Inside Designer Miranda Cullen's Littleton home. Photo by Eric Lucero
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I am not color- or pattern-averse, as you can probably tell,” laughs Denver interior designer Miranda Cullen, describing the ultra-eclectic decor inside her newly constructed Littleton home. “If a piece speaks to me, I find a way to incorporate it. I love to say that nothing in here goes, but everything complements.”
Cullen, the founder and principal of residential design firm Inside Stories, moved into this 5,500-square-foot, Cape Cod–style stunner in 2020 with her husband, Don; their two teenage children, Reagan and Jonah; and a gaggle of pets including four dogs, two cats, and a hamster—after living for 14 years in a cramped Highlands Ranch home that was less than half the size. With its blank canvas and ample space, the new semi-custom home offered Cullen plenty of room to make a statement. “When we design a home for a client, we do a lot of work with personality and character. A home needs to be a direct reflection of the people who live in it,” she says of her design process. So, when it came to decorating her own home? “I am a quirky person, so I knew my house had to have a quirky personality,” she says. “My style is sort of a hot mess—and I love it!”
Dining Room: A classic-form, heathered-gray Criteria dining table by Bernhardt is surrounded by both contemporary Elowen chairs from Anthropologie and ornate, antique wooden seats. The Axis chandelier by Renwil reads modern, while Arteriors’ Havana sconces lean traditional. “Union,” a watercolor from Mary Elliott Fine Art, contrasts with the clean-lined architectural print. The Painted Palette rug is from Anthropologie. Photo by Eric Lucero
Kitchen: The spacious kitchen island is topped with a Caesarstone slab in Moreland Fog. Visual Comfort’s Goodman pendants and Vanguard’s Ryder upholstered counter stools feel at once elegant and casual. The backsplash is a mix of Caesarstone and Castle Brick porcelain tile. Photo by Eric Lucero
Main Bedroom: The undulating Theodore Alexander dresser serves as a side table to a clean-lined canopy bed. In lieu of a bench, Anthropologie’s Odetta desk and Arteriors’ Bahati chair sit at the foot of the bed. More unexpected touches include a House of Hackney cheetah-base lamp (with fringed lampshade); Bunny Williams’ Gustave pedestal topped with a feather necklace; and an antique steamer trunk (which belonged to Cullen’s grandmother). Photo by Eric Lucero
Main Bedroom: Levi the dog makes himself at home in Wisteria’s Pour Deux chair; the sconce is Arteriors’ Aja fixture. The carved armoire, which came from Cullen’s previous home, is from Anthropologie. Photo by Eric Lucero
Closet: Cullen’s enviable closet features a marble-print Harlequin wallcovering (Makrana in Rose Quartz) and a tasseled chandelier from Anthropologie. “I have been waiting a long time to have a closet like this. I sit in the antique chair sometimes, as this is one of my happy places,” she laughs. Photo by Eric Lucero
Basement Bar: Arteriors’ Egg Drop pendants and Williams Sonoma’s Ton Ironica stools complement cleverly hung art collections in dark frames. Photo by Eric Lucero
Game Room: A charcoal-and-navy pool table from Iron Smyth gets a punch of crazy-cool from the M2C Studio fringe light fixture. The custom neon sign from Sketch & Etch serves as a rallying mantra—for life and design. Photo by Eric Lucero
Cullen’s aesthetic inspired sophisticated, maximalist interiors that marry real-life functionality with an eclectic mix of old, beloved pieces and new, interesting finds. “I love collections,” she says. “My older pieces I’ve curated over a lifetime. There are a handful of treasures that are family heirlooms and others I have collected during travels.”
The designer’s living room is a prime example of the harmonious marriage of old and new. A black heirloom piano serves as the room’s centerpiece, but it’s punched up with a fresh, velvet-stripe fabric on the bench and an attention-grabbing, wooden-bead chandelier overhead. The modern black-and-white rug is topped with a smaller, well-worn antique rug, and an antique accent chair—scored online and recovered in a striking linear fabric—adds visual interest. Instead of returning a gold-framed mirror that shattered during delivery (supply chain delays would have meant a yearlong wait for a replacement), Cullen commissioned her friend, local artist Erin Schoenbeck, to paint a contemporary canvas to fit the frame (seen on page 46); the custom piece leans against the wall below a collection of custom-framed Hunt Slonem bunny prints. To contrast with the contemporary art, Cullen selected a traditional floral linen fabric for the window coverings.
Living Room: A black-feathered Arteriors chandelier sets a spirited tone in the living room. A variety of textures and patterns—linen draperies in Designers Guild’s floral Victorine fabric in Viola; a piano bench with striped-velvet seat; and Jaipur Living’s graphic Satellite rug topped with an antique carpet—blends seamlessly. Photo by Eric Lucero
Kitchen: A view from the kitchen into the family room shows off two-toned upper and lower cabinets (by KitchenCraft) and sparkling brass hardware (Rejuvenation’s Patton pulls and Rigdon knobs). Hudson Valley Lighting’s Latham sconce, Kallista’s Juxtapose faucet, and a Surya runner add accents of black for contrast, and ginger jars repurposed as pots bring on the color. Photo by Eric Lucero
Reading Nook: A cozy corner in the living room showcases Cullen’s eclectic art collection, including a balloon sculpture from artist Meagen Svendsen’s The Thing With Feathers series; a papier-mâché bust from Get the Gusto; and a painting, “Radiant Papoose,” by Colorado artist Angela Beloian. The Jayson Home club chair is dressed up in Savannah Hayes’ Mali fabric with a Christian Lacroix throw pillow and clawfoot stool. The Pavo peacock side table is from Anthropologie. Photo by Erik Lucero
Butler’s Pantry: “I wanted a space that didn’t feel like the rest of our light-and-bright home,” Cullen says of the butler’s pantry. The jet-black grasscloth wallpaper (by Phillip Jeffries), black-granite countertops, and dark-stained cabinets create a rich palette. Photo by Eric Lucero
Main Bathroom: The black Allora Hexagon floor tile, Artifacts clawfoot tub, and sparkling Visual Comfort Calais chandelier and Tableau pendants add visual interest in the main bathroom. A Monique
Lhuillier marble bar cart from Pottery Barn is the perfect solution for towel
and bubble bath storage. Photo by Eric Lucero
Main Bathroom: The black Allora Hexagon floor tile, Artifacts clawfoot tub, and sparkling Visual Comfort Calais chandelier and Tableau pendants add visual interest in the main bathroom. A Monique
Lhuillier marble bar cart from Pottery Barn is the perfect solution for towel
and bubble bath storage. Photo by Eric Lucero
Powder Room: “I love making the powder room the ‘jewel’ of the home,” Cullen says, “and ours is a beauty, with the modern take on a traditional leggy sink basin from Kohler and an impactful wallcovering.” The wallpaper is Osborne & Little’s Magnolia Frieze, the Coco mirror is by Made Goods, and the light fixture is Visual Comfort’s Xavier pendant. Photo by Eric Lucero
Basement Bathroom: Pierre Frey’s Vases Masqués wallpaper dazzles in the basement bathroom. The tile is a mix of Bedrosian’s matte Allora porcelain hexagons on the floor and Cloe ceramic tile on the walls. Visual Comfort’s Allen triple sconce lends some sparkle. Photo by Eric Lucero
More eye-candy awaits in other rooms: In the main bedroom, a House of Hackney cheetah-base lamp with magenta-fringed shade sits atop a navy-blue desk at the foot of the bed; a 3.5-foot-wide, tassel-trimmed light fixture and custom neon sign liven things up in the game room; and in the powder room, there’s what Cullen describes as the “out of control” combination of large-scale Osborne & Little magnolia-print wallpaper, sculptural Made Goods mirror, and bulbous Visual Comfort light fixture. “I always make sure that each room has its own special something,” she says. “I feel that it’s my job as a designer to show people that there is something beyond the minimalist, all-white-walls route that is so popular.” And after touring Cullen’s house, we’re ready to embrace our quirky, colorful side, too.
