“I'm really excited to be part of a growing neighborhood, and to essentially start over,” says Modern Nomad owner Becky Miller. “Everything we did this time around was very intentional. We rebranded, we redid our logo. It just feels like a whole new animal. And, honestly, I've had a huge crush on this building for a year, and I could not get it out of my mind, so the fact that we landed here has been really serendipitous.”
Miller says that her forty-day “break” as the move took place was mostly spent monitoring construction and “rebuilding the store from the ground up.” Aside from keeping an eye on the refurbishment, the interim also gave Miller an opportunity to consider why she loves her craft, landing on a mission statement of sorts. The century-old space is refurbished in the style of a Parisian apartment, which speaks to Miller’s larger goal: to return a sense of community to the shopping experience.
One of the most exciting features of the new location, according to Miller, is the fifty-foot skylight.
Becky Miller
In line with that goal, Modern Nomad’s grand opening drew faces both familiar and new. The outlet opened its doors on September 8, bringing in local food trucks to complement the reveal. The new space contains several changes, including a full kitchen fit to bring back Modern Nomad’s dinner party series, Perfect Strangers, in which it showcases home products from a foreign country, accompanied by the local cuisine. Japan and Brazil have already been spotlighted by the series, says Miller, and she predicts a positive response when the event returns at a to-be-determined date.
The space also has a fifty-foot skylight, which lights up the store’s merchandise, bouncing off the ivory interior, and feeds the many plants perched upon a mounted ledge, contributing to the chic aesthetic. Miller says the skylight "had been covered up for years. I don't even know how long it had been covered up — I'm guessing decades. It was so counterintuitive, so we had to restore that.”
After stepping back from running the RiNo collective, now known as Empire Denver, Miller is grateful for the warm reception from her new neighbors. Outlined by Speer Boulevard, Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street, the Golden Triangle Creative District is home to Civic Center Park, the Colorado State Capitol and the Denver Art Museum.
Many patrons already know Modern Nomad, Miller says, and she hopes that they stay close, following the business’s move, as many have already done. For those who are not yet familiar with its culture, Miller has a simple message: “We're a small, women-owned business with a track record, and we are a wonderful resource [for home goods]. Again, I think finding places to shop is difficult, especially when you're talking about furniture. I'd love to let people know that we're here, we've intentionally reecreated our world and we're excited to open our doors.”
Modern Nomad, 1211 Deleware Street, open Tuesday through Saturday, 11a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit the store's website here.
