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It’s easy to geek out in Nicole Sullivan’s two-and-a-half-year-old bookshop meets wine bar: Stacks of thick novels make up the checkout counter; the bartop is covered with poem snippets; and even the crostini have names like Harper Lee and Melville (topped with tuna, naturally). When BookBar opened its 700-square-foot addition last month, we fell in love all over again thanks to details like a rocking chair nook—complete with a basket of guilty-pleasure tabloids—that overlooks the new children’s area and a cozy back room book clubs can reserve for meetings, plus a huge, gorgeous patio where seating options range from a large communal table to couchlike fireside perches.
Sullivan saw yet another opportunity to expand the bookstore’s reach when the tenants who’d been living in the one-bedroom apartment upstairs decided to move on. The idea of a bed-and-breakfast was born late one night as Sullivan and another staffer were closing up. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just sleep here?” one said to the other. (We admit to having the same thought ourselves, whilst snuggled into one of BookBar’s armchairs with our second—OK, third—glass of wine and Jane Austen on our Kindle….)
The concept quickly evolved into a space (renovated by Chris Genz Design Build) that will be opened up to the shop’s many visiting authors—and hopefully draw even more to Denver. Luckily, though, the B&B will also be available for us mere, unpublished mortals via Airbnb. For $150 a night, guests will enjoy a fully furnished apartment—a queen-size bed, enviable chef’s kitchen, living room, washer and dryer, and full bathroom—plus local Method Coffee Roasters joe and fluffy biscuits from Denver Biscuit Co. down the street delivered fresh each morning.
Much like BookBar itself, it’s Sullivan’s loving attention to detail that will make BookBed a destination for out-of-town literature nerds and staycationing bookworms alike. She chose a palette of gray, black, and white to evoke the look of pages; a chalkboard wall in the kitchen will host signatures from the authors who’ve stayed. Book-themed art abounds, and shelves will be stocked with Indie Next List tomes guests can enjoy with that coffee on the balcony or take home with them (it works like a hotel minibar—whatever you take simply gets added to your tab).
There’s even a writing desk, should you get inspired to put pen to paper yourself. Who knows—maybe the next time your head hits the pillow at BookBed, you’ll be exhausted from the author talk and book signing you just finished downstairs.
Check out BookBed—and sample Denver Biscuit Co. fare—at the grand opening on Friday, November 6, from noon until close.
