Nestled amongst the Ponderosa Pines within the prestigious Pine Canyon Community in Flagstaff, a modern mountain escape punctuates the landscape. The homeowners wanted a home they could design together, after selling their existing second properties, to escape the summers in Phoenix. Their search for a lot revolved around a few factors: they both love golf, have an extensive modern art collection and sought to be in the mountains, but close enough to their lives and kids in Phoenix. After searching in Flagstaff, they landed on a lot in Pine Canyon due to a wash located next to the property that would always remain undeveloped, giving them the immersion in the mountains that they were craving.
Their vision was for a home that both acts and looks like a modern art museum for their vast personal art collection. During the final construction document phase, however, the clients and builder Jon Holdsworth of Holdsworth Construction were not fully satisfied with the direction of the design, and wanted to see what else could be done. Holdsworth, who had collaborated with architect Mark Candelaria of Candelaria Design Associates on other Flagstaff projects, reached out to ask him to review the existing drawings.
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Candelaria was excited to show his range with this modern mountain design in Pine Canyon, where he had already designed several traditional mountain style homes previously. So, he accepted Holdsworth’s offer and did some sketches for the clients along with a fully colored front rendering of the home showing how he would modify the design already in process. Candelaria knew the Pine Canyon community had very stringent HOA guidelines, but they do allow for a modern mountain style, so he was eager to see how he could push the boundaries to create something modern and unique for the clients. The clients loved his vision and hired Candelaria to take the plans to the next level, turning their new summer home into a standout.
Shortly after, at Candelaria’s suggestion, the clients brought on Isabel Dellinger-Candelaria, of Earth and Images, for the home’s interior design. The two collaborated, moving from the inside to the outside and back again, integrating the design seamlessly, both spatially and through purposeful materiality. “What made this home unique was the way it integrates clean, modern lines with the natural surroundings, creating a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living,” Holdsworth says.
This indoor-outdoor living element is prevalent in every Candelaria home. “I always love connecting the inside with the outside and letting the two seamlessly merge so you truly experience where you are located and can connect with nature,” Candelaria explains.
Candelaria used exposed steel I-beams and columns as an expressive form for the covered patios, and Isabel brought in organic materials to warm up the modern interior, including warm wood floors, wood ceilings with indirect cove lighting and a liquid-metal fireplace. In the kitchen, an orange range provides a vibrant punch to the dark-stained wood cabinetry.
“Like many custom homes at this level, one of the primary challenges was maintaining precision while navigating evolving details, but that process ultimately contributed to the high quality of the final product,” Holdsworth recalls.
On the outside of the home, building masses were more clearly defined in both shape and in the blend of materials consisting of rough stone, smooth stone, wood siding and corrugated metal. “The clients wanted to celebrate and express each mass uniquely, both in shape and material, in essence almost creating a Cubist composition with the architecture of their home,” Candelaria notes.
The roof masses were further defined by sweeping planes that combined flat and curved roof shapes and forms. The use of natural materials, expansive glazing and carefully framed views really set this home apart. Holdsworth notes that the level of detail and coordination required to build this home was significant; “Achieving the architectural intent—particularly with the structural elements, large openings and finish transitions—required close collaboration with the design team and trades,” he says. “The result is a home that feels both refined and grounded in its environment, exactly what the clients wanted.”
Inside, Dellinger-Candelaria grounded the interiors in organic, site-responsive materials that reflect the authenticity of the mountain setting, creating a sense of warmth and permanence within the home’s modern architecture. Tile layouts were kept clean, linear and disciplined, while the overall palette draws from the surrounding landscape. Once all the hard interiors were selected, Dellinger-Candelaria judiciously worked with the client to select furnishings, decorative lighting and place their expansive collection of modern art throughout the home. “The restraint in interior surfaces allowed their artwork to punctuate the interiors with vivid color, depth and visual hierarchy,” she explains.
Upon approaching the home, guests are greeted with a welcome from a rectangular fire pit and a small seating alcove. As they proceed to the front door, a stone wall features three recessed, lit display windows featuring some of the homeowner’s extensive art collection. The entry leads right into the open-concept kitchen and great room, which open to the outdoors through floor-to-ceiling glass doors. Above the doors and in the angular vaulted wall spaces, lofty clearstory windows encircle the entire space.
The dining room features a full window wall that tilts outward at a precarious angle, leaning you right into the forest. Large expanses of glass windows and doors in virtually every room make you feel like you are in a tree house, with serene views of the ponderosa pine forest. “The home, although modern in its lines and massing, nestles nicely into the forest with its mountain materials. It feels like you are inside a luxurious forest treehouse,” Dellinger-Candelaria notes.
Once the home was completed, the homeowners asked Mark to make his famous paella dinner under his special contract clause, which offered to prepare a dinner for the homeowners and the entire team in the completed kitchen. “Designing a dream home often creates a tight bond, so we like to keep the journey and relationship going after the completion of our homes,” Candelaria says.
The homeowners and team all spent an evening enjoying the warmth and creativity of the new home. “Building this Pine Canyon mountain modern home was a rewarding experience,” Holdsworth recalls. “The project combined thoughtful design with a high level of craftsmanship.”
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