A Love for Design, New Adventures and Travel Reawakens a Historic Location
Urbaine Home’s showroom in Bozeman’s Cannery District features new construction in a historical setting
Photo Nicole Wickens
The Bozeman Canning Company, founded in 1917, helped keep the country nourished through the Second World War at a time when Montana’s Gallatin Valley was producing 75 percent of the nation’s peas. Today, after a period of disuse, the same historic buildings constitute the centerpiece of a dynamic adaptive reuse program, its mix of old brick structures and modern new builds reflecting the energy and design savvy of this ever-growing city.
Rain Houser (left) and Skye Anderson iwith Yeti the Westie created Urbaine Home seven years ago—a lovingly curated collection of contemporary furniture paired with unique items that nod to their place in the West. In 2023, they moved into their new space at Bozeman’s Cannery District. | Photo Nicole Wickens
The Cannery District, then, seemed the perfect new location for Urbaine Home’s furniture boutique. Amid tangible links to the mountain town’s past, in new construction that speaks to the rustic-modern West through an aesthetic of wood, glass, steel and exposed ceilings, Rain Houser and Skye Anderson established version two of their seven-year- old passion project. The 3,200-square-foot space surprises and inspires with contemporary furniture from the U.S. and Europe and curated displays of antiques, eclectic curiosities and unique pieces sourced in locales like Mexico, Paris and Morocco. Two patios offer the perfect opportunity to feature their favorite outdoor lines and host special events.
A collection of hats from the Montana Territory Hat Company, a local hat maker that takes custom orders, is on display amid antler accents. | Photo Nicole Wickens
For the duo, their boutique—and the elevated interior design work for which they’re celebrated—starts and ends with a passion for design. “But there’s so much more to design than sitting at a desk,” says Houser. “We wanted to bring new things to Bozeman and our clients. Our driving factors are our love for design, new adventures and travel.
A living-room vignette combines a sofa, chair and plug-in sconce from Verellen, a custom side table of African kudu horns with a wrapped leather top, a Designheure chandelier and a customizable sheepskin rug. The juggling pins are vintage. | Photo Nicole Wickens
We are truly such good friends, it works for us to travel all over, finding new lines that Bozeman hasn’t seen before. We choose things that we love, so even if a piece doesn’t sell, it will be something that feeds our soul and that we want people to experience. We are proud of the lines we’ve brought to this wonderful mountain town.”
A 1940s Spanish mirror, antique European mounts, Kaetlyn Able artwork and a custom antler wall-hung table. | Photo Nicole Wickens
These include Studio Piet Boon, whose workshop Houser and Anderson have visited in Amsterdam, Poltrona Frau, Baxter, Gervasoni, Linteloo, Montis and Verellen, a U.S. company with Belgian roots. The boutique offers almost everything one would need to furnish a home, from luxurious throws and pillows to lighting and hardware, art, mirrors, and candles from Cire Trudon, the oldest wax manufacturer in the world. Urbaine Home even carries wallpaper.
The glass, steel and wood exterior mixes easily with the vintage brick buildings of the Cannery District. Outdoor furniture features designs from Loll Designs and Gervasoni. | Photo Nicole Wickens
“Having a showroom,” explains Anderson, “is a fun addition to designing for other people. When sourcing for clients, it’s about what they love, but if we have a crazy moment and fall in love with a pink chair, we can buy it. We might be stuck with it for the rest of our lives,” she says with a laugh, “but it makes us happy every day. The showroom is also an amazing resource for our clients, because once the house is done you always need more.
The white swivel chair in faux shearling from Gervasoni is juxtaposed with an oversize green floor lamp, a showstopper and conversation piece. The metal cabinet is vintage from Europe. | Photo Nicole Wickens
We can pull things off the floor and let them try them on approval. And we’ve promoted that to other designers in town. There’s no freight to pay, no damage claims to process, and you can see it in place, which is really nice. It’s amazing when it works. Though sometimes it doesn’t and that’s okay too.”
The store is peppered with one-of-a-kind finds. A vintage caribou mount pops against dramatic dark walls. | Photo Nicole Wickens
Juggling the travel, sourcing, merchandising and staffing for a retail space while running a robust design atelier for homeowners from Montana to Cabo is a lot, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. “We source every moment of our lives,” Houser explains. “We’re always looking for new and unique things. Our love of design is what brought us together, and it’s why we founded Urbaine Home. When they say someone lives design and breathes design, they’re talking about us. It’s just who we are.”
As seen in ML’s January/February 2024 Issue
