Amy and Michael Ruppeck moved to a home off of Happy Canyon Road almost nine years ago where Michael could be the curator and inventor of his unique and inventive works of art. They both wanted a place that would celebrate their raw, edgy style with the peaceful quaintness of the mountains. Their midcentury mountain house is composed of Michael’s signature artwork including a custom-built wine cellar and Scotch room, skyscraper lamp, collections of vintage turntables and several of Amy’s family heirlooms like her grandfather’s midcentury modern buffet and dining set.

“I am constantly thinking of new ideas for art,” added Michael.

Self-taught, Michael breathes creativity into his wood creations; his influence stems from his father who was an architect and his mother who worked in fashion. Born in Illinois, Michael moved to Colorado at age 2 and considers himself a Colorado native. Michael wanted to pursue architecture but with the curriculum heavily involving math, he focused on business and finance. After a career in teaching financial advisors on finance and client management at companies such as Merrill Lynch, Michael left the corporate world to let his creative side flourish and started his company, Crusher Designs.

With his techniques, Michael manages to turn industrial roughness into beautiful and delicate imagery. Industrial art is the fabrication of objects in wood and metals using a variety of hand, power or machine tools.

“People often settle for furnishings that only partially meet their vision when decorating their homes,” Michael said. “I help clients design or customize decor and furniture, aiming to fully achieve their aesthetic goals while respecting their budget.”

Michael’s other love is music; he scours for, then restores and resells turntables. The walls of the Ruppeck’s home have shadow boxes of concert posters with original concert tickets to commemorate his favorite bands, such as The Cure and U2.

Looking at Amy’s tiny stature, one would never guess she was once a hostage negotiator for the Specialized Weapons and Tactics team in Westminster. A Colorado native who attended the University of Denver, Amy began her career in law enforcement with the Fort Morgan Police Department. It was when she conducted investigations for a complex forgery case that Amy found her passion in the niche field of fraud and financial crimes, like money laundering and forgery.

“As a young detective, my first major financial crime case ignited my passion for following the money, apprehending offenders, and helping victims find closure,” Amy said. “This lifelong career has kept me challenged and fostered my professional growth beyond my expectations.”

Amy moved on to be a global compliance and risk management executive at Wells Fargo, until the bank’s corporate downsizing.

Today, Amy is open to opportunities, but in the interim, she spends hours working on their property. Quite the chef, Amy is often in the kitchen cooking up family recipes or testing out new ones. Often, Amy and Michael are out on their remodeled deck with their pups: Breck, a Bernedoodle, Copper, a goldendoodle, and Ginger a rescue border collie/shepherd mix.

Amy and Michael will celebrate their 22nd anniversary this month. They share two adult children from Amy’s first marriage and recently welcomed their grandson, Sawyer, from Amy’s daughter, Brittany, who resides in Castle Rock. Her son, Walter, who is affectionately called Alex, lives in Maryland.

To learn more about Michael’s industrial art, visit www.crusherdesigns.com.

 

By ViVi Somphon; photos courtesy of the Ruppeck family