Wunder Werkz became co-owner of Semiprecious to prove design’s value

When Denver-based design studio Wunder Werkz partnered with hospitality veterans Mike Capoferri and Rahul Marwah on Semiprecious, they did something uncommon in the design world – they became co-owners. This wasn’t about adding their names to another bar project. It was about proving a point: design isn’t decoration applied after the real decisions are made. “We firmly believe that design can be a differentiator, determining a project’s success or failure,” Partner & Designer Jon Hartman explains. “Since we have a wealth of experience working in the hospitality space, it only makes sense to take a financial stake in the brands we build. Now as partners in Semiprecious, we’re using design as a strategy to solve issues, sharing in the success of our decisions as well as the risks.” The resulting cocktail bar occupies a 1952 furniture showroom in Denver’s Sunnyside neighbourhood, its large canted windows and stacked stone façade largely preserved. Rather than gut the space, Wunder Werkz embraced what was already there, taking cues from Le Corbusier’s Cabanon de vacances – simple materials elevated through craftsmanship. The approach extends to every surface: pegboard for the bar face, white oak, tile, paint and industrial fixtures. Nothing fancy on paper, but thoughtful in execution. “While the space feels incredibly design-forward and thoughtful, it is really all humble materials,” says Hartman. “All readily accessible but elevated through their thoughtful application.” The colour palette arrived before almost anything else. Hartman fixated on semiprecious stones – oxblood for jasper, cobalt for lapis lazuli. Every element in the space adheres to these two tones, a deliberate constraint that gives the interior its distinct character. The name came later, once the team recognised the theme emerging across the entire concept: accessible but elevated, special without being pretentious. Precious, but not too precious.