Check Out Lauren Barnes’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Barnes.

Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Elevated Ink Works began while my husband Kyle and I were sitting around a table with close friends throwing out crazy ideas about how we were all going to make our millions overnight! Somehow we got on the topic of all these walls that had texture on them and how annoying it is if we wanted to paint, put up vinyl decals (because they won’t stick), and the mess and work to prep for wallpaper. We are from the east coast and textured walls are not a thing there. Then, a comment was made “we should just have a printer print right on the wall!” This stated the ball rolling where we looked into if inventing this was possible, because we had never heard of this type of printer!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
What started as a creative vision evolved into a business that’s transforming how people experience their spaces.

Kyle and I have definitely had challenges! Starting a business is not for the feignt of heart, especially when you’re working AND living with your spouse everyday! We have had our challenges with learning how to effectively communicate, be efficient with how we divide our time, evaluate our strengths and weaknesses and lean into the things that are hard and maybe not in line with our strengths. All that being said, we are both entirely committed to providing an excellent outcome and in the end happy clients, so this drives us to meet these challenges and any new challenges (because there are always challenges) head on to be successful.

From residential statement pieces to impactful commercial branding, we’ve built a reputation for precision, creativity, and fearless execution.

Today, Elevated Ink Works is proud to be Colorado’s leader in vertical printing, helping clients turn blank walls into bold stories—one project at a time.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We have a knack for seeing potential in blank spaces and providing a unique opportunity to bring high-impact visuals to homes, businesses, and public spaces—directly printed on nearly any vertical surface.

My background and master’s degree is actually in communication sciences and disorders. I have worked as a speech-language pathologist across a variety of settings. A speech-language pathologist is trained to be an expert communicator—not just in helping others speak and understand, but in truly listening, adapting, and connecting across diverse audiences. This foundation in communication makes make me uniquely equipped to lead in business settings.

My husband Kyle’s background is in technology and engineering. He brings a unique edge to owning and operating a vertical printing business—combining precision, problem-solving, and systems thinking to deliver high-quality, cutting-edge results. He also is as bright as his shirts! Seriously….you’ll see him coming in his bright shirts from a mile away.

Our skills combined (like Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl) Kyle and I understand how to assess needs, tailor messages, solve problems and build strong relationships. Over time, Elevated Ink Works has grown through hard work, collaboration with talented designers and builders, and an unwavering commitment to quality and creativity. Today, we’re proud to lead Colorado’s vertical printing movement—one wall at a time.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
We love Castle Rock for its family oriented feel, the amazing people, and our ability to get outdoors! We also love the community feel along Wilcox street and Perry (plus the donuts at Donut House are amazing). Castle Rock has grown like crazy size we moved there 13 years ago and we hope to see it focus more value on the arts. We’d love to see more murals, sculptures, areas and spaces for fostering all forms of creativity. We appreciate seeing progress through the hard work of the Tri Arts Project and the Public Art Commission!

Pricing:

• Typically, projects are $25/square foot to print
• Custom Designs from $300

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elevatedinkworks.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatedinkworks?igsh=MTdncGgxaXg1a3EwcA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatedinkworks?mibextid=wwXIfr

Image Credits
The images of the black wall with floral mural is credit of Peter Loyd Vuolo