By Karen Mitchell

A Boutique of One’s Own
As president of Denver’s Portus Funds, a private real estate investment management company, Grant Barnhill has a nose for neighborhoods in flux. Portus snaps up dormant and underutilized apartment properties in transitional areas near downtown Denver, renovates the buildings in a boutique-hotel style, and creates hip enclaves for a young professional clientele.

With several universities and a vibrant art scene, Denver was ripe for the boutique lifestyle, Barnhill explains. “We offer residents upscale design amenities and a living environment found nowhere else in Denver. Each of our properties has a unique feel that translates into waiting lists for our spaces.”

Portus has seven buildings to date: three opened and occupied, four under development. Units range from studios to one- and two-bedroom apartments.

As Barnhill notes, “Our objective is to add value to rundown neighborhoods, to create community wherever we invest and reposition the properties.” One hundred investors strong, Portus is looking at urban core housing stock elsewhere for possible future boutique rental projects. “Austin, Kansas City, Boise, and cities in northern California are all prime targets for this kind of development,” he says.

H2O By Any Other Name
Each of the Portus boutique properties has a design theme. At the Aperture Building, a visual ode to the photographic arts, hundreds of antique cameras line lobby walls. The look is completed with vintage photography signage and lenticulars—also called motion, flip, or animated graphics—which integrate up to a dozen personal images to simulate motion. The 1950s blond brick H20 Building has been rejuvenated with a submarine theme complete with metal entranceways with portholes and catwalk-like stairwells.

“We design our apartment interiors with many of the same materials and finishes found in urban lofts, such as hardwood flooring and stainless steel appliances,” Barnhill says. “We adhere to the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standard, with features such as PET carpeting, made from polyethylene terephthalate, a thermoplastic material used to manufacture plastic soft drink bottles and rigid containers, and eco-friendly paint and plumbing. These boutique design elements can be translated to any urban residence.”

Up Close and Personal
Barnhill recruited Denver graphic artist Stephen “Auggie” Augustine, of Eye Candy Graphics, and his wife, interior designer Renée Augustine, of Studio R, to put the boutique stamp on model apartments, in all their buildings.

“Boutique-style interior design begins with solid classical elements, layered by a little kitsch to give it an edge and to transport you away from your normal surroundings,” Renée Augustine suggests. “There’s a real playfulness to the boutique room, but one that should never detract from a look of timelessness.” It is important for the resident to mix in personal treasures.

Always Be Tactile
Discovering striking materials such as terrazzo tile countertops (made by combining a bonding agent such as cement with recycled glass chips) is part of the boutique thrill. For a little extra glam, choose drapes in shimmering fabrics or install glass mosaic tiles in your bathroom. “Don’t neglect the details,” Augustine advises. “Even cabinet hardware can be daring. Get gutsy, especially if this is for your private getaway. Mix textiles. Have extravagant fabrics—velvets and silks—made into throws, juxtaposed with cushions covered in pieces of vintage crewel work.” Select area rugs as you would artwork. “When you open the door to your apartment,” she says, “you should be entering another world. That’s the goal.” Portus is creating a stylish take on modern living.