From Humble Beginnings to High Tech Necessity...

I began my attraction to drafting many, Many, MANY years ago in high school where we were taught the basic skills of using various hardened pencil leads to give diverse weights to different lines for unique meanings. The basic tools used in those decades were T-squares, triangles and drafting tables. During college, I thought I was the cat’s meow when I upgraded to a drafting arm… a simple yet modern device that maintained a straight line anywhere on my table respective to my drawing.

THEN, the three smallest letters revolutionized the architectural world… CAD, Computer Aided Drafting. This brought the end to rolled up ammonia smelling blueprints, large format file drawers, and erasure stubble brushed onto the floor. It was amazing how drawings could be pulled up and worked on so easily, how multiple architects could share the same document, and how files could be emailed instead of messengered to an engineer for approval!

In my humble beginnings in the Event Industry, I quickly recognized the importance and significance for this radical tool. It was a great means of communication between all vendors… from designers to caterers to entertainment and banquet captains.

CAD brought organization, communication, and creativity to the industry and most importantly, CAD brought space planning to the forefront. Design wasn’t limited to floral, linen or stage backdrops any longer, design extended to the layout. This was HUGE, space plans seemed to sculpt the room, and took the design to a third dimension. Set ups became more organized, vendor relationships blossomed, and life became easier.

From a design point of view, space plans allow for a whole new level of design. At Design Works, we aspire to unique layouts. Most noticeably are the industry award nights at the ICON galas where we contort the rooms forcing them to take on views never before seen by moving the stage to the entrance wall or elevating the stage and placing a lounge or bar beneath it. Creative dance floor layouts allow for more patrons to have interesting and lucrative seating… The possibilities are endless!

You’re probably asking… where could this possible go from here? Well, I am excited to share with you, Design Works is now taking layouts further to a third dimension. We are extruding our floor plans into 3-D images where clients with appropriate budgets can meander through the floor from different perspectives and advantage points creating virtual tours of their events, helping those who are either spending a lot of money or have trouble visualizing the design elements and placement.

Phenomenal Pharaohs

Is it rare to walk into a room and be awestruck to the point of not being able to speak? Not typically for me; however, after my talented staff lead by Roland Barbosa completed the set up for the Denver Art Museum in the Frederic C. Hamilton building that is exactly what happened.

The project, designed and inspired to create an authentic tomb fit for Kink Tutankhamun himself, was conceived for intimate dining space of 20 enthusiasts and dignitaries. The space is available for scheduling dinners and events by contacting Gravely Wilson at 720-913-2763.


With intense research, the room was sculpted from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. Rich pigments of cobalt blue, clay red and sun yellow accented with thousands of gold leaf squares, burst forth the splendor of the room.

The fabrication of this tombs' elements pushed Design Works departments to the extreme. The hieroglyphic wall, with its authentic writings, was produced with our large format printer, printing on canvas and then adhering the canvas through a process to the walls of the museum. Our in-house seamstress constructed ribbons of ceiling baffles and entry drapes only royalty have pulled back. Our carpentry department engineered a module table with pedestals inspired by the relationship of Rome to Egypt. Together the table seats up to 24 or separated, they seat up to 40. The intricate stenciling around the perimeter of the table tops took our faux finishers endless hours of layer after layer.


Design Works floral team created an amazing, drop-dead, over-the-top display that impressed Dr. Zahi Hawass, the secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt, stating the authenticity of the variety of fruits and floral including dates and papyrus were historically appropriate.


The exhibit opens to the public on July 1, 2010 and ends January 2, 2011. I hope you find time to attend one of the true wonders of the world!

Photo credits Michael Roffino

As many of you know, Design Works has led the local market with lounge furniture for many years now. We have fantastic and unique pieces ranging from contemporary to traditional in many colors, styles and especially price points. We are continuously adding to our collection and always looking for trend-setting pieces.
We have accumulated area rugs and accessories including floor lamps, coffee and end tables, pillows in a plethora of hues and textures, as well as means to make these spaces more intimate with sheer drapes and canopies.
Building our inventory, we’ve recently expanded to focusing on an outdoor collection that can be construed as transitional; when accented with market umbrellas and floral, it’s dynamic and vibrant.
Dabbling with creative table concepts, we have produced stunningly clean rectangular white lacquer tables with a central, recessed, plexi vessel capable of containing water and floating candles. In contrast, we designed and crafted rustic stained (both round and rectangular) tables accented with aspen/birch trunk legs and complemented with red dogwood branches. These table designs where created to step out of the box and give clients unique outlets, rather than the typical sixty inch round for their dining pleasure.
Spending both time and capital we are marketing a new advertising campaign focusing on lounge furniture with the tag line “The Original Chat Room”… look for it in new issues of Colorado Meetings and Events Magazine as well as Confetti, possibly 5280 and Weddings.
For more information, please visit our web site or contact a sales associate. We look forward to helping your networking needs.

I'm thrilled to be writing my first blog, and I want to WELCOME any potential followers and limited readers.

My name is Michael Roffino and I share ownership of Design Works by dave and mike with my business partner and long time friend, David Squires; together, we have been designing events for nearly 20 years and having a blast doing it, at least I think I am…. There are those days I wish I was still in bed sleeping when something so minor, but seems so huge at the time, goes awry. I have to say, all in all it has been an amazing ride.

This is the first of what I hope to be many blog entrees, and with a little perseverance and determination and feedback from my readers, that will come true. I have to apologize up front as I’m not the best writer, but I have so much to share, I will overlook and ask you do the same with any imperfections in my grammar and spelling. I have a saying… artists and designers are here to provoke emotion and make things look awesome, I leave the spelling and grammar to the editors.

I want to begin with an up and coming event, scheduled for mid July at a popular resort nestled in a sleepy tourist town made popular by a horror movie starring a young Jack Nicholson, The Shining. This is pertinent as it is the backdrop for a wedding that is befitting my young bride and groom, David and Mindy respectfully. This young, fun and creative couple brought to me by Kelly Karli of Frosted Pink Weddings, a spectacular event planner servicing the Rocky Mountain Region and equally as fun as my newlyweds, have a unique sense of style bordering on Goth.

David, with some graphic background, enjoys architectural and clean elements and gives great weight to the power and simplicity of a line, while his bride to be, loves life and brightens up a room with an effortless greeting. Together, they make the perfect clients; they encourage me to step outside of the box where we are creating a traditional ceremony of white, ivory and accents of black to appease the conventional in-laws, while allowing me total freedom to design the less traditional reception.

It is these unique events that give confidence to more exciting events, and with that in mind, this will be exciting!!!!

A color scheme incorporating black, silver and accents of red will transform this history filled venue into a unique setting for a delightful couple and their special guests.
Stay tuned….

Arizona Hoedown

On occasion, Design Works is asked to travel outside of Colorado and in the past, these requests have taken us to Montana, Hawaii, Illinois, Georgia and Wyoming. Most recently we traveled to Arizona for a private party held at a cattle ranch. The client's beautiful barn was the setting for this event and Design Works helped to create an updated Western Hoedown. Utilizing red bandana and blue burlap fabrics throughout the perimeter, we additionally enhanced the space with weathered authentic doors, rustic iron stars and well worn saddle blankets. Our floral department provided Western Wildflower arrangements for each guest table comprised of succulents, yarrow and blue thistle complemented by viking palms, explosion grass and mixed pom flowers.

Images provided by Sean Twomey

Another Busy Weekend

Monday morning is here again and we have made it through another busy weekend! Design Works was thrilled to be a part of the Denver Zoo's Do At The Zoo celebrating their 20th anniversary. Pongo, the Zoo's youngest giraffe, was the center of attention and we were brought on board to fill Giraffe Meadow with custom lanterns and furniture lounges. Our decor was seen throughout the Denver Zoo and we were happy to partner with this wonderful organization again.

Clinton Kelly from TLC's What Not to Wear was in town on Saturday to film his Macy's Makeover America campaign. Choosing 15 local Colorado women who needed a major (or minor) transformation, these women were then invited to show off their new look by strutting down the fashion runway set up in the middle of Cherry Creek's Macy's store. Design Works created the runway and fashion flats for the show and brought a flawless finish to the event. Check out this special event and find out more information at www.macysmakeover.com!

On top of these two large events, Design Works juggled the Delta Eta Boule event at the DCPA's Seawall Ballroom, a small wedding at Bistro Vendome, the Bombay Sapphire event at the Ritz Carlton in Vail and two large corporate events in Colorado Springs. Our crew made it look easy this past weekend and we were very happy to be a part of all of these events.

Top of Denver's Blowout Surprise Area

Layers of damask, toille and black and white stripes created a room that offered a sophisticated setting for guests at our Best of Denver event on June 11th.

Working without limits and a predetermined design, this room presented an exciting challenge for our team. Circles ended up being the continuous theme in the room, from the two tiered round stage to the modern metal screens and the round glass and chrome side tables. Cloth Connection's black and white flocked taffeta linen seen in the foreground offered a gorgeous pattern that was repeated throughout the space.
It wasn't until we added our vertical black and white cabana stripe fabric to the perimeter drape walls that the space took on a more energized appearance. The finishing touch was a vellum Asian toille print featuring steadfast elephants, elegant pagodas and dainty parasols. This room was elegantly lit by Fastlane Productions and StarPro Entertainment provided entertainment throughout the evening.

Photo Provided by Wonder Works Photography