The curatorial eye and signature style of Holly Kuhn has been a mainstay of the Front Range design scene for years.
A quiet promise underlies every honest, well-made thing. You can feel it in the wood grain and grooves of a table or in the lush pile of a hand-loomed rug—a vow that it will endure and perhaps grow more beautiful with time. This lasting quality permeates every corner of New Americana Home, the Washington Park, Colorado, decor shop layered in antique furnishings and heirloom-worthy home goods thoughtfully selected by its owner, designer Holly Kuhn.
Her wares seamlessly blend together old and new, from a worn Danish work bench to colorful handmade quilts and oversize throw pillows made from vintage Turkish rugs. All feel unified by their tactile authenticity: Materials come as they are, in natural leather and linen, patinated wood, wicker and sculpted stoneware. There’s nothing high gloss or fussy in sight. “I want things that are functional and substantial, but still soulful,” Kuhn explains of her curatorial ethos.
She honed her eye for years, including at her previous store, Old Glory Antiques, a beloved Denver design destination. At the time, when scouring the country for stock, she would “gravitate toward big furniture, big cupboards, big tables and old store fixtures,” she recalls. But her taste was never strictly attached to a certain time period or era and she’ll be the first to say that she’s “not a purist.” In her words: “I love antiques more for their previous life and history and for the warmth and personality they give to a room. That’s always been part of my personal style.”
Kuhn’s craving for layered spaces continued after she retired Old Glory Antiques in 2020—a creative urge only satisfied when she launched New Americana Home in the summer of ’22. This venue feels closer to how she treats antiques in her own home—not surrounded by a proverbial velvet rope, but lived in and enjoyed, mingling with contemporary, handmade items. “I’m always looking for new ways to use old pieces,” Kuhn says, like styling an old map chest into a coffee table or reupholstering armchairs with vintage textiles.
Alongside new works crafted in the lineage of handmade traditions, the artisanship and authentic materiality of these timeworn objects become part of a larger story. That’s why the boutique frequently hosts pop-ups and trunk shows featuring makers such as Danish artist Eeli-Ethel Polli and her hand-painted polka dot ceramics, or the vibrant bouquets of local florist Wild & Blume.
This combination of hard-earned craftsmanship and creativity lies at the heart of New Americana Home. For Kuhn, the American style is “one of hardworking ingenuity, always looking for new ways to do things,” she muses. “And that shines through in every piece I select for the store.”
