Spatial Relations | Interior + Landscape Design

“The Victorian Loft” Spatial Relations: Holistic is the word that relates to Stephen and Hunter’s all-inclusive approach: They addressed aspects of my life and lifestyle I had not even known applied to my surroundings: Mind, Body, Spirit. They read my house the way: As a surgeon, I read CT scans. Their approach is a mixture of psychology, science, interior design, and wellness ultimately addressing the flow of energy in revolutionary new ways. I was imagining moving and purchasing a new loft space in the city before I found Hunter and Stephen. Initially, I hired them to just get it looking “sale-able”. I never imagined my Victorian home could be transformed into the sensation and aesthetic I longed for, while still honoring the integrity and history of the home. What most struck me was their absolute willingness to inspire, educate, and share the “why?” behind a design decision. Change, even for the best, can be daunting, but they brought me along every step of the way. The original space felt dark and small. However, through their tenacious vision, they transformed my house into a clean light contemporary home, that I love returning to every day. Their taste in furniture and color was spot on. They brought their same insight to my garden: bringing privacy and security, style and efficiency through hardscape plants and lights. The neglected became an asset that I treasure and enjoy now as outdoor rooms with family and friends every day. I even have a breathtaking view of the city. Bravo! and Thank you! Don K.

Todd Reed has chosen Hunter Margolf for his style and energy for many years. Hunter and team are change agents that have mesmerized our clients, completely transforming our showroom spaces for many occasions and events. Always Innovative, reliable and professional. His artistry sets the stage for the creative brand we are. Hunter has styled our showroom for years and continues to be ever new and exciting! Erica Simon Special Events and Partner Development

In my heart I always felt that our home was a diamond in the rough, and that something remained a bit off about the place having lived there largely unchanged for +25 years. Enter Spatial Relations Interior Design run by Hunter Margolf and Stephen Lappen. They could see beyond our existing walls ... literally! In a single space planning design change in which they moved a wall took us out of the 90s and into the 21st Century! Further, unknown to me, but obvious to Hunter and Stephen, I have a soaring cathedral ceiling whose grandeur was concealed by said wall as were the views to the mountains beyond. Their design aesthetic is clean and contemporary with a natural organic edge. They were patient and kind throughout the process, and my need for control. If I was ever difficult, they never let on, and they were always gracious. I cannot imagine a more seamless outcome. They explained that even with exhaustive preparation and planning the design/build process is dynamic whereby the unforeseen will occur AND generally enhance the initial design brief. They never let me down. They are responsive and always on site whenever a vendor, contractor, or we need support, or a design decision. They gave us a beautiful, usable space that exceeded our expectations of our home. My husband and I are grateful and forever in Hunter and Stephen's debt. Thank you, M.

Modern Sensibility Meets French Antiques: My wife inherited several valuable French antiques which created the seemingly insurmountable challenge of how to incorporate these pieces of furniture into our contemporary home. Even before this, we were having difficulty completing the interior decorating of our house ...... in certain areas, we hadn’t purchased side tables or reading lamps or carpets. We had become stuck, living in a large, half-decorated home filled with a mish-mash of chosen and inherited pieces. Out of desperation, we reached out to Hunter and Stephen. By that point, we were feeling perplexed and out of steam, with no integrating vision of how to complete the decorating of our home and “put it all together” in a way that would feel harmonious. With patience (lots of it!), vision, and skill, Hunter and Stephen have helped us clarify an integrated aesthetic that is inspiring, unique, and truly “us.” Our home has a “one-of-a-kind” feeling that reflects our sensibilities as a couple — at once soulful, warm, elemental, and modern, and my partner and I have even grown closer through the process! Our home has become an uber-comfortable and restful sanctuary, which was the original vision that we could not have executed without Hunter and Stephen. Hunter and Stephen have guided us with patience and kindness throughout this process, always presenting additional options when needed. And we have loved working with them! They have gone way above and beyond to accommodate our schedules, complete finishing details, and ensure our complete satisfaction. I feel forever grateful to them for the “home healing” they have delivered to us. They are masters at their craft.

Hunter Margolf is a popular designer at the Denver Design District and a member of our Designer Portfolio referral program. In addition to interior design, Hunter also is a gifted florist who designed extraordinary floral arrangements for our annual Launch Market this year. His love for interior design is evident in his inspired design aesthetic. Jo Mabary, Director of Leasing and Marketing

“I have been privileged to work with Hunter and Stephen over the years, as a Design Industry Professional. They are true aesthetes! Champions of all things beautiful. Arbitrates of good taste and elegance. They are always exploring and pushing the possibility of the material, they Assets to an industry with design, innovation and professionalism. a pleasure to have them as Interior Design Professionals. Barbara Rynn Edelman Leather”

Hunter and Stephen are impeccable. I have rarely experienced the level of professionalism, care, thoroughness, generosity and skillfulness that they exude in any professional relationship, let alone in home design and construction. They continually amaze me with their creativity, patience, humility, and attention to the most subtle details. Our home was suffering from design indigestion owing to a poorly executed attempt at a modern aesthetic that was then complicated by the arrival of numerous inherited French antique pieces. Hunter and Stephen carefully guided us through the process of integrating and completing our home, room by room. We are overjoyed by the results, which have far exceeded our expectations. They have truly healed our home.

We hired Spatial Relations for an interior renovation and they came in with a terrific plan to update the house. Their attention to detail including all the scheduling and follow up was consistent through all phases of the job. Their trades people were very good and made sure to clean up after each day. Spatial Relations was very responsive and timely when the usual snafus occurred and brought a high level of professionalism and creative thought to the job in addition to being very personable and easy to work with. We have continued to call on them for both indoor and outdoor projects and are extremely satisfied with their work.

I hired Hunter and Stephen to work on a project in my house. Their ideas and execution were excellent. Way beyond my expectations. During a stressful time of a getting a home ready to hit the market, they both were calm and thoughtful. I highly recommend them. I am a very very happy customer.

As past editor of Sonoma Home and Garden magazine and currently of the magazine for Mounts Botanical Garden in Palm Beach County, I have interviewed many interior and landscape designers. But, as talented as they are, Hunter Keefer Margolf and Stefan Lappen of IN/EX Design in Boulder, Colorado stand apart. They create tranquil and contemporary spaces. They are my choice for my personal design projects. I recently stayed at their renovated guesthouse in Boulder. It and the main residence sit on an acre with unimpeded views of grassy meadows and pine and blue-spruce foothills. What is so exceptional about the property is the level of integration the partners have achieved between the outside and inside environments. Hunter’s educational background in interior, landscape, and floral design—as well as the fine arts—combined with Stefan’s love of color and texture have created a homogeneous solution to the many challenges the property presented when they acquired it eight years ago. In the guesthouse, they have transformed a formerly disjointed space on two levels into a unified whole. One enters the stucco structure of 1,800 sq. ft. through Portella industrial-scaled steel and glass doors, opening the main living area to maximum light from the private patio. The tone throughout the house is “modern organic,” as Hunter likes to describe it. Proving the adage that all beautiful things go together if artfully paired, one first spots the Arabescato Marble dining table designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll. It’s surrounded by Dinec chairs in white vinyl with gray welting. Straight ahead is a pocket kitchen with Espresso Caesar Stone countertops and a Crystalline oversized tile backsplash in the descriptive color Coffee Time. The bar top adds a touch more of glamour, finished in Dragon’s Blood Granite with a sleek Hollywood edge. But the real glamour awaits visitors in the seating area around the fireplace. Here, the flush fireplace sits in a surround of Ambra hand-carved Limestone in a color named Blue Lake, mimicking the large pool in the back forty, and the canyon stream below it. The fireplace is set into a wall of glass bookcases enveloped in a kind of soft surround light from LED tape. Since the cases are filled with objets d’art from the partners’ collection and Hunter’s artwork, they jokingly refer to it as “the gift shop.” The flooring is actually porcelain Castagno rectified tile, but you would swear it’s wood—thus, its name, Wood Days Faux Bois. Throughout the rooms, hand-hewn wood beams with a Brie Wax finish remind visitors that they are in Colorado. To handle the winter cold, maximum comfort is the watchword for the bedrooms and baths. Huge down comforters and a “mess” of pillows make sleeping a joy, and bathrooms bring in more novelties in lighting and textures. Double sinks in the downstairs bath are in natural stone and are separated from the wall-hung toilet by a “wall” of wood mosaic modules hiding cabinets: offering plenty of room for all the sundries for tub and shower. The upstairs steam shower is clad in Artistic Tile, and Kauri Plank porcelain is used on the bathroom walls. It and the Capco tile flooring (with its round stone “courses” of saw-cut Mexican beach pebbles), and an egg shaped Badeloft free-standing tub bring elements of nature inside. Accompanying this bath on the upper level is a spacious master bedroom with views toward the hills. My favorite spot in the whole abode is the fireplace area, though, where a leather sectional sits behind a cast-stone “tree stump” cocktail table clad in a zinc finish. (It’s designed by Pride Sasser.) But wait, there’s one more room: Hunter and Stef appropriated part of the garage to create a gracious studio for meeting with clients. Operable skylights cascade light and air down the face of a seamless, two-story wall of V-Clad rough-cut stone by Island Stone. This recently completed renovation is a fine example of IN/EX’s understated elegance and lifestyle approach to design.

Many months ago during a visit to the Denver Design District I was fortunate to meet Hunter Margolf, principal designer at IN/EX. Later on during a few playful hours of exploratory conversation Hunter and his design partner got to know me and my desires for my tired living spaces. Together they uncovered and identified the many pieces of my interior and exterior design puzzle. Initially I wasn't sure what I wanted … perhaps a sofa, an updated bathroom and a new patio? Immediately Hunter understood that I was pointing out bland symptoms of my design needs rather than addressing the project comprehensively. An intuitive, multi-disciplinary vision and a talent for helping his clients' live better is Hunter's great gift. As my renovation enters it's final phase I can see the plan Hunter had for my home from day one. I have to admit, I wasn't always the best client. Despite generous discussion I couldn't always see the big picture. I now regret a few of the design compromises that I championed. I wish I had the trust then that I have now for how Hunter and his team. From space planning to program design to full service project management IN/EX expertly handled all aspects of my home renovation. What's more they made the whole experience pleasurable and far easier than I could dreamed of. I wholeheartedly recommend IN/EX to anyone looking for interior or exterior design professionals no matter how big or small the project.

IN/EX was hired to turn a run-of-the-mill townhouse into something more comfortable and convenient. In the months-long process, Hunter Margoff has created a serene, quietly elegant, functional home, and the bedroom that surpasses my wildest dreams. In the process, he's saved me tons of money, given me access to materials and suppliers I never could have found on my own, and shared his relationships with skilled craftsmen and women. His ideas are truly visionary. He strikes just the right notes to make each room sing. His partner Stephen is also wonderful, managing scheduling, coordinating workers and supplies, and controlling budgets. Together we created a palate that flows through the whole house, installed new floors, carpeting , and baseboards, painted every room, designed new window treatments, improved the traffic pattern through the house with new pocket doors, converted a closet into a bed enclosure, found space for a dressing room, redesigned the fireplace wall, added a new mantle, tile around the fireplace and a backsplash in the kitchen and bathroom, installed a custom credenza, and invented a multi-level lighting plan that highlights some lovely existing architecture. Hunter found ways to use some of my existing furniture and my grandmother's oriental rug. The tile he found in the kitchen makes the old cabinets look fresh (and not replacing them saved at least $20,000). When window treatment costs looked like they were soaring, he redesigned them to use significantly less fabric. His sure eye keyed me from making many (expensive) rookie mistakes. This project has been a rich learning experience and a joy. I love this house. I highly recommend IN/EX.