Published Work

Angela's published works speak for themselves. Read more about her style and design decisions below.

Marble and muddy cowboy boots

By Kimberly Field | Photography by Emily Minton Redfield

The open, unfit kitchen “has a rawness to it, like found pieces that came together over time,” says Angela Otten, kitchen designer with William Ohs Kitchens. Open shelving along with built-in cabinets featuring chicken-wire panels sit alongside furniture-inspired painted pieces and a floating island. Woods used include antique, reclaimed oak; knotty oak; and alder in rough-sawn, painted, and rubbed finishes. Parana white honed granite tops the counters and island, providing the cool look of marble with the durability needed in a hardworking kitchen. Concrete mimics earthen tiles on the kitchen floor and flows smoothly into the antique oak flooring in the main areas. A weathered metal range hood fabricated by Raw Urth helps define the space.

2016 Circle of Excellence WINNER

By Alison Gwinn  |  Photography by Emily Minton Redfield

On March 10, Colorado Homes & Lifestyles magazine gathered with approximately 70 home industry design professionals to present the 2nd annual Circle of Excellence Awards, paying tribute to five pioneering experts who have paved the way for Colorado's design evolution.

If the kitchen is indeed the heart of the home, then Angela Otten is one of the most skilled heart surgeons around. Otten has been designing kitchens since 1999, working on everything from budget spec houses to ultra-custom high-dollar homes, and she has built a reputation as one of the top kitchen designers in the country. “We like to work with Angela because she can do any genre—modern, country, traditional, whatever,” says Steve Whipple, president of the Aspen design and development company Whipple & Brewster. “And she has good taste, which is something you either have or you don’t.”

Fantasy Islands - Mom's Domain

By Lacey Howard  |  Photography by Shauna Intelisano

When a single mom wanted to transform her boring, builder-grade, suburban kitchen into something that would encourage creativity in an activity she loves (feeding her family), she turned to kitchen designer Angela Otten, now at Inspire Kitchen Design Studio, and interior designer Kristina Sterling. The homeowner also requested a walk-in pantry in the corner of the room, a big sink, nice appliances and “a couple of things like the steam oven and a specific ice maker that I haven’t had a lot of people request,” says Sterling, who answered the call with a 48-inch Wolf range, a steam oven and a microwave drawer. The range hood was custom made and finished with liquid metal. Bridging the space between the range and hood is an Ann Sacks handmade-tile backsplash, which also inspired the color of the Homestead cabinets. “We went through about five different whites until we found the right one—not too blue or too yellow or too creamy,” says Otten. The upper cabinets have water-glass panels that echo the look of the translucent pantry door (not shown here). Pendant lights from Denver’s Fusion Light and Design continue the white scheme.

Adding color to the design mix are dreamy soapstone countertops (“nonporous, so a great material for a kitchen,” Otten says), a chalkboard wall (a family favorite saved from the previous kitchen) and blue stools (a DIY painting project for this mom and her preteen daughter). And as a reward? The Scotsman ice maker that “makes ice similar to Sonic Drive-In,” Otten says. “It’s the homeowner’s personal favorite."

Kitchen Designer: Angela Otten
Interior Designer: Kristina Sterling, Seek Interior Design

DESIGNER’S PLAYBOOK
Angela's designer tip: One of my favorite things to do is work in zones, and the prep zone is most important. I always have a prep sink, a single pull-out trash, cutting boards and knives all in the same area.

Comfort and joy

By Nancy Richman Milligan

Jan and Joe Kneib were looking for a home in a particular Colorado Springs neighborhood when they almost passed this one by. “We didn’t like the house at all from the photos, but when I saw it in person, I fell in love with all the light—the vaulted ceilings and large windows, the ease of living and the connection to the outdoors,” Jan Kneib says. Designed by architect Michael Collins and built in 1975, the U-shaped ranch house features a central courtyard with indoor/outdoor access from almost every room. 

The renovation included removing walls and soffits, replacing drywall, floors and fireplaces, and adding square footage for a new kitchen and master suite. Kitchen and bath designer Angela Otten joined the team early in the process, handling space planning and introducing finishes and materials to fulfill the Kneibs’ vision.

With décor that features light, color and an eclectic art collection, this renovated ‘70s-era house reflects its happy homeowners.

The new kitchen, designed by Angela Otten, is sleek and efficient, yet cheerful and welcoming. Open shelves below the peninsula offer an abundance of accessible storage. The wood veneer pendant lamp from YLighting adds a burst of color, and the raised marble counter invites seating while also providing some separation from the adjacent family room. Maple Cherner Vortex Chairs offer a contrasting sculptural element.

Gold list - An Open Plan Denver Home With Vibrant, Eclectic Interiors

Photography by Emily Minton Redfield

When a Denver couple wanted to expand into a larger home to accommodate their growing family, the husband and wife knew the house had to meet several criteria. It needed to be in their beloved Hilltop neighborhood near great schools and close to Cherry Creek. An open plan was also a must, because the family loves spending time together. Finally, the house had to be visually interesting with plenty of eye-catching details. “I’m in the apparel and accessories business,” says the husband. “I like color. I like fashion. I like unique.”

He likes two colors in particular. “Red and gold bring luck and prosperity,” he says. So when William Ohs designer Angela Otten started thinking about what she would do in the kitchen—a collaboration with designer Kristi Dinner—she used an accent wall of bright red tile, selected by Dinner, as her guide. How to make that wall pop even more? “We used a neutral palette in the cabinetry so it recedes around the red,” says Otten. The room’s darker cabinets are a shaker-style, ebonized rift-cut white oak; the lighter have a simple white-finished slab-style door. Back-painted white glass inserts are set into stainless-steel frames to create lively contrast. Curved brackets hold up one island’s countertop, and customized cabinetry was crafted for dishware.

The Magnificent Nine - CRAFTSMAN CHIC

By Alison Gwinn  |  Photography by Emily Minton Redfield

“Authentic Craftsman detailing that looks like it was original to the house”—that was Otten’s goal when she created the kitchen of this 1908 house in Denver’s Country Club neighborhood. She began by using quartersawn oak (a hallmark of the Arts & Crafts period) not only in the cabinetry around the stove and in the island but also in the floors and the box beams on the ceiling, the latter of which offer their own symmetry by lining up exactly with the stove hood and with the cabinets that bookend the leaded-glass windows.

Carrying out the Arts & Crafts feel are schoolhouse-style pendant lamps over the island, which is topped with Carrara marble. Otten added simple, geometric design elements for the inset cabinet doors (which sit flush with the frame, with exposed hardware) and door casings, including the mullion detailing on the glass cabinets and refrigerator panels.

Finally, by insetting the Wolf range within its own cubby and hiding the hood within an oak frame that is part of the architecture, “we created a true hearth; you could imagine even having a fireplace in there,” Otten says.

Heart of the home

By: Sharon Withers  |  Photography by Emily Minton Redfield

Style or function is one choice you don’t have to make when designing a kitchen

Remodelers report that the appearance and atmosphere of a space is a stronger motive for remodeling than function, revealing that the kitchen may indeed be the heart of the home.

Homeowners’ most popular choices when designing a kitchen are an island, hardwood floors, soft colors, white cabinets and stainless steel appliances. The most important appliance is a “chef’s stove,” which could mean induction cooktop or gas, European or American. Some home chefs swear by Viking or Wolf, but the British Aga and French LaCornue are appearing in an increasing number of American homes. Retro appliances are adding a splash of color to the marketplace and kitchens.

A designer trend is the return of marble. Beautifully grained wood will always be on-trend as well, but white cabinets, whether in sleek laminate or painted wood cabinets, are resurging in popularity. Homeowners are storing everything from chips to china in drawers, which are replacing cabinets under countertops due to easy access. DLM chose five kitchens that marry these examples of style and function seamlessly, and certainly beautifully.

The homeowners told designer, Angela Otten, that they wanted to “live” in a kitchen-focused home, with the flow from the kitchen to the great room and into a lovely outdoor room. “The homeowners are a young active family,” says designer, Irit Waldbaum. “They enjoy cooking and entertaining, and wanted a kitchen that is casual yet elegant, with plenty of gathering space for their extended family and many friends.”

The result is a kitchen that functions as one large open area with four distinct work zones: prep, cooking, cleanup and entertainment. “We wanted to make the best use of the fabulous view from outside the large window, as well as have it be the focal point,” says Otten. “We found an extraordinary island hood to hang in front of the picture window and made that our range wall.”

2011 KITCHEN OF THE YEAR: LIVING LARGE

CLEAN AND CLASSIC

A dialed-back traditional white kitchen makes for the perfect family gathering spot

Where It Began
The original kitchen was designed 15 years ago with an emphasis more on function than beauty. By the time of the remodel, it was totally dated, with older appliances, beat-up cherry cabinets and a long narrow island with a bulky exhaust hood. “The client wanted to turn the utilitarian kitchen into a warm space that would act as the epicenter for her family of four,” says Angela Otten, who was hired to help revamp the space. The homeowner, who had designed several spec homes prior to this remodel, came to the table with lots of interesting ideas for making the space functional and good-looking: an under-counter refrigeration unit that the kids could easily access, plus compartments in the main island for homework and crafts. Overall, says Otten, the client wanted the kitchen to look clean and classic, yet warm and comfortable.

Pulling It Together
For starters, Colorado Master Builders & Architects added several feet to the kitchen to accommodate a larger layout. Next, Otten chose integrated appliances to keep the lines and surfaces of the room clean—including a hidden pantry entrance between two refrigeration/freezer units. Finally, she designed an arched niche to highlight an etched turquoise china buffet (built new, but painted to look antique) that displays fine dishes and adds interest.

The range wall is a focal point with a stone-and-pewter hood and glass-paned wall cabinets. And three islands make up the center of the kitchen, each with a different purpose: the butcher-block island for prep work, with a cutting surface and prep sink; the center island for cleanup and casual dining; the third island for extra, easy-access refrigeration.

Style Tips
—Otten created a traditional, timeless kitchen by avoiding what she calls “fluffy details”—such as corbels on the islands—so that “your eye goes across the entire kitchen without getting stuck on any one detail.” 
—Thoughtful, artistic touches such as the antique-inspired turquoise hutch, which was created with a time-
intensive painting and etching style, add personality and unique style to the space.
—On the island, the diamond-style pattern on the doors provides interest without being fussy. “We took cabinets with a very simple style and added detailing that catches your eye only slightly,” Otten says.
—Go easy on the stainless steel appliances. “To achieve a comfortable, warmer space,” says the designer, “use more wood, less metal.”

Minimalist Makeover

By Misty Milioto

A busy doctor and parent with a hectic lifestyle, the owner of this 6,000-square-foot home in Denver’s Hilltop neighborhood wanted her space to be a source of Zen-like serenity. For the San Francisco transplant, that meant a refined yet casual space with a calm, monochromatic palette.

Although the home, built in the 1990s, is relatively new, the interior architecture needed a complete facelift before interior designer Beth Armijo of Armijo Design Group could start thinking about color, furnishings and materials. The structural renovations included gutting the master bath and—to kick off the project—reinventing the kitchen.

Enter Angela Otten, a kitchen designer, who created a beautiful, functional space that suits the homeowner’s needs. “She wanted a clean look that was far from traditional,” Otten explains, “with two ovens, plenty of storage and ample seating for her two children and their friends.”

The remodeled kitchen is simple and symmetrical, with a range wall as its focal point. The alder wood cabinets, featuring varying door styles, are painted a custom shade of gray with a soft glaze. An oversized island with dark contrasting cabinetry provides plenty of gathering space.