5280 Home – August 2019

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: BRANDON LOPEZ; COURTESY OF DOUBLEBUTTER (3)

continued

David Larabee and Dex-

ter Thornton are like

the PB&J of Denver’s design

scene—better together. “We

each had our own scuffling

furniture companies in Denver

when we hooked up in 2006 for

a show at the now-defunct and

sorely missed P Design Gallery

in RiNo,” says Larabee, a self-

taught artisan who entered the

field after “many trials, many

errors.” Thornton holds an

industrial-design degree with a

focus on furniture from Brook-

lyn’s Pratt Institute. “We both

needed a change and a part-

ner,” Larabee says. “Someone

to encourage the good ideas

and to kill the bad ones early;

someone to help carry the re-

ally heavy things.”

So the design duo founded

DoubleButter, an outfit that

makes all of its midcentury-

inspired furniture designs in

Denver and is now so beloved,

the Denver Art Museum added

two of its chairs—including

the Roadrunner, made of oiled

Clockwise from left: Roadrunner chair

in natural walnut ($550); Grasshopper

rocker (starting at $1,200); Sheepadillo

end table ($1,150)

THE GUIDE TO

LOCAL

FURNITURE

DESIGNERS

medium-density fiberboard—

to its permanent collection.

“It’s pretty clear, or at least

we think it is, that we’ve got

a deep respect for the mid-

century design gods—the

Eameses and Prouvé and Poul

Kjærholm and on and on,”

Larabee says. “And, of course,

contemporary artists and

designers too, like Piet Hein

Eek and Tom Sachs.” One of

DoubleButter’s newest offer-

ings, the Grasshopper rocker,

is made from recycled steel

that can be powder-coated in a

rainbow of VOC-free finishes.

Both Larabee and Thornton

are ardent bicyclists who, dur-

ing their rides through town,

soak up much of Denver’s

architecture as design inspira-

tion. “We look at the honest use

of materials—steel, glass, con-

crete, wood—in the engineered

world,” Larabee says. “That

stuff makes a big impression

on you when you start to notice

it.” doublebutter.com

44 | 5280 HOME | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

Double-

Butter

THE DREAM TEAM

4

David Larabee (left)

and Dexter Thornton

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: BRANDON LOPEZ; COURTESY OF DOUBLEBUTTER (3)

continued

DavidLarabeeandDex-

terThorntonarelike

thePB&JofDenver’sdesign

scene—bettertogether.“We

eachhadourownscuffling

furniturecompaniesinDenver

whenwehookedupin 2006 for

a showatthenow-defunctand

sorelymissedP DesignGallery

inRiNo,”saysLarabee,a self-

taughtartisanwhoenteredthe

fieldafter“manytrials,many

errors.”Thorntonholdsan

industrial-designdegreewitha

focusonfurniturefromBrook-

lyn’sPrattInstitute.“Weboth

neededa changeanda part-

ner,”Larabeesays.“Someone

toencouragethegoodideas

andtokillthebadonesearly;

someonetohelpcarrythere-

allyheavythings.”

Sothedesignduofounded

DoubleButter,anoutfitthat

makesallofitsmidcentury-

inspiredfurnituredesignsin

Denverandis nowsobeloved,

theDenverArtMuseumadded

twoofitschairs—including

theRoadrunner,madeofoiled

Clockwise from left: Roadrunner chair

in natural walnut ($550); Grasshopper

rocker (starting at $1,200); Sheepadillo

end table ($1,150)

THE GUIDE TO

LOCAL

FURNITURE

DESIGNERS

medium-density fiberboard—

to its permanent collection.

“It’s pretty clear, or at least

we think it is, that we’ve got

a deep respect for the mid-

century design gods—the

Eameses and Prouvé and Poul

Kjærholm and on and on,”

Larabee says. “And, of course,

contemporary artists and

designers too, like Piet Hein

Eek and Tom Sachs.” One of

DoubleButter’s newest offer-

ings, the Grasshopper rocker,

is made from recycled steel

that can be powder-coated in a

rainbow of VOC-free finishes.

Both Larabee and Thornton

are ardent bicyclists who, dur-

ing their rides through town,

soak up much of Denver’s

architecture as design inspira-

tion. “We look at the honest use

of materials—steel, glass, con-

crete, wood—in the engineered

world,” Larabee says. “That

stuff makes a big impression

on you when you start to notice

it.” doublebutter.com

44 | 5280 HOME | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

Double-

Butter

THEDREAMTEAM

4

David Larabee (left)

and Dexter Thornton