FLI by Journal: 10 years of Fuse Living
Many of you in my Arizona network know Fuse Living as an Interiors firm, and we ARE that; Fuse Living is also, and began as a new construction development firm in Denver, Colorado. The short story is that I was working at a design firm and had the burning desire to design with healthier materials, and somehow create awareness around what a healthy home (at the time more commonly known as a green home) really meant. This was back in 2011/2012. Meanwhile back in Arizona my parents had begun to invest in rental properties, rehab and hold for longer term rents. I had the dreamy idea to do the same in Colorado and turn the remodeled properties into ‘green homes’ with energy efficiencies and higher than average air quality.
This idea quickly turned from a rehab property to a piece of land acquired and 5 single family homes envisioned, built, and sold. LEED Certified gold - born was Fuse Living, the fusing together of all aspects of life and living mindfully. In an urban, walkable neighborhood in Denver these 5 homes were the entry into a deep rabbit hole of healthy home building at an attainable price point. From here we completed 3 more developments in Colorado before I moved back to Arizona- my home state- with my family. As you know, I’ve focused primarily on the Interiors business; and I’m now feeling the itch for these types of developments here in Arizona… who’s with me?
Take a scroll below to see the completed developments in Colorado plus a snapshot of some of our interiors projects.
The original Clarkson 5. A nod to the neighborhood with A-frame style, modernized to fit the trending style filling in, but also making sure we were timeless beyond trend.
Features: LEED GOLD certified, Solar Panels (80% offset), EPA AirPlus Certified, EPA Water Saving certified
Final home completed in 2016.
Location: Five Points neighborhood, Denver, Colorado.
Named Row 4- A corner lot with 4 townhome units, outfitted with rooftop decks, energetic finishes and greenery on the property to soften a very urban corner in the neghborhood.
Features: LEED GOLD certified, Property Solar Panels (75% offset), EPA AirPlus Certified, EPA Water Saving certified
Completed: 2015
Location: Five Points neighborhood, Denver, Colorado.
Named Alloy on Lawrence - these 7 townhomes form a U-shape on the property allowing for green and open space on the urban lot. This key feature was important as we began to understand the psychology of how we live in urban environments. These units were smaller in size and affordable for first time home buyers / young professionals entering their workplace.
Features: Net Zero Ready (pre lined for solar), EPA AirPlus Certified, EPA Water Saving certified, green space
Completed: 2017
Location: RiNo neighborhood, Denver, Colorado.
Named Affinity - our premier luxury condo build out. These two buildings (separated by an alleyway in between) have everything. By the time we were in design of this building, I understood even more about the psychology behind our spaces and why being mindful about orientation mattered, why fixture selection really mattered, and very importantly the positive affect of creating zones in your living environments - active zones vs. quiet zones. A proud design feature in these units are HALLWAYS, even in the 1300 SF smallest size. Many condo units you see have the active area in the center with bedrooms on either side, so all bedrooms abut to loud spaces - here in these buildings we held all active zones to the front of the unit and all quiet zones to the back of the unit, allowing for true state of being change as you move through your daily routines.
Features: LEED GOLD certified, Green Roof (roof deck with plantings- an enjoyable view deck vs. hard surface roof), Ductless HVAC systems to curb dust pollution, Atriums built into the units, EPA watersense certified, EPA energy STAR certified, Solal panels. And so much more with aesthetics!
Completed: Building 1 - 2019; Building 2 - 2021
Location: Cherry Creek neighborhood, Denver, Colorado.
So what exactly was the Fuse Living role in all of these?
Developer! We acquired the land, envisioned the project, assembled the team - architects, civil/structural engineers, obtained financing and managed the financials, sought out our sales team, and exited with the sale of all units. Of course I, Shannon, lead the interior design of all the units + lead the overall vision of the mindful design conversation.
Many of our early partners, mainly our first architect and builder, and real estate group were spectacular mentors. We learned just HOW to take a project from the vision to planning, to permitting and through construction. Each project came with an additional learning curve, like party wall agreements un the shared wall townhomes, HOA documents for the condos, CCandRs, and more. It’s been 10 years of learning and growing and I’m personally looking forward to all the next developments projects beginning backed with knowledge for a smooth process start to finish.
We were an internal unit of family operating the projects and financing; now with my dad fully in retirement I’m looking forward to solidifying some new partners in the world of developments.
See you soon!
There’s a lot here, so I’ll wrap it up! This feels reallllly great to recap. It actually took me quite a bit longer than planned as I reminisced through the creation of this Journal. I realize there is SO MUCH more I can share about each and every one of these projects, and so I shall. over time; stopping in here and there between the current happenings!
Happily written by:
Shannon of Fuse Living