Boulder Furniture Store :: Bartlett Interiors

Blog

Jane
I remember it like it was yesterday. Betty Barnhill handed me a beautiful fabric remnant and said, “I know you’ll sew this into something beautiful.”

Betty and her husband Joe opened this store in 1960. Back then, it was called Barnhill Interiors. I went to school with the Barnhill's daughter, Diana. I sewed much of my own clothing because, even then, I was quite tall and hard to fit. Diana and I often stopped at the store, and Betty sometimes presented me with a piece of fabric she couldn’t use but hoped I could. That's how my love affair with this store started.

My sister Nancy and I are lifelong Boulderites. We were born and grew up in Boulder, which was much more of a small town back then. I have lived here my entire life, except for college at CSU and a couple of false starts in large, chain department stores. It wasn't a good fit -- trust me. So, when the Barnhills offered to hire me as a designer right out of college, I didn’t hesitate. My roots and my heart are securely anchored in Boulder and its people. That won’t change.

I bought the store from the Barnhills in 1984. My entire career has unfolded here and I couldn’t have scripted things better. The residents we’ve served, the long-standing, deeply personal friendships I’ve made, and the satisfaction I feel each time a clients tells me, “I love what you’ve done” -- makes me know I’m in the right place.

Nancy
My summers in Boulder as a child were filled with morning swim lessons at Spruce Pool and guessing who’d be that year’s Pow Wow Queen. I’ll never forget when the city was paving the street we lived on. It was a very … big … deal in our house! Like my sister Jane, I’m a lifelong Boulderite (I don’t count the nine years I lived in Colorado Springs).

About the time I was considering a career change and moving back to Boulder, Jane was in the process of buying the store from the former owners, the Barnhills. Our sister, Lois, made the not-so-subtle suggestion that Jane could use some help and, since I was looking to make a change … you get the picture. I’ve been with Jane, handling the administrative functions plus sharing the design work, since she bought the store in 1984.

What amazes me to this day is how we bond with our clients. Our store has the capabilities and resources of a much larger business, but we don't act "big." We’re just us, working with each client on their terms, trying to go well beyond just doing a good job. When a repeat customer (and we have lots of them) enters the store, it’s like picking up a conversation with an old friend. We take their ideas and preferences and help them visualize a successful outcome. They know when they walk in they’re going to be happy with our work, and that makes me happy.

Lighting

Over the 50 years we’ve been in business, one of the things customers comment on most is our beautiful lamp selection. When you come into our store, you’ll see lamps in a variety of colors, with gorgeous bases and lamp shades. Unlike many stores, which sell lamps in one color or one style of metal, we have a wide selection – from bookcase lamps to entryway pieces.

Adding a lamp to a table or bookcase is like adding a piece of art to the wall. The right lamp, when put in the right spot, can bring charm and warmth to an entire room.

Selecting the right lamp shouldn’t be difficult, but it’s important to achieve the right balance between beauty and function. Some questions to ask include: Where will your lamp be placed? What kind of light does the lamp need to give off in order to be practical? Is the lamp intended to be functional or decorative? Is there a piece of art in the room that you’d like to highlight? Is there an area of the room that you’re trying to draw attention to? What kind of lamp will help make your room warm and inviting?

Like so much of good design, lighting is made up of two or more parts: the source (the fixture), and the light it produces (the lighting effect or atmosphere). Both have to be right. It’s our job to make it right and your job to enjoy it when we’re done.