10 Things a Creative Powerhouse Can’t Live Without

Ellen Bruss, of EBD.com and Hotel Born Hospitality, shares her faves.

December 22, 2017

Rebecca Gart,

Portrait by Kristen Hatgi Sink

Ellen Bruss, creative director and CEO of EBD.com, a branding firm, and creative director of brand, interiors and art for Hotel Born Hospitality, shares her faves.

1. Museum of Contemporary Art, as one of my main interests is contemporary art, and I am an avid collector of both local and national artists. MCA’s recent shows have featured Derrick Velasquez and Ryan McGinley—I own pieces by both of them. mcadenver.org

2. Tavernetta by Frasca. My husband (developer Mark Falcone)and I are big fans of Boulder’s Frasca team, and we are beyond excited for their restaurant Tavernetta in our new Hotel Born. tavernettadenver.com

3. Gildar Gallery shows and supports both emerging and established artists. Adam Gildar is exceptionally smart and inventive, and his shows reflect just that. gildargallery.com

4. After a car accident, I started taking classes at Pilates Aligned. My instructor, Joey Biederman, is a specialist in healing and strengthening bodies. She researches your particular challenge and crafts a different routine for each session. pilatesaligned.com

5. For our home, the Knoll David Adjaye Washington Skeleton Chair. David designed our house and the MCA, so we are big fans of his work. His Skeleton Chair is both comfortable and a piece of art. $728; knoll.com

6. Balenciaga Papier A4 Leather Tote is perfect for work and travel. It fits a computer and all of my reading. The best part is that it is literally a paper-weight leather, so it’s durable but very light. $1,995; net-a-porter.com

7. The artist Gretchen Marie Schaefer because she creates sculptures with found objects and things people give to her: bones, wood, hair and synthetic materials. She creates “sentences” that speak to both permanence and impermanence. gretchenmarieschaefer.com

8. I am addicted to Faliero Sarti scarves. They are beautifully woven, extraordinarily soft and lightweight, so they are perfect for travel in all seasons. $245-$345; neimanmarcus.com

9. Rick Owens blazers. They have a feminine cut but are skinny and long with great details like knit insets in the arms so they aren’t so bulky. $2,025; maxclothing.com