Osmosis wins design award

Osmosis Art and Architecture recently received an award for design in the detached homes category of the Denver area MAME awards.

MAME, which stands for Major Achievement in Merchandising Excellence, is a prominent name in the design and building industry and exists all over the country.

For Osmosis, 13-year veteran Jennifer Nusz was in charge of designing for builder Wonderland Homes.

“It was a surprise to us, but it’s really great,” Nusz said. “It’s nice to be recognized for the design work we do that we think is valuable.”

Her design was used as a model in north Stapleton as part of their Portrait Series. The one chosen for the award is the Lawrence model.

The homes have to be under 2,000 square feet, and the Lawrence model comes in at 1,723 square feet with three bedrooms and 2.5 baths.

Nusz referred to the style as a “modern farmhouse,” with wide open spaces. The kitchen opens up into the dining room and the great room.

There is a full basement with a guest room and a large rec room. The master suite and retreat is upstairs with a walk-out balcony patio. Nusz said that this design is perfect for the neighborhood where Wonderland decided to build the model.

“That particular model is fronted on a courtyard,” Nusz said. “All of the homes in that neighborhood front into a grassy area, so this fits perfectly.”

She said that because of the design, this model of home could work for almost any buyer.

“We think it appeals to a wide range of buyers,” Nusz said. “We asked the builder who were the main buyers, they said everyone. There are empty-nesters, single professionals, young and older families. These neighborhoods appeal to a large demographic.”

There are five or six different floor plans, she said. The model is the showcase of the collection but there is also a ranch, one with a main floor master suite and varying sizes.

“There is pretty much a plan in this collection that appeals to a large range of buyers,” Nusz said. ”It’s not a custom product. There are finish changes you can do, but they build according to the floor plan.”

Nusz said that because of building restrictions in many neighborhoods, homes like these are becoming more common in new construction.

“I definitely think these are increasing in popularity,” Nusz said. “I think they’re the right size. We utilize every single inch of space in these floor plans. They have square footage limits at Stapleton, so you’re not allowed to build a huge house.”

She also added that the team at Osmosis enjoys working with Wonderland Homes because of the freedom they get to do their part of the work.

“The cool thing about Wonderland Homes is that they’re design-focused, they care about that,” Nusz said. “We have more creativity in their plans, which makes them stand out from other builder products out there.”