From the Editor: Super Powers

Colorado Homes & Lifestyles' Editor in Chief, Darla Worden reflects on the January/February 2026 issue.

20 hours ago

Darla Worden,

Photo: Angela Howard

Interior designers can see things that mere mortals can’t. They walk into a room and notice the chairs that are off the rug, lights that are too bright, and paint that is not the right white. And within minutes—voila!—they’ve changed the room from drab to fab. Once again, we honor these amazing individuals in our Top Kitchen and Interior Designers List.

For this, our Remodel issue, designers share (some of) their secrets. Gina Bauerle of D’Amore Interiors discusses the transformation of a primary suite, noting the sometimes overlooked importance of bedrooms: “This space has the biggest influence over your mental health, your feeling of peace … Shouldn’t everyone’s primary bedroom feel like a luxurious hotel suite?” The answer is yes!

For a Steamboat Springs vacation home, the homeowners tasked New York City-based interior designer Darci Hether with transforming interiors through “the magic of paint and new furnishings.” Keeping the floor plan, Hether updated the kitchen and added new window coverings, rugs and furnishings throughout to create a four-season retreat that the homeowners now call their “happy place”.

Family Room “This is where we live,” says Rogan. She painted the woodwork and walls the same color (Sherwin-Williams Aesthetic White)—“like in Emily in Paris. ” The slipcovered, washable sofas and swivel chair are from Rowe Furniture. | Photo: Eric Lucero

Interior Designer Susan Rogan of Rogan Adams Design tells the story of her own circa-1976 home in Greenwood Village, see photo above, and its evolution to fit her family’s changing needs from raising kids to welcoming grandkids. Tapping her well-earned knowledge as an interior designer tackling many remodels over the years, she advises, “Put in the work, and the outcome will be worth it. Pick the right people, and don’t be afraid to pay for their services.”

To help you pick the right people, we’ve asked readers, photographers, architects and designers to nominate the best firms for our Top Kitchen and Interior Designers List, and we’ve organized the directory by city. Why wait? It’s a new year—what better time to start a new remodeling project?