Though the Arizona desert may seem an unlikely cousin to the Mediterranean, both speak fluently in sun, stone and texture.<\/p>\n
Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n
A sanctuary was the intention, says Jennifer Burgess, the developer, designer and co-listing agent behind this oasis of calm in the Arizona desert between Phoenix and Scottsdale. \u201cOur lives are so fast-paced and connected to the screen that we rarely have the opportunity to look up and appreciate beauty, even in our immediate surroundings,\u201d she observes. So she created a property that would immediately put a resident at ease with everything from the architecture to the interiors and the landscape. All, says Burgess, \u201cdesigned in perfect harmony.\u201d <\/p>\n
With more than 300 days of clear skies a year, outdoor living is not a luxury in Paradise Valley. It is the point. This home obliges accordingly.<\/p>\n
Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n
Indeed, there\u2019s plenty of beauty to admire at the Paradise Valley home\u2014which at first glance appears like a mirage from the sand and mountains as a contemporary build of cubic forms infused with aged character. Antique doors, mortar-washed stone, limestone troughs, old-growth trees and Venetian plaster, among other soulful touches. It\u2019s like your very own Borgo Egnazia<\/a>\u2014that effortlessly elegant hotel in the rolling Puglian countryside\u2014that you never need to check out of. <\/p>\n Transom windows pull glass upward, giving daylight one more way in.<\/p>\n Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n Sculptural woven pendants hover overhead, adding a handmade note to the room\u2019s clean lines.<\/p>\n Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n Burgess explains: \u201cI wanted to give it a slightly Mediterranean flair inspired by climates similar to Arizona\u2014like Italy, Portugal or Greece\u2014while honoring the desert. We didn\u2019t want it to have an identity crisis, though, so we leaned into local species and used the architecture as the backdrop so the landscaping could really shine.\u201d <\/p>\n It\u2019s like your very own Borgo Egnazia\u2014that effortlessly elegant hotel in the rolling Puglian countryside\u2014that you never need to check out of.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Like an invite-only wellness retreat, the home at 8717 N Avenida Del Sol<\/a> has a collection of alfresco features that certainly feel more European than American, including an outside staircase, indoor-outdoor living spaces, roof deck, two-way fireplace and private courtyard. \u201cIn the summer, we\u2019re up to 100 degrees here in Arizona, but in the mornings and evenings you can still be in the yard or on the terrace, so the outdoor space can be used year-round,\u201d Burgess explains. <\/p>\n The kitchen favors generous proportions, with wide passages and a substantial central island built for easy, unhurried entertaining.<\/p>\n Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n Stone tile and warm wood carry the home\u2019s earthy palette into the kitchen.<\/p>\n Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n The developer wasn\u2019t a lone wolf in her vision for what she describes as a \u201cdesert organic home\u201d\u2014a kind of Myconian villa without the mayhem, a trullo house without the tradition. In a star-studded line-up, she collaborated with Stratton Architects\u2014the Phoenix-based practice founded by wunderkind Stratton Andrews<\/a>, who brought young-gun energy and award-winning talent\u2014and The Green Room Landscape Architecture, whose deft hand at \u2018desertscaping\u2019 is coveted statewide. Tinker Development, a family building firm that specializes in custom builds in the Phoenix area, was entrusted with the construction. <\/p>\n With its play of smooth and rugged surfaces, the central fireplace captures the home\u2019s architectural language in miniature.<\/p>\n Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n As in the best desert architecture, shade is never by accident\u2014it’s part of the design.<\/p>\n Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n It took the crack team three years from start to finish\u2014an angular new-build that feels like it\u2019s been softened by sand and time over years. \u201cI showed the team a myriad of pictures from Puglia where limestone farmhouses are reimagined into modern homes, which is the essence of what I wanted this property to be,\u201d Burgess explains. \u201cWe had to work hard to create aged characteristics such as deep, recessed windows not typically found in modern buildings. Outside, we incorporated a layer of mature trees and desert plants that don\u2019t just lend a sense of mystery by concealing the house from the street, but mean there\u2019s no need to worry about watering or cutting the grass or plants if you want to lock up and leave.\u201d<\/p>\n A two-way fireplace turns the suite and terrace into a single, easy design conversation.<\/p>\n Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n It took the crack team three years from start to finish\u2014an angular new-build that feels like it\u2019s been softened by sand and time over years.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n A rustic, rough-hewn tone basin brings an organic heft to the bath.<\/p>\n Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n Efficiency doesn\u2019t just extend to the landscaping, either. Tech has been seamlessly integrated behind the scenes to offer a fully automated home that doesn\u2019t compromise on rustic aesthetics. The quietest of luxuries, if you will. Says Burgess: \u201cPeople want their homes to almost operate on their own. We used a system that means that everything can be controlled via your phone. With the tap of an app, you can turn on lights, program the pool and adjust the music that plays in each room, whether you\u2019re at home or across the pond. There\u2019s a space that\u2019s specifically built to house all the wires behind closed doors.\u201d<\/p>\n Views of Mummy Mountain sharpen the sense of place, putting Arizona firmly in the frame.<\/p>\n Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n There may be no Adriatic to dive into, but a stylish tiled pool makes a rather persuasive substitute.<\/p>\n Eric Kruk Photography<\/p>\n On paper, this Mediterranean-via-Arizona masterpiece is impressive even by the elevated standards of this upscale enclave\u2014five en suite bedrooms, plus an owner\u2019s suite, detached guest house, four-car garage, swimming pool and cold plunge (of course). <\/p>\n But it\u2019s how the structure feels, and the soulful design, that are the real sells. The seamless cohesion as you walk through each space. The natural palette and organic materials\u2014muted terracotta and neutral stone\u2014that emulate the untamed landscape. And the sense of calm embedded into everything that seems to whisper \u201cand breathe.\u201d <\/p>\n 8717 N Avenida del Sol<\/a> is on the market with RETSY<\/a> listing agents Jennifer Burgess<\/a> and Siena Koppelman<\/a>. RETSY is a member of Forbes Global Properties<\/a>, the invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes<\/a>. <\/p>\n This article has been updated to correct a caption that misidentified Mummy Mountain as Camelback Mountain,.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Though the Arizona desert may seem an unlikely cousin to the Mediterranean, both speak fluently in sun, stone…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":786218,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[5643,648,1032,321429,1033,171,196425,16230,1589,321431,321430,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-786217","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arizona","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-arts-and-design","11":"tag-desert-architecture","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-forbes-global-properties","15":"tag-paradise-valley","16":"tag-phoenix","17":"tag-puglia","18":"tag-stratton-andrews","19":"tag-united-states","20":"tag-unitedstates","21":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116549525521171174","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=786217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/786218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=786217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=786217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=786217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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