Aspen Style with Interior Designer Kristin Dittmar
PHOTOGRAPHED BY BROOKE CASILLAS
WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE RICHARDS // CONTRIBUTING WRITER
One of the best things about interior designer Kristin Dittmar is how down-to-earth she is. While she creates effortlessly chic spaces, her designs allow for real life to happen: and real life is messy with dogs, children and spilled red wine. But isn’t that what great design should do? It should allow us to live within beauty. We sat down with Kristin and got the inside scoop on how she conceives and constructs homes for a well-lived life.
Stephanie Richards: Tell me about your journey into interior design. Who are some of your biggest inspirations, and how do they influence your work today?
Kristin Dittmar: I have always been a creative person, and as a child, I loved marking things and building and creating as much as I could. My dad was a builder in Aspen, and he helped me get an internship/job with John Brooks Inc. I loved working with the textiles and learning about all the different furniture lines. While working at John Brooks, I saw Kelly Wearstler’s first coffee table book, and I was in awe of her. I loved her interiors and her fun fashion and was inspired.
SR: Describe your aesthetic. What do you think it is about your designs that speak to clients? Do you have a “signature” design element that makes people recognize a space that was designed by you?
KD: I feel design is constantly changing, and I try to keep evolving as well. In my interiors, I always try to make everything comfortable and not stuffy. I love to do accomplish this with texture and tones. I think every designer has their style or twist on design, and I hope mine is mountain chic.
SR: What differentiates you from other interior designers in Aspen and Colorado at large? In what ways do you challenge yourself to stay fresh and new?
KD: My design style and my passion for making somebody's house a home is what sets me apart. I always want people to feel comfortable and relaxed in the spaces I have created. I am constantly challenging myself to think outside of the box. It also helps that I was born and raised in Aspen, and I know the lay of the land and a lot of the climate issues that can affect interiors.
SR: Everything involving homes, building and renovation is expensive. Where is the one area that people should spurge and where can they save money?
KD: When working with a budget, a little trick is to use affordable upholstery and upgrade your fabrics. Your piece will still look expensive.
SR: What will we be seeing in interior design in the next few years? Are you sensing a shift in any trends?
KD: Everything is constantly shifting. I have been into moody spaces and adding some rich tones. I will always love white, but I am moving away from white painted walls. I think life needs to be jazzed up a bit.
SR: What is the Aspen client looking for right now?
KD: I keep hearing that people want to upgrade their homes but keep the mountain feel while maintaining a calm and relaxing vibe.
SR: You have a custom line of marble sinks. Tell me all about this and what inspired it.
KD: It started with some design ideas that I had been incorporating into my projects, and that led to the marble supplier/fabricator and I developing a well-rounded line of sinks that any designer could select from. It has not been my focus lately because my design projects keep me busy, but it has always been a passion for me to incorporate more of a retail side to my business. I am always looking for something new to do in design. I love working with natural materials because they are inspiring to me.
SR: What is next for you?
KD: I’m very excited to be involved in designing the new restaurant Casa D’Angelo in downtown Aspen that is scheduled to open any day now! I worked with the owners Angelo and Denise on their home in Snowmass, and we have been friends ever since. I want the restaurant to feel sophisticated but comfy. It also needs to have a fun, Aspen vibe. The space started as an old, classic restaurant in town, and I want the new one to keep some of the original charm without changing the old feel of the space. When someone who had visited the old restaurant sees the new design, I want them to say, “wow.” Angelo is a fantastic chef, and he and his wife Denise have been so much fun to work with.
I am also designing the Hyatt lobby and am working through all the little details, and I can’t wait to see everything come together. I want to give the Hyatt a fresh mountain vibe. The space is heavy and needs to lighten up. I had a baby in December, so I’m focusing on my family while balancing my work in interior design.