Desert Tudor

As you probably know, this is not my first project in the Coronado Historic Neighborhood of Central Phoenix. Just like the first one, I was excited about the opportunity to bring something back to life. With my favorite mix of modern and classic styles, the team of crafts people and designers was ready to bring 1925 up to 2017.

The first thing to know is that there was a whole lot of engineering that went into this project. We basically ended up building a house within a house. The original structure would not have been able to support the crazy ideas we had in mind.

So what kinds of crazy ideas, you ask? Opening up the floor plan was a given, it's how we live now. Not so obvious was tackling the attic space: pushing out the back of the roof and capturing a huge amount of livable space. And a normal set of stairs just wouldn't do. We created a custom metal staircase which is, I think, my most ambitious and memorable creation to date. New life was brought back into what was once an actual carriage house. Now it is better suited for the modern equivalent.

The juxtaposition of this historic (for Phoenix, anyway) home with the modernity we brought, was a perfect canvas for a mix of modern and classic styles. Black and white is a great way to highlight the old finishes like the arches in the downstairs bathroom & telephone nook, the fireplace and the window pattern. This allows a seamless incorporation of the modern kitchen, modern tile pattern throughout and the modern feel of the industrial metal finishes. This pairing continues upstairs where a loft feel is accomplished in the open space with the exposed beam & my barndoor, and then matched with the modern, elegant en suite master bathroom.

I couldn't be happier with the outcome or prouder of the team that came together to breathe life back into this gem. It is definitely one of my favorites, so far...