The Best in American Living Awards | Architectural Eye Candy

Here we highlight the most ICONIC homes from the 2021 NAHB Best in American Living Award winners:

Curvy House, photo by Kevin Brost

CURVY HOME PROJECT

Silver Winner |  Remodeling—Entire Home, Up To $250,000

Interior Designer | Iconic Design + Build

Iconic Design + Build—led by Owner and Principal Designer Kaitlyn Wolfe—transformed this Scottsdale, Arizona home from an awkward and outdated space to a stunning and desert paradise with custom furnishings. The design team saw the once dark and heavy space as a design opportunity to let in a breath of fresh air, with bright natural lighting and accents of clean white where dull beige once lived.

Curvy House, photo by Kevin Brost

Carved into the side of a mountain, the Curvy Home’s design now embraces its desert roots with a striking natural color scheme and fabrics. The owner’s bright artwork became the centerpiece for the design, matched with equally dazzling finishes and shapes throughout the home. Iconic Design + Build also incorporated a custom-designed kitchen island and custom nightstands to further add to the home’s unique eye-catching focal points.

Now and Zen, photo by Dino Tonn Photography

NOW AND ZEN

Platinum Winner | Remodeling—Entire Home, Over $750,000

Architect/Designer | Drewett Works

Builder | Brimley Development

Interior Designer | Ownby Design

This re-imagined Paradise Valley home rests on an Arizona hillside with indescribable views of Camelback Mountain. The older home was transformed into a zen-like retreat by the experts at Scottsdale-based architecture firm Drewett Works, Brimley Development and Ownby Design. The architecture is firmly “grounded by limestone tablets while uplifted through expansive fenestrations and soaring roof planes with zinc fascia and Douglas fir tongue-and-groove.”

Now and Zen, photo by Dino Tonn Photography

The once stuccoed home now embraces a refined palette of natural materials—limestone walls and floors, hemlock ceilings, vertical grain rift oak millwork—accented by complementing tile and countertops. What was once formal and informal spaces now overlap into one, removing some of the rigidness of the original home layout. Indoor and outdoor living spaces also combine into one, with the upstairs media room opening up into a patio with incredible mountain views.

Ebony and Ivory, photo by Werner Segarra Photography

EBONY AND IVORY 

Platinum Winner | Specialty Outdoor Room

Architect/Designer | Drewett Works

Builder | Bedbrock Developers

Landscape Architect/Designer | Bedbrock Developers

Interior Designer | Mara Interior Design

Windows | Roadrunner Glass Co.

A marriage of light and dark design principles make this Paradise Valley custom home the best of both worlds. When the husband and wife owners were divided over style, the resulting finished home was a product of collaboration. Architect Drewett Works teamed up with the local Bedbrock Developers and Mara Interior Design to meet the needs of the active family, while creating a modern and beautiful home. 

Ebony and Ivory, photo by Werner Segarra Photography

The kitchen is a testament to the owner’s love for food—showcasing the chef, while also providing more hidden spaces for prep work. The centerpiece of the home is the indoor/outdoor bar, where guests can enjoy nature and privacy all in one place. Ivory chipped-face limestone walls with innovative ceiling treatments are another eye-catching element of the home, and there’s a stellar wine cellar with a hidden wine vault to store a legendary collection.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: DESERT MODERN | CUSHING TERRELL SERENE LAS VEGAS HOME

20th Street, photo by LANGOWORKS

20TH STREET 

Platinum Winner | Single-Family Custom—One-Of-A-Kind Custom Home 5,001 – 6,000 Sq. Ft.

Architect/Designer | Brandon Architects

Builder | Patterson Custom Homes

Landscape Architect/Designer | David A Pedersen

Interior Designer | Brooke Wagner Design

This Costa Mesa custom home was done by the local Brandon Architects, one of the several projects from the architect that earned a Best in American Living Award for 2021. Designed to be a thoughtful addition to the growing community, the elongated lot provides ample space for gathering. In a predominantly single-story neighborhood, it was a challenge to scale the front façade—so the design team chose to make the garage and the trellis facing the street single-story. 

20th Street, photo by LANGOWORKS

This home embraces the transitional style, with a weathered and timeless look achieved by natural and rustic materials. Refurbished brick and recycled wood doors complement the home’s modern steel to create a stunning overall design perspective. The brick is used in impressive archways that draw the eye to the common spaces in the house, which are surrounded by large pocketing glass doors that open completely to the outdoors. Step outside and you’ll find plenty of places to enjoy free time, be it at the sunken fire pit, sport courts, pool and spa or the dining area.

Razor's Edge, photo by Jeff Zaruba Photography

RAZOR’S EDGE 

Gold Winner | Single-Family Custom—One-Of-A-Kind Custom Home 5,001 – 6,000 Sq. Ft.

Architect/Designer | Drewett Works

Builder | Bedbrock Developers

Interior Designer | Holly Wright Design

What was once a poorly-situated ranch home with overgrown landscaping in a highly-sought after neighborhood became the site for a beautiful and new custom single family home. The reimagined architecture was positioned to open up view corridors, manage two washes and avoid the harsh Arizona sun. The home’s stunning topographical features are contrasted with light, wing-like plaster forms and stone elements that keep it firmly grounded.

Razor's Edge, photo by Jeff Zaruba Photography

Defying gravity, the south wing of Razor’s Edge hovers above the ground, allowing for rain water to pass through the natural wash beneath it. The four bedroom home has an impressive upper game loft with nearly 360-degree views through clerestory glass of the natural desert surroundings. The adjacent patios and ample outdoor space make it the ideal home for connecting with nature.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: BARKITECTURE | DESIGN FOR DOGS CUSTOM LUXE DOG HOUSES

Montecito, photo by LANGOWORKS

MONTECITO 

Gold Winner | Single-Family Custom—One-Of-A-Kind Custom Home 6,001 – 8,000 Sq. Ft.

Architect/Designer | Brandon Architects

Builder | RDM General Contractors

Landscape Architect/Designer | David A Pedersen

Interior Designer | Brooke Wagner Design

Newport Beach’s Spyglass Hill is highly coveted for good reason, and this custom home maximizes the benefit of living in the community with spectacular panoramic ocean views. Montecito is a single-story residence with a design that embraces both modern and traditional materials. Generating curbside appeal from the eye-catching vertical wood sliding on the garage door to the light-colored stone exterior, the juxtaposed elements are what makes this home’s design special.

Montecito, photo by LANGOWORKS

Vaulted ceilings with skylights and plenty of windows allow for an abundance of California sunshine, illuminating the well-thought out spaces in the kitchen, dining room and family room. The interiors are coastal inspired with light wooden fixtures and white marble that contrast the home’s dark wooden features. The basement level was designed into an entertainment area that opens up into a large courtyard—ideal for taking in the ocean breezes.

Oceanfront Place, photo by LANGOWORKS

OCEANFRONT PLACE 

Platinum Winner | Single-Family Custom—One-Of-A-Kind Custom Home Over 8,000 Sq. Ft.

Architect/Designer | Hawk & Co.

Builder | Hill Construction Company

Interior Designer | Hawk & Co.

Is there anything more luxurious and ICONIC than a private, human aquarium? This Dana Point custom home by Hawk & Co and Hill Construction Company has just that—and a luxe subterranean cocktail lounge, too. This massive pool (double the weight of a standard pool) is surrounded by wall-size windows that illuminate the indoor bar space with an incredibly unique blue glow. Due to the sheer size of the pool, this home design required extensive structural coordination and complex waterproofing measures.

Oceanfront Place, photo by LANGOWORKS

The entrance hall of Oceanfront Place is home to a custom chandelier, a spiral staircase and crisp marble flooring. Walk through the home into the great room to see walnut paneled walls, an Art Deco-inspired stepped ceiling, leading to the adjacent dining room and a huge kitchen with custom metal cabinetry. The owners suite is accessible by a second spiral staircase, where they can enjoy unobstructed sunset views.

LA Hillside, Rendering produced by PHX Architecture

LA HILLSIDE CONTEMPORARY RESIDENCE 

Silver Winner | SINGLE-FAMILY CUSTOM—ON-THE-BOARDS SINGLE-FAMILY CUSTOM HOME

Architect/Designer | PHX Architecture

Builder | KES Homes

Landscape Architect/Designer | GM Future Designs

Interior Designer | Insert Design

On a hillside in Highland, California, sits a contemporary, award-winning custom home by PHX Architecture, KES Homes, GM Future Designs and Insert Design. The five bedroom home has seven bathrooms, and large windows to capture the stunning views of the valley below. Sit out on the patio or large rooftop deck, designed to allow for indoor-outdoor living, to fully take in the home’s beautiful surroundings.

LA Hillside, Rendering produced by PHX Architecture