Meet Bergen Baucom of BB CASA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bergen Baucom.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Oh, what a doozy! I moved to Denver from Tennessee unexpectedly in July of 2018. I’d experienced some big life changes (looking at you, divorce) and decided to pack up my pup (and a twenty-foot box truck) to embark on a fresh start in Denver.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A smooth road? Ha! Hardly! Allow me to give you a real-life metaphor: On the journey to Denver from Tennessee, I popped a tire on the 20-foot box truck I was driving out here. The next day, I popped a tire on the trailer that was hitched to the back of said box truck, which was towing my vehicle. The road has been literally and figuratively bumpy, my friends! That said, bumpy roads often lead to a great destination and make one heck of a driver along the way! Here’s a pretty good “bump” story.

Shortly after launching my business, I signed up to participate in the Cherry Creek Fresh Market for the month of May. I felt it would be great for exposure and off-loading inventory. I was also planning to use it as the launch of my pillow and candle lines. As a debut interior designer, I wanted my tent to be HOT. I spent weeks designing the layout. I had a custom awning made, bought a rug, laid out my furniture plan, and, to top it all off, bought an art deco doorway from an architectural salvage spot in town. It was gorgeous- it came out of a haberdashery in Chicago. It would be the element that made the BB CASA tent a BB CASA home shop. Here’s how it all turned out:

For two months, the man who was supposed to be retrofitting my doorway led me on. He kept telling me the piece was ready, only to ghost me the week before the event. The day before our first market, I was scrambling to make new plans. Not only did I not have a doorway. The woman who was supposed to be making my pillows moved to New Mexico with my fabric and inserts- without telling me. She, too, ghosted me. None of the pillows were made in time to be used at any of the six markets that summer. Of the four pillows that were finally produced (out of the 60 that were supposed to be), all four were wrong.

Not only that, she ruined some of my best fabrics by using (gasp) liquid stitches. This was a very costly disappointment. God bless my candle partner, as she was the only vendor who did her part. All of my candles arrived beautifully and well within time. However, my candles don’t have labels, which was a very intentional design choice on my end. By doing so, I placed all of the marketing and branding information on the eco-friendly boxes my candles are packaged in. The box vendor (in California) mistakenly shipped my order to Dubai instead of Denver. My boxes didn’t arrive until the third market.

With all of that said, we finally made it to and through the first market. While we were packing up to leave, a big gust of wind tore through the tent and broke more money in glassware than I’d sold the entire day. Yay!

I chalk all of this up to being a new business owner. I learned so much! For one, making trustworthy vendor connections takes time. Another thing? Bet your butt, and I wrapped up my glassware first at the end of every market after. I learned to improvise when things were beyond my control. Most of all, I was reminded that I had the chops to handle challenges.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
BB CASA is an interior design house and purveyor of uncommon goods. We curate spaces that are rare, distinguished, and personal. We are committed to creating a world that is as beautiful as it is socially and environmentally just. That’s why all of the products produced under the BB CASA label are sustainably made through partnerships with women and minority-owned businesses.

Look to BB CASA for expertise in the following areas:

-Home Flipping
-Existing Construction Renovation
-Spatial Planning​
-Rental Property and Airbnb Design
-Material and Finish Selection
-Plumbing and Hardware Selection
-Furniture Selection and Specification
-Wall and Window Treatments
-Art Consultation and Procurement
-Antique Procurement
-Room Accessories and Coordination
-Preparing Homes to be Sold
-In-Home Event Planning

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I’ve been an artist and creator for as long as I can remember. I started painting as a young child and still paint today. Growing up, my favorite game to play was “house” (go figure), and my favorite part of every family vacation was unpacking my things and rearranging the décor wherever we stayed.

I was imaginative, ADD and bad at math… all traits that still ring true today. I was diagnosed with Type One Juvenile Diabetes at the ripe age of six, so in a lot of ways, I grew up fast- I had to. I was particularly responsible. I was a cheerleader in high school and voted “friendliest” of our class my senior year. I’d like to think that attribute has stayed with me over the years!

Contact Info:

• Email: BB@BBCASA.com
• Website: www.BBCASA.com
• Instagram: @BergenBaucomInteriors

Image Credits:
Headshot by Luke Wyckoff