Since the 1980s, the area north of where Interstate 25 and South Broadway meet has been a hotspot for home furniture and decor showrooms where interior designers go to sort through fabric swatches and cabinet finishes. 

But over the last 18 months, the Denver Design District began to expand what it means to be the Rocky Mountain region’s hub for design. 

The district is no longer solely focusing on luxury interior design showrooms, but it’s growing its range of tenants to include other forms of design or culinary arts.

Think art galleries. Bakeries. Local shopping markets. Cooking classes. Fashion.

The home design showrooms will still be the main show, said Dan Cohen, CEO of the Denver Design District and D4 Urban LLC, in an interview with The Denver Gazette.

“In fact, we’re doubling down on it by bringing in another set of uses that complement them and makes this an even better place to do business,” he said.

The showroom destination was originally born in 1985 as the Denver Design Center. Its current owners bought the building in 1996 and later expanded once it bought surrounding properties in 2004 to turn it into the district it is today. 

All of its showrooms are open to the public, though some limit sales only to trade professionals. 

The Denver Design District is looking to amp up the experience for the interior designers who pass by its iconic yellow sculpture by Bauhaus designer Herbert Bayer, Cohen said, as well as make it more of a public gathering destination for the regular homeowner or renter.​​ 

With new bakeries or coffee shops, he said interior designers have more options to go for lunch or meetings when they’re out sorting through samples. He added more people can also come to the hub for food and learn about the unique shopping center that specializes in home decor and help boost its profile.

As 2025 came to a close, the district ended the year with a rebrand that includes a new Bauhaus-inspired logo, custom font and color palette to reflect its history and the direction it’s heading. 

“Everyone welcome,” a sign reads outside a district building.

The refreshed design and look for the district was led by creative studio Wunder Werkz, which has a presence in both Denver and Reykjavik, Iceland. In the new logo, each letter in “DDD” grows progressively thinner and resembles race track arrows. 

It’s a “rhythmic trio of forms, embodies motion, progression, and the District’s commitment to continuous evolution,” the district said in an announcement.

The new look was inspired by the modernist principles of Bayer, who created the Articulated Wall and helped develop Aspen into the ski resort town and cultural destination it is today . 

“Part of the rebrand is intended to better communicate that there’s something here for everybody,” Cohen said. 

Into the new year, the district will bring the rebrand to life with new signage and a sculptural piece to frame the district’s entrance on Center Avenue, Cohen said.

DESIGNING A MORE ACTIVE EXPERIENCE

The most visible change will be the slate of new businesses that have made the home decor mecca its own home. 

The Denver Design District is retrofitting two buildings on its property, 545 and 575 Broadway, to make room for new tenants and different needs they may have, Cohen said.

In the last year, the Denver Design District welcomed more showrooms such as Brazilian-cabinetry brand Dell Anno and wallcovering-specialist Phillip Jeffries. In the next year, the district is working to make space for international fabrics showroom Romo and furniture showroom Verellen. A new interior design studio called Kali-Lu Interiors is set to open next year, as well.

But the district also added Rebel Bread, which features a bakery, cafe and cooking school. A farm-to-table culinary service Heirloom Catering also joined the offerings in 2025. 

Wanderlusty, a women’s fashion and luxury furnishing design brand, is set to open in January.

In the new year, the hub is welcoming an art gallery: Fascination Street Fine Art.

The gallery is moving from its home in Cherry Creek, where it’s been for 30 years, to a 7,500-square-foot space in the Denver Design District, saying it would allow it to showcase its artists on a scale it’s never been able to before.

“With 18-foot-tall walls lined with works from the world’s most renowned artists, this space is designed to impress — plus, yes… unlimited free parking,” according to an Instagram post from Fascination Street Fine Art on Dec. 18.

Mother Other, a cocktail bar and restaurant led by the team of Easy Vegan Denver, is set to open in early 2026. 

Not only that, Cohen said the district is also welcoming more public events such as the A Tavola Winter Market. The community event organized by the team of the South Pearl, Central Park and Highland farmer’s markets will be hosted on Tuesdays between Jan. 13 to March 31.

The new event features about 50 local food and beverage makers during the off-season for farmer’s markets. 

“Our market bridges that gap, offering a vibrant space where you can meet the people who harvest, bake, brew, and preserve the best of Colorado, all under one cozy roof,” according to A Tavola Winter Market’s website.

Cohen said the district plans to host the Firefly Handmade artisan craft market several times in 2026. It will also have cars and coffee events in the summer and culinary-inspired events like Bake Fest, he added.

“Beyond just the new logo, font and colors is a very intentional motivation to just welcome a much broader swath of people into the district,” Cohen said, “So we can help our tenants be successful in their various business endeavors here.”