Infusing A Bit Of Whimsy Into A Paris-Inspired Arizona Abode
A Parisian-inspired Phoenix abode is a showcase of fanciful color.
Whimsical yet elegant, this Phoenix home is “like a marshmallow in a bowl of raisins,” jokes architect C.P. Drewett. From the stately wrought-iron gates to such surprising spaces as a full-scale bar and a bowling alley, the brief was clear: Build an abode that embraces classic European style but with a bold twist
“Our region is accustomed to contemporary homes, but there’s a hunger for traditional architecture as the city becomes more refined,” continues Drewett, who worked with builder Brett Brimley as well as designers Caroline Tyler DeCesare and Kathryn Brower. To meet the homeowners’ dreams of a French estate, the architect developed a neoclassical language tailored for today.
The house sits on a narrow lot, so Drewett devised an attenuated approach, creating a sense of arrival first with a pea-gravel parking area, then with a limestone walkway that leads to the fountain courtyard and front door. “We really wanted that old European feel, and we especially like Parisian architecture,” the husband says. Evoking the city’s Tuileries Gardens, landscape designer Jeff Berghoff brought in boxwood hedging and orangery-style planters filled with flowering trees and annuals.
Home Details
Architecture:
C.P. Drewett, Robert Banach and Ryan Dooley, Drewett Works
Interior Design:
Caroline Tyler DeCesare and Kathryn Brower, DeCesare Design Group
Home Builder:
Brett Brimley, Brimley Development Landscape
Architecture:
Jeff Berghoff, Berghoff Design Group
Through the living room’s windows by Sierra Pacific Windows, the owners of this Phoenix home enjoy views of Camelback Mountain. The sectionals and marble-topped side table are by Century Furniture, and both the yellow and patterned ottomans are by Chaddock.
Pendants by Hudson Valley Lighting play to the custom hood designer Caroline Tyler DeCesare had installed above the kitchen’s Lacanche range. Calacatta Borghini marble from The Stone Collection accents the Desert Cove Woodworks-crafted cabinetry.
Drama ensues in the back kitchen, where cabinetry by Desert Cove Woodworks painted Sherwin-Williams’ Hunt Club is paired with Nero Marquina countertops from Arizona Tile. Flooring from Craftsman Court Ceramics, Hudson Valley Lighting fixtures and a Whitehaus Collection sink up the ante.
Sherwin-Williams’ Tricorn Black is a bold backdrop to artworks by Michael Carson flanking a vintage piece in the bar. Noir cocktail tables pull up to Chaddock banquettes upholstered in leather from Tiger Leather. The pendant lights are by Generation Lighting.
Antique doors reclaimed from a New York City brownstone open to the bar, which showcases Calacatta Macchia Vecchia marble from The Stone Collection along the front. The barstools are by J.Alexander.
DeCesare integrated Sub-Zero appliances into the bar cabinetry and matched a Whitehaus Collection sink with a Brizo faucet. Below the Roll & Hill chandelier is a brass countertop by GrayLeaf Studio.
A Hickory Chair bed nestles into an alcove with custom paneling by Door Works in the primary bedroom. The tête-à-tête is by Chaddock, the custom drapes are made with Kravet fabric and the rug is by Exquisite Rugs.
The primary bathroom was designed to feel like a hotel. Marble wall cladding from Arizona Tile and flooring from Facings of America, both installed by Thomas Tile & Stone, are joined by Kallista shower fittings.
While defining his architectural plan, Drewett, working with project director Robert Banach and project manager Ryan Dooley, “spent a lot of time discussing how to create a hierarchy of spaces and how the visual story would unfold through the house,” the architect says. “It was such a fun process,” the wife recalls. “We loved defining a style and seeing it all come together, but as a mom, I especially love how functional C.P.’s layout is.” Guest rooms and casual living spaces surround the courtyard for an easy flow. As it recedes, the house becomes more private, culminating in the couple’s bedroom suite, which includes a fitness space and treatment room.
“This house fits them perfectly,” says DeCesare, who had worked with the couple previously. “They’re sophisticated, in sync, and share a real love of color and design.” In fact, the wife’s aunt is Victoria Mackenzie-Childs, co-founder of the luxury home goods company of the same name known for its colorful, patternon-pattern designs. Bold and bright interiors clearly run in the family. “I grew up around it and still really enjoy the sense of playfulness those pieces bring,” the wife says.
DeCesare embraced that spirit, weaving it into every room. At the front door, a mirrored wall and patterned marble floor set a glamorous tone, while the airy great room offers two grand seating areas brightened by jewel tones, a palette the designer continued in the breakfast nook. And while the main kitchen is predominantly white, the back kitchen was done in emerald with a mirror on the far wall that creates the impression of an 18th -century dressing room. The formal dining area, which features black lacquered wine storage flanking a painting by Michael Carson, completes the great room—though there is much more beyond this central space.
Rather than creating a formal living room they feared might go unused, the owners decided to instead devote space to a bar that could access both the front courtyard and the side pool terrace. But it’s no average home bar. A modern take on an English men’s club, teal barstools and a butterscotch banquette create dramatic contrast against black paneled walls. “We thought a bar would be cool,” the husband says. “And we get a lot more use out of it, especially in football season.” Downstairs is another large entertaining space replete with a media lounge, pool table and bowling lane.
When it came to designing the family’s bedrooms, DeCesare and Brower softened the palette with pale pinks for the daughter and blue-gray hues for the son. In the primary bedroom, she kept to neutrals and focused on the view of Camelback Mountain, placing a têteà-tête in the window. “It’s restful, with no visual noise,” she says.
It is this thoughtfulness around space—be it a tranquil retreat or a room made for celebration—that defines the dwelling. “Our home is an expression of our family,” the wife muses. “It feels like us, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.”