Artist House Tours: Featuring Eron Johnson's inspiring Valverde loft

When Eron Johnson isn't designing "drool worthy" accessories, lamps and sculptures out of finely crafted architectural antiques, he is simply a man who enjoys making things with his hands. His artistic creations range from wirework to pottery to stained glass -- and even music. You can find everything from a forklift to wire cutters in Johnson's creative toolbox and you can find every inch of inspiration in his Valverde Loft home.

See also: Artist House Tours: Andi Todaro takes inspiration from her home studio.

Westword: What's your favorite thing about your neighborhood?

Johnson: Location, I can be anywhere in town in just minutes. I also have my store there. It's a quiet, odd industrial area, but it's close to downtown. It's sort of a forgotten side of the highway. I hate to tell everyone about it in one way, but it's great, inexpensive and it's pretty quiet except for the train.

Is there a hidden gem in your neighborhood?

Besides the shop, there are quite a few parks. In the next two years, the city and the Army Corps of Engineers are going to be redoing the entire riverfront. There will be three parks with rock climbing walls, a pedestrian bridge that will connect through the new Alameda Exchange. The light rail is right near by. So it's a magical spot.

As far as food, you can find everything Mexican and Vietnamese. In less than a mile, east of Broadway, you can find every other hip, urban, kind of food.

Continue reading for more of Johnson's house.

Best local resource?

The Habitat for Humanity, junk yards, marble yards, lots of industrial things, the old Army Surplus store with the weirdest junk in it and of course, Eron Johnson Architectural Antiques.

Another creative resource is the strip on Broadway. You can walk around all the new stores and galleries. There is such a variety, plus you have food options.

Continue reading for more of Johnson's house.

Do you rent or own your home?

Own. I bought it about seven years ago.

Define your home's style?

Vintage '70s fix-up a warehouse meets old-world charm with antiques, stained glass and track lights. I like the old wood and the textures of old wood. I really love the quality of antiques, so that's what I live with. I mix in a few contemporary things and a lot of art.

What are you favorite artistic touches?

I love how the kitchen turned out with the Mongolian cupboards and Mexican tiles. It's full of color, which is unusual for me. That's actually one of the biggest things is that I wanted was color in the kitchen.

What inspires you about your home?

The space and the texture. This house also has light on both sides.

What's your favorite piece?

Everything in here is a favorite for it's own reason. I handle so much stuff, along with so many antiques. The things that I have taken home over the years are not the most expensive, but they are the things that talk to me for some reason. That's why they are here.

Continue reading for more of Johnson's house. What's your favorite DIY project?

My favorite projects are large-scale. I get bogged down in the little tiny stuff, so it takes forever to finish them. One of my favorite things about this space is hiding the dishwasher. I really hate appliances. I like being able to hide it inside the cupboard. It's kind of silly, but it's one of my favorite things that worked here.

What's your favorite time of day to create?

I do my best late afternoon. Right about the time when everybody else wants to go home, I get inspired.

What is your favorite studio feature?

It's just great that it's concrete floors that I don't care about, so you can just do anything on it. The north windows are nice, even though they are pretty drafty. During the worst of winter, I cover them with Styrofoam to cut the heat loss.

Where can we find your artwork?

Online: www.eronjohnsonantiques.com Gallery: no Shop: 389 S. Lipan Street, Denver, CO 80223 By Appt: works with interior designers, does custom work, designs interiors, restaurants, as well as lamps, etc.

When Jeanne isn't doing House Tours, she is blogging on how to create bohemian style with both vintage and recycled materials.