Make West was founded in 2018 by Becky McCoy, Grant Louwagie, John Huff, and myself. We are a design/build firm specializing in experiential graphic features and high-end, customized art and architectural installations. Generally speaking, we like to think of our work as a material expansion of branding or an extension of interior design. However, pinpointing exactly where our industry begins and ends has always been a bit of a challenge. Our project types often span an incredibly wide range, including everything from murals and graphics to interactive community displays or multi-media art pieces. One day we are pouring 15-foot long resin tables and the next we are hand-painting miniature cowboys. There is certainly never a dull moment around the shop! We have a super-talented team of artists, designers and makers who all bring different specialties to the mix. It is that collective expertise that enables us to make the things we do and to ultimately help our clients fulfill the creative vision for their space.
Last year we completed some incredibly cool features for the lobby of the newly-renovated Curtis Hotel. The designers for the project brought a crazy-adventurous spirit to the table, which gave our team the opportunity to really challenge our boundaries. We chain-sawed a series of awesome tiki stools, built a trike-powered beverage cart from the ground up, and turned their valet stand into a vintage-inspired, illuminated television. We are currently working on another phase of the project that will include, oversized versions of the games Twister and Operation as well as a reproduction of the luggage cart from the movie Harry Potter.
We also just wrapped up some beautiful work for No. 38, a brand new bar, restaurant and outdoor entertainment venue in RiNo. Our scope included a 12-piece series of Colorado-themed diorama displays, two huge exterior neon signs, an interactive Colorado topography table, a modern version of an antler chandelier and a whole bunch of site signage and graphics.
Wallcoverings are one of the most effective ways of impacting a large space and, when done well, can completely energize the surrounding environment. With leadership from our in-house pattern designer, Libby Brodeur, we just recently launched The Collection, our signature library of wallcoverings and murals, all designed in-house by the Make West team. The idea was conceived based on a local need for more unique pattern lines that reflected both the style and the authentic spirit of the greater Denver area. While we have always offered customized wallcovering design, that process comes at a higher price point than some clients can afford. The Collection brings that same unique level of creativity, but at a lower price point. Clients can sort through patterns and colorways and then combine the design with a material type to create their own wallcoverings.
We have spent a large part of this past year building and organizing our team, especially around comprehensive planning and experiential design. As a result, we have been digging into some incredibly exciting larger development projects that are undoubtedly going to affect the Denver landscape. We are keeping most of the work behind the curtains for now, but expect to see some exciting announcements in the coming months!
