Name: Joanna and Dave
Location: Chandler, Arizona
Size: 3,000 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years
Today we are sharing a pretty (and big!) Arizona home that was submitted by readers, Joanna and Dave. Joanna is the co-owner of a design company and owner of an Etsy boutique, while Dave is an operations manager/realtor and jack of all trades. After the couple married, they were on the hunt for a house to make a home. They finally found a house with good bones in Chandler, Arizona and could see the potential immediately. Like most newer home communities, there was the “cookie-cutter” factor. But per Joanna, "We believe we've created a little something special inside. Between my design 'know how' and my husband’s handy work, we were able to create our dream home."
AT Survey:
Our style: Modern Chic. The contrast of black and white mixed with the shimmer of glass, mirrors and crystals makes our home look clean and glamorous. I keep the interest in a monotone palette by playing with textures and adding a pop of color here and there.
Inspiration: I don’t know if I can pin point my inspiration, being in the design industry, I am constantly exposed to beautiful things. I think my inspiration is a collection of things I love.
Favorite Element: My favorite element of our home is its functionality. One of our best ideas was to tear down the wall separating our master closet with the utility room. This allowed us a larger closet, while making the chore of laundry much easier. An organized home is a happy home.
Biggest Challenge: Our biggest challenge was the re-design of the kitchen. A whole new kitchen was in order. Our original white washed cabinets were very short in comparison to the height of the ceiling. We ripped out the soffit above and put in 42” uppers to draw attention to the vaulted ceiling. We wanted to incorporate a hidden garbage area, beverage fridge, drawer dishwasher, wine storage and more pantry space. After many space plans we decided on the perfect one that included everything.
What Friends Say: My friends are always commenting on the crisp and clean decor with a careful eye for the details. The most impressive being the pillow cut marble tiles that cover our fireplace from the first floor to the second.
Proudest DIY: Our proudest do-it-yourself was the vanities in the master bathroom. These were originally dressers that we turned into sinks. I searched on the internet for weeks for the perfect sinks to fit on top, with a faucet that would project enough from the wall to hit the middle of the sink to prevent splashing.
Biggest Indulgence: Our biggest indulgence was our shower in the master bathroom. Since we swapped the original spots of the shower and tub we had to re-plumb the drains and faucets. I wanted to have a large shower with his and hers shower heads. We had the shower heads plumbed so they were at the correct height for each of us. Since I designed the shower custom, we had to have a custom shower enclosure made. It was a challenge and expense to make it frameless like I envisioned.
Best advice: I think the best advice I could give when looking for things for your home is to look at the potential in something. Most objects can be altered with a little effort to make them what you really want. Let’s just say….. Do not under estimate the power of a can of spray paint and a glue gun!
Resources:
Appliances: Sears
Hardware: eBay, Lowes, Home Depot
Furniture: Sitcom, Home Goods, Stanley Furniture, Rowe, IKEA. The powder room vanity was from Stein World.
Lighting: Lamps Plus, Hacienda Lighting, Home Goods, Pier One
Artwork: Custom Dog artwork, Home Goods, Pier One, Framing by The Art Department.
Paint: Sherwin-Williams
Flooring: Imperial Wholesale, Kaiser Tile
Tiles and Stone: Arizona Tile, Imperial Wholesale, Kaiser Tile, Fireplace stone, Contessa Stone
Window Treatments: Custom
Accessories: Pillows from Dio Dio (www.diodiodomesticcouture.com), Home Goods, Torre and Tagus, Pier One, Z Gallerie, Crate and Barrel, Uttermost, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls
Other: Built-in panels: www.cuttingedgecomponents.com, Custom work table and mantle: www.abbottconstruction.org, Wallpaper: Osborne and Little
(Thanks, Joanna and Dave!)
We've had amazing response to our Apartment Therapy House Tour Submission Form. While we will work with homeowners of our favorite homes to feature full tours, we will also share the best as House Calls — short, quick tours of readers' homes. Submit your home here.
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Comments (112)
i want that pool
Absolutely beautiful!
Elegant and comfortable.
I know a lady who bought a hummer to drive to the nail salon, directly across the street.
Lovely! The wallpapers are amazing! I like all the architectural upgrades they made. (ie. chair railings and relief patterned wall) The curtain in the living room seems a bit out of place though and not sure what the chair silhouettes are about.
Do they actually live here? From the photos it seems like they don't.
Very elegant and sophisticated. I really like the textures used in the kitchen backsplash and the master bathroom.
This house is beyond gorgeous. I understand what jo4936 means - it seems a bit too perfect. I love the walls in the guest room, the nursery is a dream, and I personally think the chair silhouettes are just funky enough!
It's so refreshing to see something so chic from the valley. I'm so tired of southwest, western, and mediterranean style all over the place. This gives me hope, should I end up living in the suburbs and not in a 1920s bungalow downtown, like I dream...
On the other hand, my place will never be this pristine and perfect. I love the different, unexpected touches, but this just doesn't look like humans live there. It's like looking at a magazine spread. Gorgeous, but so unattainable. Still, the personal touches make me feel like the people who do live there are in love with their space, and I think that's what really matters. If that makes any sense at all.
Is this an "actual" home? Looks more like a magazine shoot to me.
I mean really, you know a house staged for a great photo shoot, nobody wants to see the bed unmade as displayed by AT comments. This home is tasteful, warm, and beautiful.
Amazing work, great taste, love the colors but you do need a good amount of cash to bring that "chicness" up in a house. I wonder what have you used around the fireplace?
Yes, we actually do live here, with a baby and 2 basset hounds our house is almost never pristine. Unless of course people are coming over to visit. Or we are getting it photographed:)
We hide the baby toys and dog bones in secret hiding spots. I think it is important to keep things organized, everything needs a home (or hiding place).
Thank you for all of your wonderful comments!
The textures are sumptuous and it definitely does not look like a cookie cutter house anymore with all the architectural details added.
It does, however, feel just like the HGTV dream homes they have once a year - perfectly styled with very little personality. With the HGTV homes though, nobody actually lives there yet so it's understandable. While I realize most everybody will make their beds and put away their clutter for a photoshoot, this just feels sterile. Beautifully and mono-tonally sterile.
Same style as my home (interior), even the same bed. Love it!
A lovely staged home. I am in the consensus of those yearning to see more whimsy, personality and character (akin to your office, which is incredibly fun & capricious). I always tell my clients to treat their home as an extension of themselves - an expectation to see AND feel some form and element of individualism, essentiality and soul. So don't be afraid to let who you are shine forth THROUGH your home. No one lives in a perfect world.
(btw- can't help but mention that the asymmetrical floating shelves feel a tad off in the sitting room). Great effort!
I adore the nursery - the 3D tree is a showstopper. Very creative use for those magnetic wall flowers. And the pink faux bois around the bottom of the walls is so pretty.
Wow. Lots of really cool textures and wallpaper. I love the dog canvas! Beautiful home.
While this is completely not my style, I can appreciate the chicness of a home that could be cookie-cutter and generic. It feels as though a lot of thought and imagination went into this place, I really like the use of texture and patterns, especially in unexpected places.
I'm with anniekins, if I'm ever forced to move to the suburbs, I could only dream of a home as chic as this.
And of course this place seems perfect - it's for a photo shoot people!
Some really cool things going on here, but I agree with some of the other comments - I would like to see more elements that reflect you guys' and your hobbies, interests, and tastes.
That houndstooth couch, by the way... is amazing!
Dream home is right! I LOVE this house, I could move right in and wouldn't change a thing. I love the Picasso, the faux bois in the nursery, the wall in the guest room...everything.
I'm so impressed, excellent job you two!
I love the black and white theme and the restraint on using colors. This is one of the best house tours I've seen on AT in a while!
The square pattern on the wall in the guest room is awesome! It would be great if you can let me know how it was done.
When I'm out for deliveries, I get a chance to kinda peek inside from outside the door... so far there have been 2 homes that I would die for. One was in Ahwatukee and the other was on the SE side of South Mountain. Both were just stunning... and not in the usual "southwest" decor I've seen, but not modern either... I don't know how to explain it... but there are some gorgeous homes out here in AZ. I'm glad to see another on here!!! :D
Just gorgeous-nice to see Arizona here.
An opulent hotel suite in Dubai
I love your style - glamourous yet practical (the desk in the snappy guest room). I like it even more that it's not the typical etsy birds, mid-century, dwell look that we're usually subjected to here. Very sophisticated, yet fun (the nursery, the mirrors, the wall coverings, etc). I'm also glad to see someone else shops at discount places like Home Goods...
I love this tour and your style, crisp, contemporary, and glamorous. I really like how the rooms all speak to each other through similar colors and patterns, yet they all seem to be individual. It creates a momentum that makes me want to see how you adapt your palette to the next space.
I personally like that you've cleaned for the cameras.
Lovely, really lovely. From the outside I thought meh! but the inside looks like Upper East Side meets Palm Beach, with a touch of whimsy. Really outstanding.
An opulent hotel suite in Dubai
tabbymook, I'd be appalled at your bitchiness if I wasn't so darned impressed by your pinpoint accuracy. You should be both ashamed and congratulated.
You had me at A-ROOOOOOH!
(And now I'll go look at the decor pics and see if I can spot any signs of bassie slobber among the loveliness!)
The two symmetrical vanities in the bathroom are surreal (in a good way).
Lovely! Looks like a place designed to calm you down from the crazy outside world. To some people, monotone is not bad and boring. It's nice to see a place without all those planned-out "touch of whimsy" accents designed to prove you are whimsical.
Fireplace is quite interesting!
(Oh, and did I mention I love the dog and dog canvasses? And no slobber detected!)
Joanna's "design know-how" ??
... which really translates to an exact duplication of a
*An opulent hotel suite in Dubai*!!
That comparison couldn't have been more pinpoint accurate.
And I agree with the majority here:
Less cookiecutter-copycat-generic-sterile-staginess please,
and more "real" home design reflecting your personality, spirit, charm and individualism! That's the "know how".
Oh yes, and I also love that you shop at TJ Maxx, Home Goods, and Pier 1. I thought I "discovered" Home Goods out in the west valley. I was expecting very little from that place, but I was shocked at the cute stuff they had! So nice to see those things integrated so nicely.
Overall, I feel like this is so serene and beautiful. I wish I had this restraint. And I completely respect and appreciate the cleaning for the cameras. I also appreciate that you acknowledge this! Thanks for sharing your lovely home!
Kudos to the homeowners for creating their "dream home." That said, I want to share my opinion on the living room. The matchy-matchy color scheme of chartreuse (or is it olive?) and black-and-white seems too calculated and rigid to me. Every thing in the cubby holes look like they were bought in one store trip (I said "look like", for all I know these were accumulated over many years). What are those twig/branch tchotchkes? Everything is so symmetrical and styled, down to the way those little pillows have a chop on them and the way they are angled just so. (Blame the stylist?)
I know I come across as being too critical, I'm just saying what I feel. If this decor makes the homeowners happy, then good for them.
It comes off as a bit "opulent hotel" to me, too. But hey, I don't see anything wrong with that if it suits your style personality and makes you happy. I think the diy vanities in the master bathroom are gorgeous.
Agree with you guys. A really beautiful home with no personality or warmth. It looks staged and rigid. Especially compared to the wonderul house tour of Stephen and Todd (posted right after this one) Now that's a 'home'.
Nani, you're awesome.
The Dubai comments are right on. I was thinking more Vegas but ..
AT- please stop featuring these sorts of places. This is not 'therapy' it's consumerism. Please?
I have no idea what some of these people are talking about?! I absolutely love this home. It's beautiful, elegant, and charming. By looking at these pictures, it is noticeable the owners put thought and creativity into each room in their home. There is nothing wrong with a house looking organized. Great job! House tours like yours are what I love about Apartment Therapy. So, please don't stop featuring them! :)
Love this house tour! I often have a tough time imagining myself loving a cookie-cutter place, and it's great seeing someone work with it! Of course it's amazing to live an an adorable bungalow with original hardwood floors and stained glass windows, but not everyone is so lucky! I appreciate a house that's a little "done." Coming home to a made bed is a must, and coming home to a perfect house sounds pretty awesome too. PEOPLE make a house a home, not stuff. I'm sure when this house is full of people, it's pretty homey too. The only thing I'd add is more family pictures!
This house is so ridiculously perfect, so chic sleek, elegant, I love it and hate it by turns.
Maybe I'm just jealous :)
Amazing! Finally a home with cohesion that doesnt look like a garage sale. This is the 2nd house tour I enjoyed. Im glad it looks perfect, just my style!
PERFECTION!
Love the houndstooth sofa combined with the tan fabric - looks like this is used throughout. Please share the fabric name, and - how is it to clean?
Chic and elegant, and yes... too hotel-ish and monotone for my taste, but it's clear that they have hunted for the exact pieces that THEY wanted, so mazel tov.
It seems they had a vision and worked hard to execute it. It's not really a matter of whether any of us would live there or have the budget to do so, but that they committed to a design and did it down to the letter should be the inspiration here, I think. And cute pooches!
Wow, what a gorgeous place!
I appreciate this couple's resourcefulness and exquisite taste. But in the end this is a McMansion--and a McMansion built in a climate that requires a lot of energy use to maintain. I would have liked to see solar panels, xeriscape, and other efforts to minimize the home's impact on the environment. 3000 square feet is a lot to cool so many months of the year--and a lot of space for a couple, a baby, and a short dog.
It's very lovely. Huge though. Love the Picasso print. I have the same one in my living room. I can definitely appreciate all of the work you have put into making it a home. It's very well thought out and cohesive. I like everything about it....except for the karate chopped pillows. For some reason that drives me banana sandwich. :-)
I very much like the color scheme and the furniture choices and the textile choices. Ignore the haters who complain about lack of imagination and personal style because its not trendy enough. Its just a bit more Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn than it is West Elm or Anthropologie, and that is not a bad thing.
That said, the house itself, not the style in which its been decorated, which I have no beef with, is big and bland and McMansion and pretty much not cute at all. Small cute family, cute classic decoration, big dumb house.
Wow! Love that the house doesn't look like a stereotypical Arizona house. Truly amazing!
I have to ask, where or where did they get that lovely cocktail/coffee table?
I don't see anything old in this house. Makes it impersonal to me. Also, it's too put together. Everything matches. Not my cup of tea.
People here are fascinating. I'm always intrigued by peoples' comments on homes and decor that are out of their own personal price range. "Trying too hard," "showing off wealth," "trying to impress," "consumerism," "should have more homemade / makeshift / thrift store / 'interesting' things" etc.
Isn't this a matter of perspective?
I'm quite certain in many parts of the world, or even this country, or city, for that matter, people out of work, barely making ends meet, in poverty, etc. might look at your house tours, all filled with your "creative" midcentury Craigslist furniture, home hacks, etc., and find your own homes to be "opulent," "unnecessary," "showing off," with all that furniture, custom paint, decorative pillows, window treatments, etc. (things that would be very luxurious to those living with only the bare essentials).
If this family has the money to buy what they want, should they not because it is "showy" to those of you stuck in small rental units? Silly.
This home is beautiful. Obviously a lot of thought and creativity in it. It makes them happy, and it's pretty to look at. Enough said.
This house is beautiful. I'd like to see more color but that's just a personal preference.
I especially like the fireplace, the square wall molding, and the basset hound canvas.
Lovely! Lovely! Lovely!
I've been bothered ever since I read this last night by people judging this family for the size of their home. My house is a bit bigger than theirs, and I bought it when my mom passed away so my family (4 brothers and sisters, grandparents, nieces and nephews) could still get together for dinners, holidays and parties. Most of the homes in my city have a bunch of square footage lost in unfinished basements--you really need to buy a house this big or bigger in order to have enough liveable space for a big family. How can anyone judge a total stranger for why they bought/rent a certain size home? It's one of the most annoying characteristics of some posters here.
Love this space.
I like this house, especially the dog portraits, and the nursery.
I love this house! It's perfection and just beautifully done. It has whimsy, charm, elegance and style. I live in a suburban tract house myself, so I really enjoyed seeing the challenge of turning that type of house into something completely individual.
As for the naysayers, try doing that? It takes a lot more effort and thought to turn a cookie cutter into a work of art than it does the cool old bungalow with good bones.
Great job and thank-you for posting AT.
Yep, so this isn't the hipster mid-century urban owl-art home made loft type places that everyone on AT loves (and well, thats my type of place too) but you know what? THATS OK!
Some people here are so judgemental and think they know best when it comes to design...
That being said, Joanna, your home is beautiful. Again, it isn't "my thing" but if I were to live in the suburbs and this is what my home looked like, I would be quite happy. This is STYLE. It is elegant and classy. I plan on sending my mom (who has great style and happens to live in a similar house) these photos for inspiration.
My favorite things:
The striped wallpaper and mirrored vanity in the bathroom.
The molding on the wall in the master bedroom.
The strip of rocks tiling in the bathroom and also noticing it on the floor of the shower. So Cool!
Guest room wall...I am stealing that idea for my bedroom!!
Polka-dotted chair in the nursery.
The tree mural...wow! You are talented.
The iconic chairs mural is cute
Oh your pool and landscaping...if I lived there I would never need to go elsewhere for vacation and I would have parties all the time.
Your style reminds me of my mom, classy and elegant and living the good life. Nothing wrong with that!
i like it but i'm not a fan of the same black/ivory in EVERY room. i like the rooms individually but they are all too similar for the same house. it's a little repeditive. nonetheless, i like!
I don't know why people are saying this place has no personality. If you pay attention, you see it all over the place in the details and it all ties into the final studio shots where we see her passion is for fabric, pattern, and design. I guess some people aren't happy unless there's at least one Eames shell rocker or other iconic chair with the requisite sheepskin so "casually" tossed over it, thrifted vintage portraits that look like they were painted by someone taking a community art class, pictures of the hipster owners trying to look oh so cool, or tons of glowing "pops of color" that are bright enough to make your eyes cross.
I absolutely love the way you've mixed patterns, the gorgeous Picasso print, the adorable dog portrait, the rock border in the bathroom, and the framed onesie. There are lots of great little details. I also enjoyed seeing the Ikea table in the guest room. I have the same one because I love the shape of the legs. Your house is beautiful.
Don't stop putting homes like these in the tours, AT. It's always refreshing to see a home tour that isn't the standard MCM love fest.
Why do people have to be so snarky? If you don't have something nice to say...
Joanna, your home is gorgeous. You're an artist through and through! Thanks for sharing.
Not my style, but I love the nursery, the bathroom sinks and pebble tile, the houndstooth sofa.
It makes me curious what Joanna sells on Etsy, since there were lots of brightly colored fabrics in the sweing room.
Is anybody else getting a REALLY ANNOYING POP-UP AD when they try to enter the House Tour? Also unable to "return to original post" due to annoying pop-up.
So many fun textures and textiles. And I personally love that you cleaned the space so well for the cameras.
Beautiful!
Sorry, I hate it. Seems like a big hotel suite. Nothing spontaneous in the place.
I'm right there with msjessiemeghan. This is a lovely home. It's newer and less urban than the typical fare shown here...but I think that's good. The majority of homeowners in the US don't live in converted-warehouse lofts or brownstones or rowhouses. Most people live in more recently built developed communities or tract homes. And I've got news for all the judgey magees: It's easy to have personality in a 100-year old building with exposed brick and patina'd hardwood floors and historic molding. Try putting the same stuff in a house built 1975 or later, and it looks distinctly lackluster.
For the record, AT, I'm dying to see more recently built houses here, because I own a house built in 1980, and I really want to see how other people deal with the lack of intrinsic character--where they succeed and where they fail in inserting their own character. It's hard, people! Joanna has done a lovely job.
I came back to this post to look at this house again, because I love it, and I'm very disappointed by the comments.
I'm sure other cities are in a similar situation, but in Arizona, it's rather difficult to find a house in a family-friendly suburb that is not sprawling and "too big." If you're raising a family and want your kids to be able to ride their bikes on the street, you can't live downtown, which is where I'm sure most AT posters would rather live (including me). Downtown Phoenix is simply not practical for many people.
Instead, people live in other cities like Chandler, Gilbert, Goodyear, etc. These cities are built around subdivisions that feature McMansions, and they're very, very popular because of the space they offer, as well as the proximity to good schools, and the small-town feel of the neighborhoods.
Joanna and Dave made their decision to live in Chandler, and Chandler is not graced with a plethora of "AT-appropriate" homes. They bought their house and made it work for them. These cookie cutters are like a plague out here, but theirs is different, unique, and beautiful. Not every has to have a loft or 100 year old bungalow in order to showcase good design and taste.
Coincidentally, I showed this to my boyfriend (a Paradise Valley native) and I have never seen him so impressed with something on AT. This isn't my favorite house tour here, but I am amazed by it because it takes a house type I loathe and makes it covetable. Just because this is not the typical AT tour, and just because it reminds some people of a hotel, doesn't mean it isn't personal and special to the home owners.
Sorry for the rant, but being in the same area and being so underwhelmed by so many houses with the same aesthetic, I become more and more impressed with this house every time I see it. It makes me sad to see people being so nasty about it. Therapy comes in all shapes.
I hope Joanna and Dave take the harsh criticisms with a grain of salt and continue to treasure their home.
"Just because this is not the typical AT tour, and just because it reminds some people of a hotel, doesn't mean it isn't personal and special to the home owners."
well put.
while their style is much different from my own, i think this is gorgeous and inspiring. it looks like it was done by a professional design firm without shouting "this was done by a professional design firm". the use of some textured materials such as the pillow cut tiles and the wall mouldings give it depth.
btw, great etsy shop. finally found some pillow covers that i like and can afford (paprika and chocolate fence)!!
i like it. it's a nice example of how to take a cookie cutter home and make it unique.
also, blackfrancine and anniekins: well said.
It is HARD making these Phoenix tract homes with their textured walls, 2" baseboards, and bullnose corners look like anything other than suburban boredom - especially if you want modern chic! The homeowners with this house have done a good job of breaking the mold. It is not my style, but I gleaned some good ideas from their creative use of wall treatments. And the stone on the fireplace is killer.
".....a McMansion built in a climate that requires a lot of energy use to maintain. I would have liked to see solar panels, xeriscape, and other efforts to minimize the home's impact on the environment. 3000 square feet is a lot to cool so many months of the year--and a lot of space for a couple, a baby....."
Hey Sally305. Get off your high horse. They bought a house that was already built. Should they have used more resources to build a smaller house more to your liking? How do you know they don't plan on having 3 or 4 kids. Do you know they do not have solar panels and that they have air conditioners? I see a ceiling fan. Perhaps they have plans to xeriscape the rest of the front yard when they can save the small fortune required to do this. By the way 3000 sq feet is an average sized family home these days.
I like this.
For those who are ignorant to life outside the big city:
You CAN'T build whatever sort of house you want in most of these communities. To buy in a custom community costs HUGE amounts of money and there are frequently more size restrictions--so a small place could be out of the question. The older subs in this area don't have charm--they are even more ticky tacky than the new ones. The older houses were built cheap in the 70s and 80s and have faded with the sun and harsh climate. As for xeriscaping--there's a good chance that they have a good amount of desert-scape. From what I've seen, Arizonians have smaller lawns than folks in most other states.
This house is oh-so-beautiful! I usually don't like a lot of monochromatic design, but this is so elegant and the variance in pattern and texture really work!
I love the mirrored vanity, is it available somewhere? Would the price of it make me cry?
I'm also wondering what you used as a backsplash in the kitchen...is it stone or wallpaper?
Great job!!!!!!!!!!
Honestly, if this was a 3000 square foot log house in New Hampshire, you'd all be oohing and aahing. But, hey, if you can't live in a log house, you have to live somewhere, including the drywalled suburbs of Chandler, Arizona. So give these people a break. In fact, please, give everyone a break who doesn't live in a 150 square foot MCM studio apartment or a large (but cozy) converted barn. The reality is, we're all just trying for that perfect mix of form and function, and we should grab our inspiration wherever we can find it. Sometimes, more square footage only means more floor space. We all have the same storage/organization concerns, and we're all just trying our best to make our homes beautiful and functional at the same time. How fortunate we are that so many people have opened their homes to us so that we might get a glimpse of how they do it. So stop snarking or one of these days, the well will run dry. I (for one) would be SCARED to subject my home to your scrutiny.
That being said, I thought that this was a LOVELY house tour. Some of you think it looks like a hotel suite in Dubai???? Wow! What a compliment!!! If you look at the list of sources, they did most of their shopping at IKEA, Home Goods, and Pier One! My, what someone can accomplish with talent and creativity. I'm certainly inspired.
Peachpie, I am not on a "high horse." I just come to AT to see good examples of efficient, modest, creative, small-space living, which is what the site USED to be about. This home, while beautiful, probably cost half a million dollars before all the work the owners put into it--far out of reach for most people these days. If I want to see fabulous expensive homes I will look at the NY Times real estate section.
And anyway, you are wrong about the average square footage of homes today. It is currently about 2400 sq. ft., according to most of the estimates I've seen. Compare that with about 1000 sq. ft. in 1950, when families tended to be bigger (in number, not body mass).
Any chance you're one of those climate-change deniers?
The different wallpapers--WOW! Really lovely. And I adore the baby's room. Very sweet.
I think it is very successful. I love the play on the wainscoting in the nursery. I think I'm lusting most after the fabric collection in the workspace. Jealous!
Hey Sally305, Is it the cost of the house or the sq footage that you have an issue with? Lots of people pay way more than 500,000 for places smaller than 1000 sq feet.
Thanks for the correction on home size in the US. In my region the average home size is 2950 sq feet, though we personally live in 900 sq foot 1940's bungalow, but that is 'our' choice.
I personally love seeing a home that is well edited & looks like someone with design skills put it together.
Looking at the homes posted on A.T. & reading the comments has been a real eye opener for me. I am amazed at how much we amateurs (even though I think I know what I'm doing) have in common & how proud we are of our "stuff" no matter how poorly put together it all is. I have certainly learned a lot about what NOT to do by viewing other peoples spaces.
i can see both sides to this argument. the house seems a bit, i don't know, soul-less? but it is a refreshing change from all the 'look i took a piece of furniture and slapped some paint and amy butler fabric on it' posts
what a beautiful home!!! i also live in a cookie cutter home in az - and it is difficult to make it stylish. and this home has major style! i love the panels in the master bedroom - i am going to steal that look! our bedroom is also - way too big (like most az bedrooms). i am looking for a way to make it cozier - and this is a fab idea. i just love this home!!!
Beautiful... every inch. I love the chair wall paper in the office. The print in the dining room... everything. Wish you were my neighbors!
For the first time - I've printed out pictures. Planning on building in the next year and this color combination is very soothing. Love the bathroom - wallpaper, stone tile - everything! Great continuity from room to room!!
The ONLY thing I don't like about this house is that it's yours and not mine! ;) It's beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
my two cents
this tour reminds of architectural digest or the other more mid scale home mags i don't ever view--too matchy matchy
too staged and i'm sorry to say soul-less for my taste-but- to each his own--very interesting to see the overwhelming support for this home by at subscribers-probably more consistent with the advertisers' desired demographic
I signed up for AT because of the funky, different, unique, odd, off the wall, etc., type of homes that use to be featured. If I am not mistkane, the homes featured use to also be smaller.
This houses interior is pretty (I don't like the exterior at all) but it does seem out of place on AT.
This house should be featured in ELLE Homes, not AT.
bad spelling..OOPS...I meant MISTAKEN...not mistkane.
I really loved the floors, those large stone rectangles set in a herringbone pattern are great.
The house is interesting with very imaginative touches. But I agree with all those who feel it would be perfect in Architectural Digest or as a model home in Dubai. While everyone suggests they loosen up a bit, I don't think it's their goal. My main source of wonder is that there isn't a book in the place and I wonder about all the water features as well as a pool... in Arizona.
I have very mixed feelings about this house. I really love your living room. It looks comfortable and usable and real and cool. But the rest of the house – I don’t know what to say. Some rooms look very formulated like they were copied from somewhere else and the feeling of the room didn’t come across in the duplication and some seem like they aren’t far off from something that I could like but they just don’t hit the mark.
I enjoyed very much the creative use of a limited palette and the variety of textures. I was astonished to see the baby room and thought it was for a grandchild b/c the overall look is not what I (at 67) think of as "young." So much for preconceptions. Very lovely, but most of the seating looked uncomfortable, except for the room with the two sofas perpendicular to each other.
Notes to AT - 1) would you please consistently label the thumbnails? 2) keep showing variety, but I agree that the majority ought to be smaller homes - while this one was an interesting example of overcoming cookie-cutter construction, AT is about apartment therapy. there are plenty of other places for big house ideas. FOCUS!
To me, it looks very seventies and staged. It's fine for them but I would never be able to live in it. I just don't like it.
I did love the following elements: the pool (yes!) and the border of small rocks in the bathroom.
Nice to see Arizona represented on AT! Your home looks well thought-out and nicely edited. I'm also glad to see sources that are more accessible to me and aren't from some obscure, hip store in the L.A. area. Style is a bit hard to come by in this state sometimes.
Oh, stop.
It is beautifully done, absolutely perfect. Great job putting all of the toys and clutter with dogs and a baby.
I am not in love with the willow branches, the pebble tile on the wall and the view of the street traffic from the pool area, but it's certainly not a crap factory.
Get some more plants, maybe some palms or a big potted jade inside and outside needs a privacy wall or at least a hedge.
I am keeping these wall patterns in mind for my entry and a living room wall. It is absolutely sumptuous and elegant. Well done.
There are many things to be said about this house, but I want to say that the small bathroom (photo 7) may well be the most beautiful I've ever seen.
omartiger you do have a point; but unfortunately it's not supported by the house itself (if it really was a crap factory you wouldn't feel annoyed).
I think it's lovely. I think the similar color scheme throughout makes it feel more cohesive since it's such a large home. I would like to have seen more hallways and entrances to get a feel of the floor plan.
Really love the bathroom sinks! Fabulous! And the wall detail work in the guest room.
I agree that this home is spectacular... and probably 3 times larger than my house, which is bigger than most apartments. I come to apartment therapy for ideas about smaller spaces, i.e., the size of an "apartment". What is such a huge home doing featured here? The posting seems contradictory to the website.
Joanna, I used to own this almost identical house up in N. Phoenix near desert ridge. Best floorplan ever.
Pay no mind to these crazy people attacking you for your style. I can appreciate the artistic eye and attention for detail that went in to this home. Very chic!
Just because you don't have wall to wall pencil drawings from etsy as art and mid century modern furniture from craig's list doesn't mean that your house isn't warm, inviting and personal.
I love it. Plus it makes me sentimental for our old home. I wish it looked this good when we lived there! Great great job!
love all of the wall treatments!!
This may not be the usual home featured on AT, but you can't take away the fact that this home is beautiful. It's more like something you would see in a design magazine, and I definitely wouldn't pan this house. It's very well done, although I, personally, would like more color...just my taste. I love the bathroom! Lovely place, nonetheless.
"Total crap factory".....c'mon now. That's not necessary.
Isn't it a good thing to have a house that looks like something from Architectural Digest?
If that's the worst that people can come up with, I'd say the homeowners have done a fantastic job!
I like it.
The baby's nursery is sweet. The various wall treatments are especially nice. I appreciate funky and opulence. Most of all I enjoy viewing the variety of ways people make a home. The good, the bad and yes, the ugly.
Constructive criticism is thought provoking while rudeness is off-putting and pointless.
Not my style, but very well done, regardless (you really seem to know your own taste well, and you go for it). Possibly the best kids room I've seen (pink faux bois is fantastic), again, not my taste, but extremely well done.
This doesn't feel cookie-cutter to me for Arizona. Like some other commentator said, I was expecting yet another Southwest or Mediterranean style home with lots of bright, vibrantly colored walls. Apparently not. Like someone said, "therapy comes in all shapes."
This is a very lovely and comfortable home. I love your DIY master bathroom vanities (I want one for me!) and especially love the tree in the baby's room. I would love to stay here. =)
WOW, shocked at all the snarky comments! Joanna and Dave, you have a beautiful home. I really like how you've taken a builder home and stepped it up into something more interesting. We live in the Phoenix metro too, so I appreciate what you've done!
Yout home is absolutely gorgeous.. made even more fantastic by that adorable basset you have. I'd really like to come over for some cocktails.. and to pet your dog.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! <3
Too much beige. Too much glitz. Looks very pricey. And it does look like a Dubai hotel room.
Love your place. I will be stealing some of your ideas for my house. Where did you get the custom dog art done?
Please tell me where u got ur nursery bedding pleeeasse!