Founded in Houston in 2006, Laura Umansky’s eponymous design firm celebrates 15 years in business with a newly opened second studio in Aspen, Colorado.
When one of Laura Umansky’s Houston clients purchased a vacation home on the Roaring Fork River in 2014 and hired her to handle the interior design, Umansky fell fast and hard for everything the Aspen area had to offer. She was so enamored, in fact, that by the end of that summer, she and her husband had bought a house there, kicking off their six-year stint as part-time Texans and part-time Coloradans. Last fall, though, the couple decided to make their move permanent, with Umansky opening an Aspen outpost of her Laura U Design Collective (laurauinteriordesign.com).
Now the interior designer has more convenient access to her clients across the West, including in Colorado, California, New Mexico, Utah, and Montana. In 2020, Umansky’s firm also added residential building design to its menu of services (“We work on projects from foundation to furnishings,” she says), which is coming in especially handy as the designer renovates her own Snowmass Village residence, a ’90s-era structure in need of a full gut remodel. When Umansky isn’t busy selecting fixtures and finishes for herself and her clients, she can be found exploring her new city. “It’s beautiful, and there’s just so much to do,” she says. “We spend the summer hiking and the winter skiing. We’re outside all the time.”
Pops of pattern accentuate neutral furnishings in this rustic-meets-modern living area in Aspen. The team at Laura U Design Collective created the Ralph Lauren-inspired retreat for a family from Houston.
Laura Umansky's Best of the West
With pandemic precautions restricting international travel, Umansky has been looking closer to home for design inspiration and entertainment. “It’s really been a privilege to be able to rediscover the West,” she says. Here, the designer shares some of her favorite places in Colorado and beyond.
Mediterrania
Santa Fe, New Mexico
“We love to source unique pieces for our projects from Mediterrania.” mediterraniahome.com
Jimmy’s
Aspen, Colorado
“Fabulous fare and environment. My go-to for a lovely — socially distant —evening out.” jimmysaspen.com
Isberian Rug Company
Basalt, Colorado
“Their inventory is extensive, the company history is incredible, and the family’s collective knowledge base is unparalleled anywhere in the country.” isberianrugs.com
Photography: (All images) Michael Brands/Mountain Home Photo
From our May/June 2021 issue
