Wood cladding and a silvery wallcovering create an asymmetrical backdrop for the master bedroom.
When Melissa and Michael Mickelson were looking for their first home, they zeroed in on Arcadia. “We looked at 100 homes,” recalls Melissa, who owns the Bodify spa in Phoenix, “and between price points, rebuild costs and time it would take to create something we liked, we couldn’t find anything.”
She and Michael, who is in medical technology, widened their search and found the perfect fit—technically, a flip—in Central Phoenix. “I hate cookie-cutter houses” says Melissa, “but this one was exactly our style, modern and clean, plus it has a great yard.”
The 2,900-square-foot, four-bedroom house was a spec project done by Kelley and Danny Kregle, who own Efficiency Mechanical, a Gilbert heating and cooling business. In recent years, the couple bought, renovated and sold several midcentury ranch homes, handling the design themselves. “I’ve worked with so many great architects and designers over the years,” explains Danny. “I guess I absorbed a modern style. Redoing these homes is just something we do for fun.”
The renovated home with which the Mickelsons were smitten has a coolly contemporary look with an inviting entry patio, porcelain tile flooring and window walls that slide open onto the shady yard, not to mention details like a backyard pizza oven and fountain, and a stylish kitchen.
The home had everything—except for furnishings and accessories. For help, the couple turned to Chandler interior designer Kim Worswick of Kimberley Kay Interiors, asking her for a look that would be calming; conducive to entertaining friends and houseguests; and pet-friendly for their dog, Jack.
Deeply hued walls frame the wood, glass and metal furnishings in the office.
“I wanted to play up the home’s architecture and not overwhelm the interior with furniture,” explains Worswick, who specializes in residential and office design. “I used a black, white and taupe color scheme to make things pop against the pale taupe walls, and pulled in greenery to connect with the outdoor spaces. I also mixed in a lot of wood and natural fabrics to keep things warm.”
In the living room, Worswick set the scene with a faded vintage-look area rug in black and taupe, which underscores a seating area that includes a deep twill sofa, a pair of club chairs and an acacia wood cocktail table. For the master bedroom, the designer framed the linen-upholstered bed with an asymmetrical wall treatment made with natural wood cladding and a cement wallcovering. In the master bath, she added interest by hanging a three-dimensional moss art piece on a wall accented by a dark geometric wallpaper. The only space that strayed from the neutral color scheme was the office, where Worswick painted the walls a deep teal to make the brass, glass and wood furnishings stand out.
The Mickelsons have settled into their new home, enjoying its indoor-outdoor ambiance, the comfortable furnishings and the open floor plan. “This is the first house we’ve actually owned,” Melissa says. “We are so glad it’s special.”
Photography by: Roehner + Ryan
