Walk through the pivoting front door of this new home in Paradise Valley, and you’ll instantly see the effect of elevated design—a view of Camelback Mountain at the other end of the entry, perfectly framed in a floor-to-ceiling window. The whole house was designed to honor those vistas, as well as sightlines towards a nearby mountain preserve.
Those visual reminders of desert landmarks, however, weren’t always the case. The couple who commissioned the residence had previously lived in an older home on the site, which was outdated and didn’t take into account the surroundings. “They hated the house but loved the site,” explains Scottsdale architect Scott Carson, who created the new dwelling with his creative director, Adam Kostis and Phoenix interior designer Kristin Hazen. “It’s as if the people who built the original house in the 1960s didn’t even realize there was a mountain back there.”
With the old house scraped, Carson and Hazen set to work creating a family-friendly abode for the couple and their children. For the 7,000-square-foot, five-bedroom floor plan, Carson bifurcated the home, placing a lounge and the primary suite to one side and the great room, dining area, kitchen, and secondary bedrooms on the other. A free-standing casita forms an L with the main house, wrapping around an elevated pool and spa that reflect the architecture. “The house is sited higher up on the lot so you can look over the houses below without violating the town’s height restrictions,” notes the architect.
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“The design was influenced by a modern Napa style,” says Carson of the wine-country inspiration, “but with a modern desert ranch spin.” The low-slung, single-story residence is marked by mortar-washed limestone walls inside and out and vertical Luna wood siding details that lend an organic touch. A standing-seam metal roof and steel accents combine for a modernist statement. Floor-to-ceiling window walls that open to patios and glass “cubes” that project out for the dining room and breakfast area link the home to its natural setting. “We spent a lot of time doing solar studies for the south side of the house, which faces Camelback,” Carson says. “We designed deep overhangs to protect from the sun’s heat and added clerestories so you can still see the mountain.”
Hazen, who often collaborates with Carson, pulled inspiration for the interior finishes and fixtures from the architecture. “We ran a lot of the finishes from outside to in,” she remarks. “Because of all the windows and views, we went with a neutral palette, but with a lot of textures and layers for depth.”
Hazen suggested white oak flooring throughout most of the home as an earthy contrast to the steel elements and sleek custom cabinetry for the kitchen and baths. The interior designer detailed the kitchen with steel and glass cabinets to showcase collectibles, a textured tile backsplash and a thick marble slab for the island countertop.
A white glass-bead light fixture is casually draped over the island, creating the effect of a swooping pearl necklace. For the primary bathroom’s steam shower, which opens onto a private, walled patio, Hazen wrapped the walls, ceiling and floor in a pebble surface material, lending a textured, zen-like ambiance.
In the lounge, she reiterated the exterior’s Luna wood siding on one wall, which frames the seating area and is inset with a frameless door leading to the primary suite. The powder room also received the Hazen touch, featuring a trough sink and a broken-joint limestone mosaic tile cladding the walls and floor. “The tile is irregular and not perfect,” she says. “It’s a nice juxtaposition with the smooth cabinetry and the quartz sink.”
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Not long after the home’s construction was completed, the couple opted to sell. Phoenix interior designer Amelia Perry staged the residence with contemporary furnishings in neutral tones and soft, rounded lines that contrasted with and complemented the home’s rectilinear forms. The new owners will undoubtedly love the home’s style, its connection to the mountain and desert, and the layout designed for entertaining indoors and out.
“The house is a refined blend of rugged materiality and clean, contemporary lines,” says Carson, summarizing the project.
“The interplay of elevation and earth connection provides both visual drama and a private retreat.” In other words, it’s now the right house for the right site.
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