I'm so torn on this review. My first three or four experiences of this shop were wonderful - easily worth five stars. Extremely friendly and helpful staff at the front counter, a rad piercer who pierced my partner and switched out my septum jewelry for me, and a pleasant atmosphere overall. But then there was my most recent visit. A dear friend and I stopped by in the evening, hoping to each get a very simple tattoo. The girl who helped us out was super welcoming, but our tattooer, Porno Jim, was anything but. He was nearly silent, sullen, and snippy with both of us, making us both feel like we were imposing on his time and schedule. He was rude to the point of my friend asking him while they were having a cigarette outside if he was having an okay day and felt up to tattooing us. I nearly called the whole thing off right before he put the needle to my skin, but I legitimately thought he'd yell at me. The tattoos turned out nicely, and he guarantees all his work, but I really dislike the experience of being tattooed by someone with such a negative attitude, especially after years of being tattooed by absolute gems. Also, at a shop that accept credit cards, he *only* accepts cash. Another strike against the whole experience. I'll keep going to Bound by Design, but not to Porno Jim. read more

I always recommend Tiffany if someone tells me they want a piercing. I've personally taken two friends, both of whom had the same experience as I did: perfect. She takes every job (no matter how small) seriously, and treats each client with equal professionalism and respect. For one of the pieces she did for me, she worked with the shape/scar tissue of my ear to come up with a way to produce what I was looking for, something that other places simply won't do, at least in my experience. And hey, it made it into her portfolio! Never gotten ink here and have only been worked on by Tiffany, but the staff and other artists are consistently friendly and helpful. Building is clean and creative, what you'd expect from a good tattoo shop. Parking in back is hairy, but I never had an issue with finding a spot on the street in front. SUMMARY: If you need a "normal" piercing, body modification, or anything in between... Tiffany is your girl. She's the best at what she does and loves what she does, and it shows. read more

I have gotten all my cartilage piercings here ( nose, helix, tragus, and yesterday industrial) and those are hard to heal! The staff has been super nice and both Patrick and Maya have been amazing! And the after care is spot on. I appreciate it all and I'm trying to schedule my first tattoo there soon. It's worth the drive and the $. Nothing but love. read more

I am somewhat of a novice when it comes to piercing and was hesitant to get my nose pierced because I've had negative experiences with my belly button piercing in the past, but that was another shop. As I walked in, I was greeted immediately and was out of the building within thirty minutes. Tiffany was my piercer, and she did a great job. She is very experienced and made the process very easy and painless. She went over how to care for the piercing and was very knowledgeable. If you are thinking about getting a piercing, I'd definitely recommend Tiffany. She has years of experience and knowledge under her belt read more

I've searched three major cities on two coasts, and I still have yet to find a better body art shop. Bound is where I always end up when I have the itch to shove a needle into my skin. For tattoos, no one beats Ian Rumley. Bound has been his home for several years now, and he is top notch. Give him a vague idea and a price range and he will design something out of this world for you. Super-professional, clean look, and extremely talented. I love that each ink studio has a half-wall so you can see the artist at work without being able to get up in artist/client's business. For piercing, Candace is amazing. She is patient with questions, dead-on center with her alignment (and guarantees her work), surprisingly quick and gentle with the needles and tapers, and very thorough about after-care. The piercing room is comfortable and impeccably clean. And private -- very important for places one must get pierced when not allowed to show her piercings... The shop is clean, the body jewelry selection is above-average, the hours are great, and the artists are all friendly and accommodating. The person running the desk always seems a little bitter, no matter who it is, and that is the only short-coming I see in Bound. That said, I travel 1600 miles to get pierced and inked, so I obviously think the lack of front desk service is fully overcome by the talent, professionalism, and value the artists offer. read more

My friend and I went to Denver for work, and impulsively decided to get tattoos. We called around and Bound by Design was the only one still open after 8pm. Porno Jim agreed to do mine before closing, which was rad of him. Simple pawprint and heart on arm, took 15 minutes max and charged me minimum price. Yet his bedside manner was rude. It was obvious he didn't want to stay late, and did not try to interact with me at all. Even when I attempted to make conversation, his attitude was apparent. I really appreciated him staying later to work on me, but he did not have to. I'd have much rather waited and made an appointment if that was the issue. EDIT: Jim messaged me after this post, and was very sincere and apologized for appearing rude. He is not at all, and even offered a discount on a future tattoo. Jim, sorry for the mix up! Two days later we went back for my friend's, who made an appointment with Alissa K. She was super nice and sweet! Her artwork on the walls was killer, and she had such a great attitude. Definitely would fly back out here just to work with her! Everyone else in the store was really welcoming, One more reason I'm going to move to Denver. read more

Let me preface by saying this review has nothing to do with the artist I encountered at Bound By Design. However, I was extremely upset with how my friend and I were treated by the shop staff. they were very rude and possibly the most snotty, uppity tattooed people I have ever met! I felt like it was big inconvenience that we were trying to talk to an artist, set up an appointment, or even to step one pinky in the shop! I have actually told people not to go here because of the experience I had with the shop. After some time off from getting tattooed and losing my regular artist, I was looking for a new shop to start going to again, and I guess I'm still looking! It may be an "alternative job", but customer service still goes a long way, so work on it. read more

My revised review of bound is as follows: I have gotten two GREAT piercings here. My nape piercing is perfect. I have had it for 6 years and it is in great shape. I have gotten new heads for the staple and the piercers have changed them and been awesome. I tell everyone and anyone I know who wants a piercing to go to Bound. BUT, I got a tattoo here in '09. It is possibly the worst tattoo ever. It was a simple outline, the entire tattoo is raised and the lines are blown out. I have had it covered since (hundreds upon hundreds of dollars and a ridiculous amount of pain-ribs-, compounded by the horrible scarring) and a good laugh was had by everyone who saw it before it disappeared for good. It was done by an apprentice. She was clearly not ready to tattoo and I feel bad for anyone else who had her tattoo them and am pissed that Bound didn't have better judgement. read more

My partner got her nose pierced here, and we've been back for 3 free adjustments as the swelling has gone down. This is a great studio, as the piercer knows us now and invites us in like an old friend. She is also very knowledgeable and made us feel a lot more comfortable. I would go back here just for the great customer service. read more

Seems normal enough, right? Nice and clean spot for some piercing and tattoo action on Colfax. Yes! I'd say so. I was centimeters away from piercing my septum for the first time [in high school] when it was somehow brought to my attention that I would not be able to flip the ring up into my nose [concealing it from my parents: )] So, obviously I could not follow through with the piercing. BUT, I still have the memories. These guys are very clean and very professional. Hey, after all, they did tell me the truth, saving me years before actually piercing my septum and hiding it for real. read more

Bound By Design - Tattoo Near Me - Denver, Colorado

They have a great jewelry selection, and piercer Patrick was super friendly and knowledgeable!

Silly me had a little too much fun over the weekend and lost my nose ring. I panicked when I couldn't get a ring in the next day, and went straight to Yelp to check out good piercing places near me to get it gauged. I'm so glad I trusted my fellow Yelpers! All of the staff were extremely helpful, and the shop was extremely UN-intimidating! The artist who gauged my nose ring also recommended a different type of stud than I had previously, so that I won't have issues snagging it out anymore. The process was clean, fast, and relatively painless! I usually entrust my tattoo artist back in Detroit for all of my work, but since I visit so few and far between, this might just be my new tattoo shop as well! read more

Great work. Amazing people. Awesome atmosphere. I could use positive adjectives all dang day. If you're in the Denver area and looking for a place to go, I can't recommend this shop enough. read more

This is such a clean shop and very bright/spacious!! My friends and I got piercings from Candace and she is awesome! Very accommodating and good about calming nerves :) she's also personable and was very good with the group of us. Very good jewelry selection and comparable prices. Can't wait for my next one! read more

Heard very very good things about this shop, which i'm sure is true for the artists and piercers themselves. But the guy at the front was absolutely horrible and so rude. Guy with a bunch of face piercings, very disrespectful and rude about simple questions. Probably won't go back simply because of this, which is a real bummer. read more

I cannot say enough amazing things about Lauren. I sought her out after checking out her portfolio on line, and she gave me a phenomenal experience with my third tattoo about a week ago. I walked in, showed her some photos, rambled about what I wanted, and made an appointment for the following week. When I walked in, she had somehow read my mind and had drawn up the EXACT tattoo that I wanted. It was a cherry blossom branch--however, she drew the flowers, then drew the branches onto my shoulder freehand, which blew my mind. She's a really talented artist. When it came to the tattoo, she paid attention to detail; varied colors slightly and did some amazing shading. It is honestly one of the more beautiful tattoos I've ever seen. Overall, she charged me a pretty slim amount considering the amount of time and effort she put into it. If you're looking to get a tattoo, I'd say go see Lauren, and make sure you tip her well :) We're lucky to have her in Denver! ALSO--I put my $40 appointment holder on a card, but was told to pay the rest in cash, so make sure you bring money w/ you! read more

I went in for a nose piercing, and to check out the place. I've been wanting to get some new tattoos, and checked out the artists profiles online, and saw some really great work being done here, so i thought i'd see how the place was while getting a new piercing. i've wanted a nose piercing for a really long time, and was excited rather than nervous to get it done. The price for the jewelry, and piercing was exactly what i expected. piercings are not, and should not be inexpensive. Candace was my piercer, and she was wonderful! She was authentically friendly, fun to chat with, and a very professional and great piercer. out of all the piercers i've been to (i've had about 9 miscellaneous piercings, all by different people, over 10 years or so) she was by far the best. My new nose piercing is perfectly placed, and feels like i've had it for years, when really i've only had it for about 3 days. the only pain was brief during the actual piercing process, and it was quite minimal. The jewelry fits perfectly, not too snug, not too loose. i'm looking forward to getting new jewelry from them in the future. Bound by Design has a great layout, lots of cool jewelry and art to look at, and is exceptionally clean. This place was really cool, filled with people who seemed to really like working with one another. i'll definitely be coming back for a few tattoos! read more

What a totally awesome experience!! I went in Saturday and got my first visible piece (the rest of my work is back/ribs/stomach) on my forearm and had the incredibly talented Mandy do a quote for me. It.is.PERFECT! I couldn't have asked for anything more!!! She took my very scattered lettering request and turned it into a beautiful piece of art :) I absolutely will be back for my next forearm piece and will have her do it. I highly recommend! read more

Love this place but I tried to come in tonight and they closed 15 minutes early smh. I tried to come in for jewelry :/

My review won't be 100% because we never really got the whole experience and that's why I gave it a 2. I called this place prior to driving a half hour out of my way on a Sunday afternoon. I spoke with a girl on the phone for about 5 minutes and one of the very first questions I asked was if they did piercings on kids under 15 and what did I need to bring in. I then asked questions SPECIFICALLY in regards to a nose piercing for my daughter and told the girl that's what I wanted to have done today. Well apparently this girl was not really paying attention to the conversation because I drove all the way out there with the required paperwork to get my daughter's nose pierced when another girl at the counter said they don't do nose piercings for minors under 16. So, this tells me that the customer service is quite lacking and I was glad to not have the work done at this location since the employess seem to not have the knowledge they need to impress me to have them do this type of procedure on my daughter. We went to Celebrity and got it done and they were GREAT and only 10 minutes from where I live. I guess you can't always go off the "good" reviews you get on this site because that's the ONLY reason I went to this place to begin with. read more

Holy Crap! this place is so awesome! I so badly wanted to get my navel pierced on my birthday but couldn't make up my freaking mind. Last second my friend convinced me t go through with it. Bound by Design stayed open a little extra so I could come in and get it done. They very easily could have turned us away or treated us with contempt. Instead Patrick was kind thorough, and calm. He didn't rush but he got the job done quickly. I will def. go back to him for any more piercing needs. I will mention that I thought the choices of first time navel curves was slightly lacking, but I am still happy with the simple blue gem. read more

Bound By Design - Patrick, Thank you so much for an awesome birthday piercing experience! - Tattoo Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Candace rocked! I chose to go to Bound By Design because of the great reviews and I was not disappointed. I felt bad for coming in close to closing, but the ladies there were really nice and enthusiastic! Got my nipples done and she was very gentle and professional. Her after care instructions were very detailed and she was overall a really cool chick! Very happy :) read more

Great experience with Tiffany today. She was very warm and friendly to both my friend and I. Very fast and efficient with her skills. I was so surprised how little pain I felt, well basically no pain. Would recommend her to anyone looking for a piercing! She was patient with my decision on where exactly I wanted my nose pierced and even changed the outside of the jewelry after it was done. I was so grateful since I thought the ball looked too large. read more

Bound By Design - Tattoo Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I went in with my girlfriend and we each decided to get new body piercings. The girl working at the front seemed completely shocked that someone could possibly walk into a piercing shop and god forbid want new piercings. It ended up costing nearly $100 for a navel piercing for her and a nose piercing for me. This price included jewelry but was still $40 higher than pretty much any other shop in town. Poor value for the money. The gal at the front tried to slip an extra $10 gratuity past me too, I made sure to have that taken off and tipped the piercer in cash. On the plus side, the shop was very clean and they followed all state laws and such. I read a lot of great reviews of this place, but my experience was sub par. read more

My friends and I chose to come here based off of the stellar reviews and were not disappointed! The girl at the desk, I didn't get her name, was so patient with all of our questions and helping pick out jewelry. I got my nose pierced by Tiffany and she was awesome! So informative, sweet and professional. She made the process super quick too which I appreciated. When my eyes started to water she even helped clean up my eyeliner as it started to smudge! True lady right there! Anyways, I will definitely be coming back here and recommending it to everyone! read more

Can not say enough good things about this shop. They have and extremely friendly,helpful and welcoming staff. Our artist Ian was amazing. He did four tattoos for our group. He was very accommodating and attentive to our needs. We will definitely be back to see him and would highly recommend him and this shop. It was an amazing experience. read more

I have been going to this place for the last 4 years for my piercings, and I ABSOLUTELY recommend this place. If anyone ever asks me about piercings I only have my absolute trust in this place, the piercer I've been seeing is Tiffany, and she is A-MA-ZING, I've never felt any pain, she walks you through everything you need to know and she knows what she's doing. 10/10 don't even bother looking for other places. This is it Edit) make sure you call ahead for piercing times and how busy they are so you aren't one of these dummy's rating this place a 1 star cause they couldn't get what they wanted when they wanted it (: read more

Recently I went to the shop with my friend so he could get a piercing and the front desk staff were very arrogant and rude. They didn't really make us feel welcome in a place where we simply wanted to pay them for a service. We left and ended up going somewhere else. We chose this place initially because I had gotten a piercing there a few months back and had an overall good experience, so it is just unfortunate that the attitude of the staff puts a such a damper on a good tattoo and piercing studio in Denver. read more

I absolutely love Bound By Design! The piercers are wonderful (very patient with nervous customers) and the tattoo artists are wonderful. I will always go here for piercings and tattoos. I recommend Zech Tallant (tattoo artist). Their jewelry is amazing quality and I ALWAYS get infections from other places' jewelry. Always. read more

I love this place. Candace and Patrick are very nice and gentle. The front staff is always helpful as well. I've gotten tatted here, ears punched out, a monore, and a septum piercing. Very clean and comfortable. Highly recommend. read more

Absolutely amazing!!!! So pleasantly surprised by Bound by Design! My friend and I walked in and was greeted by friendly staff and a relaxed but professional atmosphere. Alissa Kendall did our tattoos and did a amazing job!!!! Super groovy gal too. read more

Bound By Design - Tattoo Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I came in to get my nipples and nose pierced and it was a great experience. I was a bit nervous at first but Candace made me feel a lot better. She did an excellent job I'd recommend her for sure. read more

I love Ian Rumley. He is talented and solid, all the work I've had done by him has turned out amazing and he offers free touch-ups which when you need three hours of touch up due to sun fading is no small amount. His prices are great and he also works as an art teacher which I really respect. read more

Overpriced and pretentious; went in for a tattoo and it seemed since they didn't like what I wanted done, all of a sudden they didn't have any openings. read more

I was going through Denver on a roadtrip with my siblings and stopped by their shop (based on a yelp search!) on 07/16/11. Yeah, pretty much forever ago! But doing a yelp review has been on my To Do List since then, even though this is my first! And I'm doing this review because... TIFFANY IS AWESOME! She was funny and made me feel totally relaxed. I have 3 other facial-ish piercings (all also walk-ins), and I never knew that the experiences were so sub par until Tiffany. GO HERE FOR PIERCINGS, Tiffany is amazing. If you're paying by card, you tip before you get pierced and meet her, so just take my word for it and put down a little extra if you're her client. I wish I could have! read more

Very clean studio and very friendly staff! I've had piercings and tattoos done here and always leave very happy. Highly recommend Mandy as a tattoo artist! read more

I went to Bound By Design for my first tattoo, and I had a very specific idea/design in mind. I reached out to the general email and they referred me to a couple artists in the shop. After checking out her portfolio, I reached out to Lauren and I'm so glad I did. She was so communicative from the start, and when I told her my idea of the design, she came up with something so much better than I could have ever imagined! I love the tattoo and will be coming back for more! read more

This shop is fantastic, and I highly recommend Lauren if considering any design in the realm of "nature." My search for a quality studio brought me to Bound by Design (based on reviews from Westword). This was my very first tattoo for someone who is, well, let's just say not so young any more. The shop is very light, open, and has a very friendly front desk staff. I met with Lauren and gave her a photo of what I was looking for. The only slight drawback was I had to wait a couple weeks to get the day to work in my schedule, but that was ok - it was WELL WORTH the wait. The modifications I asked for to the picture were perfect, and the process was so much better than I expected. Lauren is very laid back and professional. My time in the chair was quicker than I expected, and I love the results! I had said this would be my one and only tattoo but now ... well, time will tell! And I will definitely go back to Lauren. read more

This place is absolutely fantastic. My family has been coming here for 25 years now. I have gotten 6 piercings from here and I have been heavily happy with every single one. They have beautiful jewelry and have a fantastic price. It's the only piercing place I trust for sure. Every single person there is so polite, respectful, and absolutely fantastic. If you are thinking about absolutely any piercing or tattoo, definitely check this place out. 10/10 would definitely recommend. read more

It was clean and our piercer was very efficient. She made the whole process quick and painless.