Kate Sultan and the 2012 Old House Fair
I met Kate Sultan at her kitchen table, a Gus Stickley #634. In 2000, Kate and her husband Ed moved into a 1919 Park Hill bungalow that never had anyone make the mistake of painting the oak trim and began the hunt for furnishings that matched its Craftsman aesthetic. Often, it was a fruitless search. Then Ed turned their garage into his workshop and started manufacturing the ideal pieces himself.
“It started with an endtable, and then that made the coffee table look bad, and so he had to do a matching coffee table, and then it went on from there,” said Kate.
In 2004, the couple joined forces and opened Modern Bungalow, a hand-crafted home furnishings store in at 2594 S. Colorado Blvd. in University Hills.
Kate loves that her wares are a legacy of the first American art form, and one that has always been about sharing and hand-craftsmanship.
“In this economy, I think supporting American artisans is one of the most important things we all should be doing,” said Kate.
Last year, Kate took over Denver’s Old House Fair from the venerable founder of the Denver Old House Society, Elizabeth Wheeler. The fair had outgrown the Highlands Masonic Temple Center, where it had taken place for years, so Kate ushered it into the Tivoli Turnhalle. According to Elizabeth, “This year, thanks to Kate’s efforts and others on the board, we have sold out of exhibitor space – 60 vendors will be with us.”
This year’s fair will feature an antique roadshow-style appraisal event and workshops throughout the day. On the main-level are exhibitors that are sensitive to the needs of older homes and other resources for old house owners.
The Denver Old House Fair takes place Saturday, March 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Make roadshow appointments, get a workshop schedule and buy advance tickets at denveroldhousesociety.org. For more information on Modern Bungalow, visit modernbungalow.com.