Scottsdale Home Remodel
EUROPEAN VILLA
Despite its graciousness and good bones, this house was in a state of neglect when we started this project. Dreary and uninspired, it projected a lifeless feeling, exactly the opposite of what our clients envisioned. Impressed by its possibilities, we were certain the house could be turned into the warm, European-style villa the family desired.
The biggest challenge was the long, narrow family room/kitchen area. Looking at the banquette today, it’s hard to imagine it wasn’t always there. Dividing the sitting area from the eating area and kitchen, the space is now well defined, making sense in a most natural way. The dining room, so stark before, is now one of the most vivid and inviting rooms in the house. The master bedroom, originally broken into three awkward spaces, was opened up into one luxurious and functional room, and leads to the master bath with its elegant dressing area. The interior garden atrium, with its stunning iron gates, was transformed from its former black stone and fiber optic décor to a gracious multi-purpose area
Remodeling the three fireplaces by increasing their scale and importance contributed significantly to the overall design theme as did the Venetian plaster and faux finishes that were applied to virtually every wall inside and outside the house.
This project is an extraordinary example of preservation in an era of tear-it-down mentality.