Home is where the heart is, and for the custom 4300-square-foot new build in the Desert Highlands community in Scottsdale, it is evident every last detail was thought through meticulously with heart and soul.
Amy Klosterman, principal of AB Design Elements explained, “It’s a contemporary home with an emphasis on indoor outdoor living and materials that feel warm but modern with natural wood ceilings, vein-cut travertine, taupe stained oak cabinetry, large expanses of glass and the patina of hot-rolled steel.”
The homeowners who are from Nebraska expressed to Klosterman their ideal home was a beautiful place to slow down and enjoy the desert climate.
Their wish list also included a functional and modern kitchen to complement the simplicity of the architecture.
The goal was to turn this home into a masterpiece, one that both stood out while also emphasizing and blending with the natural desert landscape.
“Every space connects effortlessly to outdoor living areas and is oriented to showcase breathtaking views and botanical garden-quality landscaping,” Jessica Hutchison-Rough, principal architect and president of Urban Design Associates Ltd., says. “The home is scaled for intimacy when it’s just the couple, yet it expands easily for entertaining, always preserving a sense of calm and privacy in the primary wing. The ultimate goal was to craft a home that is as effortless to live in as it is inspiring to experience.”
It was a team effort between the designer and architect, Klosterman was able to create their dream home, and she says it’s because of the innovative architecture of the house.
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“Trapezoid-shaped areas of steel, rectangular volumes of stone and porcelain, layered sloped wood ceilings that create triangular shapes and linear slatted shade structures are present throughout the home. We used a neutral palette with matte finishes for a comfortable and casual feel and accented it with dimensional surfaces in the tile, wall treatments and cabinetry,” Klosterman says. “I love the angles and planes of this home. Graphic compositions of shapes always intrigue me, and this home has many. It was a joy to be on the design team.”
A considerable amount of time was spent at the location studying the different colors of the sunset because the home opens to the mountain. The goal was to incorporate the desert colors to use and provide a multitude of experiences during the course of the day and evening.
Hutchison-Rough wanted to create a home that was warm, inviting and deeply personal while also designing the space in a way to reflect and provide for the client’s day-to-day life.
“The most unique aspect is the way the home choreographs its connection to the landscape. The dual mountain views—uncommon in this neighborhood—became the compass for every design decision. The rooflines lift in response, extending the experience of the home toward the horizon and pulling the beauty of the desert in,” the architect says.
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Hutchison-Rough explained how often her favorite moment when showing a finished home is when a client walks through it for the first time and says, “I had no idea it would feel this incredible.”
“That’s the magic. Even with our detailed 3D models and renderings, nothing compares to the real experience of scale, light and flow. That emotional response—when expectations are exceeded—is what makes all the effort worthwhile,” Hutchinson-Rough says.
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