Showroom Profile

BY KIMBERLY MACARTHUR GRAHAM

>>> Chuck Wells & Associates, Denver, Colorado

The entrance to the Chuck Wells & Associates showroom at Denver Design District.

An understated elegance swirls 'round the furnishings and accessories at Chuck Wells & Associates at the Denver Design District. Excess frill and bauble are rejected in favor of refined form and line, paired always with opulent finishes and fabrics. These are pieces destined to define the style of a room or a home.

Founded in 1976 by its namesake Mr. Wells—who, at 85, still comes to work daily—Chuck Wells & Associates is a family business fiercely dedicated to providing quality goods and impeccable service to its clientele of interior designers. Paul Wells, now in charge of daily operations, recalls that his father, in decorative fabrics since the 1940s, opened in order to "cater to designers, who were a growing, important part of the industry." To his initial inventory of fabrics, Chuck Wells added area rugs, then upholstered furniture…and eventually a full range of furnishings, accessories, lighting and artwork in a style Paul Wells describes as "sophisticated Colorado casual. We service the mountain designers with products for high-end projects."

Don't expect to see quantities of antler chandeliers, bearskin rugs or brass-tacked leather, however. The "sophisticated" descriptor means the showroom is not slave to one narrowly defined style or era, but to good taste. "Right now there is a trend toward cleaner-lined designs," says Paul Wells. "Not hard contemporary, but soft contemporary, with fewer curves [than traditional styles] and geometrically patterned fabrics. But we carry things you can picture in your own home—nothing over-the-top trendy."

Traditional case goods, such as these chests, mingle in the showroom with more contemporary and eclectic pieces.

Expect to see numerous posh vignettes composed of antiques and pieces from superior lines including South Cone Trading Company, Pearson, Lorts, Woodland Furniture, Jamie Young Company, CR Currin and Fine Art Lamps. Feasting eyes can roam from South Cone's Anza wedge coffee table, with its marvelous marriage of silken-finished wood and primal-looking tree rings, to CR Currin's decadent mirror table hued like German chocolate cake. Rest for a moment with Fine Art Lamps' Quadralli drop light, a study in geometric polish and golden illumination, or alight upon one of Jamie Young's beautiful lamps, such as the seductive Curve. Though they appeal to different tastes, all of these—and the rest of the showroom's inventory—share "good bones" and impeccable detailing.

Noting that pieces with an Old World, often hand-rubbed finish were previously available only to the super-well-heeled, Chuck Wells & Associates has been happy to locate more competitively priced lines that offer that same effect of labor-intensive effort and care.

The antiques, too, are selected both for their quality and sheer handsomeness. A stolid cheesemaker console nicely segues into life as a more decorative table, thanks to its distinguished mocha color and generations-softened wood surface. Similarly, a scattering of Chinese pieces crafted of solid hardwood and fitted with brass hardware are primed to bring style to their new homes.

"This newness and oldness together is something our customers embrace," says Wells. "So 'old is new' is a key aspect of what we do." He says the boom in global travel has created a desire for what he terms "ethnic eclectic," and he believes it works because so much of modern design has its roots in much older styles. And then, in his typically gracious manner, he credits the talented designers who so seamlessly mix the aged and the newborn.

Chuck Wells & Associates' lines include South Cone Trading Company, a "green" furniture company.

And, lest clients forget the showroom's beginnings, there is the fabric. Standing apart, neatly organized, brilliantly hued and sumptuously textured, are row upon row of glamorous and practical options, including drapery and upholstery fabrics, silks, leathers, rugs and fanciful trims. Lines carried include Duralee, Asia Minor Carpets, Henry Calvin and Highland Court. It's apparent that a knowledge of and love for fabrics still runs deep in this company.

Though the showroom is open to the public, only members of the trade may make purchases—and this is a decision Chuck Wells & Associates believes in strongly. Says Wells, "We have a strong feeling for who our clients are, and how to service them. We embrace the professionalism of designers and the importance of their role." One of the many ways in which the showroom gives its all to designers is via a friendly and seasoned staff of nine. Working closely with clients, these showroom employees ensure that clients' orders and any information on use or care are accurate.

"We really do feel it's critical. We invest in them, we earn their trust. They know we'll take care of everything for them, start to finish."

Chuck Wells & Associates, Denver, CO; (303) 744-8584 or www.chuckwells.com.