Visualization is essential when it comes to redesigning a home. One local pair of homeowners, both real estate and tech entrepreneurs, reported that when they first saw their new home, they laid down tape to see how the rooms could be changed.
Once they bought their 5,000-square-foot foothills house, they discussed renovation in light of their lifestyle. Family is important to them, and they wanted to share many holidays and gatherings with them. That made social areas a top priority.
The initial idea was to turn their 1993 residence into an ultra-contemporary home. But after receiving bids and talking with both an architect and contractor, they chose to scale back the scope of work. That meant updating fixtures and finishes within their existing footprint, with an eye toward a wow factor.
The home has spectacular Ventana Canyon vistas the owners wanted to accentuate. Changes started with big sliding glass doors looking out the back toward the city lights.
The homeowners, who had not worked with a designer before — nor lived through a renovation of this scale — brought in Bry Pavlov, owner of Deluxe Designs of Arizona.
“The owners loved the character of the existing floor plan but weren’t sure how to make it meet their needs without extensive work and the cost associated with it,” Pavlov explains. “After multiple in-depth meetings, we were able to come up with a cohesive design plan that fit their budget without compromising on the aesthetic and functional aspects they wanted.”
Pavlov zeroed in on the entry, dining room, powder room, living room, fireplace, family room, flex room, office and office bathroom, along with new interior paint and replacement windows and doors throughout the residence.
Pavlov enjoyed full design freedom, starting with the statement front door — courtesy of Butler Custom Doors.
Creative problem-solving transformed lifeless rooms. For example, a dated metal railing system and a dividing wall between the living and dining rooms completely blocked the views. Removing the former and bumping the latter down to a pony wall opened up the space dramatically and offered a sightline from entry to exit.
Bold, modern new entry and dining room fixtures and finishes created a contemporary tone, while bold accents of red, orange, and yellow draw the eye.
Bold, modern new entry and dining room fixtures and finishes created a contemporary tone, while bold accents of red, orange, and yellow draw the eye.
“They weren’t afraid to experiment with bursts of color, and weren’t boxed into a trendy palette.”
To avoid a cookie-cutter look, each room received one custom-designed item. Among them, backlit, book-matched quartzite slabs and a custom built-in TV unit add scale-appropriate, personalized focal points. The soft curve of the custom powder bath’s vanity and textural tile blend perfectly with the high-impact and modern design of this reimagined residence.
Pavlov admits that coming up with a functional floor plan without enlarging the house was a challenge. Existing rooms needed to take on multiple purposes to succeed, with layers of design.
The creation of a joint home office included two workstations, file cabinets, storage, a seating area and a bar. The remodeled home office and office bathroom exhibit an abundance of details.
The homeowners use their “flex” room as a lounge and workout area on a daily basis. Arizona Cabinet Innovations built the Murphy bed wall unit, a sleek solution Pavlov designed to hide the king bed, wardrobe cabinet, and hidden access to the storage closet stowing games and gear. That opened floor space for a pool table during house parties.
Not a single design detail was left unattended to.
“Chrome hardware reflects sunlight from the window on the opposing wall; structural elements were wrapped with high-gloss acrylic paneling; and decorative chrome caps covered any visible screws and bolts,” says Pavlov.
Balance was a key factor in making this unit fit proportionally within the space.
One of the homeowners had the idea of painting the ceiling in the office an accent color and Pavlov loved it.
“By taking the unconventional path of painting the ceiling an accent color, we maximized reflections in the high-gloss white flooring, visually increasing the height of the room,” Pavlov explains. “The custom millwork repeated the color scheme, providing an overall unique design that met all requirements.”
The remodel got recognition from design experts, winning three regional and national awards for excellence in 2022 in two separate competitions.
“When a designer and client are able to come together and collaborate with fun and innovative concepts, it’s kismet,” Pavlov enthuses.
