery Liz opens for First Fridays, sometimes with hot dog carts and jazz bands, is on Tennyson Street between 38th and 39th just a few blocks south of Liz’s first real estate office.
“I used to set up my desk under a tent in the parking lot to meet people,” recalls Liz. “Now I get to welcome them into my own space and show them more of my personality.”
In her quest to create community, Liz does even more to add to Tennyson Street’s vibe.
DRESSED-UP PETS
Liz has a passion for pets, which is why Denver Nook’s annual community events support Colorado Pet Pantry, a nonprofit helping feed pets to keep them out of shelters and with families.
Because of Liz’s background, both events prominently feature style: May’s Ruff on the Runway dog fashion show, and the 8th Denver Pet Parade at the Tennyson Fall Fest on October 18, featuring 200+ costumed pets strutting their stuff on the street.
“I wanted people who may not have kids to be able to celebrate Halloween by dressing up with their pets,” she says of the event’s origin. “We’ve had dogs, cats, pigs, tarantulas, birds, snakes, and more, and last year we raised almost $7,000.”
Owners looking to style their pets and raise money for the cause can register at www.DenverNook.com/ petparade2025 for more information.
Bottom: Liz enjoying a drink with a friend.
“It’s my favorite thing ever,” says Liz. “It sounds like a cliche, but I regularly say, “I love my job,’ especially when I’m out seeing homes with clients.”
A PERSONAL PROCESS
With Denver Nook, Liz gets to help people accomplish their own unique dreams of home ownership.
“I always say you’re never just buying a house,” says Liz. “You’re buying a coffee shop, a dog walk, a group of neighbors, a commute. All of these things come along with a new home, so I talk a lot with my clients about what matters to them personally.”
Liz is especially grateful that she gets to use her accumulated expertise to help people make a big decision with confidence, and have some fun along the way.
“It’s my favorite thing ever,” says Liz. “It sounds like a cliche, but I regularly say, ‘I love my job,’ especially when I’m out seeing homes with clients.”
Looking for a place that feels like home? Need to sell a place that was home? Liz would love to talk! Find her at www.denvernook.com.
Vertical Gardens Are Moving Indoors
The Stylish Home Design Trend That Will Have You Saying, “Oh, Grow Up!”
Humans have always had a penchant for propagation. Since King Nebuchadnezzar II built The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (one of the original Seven Wonders of the World) in the sixth century BC, artful gardening has fascinated folks. Today, there is a growing trend (pun intended) in home design that echoes that need to nurture, albeit on a much smaller scale. It goes by many names. Environmentalists refer to them as “green walls” or “ecowalls.” Gardeners may prefer “garden wall” or “edible wall.” Designers have dubbed them “statement walls.” But for our purposes here, we will refer to them as the architects do — as “vertical gardens.”
A vertical garden is essentially a wall, or part of a wall, that is covered with plants growing in soil or another type of medium. Though they began as outdoor architectural attractions, these wonderful wallscapes are popping up indoors, and their benefits go beyond a fancy facade.
The most obvious benefit of a vertical garden is the visual beauty it brings to the room. Its unexpected presence adds surprise and drama, while its living tenants, with their varied textures and individual personalities, add energy and a bit of charm as well.
Beyond the aesthetic advantages, living walls have health benefits. They improve the air quality by adding humidity, trapping dust particles, and absorbing many harmful gasses, replacing them with oxygen. They can help with cardiovascular issues like blood pressure as well as breathing problems associated with allergies and asthma. Because they lend a sense of calm and well being, they can even improve concentration, elevate mood, and reduce stress.
Because these living walls are becoming more popular, demand is driving the price down, making them more affordable for the average homeowner. Kits are available and most feature an integrated water delivery system which makes them low maintenance as well.
As for which types of plants to grow, succulents, mosses, grasses, and ferns are all good choices. Tropical vines work well also, as they can trail down or climb up. Pothos and philodendrons have great climbing capabilities, are fast growing, and low maintenance. The design possibilities are as endless as the plant combinations. So bring the outside in! Simply choose a location with bright, indirect light, and turn your wall into a living piece of artwork with a vertical garden.
ARTICLE BY KELSEY HUBER
JULES MORELLI
The Bare Facts: Waxing Curiosity
Q&A with Jules Morelli
ARTICLE BY JAIME MORELLI PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN WICK PHOTO
Q: DOES WAXING HURT?
A: It can feel a little uncomfortable, especially the first time—but it’s quick, and our expert Cerologists® are trained to make the experience as smooth and gentle as possible. Most guests say it’s not nearly as bad as they expected, and it gets easier with each visit. Plus, the results are totally worth it—smooth skin with no razor burn or daily shaving!
Q: WHAT IS A CEROLOGIST?
A: Our licensed cosmetologists and estheticians are not only waxing specialists, but they are also the ultimate professionals at their craft. To reflect their expertise, we created our own name: Cerologist. Looking for the definition of a Cerologist? Cerologist combines “cera” (Latin for wax) with “ologist” (to indicate their waxing authority and education).
Q: WILL MY HAIR GROW BACK THICKER OR DARKER?
A: Your hair won’t grow back thicker and darker after waxing, just the opposite! Hair that is removed at the root grows back softer and finer over time
Q: DO YOU OFFER OTHER SERVICES BESIDES WAXING?
A: Yes! In addition to Brow and lash tinting, we also offer brow laminations, lash lifts, skin brightening treatments as well as skin calming and detoxifying treatments.
ARTICLE BY BAILEY MORRIS
Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub
This homemade sugar scrub is easy to make and leaves you with silky soft skin
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of oil (almond oil or olive oil works best)
• ½ teaspoon vitamin E oil
• ½ teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 15 drops lavender essential oil
DIRECTIONS:
Sugar scrubs are amazing for getting rid of dead skin and exfoliating to reveal soft skin. To make this Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub, mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight jar.
Spirit of Japan
ARTICLE BY JULIE DUNN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAKURA FOUNDATION
Colorado’s Sakura Foundation will host the 2nd annual Spirit of Japan in partnership with Japan Taste Marketing on Friday, Sept. 12th – Sunday, Sept. 14th.
Held in downtown Denver’s Sakura Square over three days, this vibrant event will bring together culinary tastings and cultural experiences that highlight both traditional and contemporary Japanese food and drink. Attendees can savor a wide variety of flavors with authentic and delicious Japanese dishes such as yakitori, osakana zangi, and takoyaki. Sample Japanese spirits, including sake, sochu, whiskey and more while learning from experts about their origin, craftsmanship and tasting notes. Ticket prices range from $45 - $100 per person and advanced purchase is strongly recommended.
“Spirit of Japan is designed to foster cultural exchange, promote international travel to Japan, and strengthen community bonds,” said Stacey Shigaya, Executive Director of Sakura Foundation.
A portion of the proceeds from Spirit of Japan will support Sakura Foundation programming, which includes scholarships, community grants, and a variety of cultural programming. https://www.spirit-jpn.com/denver
A wide variety of ticket options are available for Spirit of Japan, including:
• Yatai Pass: $45 in advance, $55 walk in - 10 food/drink tickets and event tote bag
• Matsuri Pass: $75 in advance, $85 walk in - 20 food/drink tickets plus event tote bag, and sake masu cup
Spirit of Japan returns to Sakura Square September 12th - 14th
kindandfunny.com | @bekindandfunny kelly@kindandfunny.com
his Hot 5 on Friday and his Swing Band on Saturday. Sunday we are featuring local artists to play in Ian Hutchison’s Colorado Band.
SEPTEMBER 13TH - 14TH
Park Hill Fall Art Festival
Park Hill Masonic Lodge 4819
Montview Blvd, Denver, CO 80207 | 10:00 AM
Following the 11-year success of the June Park Hill Art Festival, we’re thrilled to announce our new event: the Park Hill Fall Arts Fest!
On the picturesque grounds of the Park Hill Masonic Lodge, located on Montview Blvd between Dahlia and Eudora Streets.
Don’t miss out on this exciting new chapter of our art festival tradition.
More Info: https://coloradoartweekend. com/park-hill-fall-arts-fest-1
SEPTEMBER 14TH
Pacific Nations Cup
DICK’S Sporting Goods Park , Commerce City, CO | 12:30 PM
Denver is excited to host Pacific Nations Cup, the third biggest annual rugby event in the world. The Denver tournament makes up the semi-finals—winning teams will then go to Salt Lake City for the finals.
One ticket to watch 6 teams from Fiji, Tonga, Canada, Samoa, Japan and the U.S. during 3 games, all in 1 day.
More Info: https://go.usa.rugby/pnc2025
SEPTEMBER 19TH - 21ST, 26TH - 28TH
Denver Oktoberfest
Larimer and 21st in the Ballpark District | 11:00 AM
The Denver Oktoberfest has been a staple two weekend festival in Downtown Denver since 1969. From keg bowling to stein hoisting, live music and more, there’s something here for Oktoberfest pros and first timers. So grab your stein, throw on your lederhosen and join us!
More info: https://thedenveroktoberfest.com/
INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/2 oz- Cucumber & dragon fruit gin
• 3/4oz- Toasted black sesame Velvet Falernum
• 1/2oz- Lime juice
• Topped with ginger beer
• Hawaiian black lava salt & black sesame
GARNISH
• Small paint brush
• Simple syrup
• Hawaiian black lava salt mixed with a pinch of black sesame
INSTRUCTIONS
Infused Gin: Infuse 1 whole peeled and cut cucumber in gin for a week. Strain the cucumbers out. Add 1 tablespoon of organic dragonfruit powder and mix very well with a whisk. To make the syrup, toast 1/2 cup of black sesame at 350 for 10 minutes. Take it out and let it cool. In a mortar and pestle, grind the toasted black sesame, but not too fine. Add the sesame into one bottle of John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum. Let that set for about 2 to 3 days and use cheese cloth to strain out the fine bits of sesame. Juice one fresh lime and strain to remove the pulp.
Cocktail: Paint a strip of simple syrup down a Collins glass. Take a spoon full of Hawaiian black lava salt mixed with black sesame and layer that down where the painted simple syrup was placed. In a shaker tin combine: 1 1/2oz cucumber dragon fruit gin, 3/4oz toasted black sesame Velvet Falernum, and 1/2oz lime juice and shake that up! Fill the painted glass with ice (I use crushed ice) and strain over the ice. Top with your favorite ginger beer (my choice is Fever Tree ginger beer).
ARTICLE BY MATSUMOTO MARI PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
The Magic Dragon
Make a Statement With This Stylish Cocktail
