Flush with Luxury l Boulder County Business Report

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:42 -0600

By Sally McGrath April 26, 2013

Today’s modern bathrooms are spa retreats, luxurious and comfortable, blending elegance with comfort and convenience.  “It’s a time when people (in Boulder County) have reined in the ‘over-the-topness’,” said Anne Postle, founder and president of Osmosis Art and Architecture, Inc. in Niwot. “Most of our clients are building very reasonable bathrooms even at the high end of the market.”  In today’s market of aging Baby Boomers and empty nesters, function is more important than flash. “Our clients are interested in things like energy efficiency, multigenerational housing and making sure every detail of a home works for them,” Postle said. “We’re not talking about over-the-top luxury.”  For example, clients want “appliance garages” in their bathrooms similar to what many luxury homes already have in their kitchens. An appliance garage is a cabinet with electrical outlets where you can conceal your hair dryer, electric toothbrush and other electric appliances that you use every day while keeping them easily accessible by lifting a door that resembles a garage door.  “Laundry has become really important in master bathroom suites,” Postle said. Today’s homebuyers — especially empty nesters — are asking that the washer and dryer be put in the master closet, where the laundry is generated.  “Accessibility is huge. People are thinking more about how long they are going to live in this house,” she said. They want wider doors to accommodate future access for walkers or wheelchairs, walk-in showers that don’t have steps, and locations for grab bars, which now come in a variety of decorative finishes.  Postle’s company designs custom and builder homes ranging in size from 1,300 to 6,000 square feet. It won a gold award for “one-of-a-kind home” in 2012 in the country’s largest competition for home sales and marketing professionals. The winning property was Panorama Point, a residence in Louisville that Postle describes as a clean, contemporary home warmed by rich stone and perched on a steep slope with views from nearly every part of the home. In Panorama Point’s master bathroom, Postle incorporated a stained-glass window by the tub that provides the bather with a spectacular view of the mountain peaks.  The desire for comfort and convenience does not mean that local clients have surrendered what many homeowners would consider luxuries.  Coffee and beverage bars often are expected, and many clients want a gym as part of the master suite. Double-sided fireplaces that open onto the master bedroom and bathroom are standard.   Other luxury standards include bubbling bathtubs that can be programmed to the desired temperature and water level, showers with multiple showerheads or cascading waterfalls that are also programmable, heated towel racks, radiant-heated floors, his-and-hers dressing rooms and walk-in closets.  These are the norm in luxury homes, said Joel Ripmaster, broker/owner at Colorado Landmark Realtors, a luxury real-estate brokerage with offices in Boulder and Niwot. “The bathrooms can be very opulent,” Ripmaster said.  Moving into the toilet room, the most critical but least talked about part of the master bathroom, one might be surprised by what they find.  Bidets, which have long been a standard in Europe and parts of Asia, are becoming more common here. The toilet itself has evolved into a smart machine that does everything from flush waste to wash and blow-dry your privates.  “Some of the projects we’ve done have had some wild stuff in the bathroom,” said Scott Reardon of Reardon Custom Homes of Boulder, who builds high-end properties.  Asked about “over-the-top” bathroom features, Reardon described the toilet in a 5,000-sqare-foot $6.5 million house he built in Sunshine Canyon, west of Boulder. “One thing that was kind of creepy but cool was this electric toilet. Let’s just say that thing did more things than you’d ever want.”  Luxury toilets no longer are for nature calls only; they are designed to impress, help the environment and add more interest to bathroom interiors. Electronic toilets combine Western-style toilet features such as flushing with the cleansing features of bidets. Standard features are flushing, washing with a nozzle that comes out from underneath the toilet and squirts water, seat warming, and deodorization.  Some of the combination toilet/bidets, including the one in the house in Sunshine Canyon, have automatic lids that raise when someone enters the room and lower when he or she leaves. More advanced versions also offer massage options, water jet adjustments, automatic flushing, room heating and air conditioning, an adjustable blow drier, and a wireless control panel attached to the seat or mounted on a nearby wall.  But a fancy toilet does not equal over-the-top luxury, said James Simpson, the listing agent for the home in Sunshine Canyon. Simpson works for the local office of Sotheby’s International Realty, which lists the crème de la crème properties.  “It’s nice, but I don’t know if it’s over the top,” Simpson said of the Sunshine Canyon master bathroom. “This is really not a town for over-the-top” bathrooms. For that, one must look to cities such as Los Angeles.”

Edge Infill Housing l Professional Builder

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 22:06:26 -0700

By Larry W. Garnett

Infill construction continues to provide opportunities in almost every community. While we typically consider most infill sites to be located in large urban areas, they can also be found in many small communities. Parcels of land with existing utilities and in close proximity to public transportation are often overlooked because they present numerous challenges. Certainly, local restrictions and difficult lot sizes can prove quite formidable. However, exciting solutions for higher-density housing that maintain the appropriate architectural character, scale, and mass are usually welcomed by city leaders and neighbors. The following designs and concepts offer a variety of projects with presentations that clearly communicate the value of well-conceived infill design.

The key to a successful narrow-lot infill project is a floor plan that blurs the edges between traditionally defined spaces and allows the plan to live large. The Edge project blurs the line between defined spaces, interior and exterior, and efficiency and flair. The 25-foot-wide floor plan lives large in both function and style.

Plan Size

First floor: 913 sf
Second floor: 960 sf
Optional third floor: 475 sf
Total with options: 2,348 sf
Width: 25 feet
Depth: 73 feet

Osmosis Architecture Wins National Award l Left Hand Valley Courier

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 17:29:52 -0600

BY LIZ EMMETT-MATTOX
The next time you wander into osmosis art and architecture, look for a shiny new statue that resembles an Oscar. This is the Gold Award that architect Anne Postle, founder of osmosis art and architecture, picked up in February at the National Home Builder’s Association International Builders Show....
(READ MORE at The Left Hand Valley Courier)

Double/Duty Spaces l Colorado Builder

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 16:37:08 -0700

By Anne Olson-Postle
“Right-sized”, “smaller-smarter”, and “achievable” are the requirements we hear daily from today’s homebuyers, but that doesn’t mean that they just want less square footage. They may not want to pay for even one more square foot than they absolutely need, but they also don’t want to sacrifice one square inch of function! Our challenge is to offer a home that meets all the demands of today’s buyers, and we can do this by demanding MORE from the plan…by offer spaces the do DOUBLE DUTY.
Just like all of your buyers, the rooms in our homes often have to wear more than one hat. Let’s start at the stuffy old Study. Today’s version has to be a whole lot more than a place to retreat for brandy and cigars. It is no longer a Study, but a working OFFICE, and it often has to function for two people at the same time, with separate work stations. It also has to be wired with convenient access to data, communication and printers. Rather than optioning a closet only when it will be used as a bedroom, the smart builder will be offering a technology alcove within the office to hide the printers and store the supplies.
We often try to force the office to also function as a guest bedroom…and this can work for some people, but not everyone. If the office gets full time use, or the guests stay weeks at a time, this is a bad idea! If the guests are only occasional, for short periods, and the office can be spared for short periods, then a Murphy bed or seating that converts to a bed can be a great double duty option.
A dated plan will put a desk in the Breakfast nook for the woman of the home, and call that ‘double-duty’, but we know today that that this doesn’t really work. The desk in this location quickly becomes a ‘dump zone’ for letters, bills and permission slips…which are quickly stained with spaghetti sauce at dinner. A much better solution is a “Command Center” or “Pocket Office”. This is a smaller space than the working office above, is adjacent to the main living area in a home, but tucked away in an alcove. It allows for voice communication with other family members, but the mess is tucked away. The Command Center is a great option for the family where the office is used full time by one member of the household, but the other partner still needs a workspace. It is also a great option where the ‘right-sizing’ has eliminated an office altogether.
How about the Kitchen? Are there ways to make this space do double duty? In reality, it always has! The kitchen is the center of both meal creation AND entertaining! A careful design of the kitchen island can add dining to the list
of functions for this hard working space. Just adding a bar to one side of the island won’t cut it. Try a round dining extension, at table height, to part of the island. Make sure the family can face each other while they eat! A well designed island can provide a great serving bar for a party, a wonderful place to visit while the meal is being prepared, valuable preparation space, and a functional dining area. Now that is DOUBLE DUTY!
One of the greatest double duty spaces, that doesn’t add to the square footage tally, is a well designed outdoor living area. A well-designed outdoor living area adds incredibly useful and valuable space to a smaller home! It can double as an entertaining area, a dining area, a cooking area (think BBQ!) and a relaxing retreat!
The Laundry area, if well designed and large enough, can double as a hobby and craft studio. It will have to have adequate work space, natural light and usually a sink (depending on the hobby). Whatever you do, don’t try to make the laundry double as a mud room! A pile of dirty laundry is never the first thing you want to see when you arrive home! Remember that the laundry should always be placed on the same floor as the master bedroom.
Few buyers today can afford a designated space for exercise alone, but many will appreciate a design where this function can occur. A tucked away alcove, with storage for the exercise accessories, can work off of a loft, master bedroom or office.
What about the garage? This is a great double duty space! Design in zones for the different functions… workshop, storage, dog wash/pet grooming, gardening, exercise…man cave? You might even have a little room left for the car.
One of our favorite ‘DOUBLE DUTY DETAILS’ is the sleepover window seat in a child’s bedroom. This is a raised plywood platform that is large enough for a twin mattress. It is great when it has built in bookshelves adjacent. This space provides an extra bed for guests, but also easily stores 80 stuffed animals. The sleepover window seat is a great memory point for the family buyer!
One of the keys to making your spaces do double duty is proper storage. Well designed storage for the various activities to be performed in the space is critical for the space to function. Depending on the activity, don’t forget the shelves, the cabinets, the closets, and even the special built-ins that allow the double duty to WORK!
Taking it to a NEW LEVEL Are you ready to take DOUBLE DUTY to a whole new level? How about a room that is all about FLEXIBILITY? Some of our latest plans have a FLEX room as part of the design. What can you do in this space? For starters, it is a room to watch a movie or your favorite show, it may have an office workspace, and a game table, it may have also have a Murphy bed or sleeping alcove, and a series of sliding doors that can take an open room and turn it into a private retreat. Add a mini-kitchen or bar and it can function as a care-givers apartment, or a space for the boomerang child.
The well designed home that will appeal to today’s buyer is not the same home our parents bought…it is not even the same home that sold 5 years ago! The spaces within today’s home, just like the people who live there, have to wear a lot of hats! Consider all the different activities that make up a typical day for your buyers and then make your homes WORK! Spaces that are carefully designed for double duty, with consideration for the way we actually LIVE, will be the homes that SELL!

Profiles in Success l Times-Call

Sun, 2 Oct 2011 16:00:54 -0600

By Greg Betsinger

Osmosis: ”A gradual, often unconscious process of assimilation: a subtle or gradual absorption or mingling.”

This is the definition captures nicely the fusion of math, science and art that characterizes the designs of the team at Osmosis Art and Architecture, according to Anne Olson-Postle, founder and owner. In her own words, “Osmosis is a great word to describe the relationship between architecture and art. They both take on qualities from each other.”

A visit to Osmosis’ offices [pictured above] is a sensory experience of color and design. It is, in fact, an art gallery fused with the architecture business.

She remembers, “When we opened the gallery, we had the space, because we had downsized. The gallery next door had just closed and was looking for a home for its artists in Niwot. We are one of the new models for art galleries because you have to have a successful business that works along side it.”

A native of Arizona, Anne started her firm in 1994, moving into the current location in Niwot in 2004. She is a graduate of Arizona State University, where she completed a five-year program – including a three-year internship under the supervision of licensed architects. She then passed a rigorous five-day board exam before joining the American Institute of Architects a professional organization. Out of school she worked for a firm for five years in Phoenix before moving to Colorado to work with the renowned firm of Downing, Thorpe & James Inc, in Boulder.

Regarding the state of her industry, she notes that the past few years have been “challenging” as her firm is tied closely to the residential home building business. But, she observes, “ We’re still around. 2009 was horrible, 2010 was kind of hanging on by our fingernails, but 2011 has been steadily improving.

She markets her business by speaking at builder conventions. For example, she will deliver a talk at the Colorado Builders Show in October titled, “The New buyer: What They Want, What They Don’t Want and What They Can’t Live Without.”

For Anne, success is a multifaceted concept. It starts with loving what you do and being proud of the results. It also includes creating a work environment where people love being there. She adds, “Let’s not forget that we have to make a living; paying bills is part of success. Being part of the community is success, serving the community where you live and work.”

The firm’s favorite pro bono project [pictured left] is HomeAid Colorado, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Colorado building industry. The group builds transitional housing for the temporarily homeless, including special homes for female veterans and their children. She adds, “That is part of the culture of success here. It is not all about us. It isn’t all about the money that comes in here. It is about giving back. I think that’s the culture of this office.”

One of her secrets to longevity in the industry is her people. She gets animated as she talks about her staff: “I have really, really talented people who work here. They work so hard, but they also have complete flexibility. They can work whatever hours they want. And because that is rare in the architecture world, I get incredibly talented people. They are able to work their schedules around their families and their kids.”

She has felt for as long as she can remember that it is important to love what you do. She recalls one early memory: “My parents were having a dinner party and they had a friend over who was a pilot. My father said to him, ‘Do you have to work tomorrow?’
And he said, ‘No, I get to work tomorrow.’ That stuck with me. Being able to love what you do every day is a real gift.”

She remembers always loving art and wanting to be an artist when young. Even as a teenager, traveling in Europe with her parents, she remembers being struck by the beauty of the architecture. In college, it all came together. She remembers, “I was always good at math and science and I always loved art, so it’s a really good blend. I decided after y freshman year in college that I was for sure going to go with architecture.”

She offers the following advice to new architects just getting started: “There are all of these practical things that are common sense: You have to be accurate. You have to understand that what you are putting on paper has to be build able. Love what you do. Master the fundamentals. Have the passion for what you do.”

Asked about the design elements of the 9/11 memorial in New York City, she gets quiet, and then says, “I think it is very powerful. I think the power comes from what is missing - the absence. You can’t look at the pool and not feel that something is gone. – something that should be here was destroyed. The engraved names of those who died have similar power to the Vietnam Veterans memorial – again, someone who should be here is missing.”

The conversation turns to trends in home architecture. She describes her firm’s philosophy this way: “We try to think about demographic trends and that affects they way we live and how we can design a house to better meet those needs.”

She adds “The strongest trend on the horizon is that the ‘millennials’ are just about to buy their first homes. They’re the young families. But they aren’t looking for all the rooms, all the bedrooms. They still want a good family home, but smaller, smarter, more energy efficient. They don’t have the same goals as we had: ‘I’m going to live first and work second.’ It’s really a demographic change.”

Ruminating on the changes in tastes of baby boomers over the past decade, she notes that the recession has had an impact.

“The home somebody wanted 10 years ago is not the same home that that same buyer profile would want today, because even if they have the money in the bank, they don’t want to spend it. They are much more conservative in their thoughts. It relates mostly to size: “I don’t need the big house. I want a jewel. I want something that is wonderful and works for me.’ People have become more conservative in their buying habits.”

Anne considers her legacy to be designing homes that people love, providing a creative workplace for passionate employees and giving back to the community. She has integrated her skill in math and science and her love of art into a vibrant, growing business on the cutting edge of architectural design. She has survived the most difficult economy in her career and is positioned to prosper as the housing industry recovers. Her legacy could be a model of the small business of future.