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November 2, 2025

From Chicago to Cherry Creek

Words by Betsy Marr | Interior Design : Jennie Bishop | Photos: David Lauer

When designer Jennie Bishop first stepped inside her most recent Denver project, she found a home with good bones but a broken story. “It was slightly tragic,” she recalls with a laugh. “Dated, disjointed, and begging for a full gut.” What followed was a complete transformation—a three-year collaboration that turned an awkward, aging house in the heart of Cherry Creek into a serene reflection of its owners and of Bishop’s signature style: a masterful mix of restraint, warmth, and material beauty.

Her clients—longtime collaborators from Chicago—wanted to bring a bit of their city sensibility west. “They’re casual, cool, and down-to-earth,” Bishop says. “They love natural materials, don’t mind a little patina, and wanted something easy but elevated.” The result is a home that feels at once relaxed and sophisticated, textured yet timeless, built for real life rather than perfection.

The couple’s art collection, curated with Bishop over the years, became both foundation and muse. “We started with their pieces from Chicago and built from there,” she says. “The art became the connective thread—this beautiful continuity between two homes, two cities, and two chapters in their lives.”

The turning point came when everyone decided to stop compromising. “At first we said we’d just do the kitchen,” Bishop remembers. “But once we committed to gutting the whole thing, we could finally breathe. That’s when it came alive.” With the freedom to reimagine the layout, Bishop found rhythm and purpose in spaces that had long lacked both. “Originally, there were twin sitting rooms and facing fireplaces halfway up the wall,” she says. “It made no sense. Once we reoriented the rooms, everything clicked—the dining, living, and breakfast areas began to talk to each other.”

The kitchen and adjoining spaces became the project’s defining triumph. Partnering with Marcus Otten of Exquisite Kitchen Design (EKD), Bishop reworked what was once a maze of dated rooms into a luminous, functional heart of the home. “That skylight over the island turned out to be a gift,” she says. “It gave the entire space life.”

As for favorites, Bishop hesitates to choose. “I love both powder rooms to death,” she says. “The breakfast nook has this pretty little edge I can’t get enough of. And the fireplace and bar—I’m obsessed.” The bar, in particular, became a creative leap of faith. “The homeowner said, ‘Surprise me,’ so I did. She couldn’t change a thing—and she loves it as much as I do.”

Stone is the undeniable through line. “Stone, stone, stone,” Bishop says with a grin. “It’s bold but quiet, timeless but full of life.” Used throughout the home, it grounds every room in natural warmth and calm sophistication. “This project is a study in balance,” she reflects. “Natural, bold, yet somehow restrained. I’m not always balanced and restrained,” she adds, laughing, “but I’m working on it.”

The result is a home that feels as effortless as it is intentional—refined, livable, and beautifully human. For Bishop, it represents not just another project, but an evolution. “It’s about trusting your gut,” she says. “When you do that—and when your clients trust you back—that’s when the magic happens.”

Meet the Designer: Jennie Bishop

Current Obsession: The Excaliblue quartzite from Calia Stone Boutique in Chicago. “That stone at the bar and fireplace still stops me in my tracks.”

In Her Own Home: “My Katie Stout ‘Ladies’ wallpaper. I’ll have it somewhere in every house I ever live in.”

Secret Source: “Marrakech. Always.”

Design Tip: “YOLO. Do it. Don’t hold back. Paint is not forever. Nothing is forever. Go with your gut.”

Creative Fuel: “David Flack’s new book Flack Studio. I just went to Ibiza for the first time and the EDM is giving me energy. Travel keeps us on our toes.”