Cottonwood Blue: A Home with Heart

Some projects begin with a floor plan. Others begin with a relationship.

Cottonwood Blue began with friendship.

Denise had known the homeowners for years, and when they found themselves facing a major renovation, the project quickly became something much more personal. What started as a practical need evolved into an opportunity to completely reimagine the way their family would experience their home.

Located in the Cottonwood area of Salt Lake City, the home now feels calm, collected, and deeply personal—with blue woven throughout as a subtle thread connecting the spaces and reflecting the homeowners' love of the color.

Starting Over Without Starting Over

The project began after a flood, and the family made the decision to renovate and expand rather than leave a home and neighborhood they loved.

What started as a renovation gradually grew into something much larger—three levels, additional living space, and eventually a home that feels almost entirely new.

Looking back, it may have made sense to start from the ground up, but there was something important about preserving the home they already loved: the location, the neighborhood, and the memories attached to it.

That history mattered.

Denise's role was to help take everything they loved about the existing home and translate it into something that felt fresh, cohesive, and completely their own.

Designing Around the Person

One of the things Denise values most about her work is getting to know the people behind the project.

She doesn't believe a home should simply reflect a particular design style. It should reflect the people who live there.

For Cottonwood Blue, that meant creating a home that felt serene, comfortable, and collected. The overall palette became soft and neutral, allowing blue to emerge throughout the home in thoughtful ways.

Rather than using color as a statement for the sake of making one, Denise used it as a thread—connecting rooms and creating a sense of continuity throughout the house.

There are also small pieces of the family's story woven into the design.

One of the wallpapers incorporated into the home was inspired by the homeowner's mother's love of irises. Details like this may not be immediately obvious to someone walking through the space, but they hold meaning for the people who live there.

Those are often Denise's favorite details—the ones that make a beautiful room feel like it belongs to someone.

The Best Projects Are Built on Trust

Denise often says that the projects she loves most are the ones where there is trust on both sides.

She's invested in her clients, and when they are invested in her and trust the process, something special happens. The project becomes a “yes” project. Ideas can evolve. They can take chances. They can follow an instinct when something feels right.

Cottonwood Blue is a beautiful example of that kind of collaboration.

The home is layered with years of friendship, family history, unexpected changes, and countless design decisions. Yet none of those elements feel separate. They come together to create something cohesive, welcoming, and deeply personal.

Home Is About How You Feel

Denise thinks often about what home means.

In a world that can feel incredibly chaotic, she believes having a place you can return to—a place that feels safe, comfortable, and genuinely yours—is more important than ever.

That's why she doesn't begin with a particular style and try to fit a person into it.

She wants to understand the person first.

What do they love? What makes them feel comfortable? What memories matter to them? What do they want their everyday life to feel like?

Then she works to uncover the answer through the design.

Because ultimately, home isn't just about the place.

It's about the person.

Cottonwood Blue is a reflection of that philosophy: serene, personal, welcoming, and filled with the details that make a house feel like home.

For Denise, that's always the goal.