Semiprecious

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.

The identity system reflects this balance. The handwritten logo and Swiss typographic layouts nod to 1950s New York drinking culture, specifically The Stork Club cocktail book. Wunder Werkz selected Haus, Termal and Neue Montreal – typefaces that feel easy and direct. “We wanted typefaces that are colloquial; faces that were approachable, unpretentious, and had a friendly air,” Hartman notes. Haus gets sheared, stretched and bled throughout applications, giving it an organic quality that softens the more formal aspects of the brand.

Then there’s Peggy. The Pegasus mascot emerged from the studio’s collaborative sketch process, with in-house illustrator Maggie Witherow combining multiple versions into something endearingly awkward. Everyone drew horses. The wings came later, rendered just a touch too perfect. “We had this bar that was very intentionally designed, with a classy European feel, so we wanted a mascot that had some weirdness to it to soften the overall brand persona,” Hartman explains. On the website, Peggy attempts to run and fly with middling success, stripping away any sense of stuffiness.

The bar top presented its own challenge. Made by Good Plastic Company from 100% post-consumer appliances and reinvented as faux marble, it’s the first of its kind in the United States. Sourcing took seven months. Installation required extensive millshop testing to determine how to cut, sand and finish the material properly. “Mike, my business partner from Thunderbolt, came in with some knowledge of the product,” Hartman recalls. “We knew we wanted to do something different for a bar top, traditional materials didn’t feel right and we always have an eye to sustainability.”

The lighting uses factory fixtures – industrial, utilitarian, but striking when the levels and temperatures are calibrated correctly. The pegboard die wall offers texture and depth, connecting to craft traditions without announcing itself. These choices reflect Hartman’s interest in brutalism, though not the cold, rough interpretation typically associated with the movement. “What interests me is the lack of veneer, finding beauty in things as they are,” he says. “We leaned into utilitarian materials and gave them depth and character through colour.”

The cocktail programme follows Capoferri’s tech-driven approach, previously used at Los Angeles’ Thunderbolt. High-tech production delivers consistent, expertly crafted drinks quickly, without the theatre that often accompanies traditional cocktail bars. The menu celebrates aperitivo-style drinks from France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. “As a neighbourhood bar, we want our bartenders to have every opportunity to provide hospitality to the guest,” Capoferri shares. “We’ve employed technology to remove some of the road blocks that can take the team’s focus off of the guest experience.”

For Wunder Werkz, becoming co-owners changed the dynamic. “When it's your neighbourhood, your building and your name on the line, you approach it differently,” Hartman reflects. “Ownership gives us a bigger voice in the project as a whole. People take you more seriously when you’re taking the risk alongside them.” The studio has no plans to become serial bar owners. They’re interested in deep collaboration with people building something distinct, whether that’s hospitality, products or entirely new categories.

The Denver community has responded well so far. The space functions as intended – a meeting point for the neighbourhood, the design community and hospitality professionals. “So far, it's felt like a true melting pot of those groups,” Hartman concludes. The project demonstrates what Wunder Werkz set out to prove: design shapes outcomes, drives culture, and creates lasting economic value when it’s treated as core business strategy rather than applied styling.