Three Aspen women celebrated for their artful eye share their curation for luxe living.
“Color surrounds us,” says artist Isa Catto. “When I look around, it’s the first thing I notice. Before form, before faces. The natural world has always been my teacher.”
Working from her home studio, set at 8,000 feet on a small farm with a large flower garden above the town of Woody Creek and dramatic views of the Elk Mountain Range, Catto has, over the past 30 years, evolved from fine artist to designer. “I’ve always loved textiles, especially journals and paper goods, and wanted to venture into design,” she says. “Like many designers, I’m inclined to think about how things work and how they may be used.”
“I love wrapping presents,” Catto shares. “The wrapping paper is perfect for curating presents that match recipients’ personalities.”
Seeking to make art accessible to a broader audience, Catto endeavored to translate her highly colorful watercolor works into functional products at affordable price points, several of which are perfect for the home.
Notebooks and journals featuring wire-bound covers printed with her artwork are perfect for personal journaling or giving as gifts. “They are geared to capture ideas, to use as a journal, or for to-do lists,” she says. “Everything goes into one book.”
“I’ve kept a personal journal since age 9, filled with cool quotes and sketches—they’ve become a record of my life.” says Catto.
Colorful Italian silk or organic cotton scarves also make delightful gifts, and she notes that customers often frame her bird scarves. “It’s like carrying a painting around on fabric,” she says. “Or to use as an accessory instead of jewelry.”
Double-sided wrapping paper, designed so that it can be turned over and reused, is perfect for curating presents that match the recipient’s personality.
“Scarves make you pop,” laughs Catto. “They also make great gifts, and I often use them as dinner party napkins. I set an eclectic table.”
You’ll find an intensely colorful review of Catto’s offerings online, where you may also book a visit to her studio. Her work may also be found locally at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, The Art Base in Basalt, or Carbondale Arts in Carbondale. Isa Catto Studio, isacatto.com
Artist. Wildlife photographer. Explorer. Argentina-born Guadalupe Laiz is all of those things, and each is beautifully represented at the Aspen gallery she’s owned for the last six years. “It all comes from a place of passion and love for the craft,” she says.
Driven by the belief that art and beauty transform how people think about conservation and nature, Laiz focuses on the environment and animals that are pure and gentle by nature. In addition to dramatic black-and-white prints that adorn the walls of her gallery, she has long transferred her passion to the pages of significant photography books, including “Horses of Ireland,” which depicts Icelandic Horses in their native habitat. Her latest book, “Among the Living, Where You Belong,” is a near-600-page tome to African wildlife.
“My journal showcases a little bit of everything, words and images from my journeys that showcase some of my favorite photos, such as of animals or the Highlands Bowl in Aspen,” says Laiz.
Incredible as the images may be is Laiz’s ability to achieve up-close photographs of her subjects. “My goal is to convey the emotion of the animals I photograph,” she shares. “I must get very close, just one foot away. It’s my obsession to do that.”
Beyond and uniquely complementing her professional photography work, Laiz is a major supporter of several nonprofit organizations, each reflecting her work and life passions. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, for instance, works to protect gorillas and their natural forest habitats while helping people who live nearby. Giraffe Now’s mission is to save the animals from extinction so they can live freely in their native Africa. The Big Life Foundation protects over 1.6 million acres of wilderness in East Africa. “Communicating issues like these help educate all generations about how to make conscious decisions to protect our planet,” she says. Guadalupe Laiz Gallery, guadalupelaiz.com
“It took six years to make this book,” Laiz shares. “It is my hope that it will inspire conversation and education and that people will leave it open on their coffee table to share.”
“Any piece that lives with you becomes part of your home,” Laiz says. “It has meaning and becomes part of your identity.”
Melanie Grant has a unique role as CCY Interior Studio Director. “We focus on an integrated design approach where we are purposefully trying to blur the lines between interior design and architecture and believe that it gives us a better result and happy clients,” she says. “But then, it’s part of what makes us who we are.”
“We love the organic, natural form of this Fin Juhl Fireplace Chair. It is sculptural, modern, and timeless,” says Grant
In her position for five years, Grant is passionate about her work. “Ultimately, what we are doing with interior design is creating livable and beautiful spaces for our clients,” she notes. “Understanding their expectations and getting to the bottom of what makes them tick brings a sense of authenticity to every single project.”
“Soft, cozy and warm, Mantas Ezcaray Serenity Throws are highly crafted, superbly designed.”
No matter the project type, clients must participate in face-to-face design charrettes at the onset, which Grant says is vital to gaining insight into everything from building sites and material preferences to establishing trust. “It’s like a big puzzle that we have to put together when we work on projects, with the pieces also including the relationships we’ve established with artists or manufacturers and building new ones. I love that interaction.”
“Handmade in California for over 75 years, Heath’s tile and dinnerware are unparalleled”
Always looking for opportunities to use local materials reflects efforts toward sustainability and reducing carbon footprint. Work by local artisans who share a passion for design is often incorporated in projects, along with those from trusted collectors of original vintage pieces in Los Angeles and New York, as well as internationally. Authenticity is critical to ensuring that every project is authentic and withstands the test of time. “We steer away from trends and more toward timeless design,” says Grant.
"Handmade in Boulder, Colorado, Curtis Rindels' ceramics are fantastic compliments to our project designs. Employing honest forms and earth-toned glazes, we love incorporating his products in our projects whenever possible."
In the end, the satisfaction factor is key. “We want happy clients living in usable, comfortable, and beautiful spaces. It’s all that we can ask for.” CCY Architects, ccyarchitects.com
Photography by: PHOTO COURTESY OF ISA CATTO STUDIO; PHOTO BY DRAPER WHITE; FINN JUHL PHOTO COURTESY OF DANSK MOBELKUNST GALLERY; SERENITY THROWS PHOTO BY MANTAS EZCARAY; KINET PENDANT CUSTOM LIGHTING PHOTO COURTESY ALEX EARL
