By Charlotte A. F. Farley
One local AirBnb owner found himself so inspired by the Denver Botanic Gardens that he chose to style an entire studio apartment with an elegant botanical design meant to evoke the allure and tranquility of the gardens.
“The Botanic Gardens are like an oasis in the desert,” explains Craig Aberle, owner and operator of Denver BnB. “There is a fascinating variety of landscapes in the gardens: a Japanese garden complete with bonsai, a pond, a tea house and wonderful places to sit and enjoy the peace.” Aberle enjoys visiting the gardens on a regular basis, which is easy for him since his property is very close to Cheesman Park which abuts the Gardens. This area—along with Colorado’s natural beauty and abundance of outdoor activities—always fascinated him, and he ultimately settled here in 2019, trading in his life in Florida for the culture and charm of Denver. Since his arrival in the Centennial State, Aberle has certainly spent his fair share of time as he imagined he would: hiking, cycling, and skiing. However, he also has invested countless hours in restoring a stunning Victorian home. The building, which was constructed in 1896, is home to Aberle as well as a studio and several apartments.
Aberle envisioned bringing a slice of the Botanic Gardens into his rentable studio. “It’s peaceful and soul-nourishing, and it’s an uncommon experience, and I wanted to share that with my guests,” he explains.
To bring his vision to life, Aberle enlisted the help of local interior designer Jodi Maturo. Aberle was emphatic that the studio feel authentic to the Botanic Gardens, so he opted to source decor directly from the Botanic Gardens gift shop. Maturo recalls that she shopped every square inch of the gift shop, finding just the right touches to bring this suite to life. “As a designer, I get to do lots of shopping, “she adds, “but sourcing the art and decor from the Botanic Gardens was a special treat.”
One might imagine an interior design based on a botanical concept would feature plenty of shades of green, that’s not the case with this charming and sunny space. Open the door and you’ll find the essence of gardens filling the room with just soft touches of green here and there. A cheery leaf patterned wallpaper (aptly named Fiji Garden) dresses the feature wall and its bay window. “Finding the perfect wallpaper was the first step in our design process–it inspired the rest of the room,” Maturo explains. The print nods to the various yarrow and fern plants planted in Lanie’s Cutting Garden, Chatfield Lavender Fields, and the Romantic Garden.
The rest of the room is painted in a soft, warm yellow. “I wanted the space to feel like a day at the Botanic Gardens, with the sunshine hitting your shoulders as you explore the grounds,” Maturo shares. This particular shade (Benjamin Moore’s Hawthorne Yellow) evokes the essence of springtime. “It’s a cheery color that mimics the sun’s glow and, more importantly, it plays beautifully with the Fiji Garden wallpaper,” Maturo adds.
A bed dressed in a fluffy white cotton duvet and soft lake blue pillows invites guests to relax, and a soft throw rug rendered in a gentle grassy green and white serves as a soft landing space against the home’s original hardwood floors. Also comes with a mini fridge and microwave for convenience and connects to a private bath. Opens to a private deck.
Sun-drenched and serene, the studio celebrates the natural world. And much like the Botanic Gardens, this AirBnb option invites guests to step away from the chaos and noise of the outside world and into the blissful peace of the natural world.
