Dory Pratt, Owner of Homebody

The creator of the upscale decor store on the north edge of Cherry Creek, in her element

Dory Pratt’s I-need-to-get-out-of-the-house moment happened this way: “I was sitting in my kitchen when my 13-year-old asked for lunch and my 15-year-old asked me for glass of water,” she recalls. “I thought, ‘It’s time for them to learn how to do things for themselves.’ ” In an attempt to foster her kids’ independence, she decided to harness some of her own.

The result is Homebody, an upscale decor store on the north edge of Cherry Creek that Pratt opened in October. The 2,000-square-foot space houses an eclectic mix of “organic, modern Scandinavian farmhouse with old-world sensibility” that includes blankets, dishware, candles, books, art, furniture, pillows, poufs, mirrors and lighting, all collected by Pratt on her global travels.

Pratt’s affection for travel and shopping began after college as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia (where she met her husband, Robert). They moved back to her native city of Denver in 2005 to settle down, but Pratt’s wanderlust and love of all things beautiful eventually made retail a likely choice. “I wanted to offer things here that aren’t being sold in Colorado,” she says. “Everyone I know is so well traveled. I wanted to offer them an element of surprise.”

Pratt gutted a Sixth Avenue kitchen-showroom space to house her bohemian wares. For an added touch of homeyness, she designed a pink- and Carrara-marble-top kitchenette where customers can sip matcha tea, coffee or a glass of rosé before, during or after their store walkabout. 

How does this mother of two explain the life leap from teaching at an orphanage in South America to owning a high-end home shop in Cherry Creek?
“I think it’s where life leads you,” she says. “I’m a hippie at heart, but maybe I’m just a fancy hippie.”

Homebody
2920 E. Sixth Ave.
Denver
homebodydenver.com