Interiors
Builder Vince Fratantoni of Fratantoni Luxury Estates notes that marble countertops in kitchens have never been more popular in Phoenix than they are today. "Putting marble in kitchens has always been something people feared when designing homes in Arizona, because of how porous the material is. However, we get our clients over this by sealing the marble slabs in a way that eliminates these concerns," he says.
Builder Vince Fratantoni of Fratantoni Luxury Estates notes that marble countertops in kitchens have never been more popular in Phoenix than they are today. "Putting marble in kitchens has always been something people feared when designing homes in Arizona, because of how porous the material is. However, we get our clients over this by sealing the marble slabs in a way that eliminates these concerns," he says.
Newcomers have also influenced architecture in the area. "With the advent of population to Phoenix, it has become the fifth largest city in the country," says Herzlinger. "Along with growth came an influx of people from other areas that were accustomed to seeing modern design, and it quickly became a request from the population to local architects. Now, Phoenix is known for a stunning new architecture called desert modern."
Mediterranean styles have a strong presence in the region. "Designs that are directly related to Phoenix incorporate a very Spanish colonial influence," says interior designer Jamie Herzlinger. "Phoenix heritage is rich with design influences such as sunset colors, muted tones and Saltillo tile with the use of native materials like flagstone and sandstone."
The contemporary commercial urban architecture sprouting up has also influenced residential tastes. "Our downtown area has grown substantially with residential high-rise buildings, cool restaurants and bars, hotels and noticeably more contemporary interiors," says interior designer Chris Jovanelly of Chris Jovanelly Interior Design.
A third and last meeting of golf and house are golf simulators. I first encountered one around 1990 in a golf shop, but apparently they have made their way into houses as well. Golfers hit a real ball into a screen whose sensors gauge distance and trajectory, so one can play a "real" course without leaving home.
Pay attention to the ceiling. We all know that a foolproof way of drawing the eyes up is to paint the ceiling — but Mykonos Blu goes the extra step with its ceiling paint color, an electric blue that's deep and rich like the ocean that surrounds it. The ceiling is almost aglow, like it's picking up the glimmer of the sea and sunlight streaming in from the outside
We'll begin with the extreme version of the home climbing wall. The 36½-foot-high climbing wall in this private home spans four stories. The design process was a collaboration between the homeowner, the architects at Krannitz Gehl and Entre Prises Climbing Walls (which makes the walls for REI and big climbing clubs). This is what happens when people have too much money.
Recycled metal tiles can blend a luxe appearance and ecofriendly thinking in the kitchen. Delicious! Here are two final tips: Your ecofriendly tile deserves nontoxic grout. As with most products, look for grout labeled low-VOC or no-VOC. Keep your tile looking great without tons of harsh chemicals. Years ago a sales representative from a boutique tile store shared with me her best tip: a drop of Dawn in some water.
Glass Tile Glass takes a million years to fully break down in a landfill, and recycling glass consumes just 30 percent of the energy required to produce it from raw materials. Nearly all of Oceanside Glasstile's products contain recycled content, which ranges from 30 to 97 percent of the tile composition. This kitchen makes handsome use of its Elevations series (in platinum).
Fireclay Tile has been an industry leader in sustainable tile since 1988, when the company changed to lead-free glazes. Its Debris series combines 60 percent recycled content from both postindustrial and postconsumer waste. The tiles are handmade and molded, which results in a lovely natural color variation.
Make peace with a loss of privacy. If you don't like to feel exposed — even when you're alone in the house — an open shower may not be for you. Even if you don't have a bare window wall such as the one in this bathroom, you'll be on full view from the rest of the space. Consider a frosted or textured glass half-wall as a compromise if modesty is an issue.
Select surfaces that can stand up to moisture. Even with careful attention to an open shower's design, splashes and steam will escape. Outfit your bath with surfaces that hold their own against moisture: porcelain or glass tile, metal, stone, solid surfacing, engineered quartz and some woods. Avoid fabrics and other materials that are prone to mildew.
Ensure proper drainage. Not only will you guard against damage from standing water, but you'll also protect yourself from skidding on wet floors. Angle the shower floor slightly so that water flows toward the drain, and think about adding a second drain for doubly effective siphoning.
Choose an appropriate showerhead. Unless you have a very large buffer zone, a standard showerhead that angles outward can end up soaking your space. Opt for a rain-style model, which casts water straight down, or a handheld type that allows you to control the position and flow. If you do use a more conventional model, mount it so that the spray hits an opposite wall rather than the shower opening.
Prepare to combat chills. There's no getting around it — open showers can be drafty, especially in the winter months. Installing a heat lamp and radiant heat bathroom flooring can offset the shivers. Mount a heated towel rack nearby, and you'll be extra toasty as you dry off.
Consider a corner location if possible. Orient the shower in a corner that faces away from the other bathroom zones. Not only does this guard against spraying water, but it also preserves some measure of privacy (more on that in a minute).
Brick arches and accents in exercise room.
Video golf room
Indoor hawkeye gym.
Wow. Wood. Indoor basketball court in Telluride.
Indoor gym with view
Indoor gym
Celebrate the brick's irregularity. Even simple, common brick takes on an elegance and richness when left exposed. Cleaned up and restored, this brick is laid in a running bond pattern with a soldier course of stacked bricks on top. Color, texture, patina and craft combine to create a perfect complement for a modern stairway.
Lighting behind back of stair as well as colors and railing
Using back of staircase as storage for books or CDs
Stairs
Door
Choosing steel for the legs allows them to be slender and allows for top and bottom plates that are unique: The former is tucked within the top, and the latter is jagged, like an island that the table sits upon.
This last example is a coffee table by Charles Rose Architects with legs that definitely don't look like traditional table legs. Instead of four legs in a grid, there are 22 (I think) slender legs holding up the wood surface.
A couple of decorative pieces finish this article. This steel panel is a great way of breaking up a wood wall, creating a focus but also acting as a backdrop for flowers inserted into the tube sticking through the bottom flange. It harks to the way Frank Lloyd Wright would design holders for weeds, but here it is contemporary and even more integral with the house.
Big views out to the trees and this live-edge dining table make the beautiful surroundings a big part of the interior.
A spectacular cathedral ceiling makes this open-plan first floor feel vast, yet the use of wood beams and a wood ceiling gives a nod to traditional rustic lake houses.
Ceiling and floors
Window Types
Window description from Department of Energy
Aged wood look and contemporary metal
This one's for the (idea)books: a covered sleeping porch complete with custom daybeds, ceiling fans and ocean views. Fireworks are going off in my head.
Q