Step Inside This Modern Home Where Scottsdale Meets Scandinavia

By Laura Eckstein Jones By Laura Eckstein Jones | May 31, 2022 | Home & Real Estate, Lifestyle,

“Our priority was to make this house feel like a home,” says Kaitlyn Wolfe of Iconic Design+Build of the Scottsdale ranch home she recently reimagined for a young couple who moved to Arizona from California. “Our clients felt they were living in a white box with blank walls and not much variety in color and texture throughout the shell of the home.” Because the space had been recently remodeled, Wolfe’s goal was to keep as many of the hard surfaces in place as possible, maximizing the budget on a smart design plan that would make the most of the home’s smaller rooms and low ceilings.

An eclectic mix of furnishings energize the sitting room, including leather chairs by Scandinavian Designs, a rattan chair by France & Son and the Wunder coffee table by Moe’s Home Collection. A wall sconce by Modway and art by Anthropologie light up the wall. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN BROST

Style-wise, Wolfe decided to go with a clean, Scandinavian modern look. “Our goals were to bring in unique and custom features to elevate the design and give it a warm, cozy feeling,” she explains. “Our clients were expecting their first baby during this project... and wanted the home to be functional and kid-friendly yet feel elevated for entertaining their friends and family who visit often. In addition... it was their first home to start their roots here.”

Less is more in the dining room, where the Cirkus chandelier by AGO from 1stDibs hangs over the Brooklyn dining table by Four Hands. The Cassia dining chars are from Nuevo. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN BROST

Wolfe’s strategy was to bring in design elements that would make each space appear larger and allow the eye to flow from one interesting moment to the next. “We wanted to create memorable features as you walk into each room or each part of the room, creating different functional and aesthetic moments,” she says. “We incorporated color and texture to bring depth to each space and brought in unique storage solutions to make every inch usable. To keep things kid-friendly, we sourced a lot of furniture that was highly durable or had soft curves, giving the space a very soothing and sculptural feel.”

Vases from Creative Co-Op and Bloomingville and a vintage wooden pedestal rest on a custom piece by Luxury Woodworker. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN BROST

In addition to the midcentury ranch’s architecture, inspiration for the project came from the surrounding Arizona landscape, specifically the desert sunset. “Oftentimes, desert sunsets have pink and purple tones mixed with earth tones,” Wolfe explains. “We incorporated terra cotta, olive greens and creamy neutrals along with textures such as terrazzo, cork, teak, steel, plater, concrete, rattan and boucle. By bringing in hand-applied finishes such as a custom-painted mural, a plaster wall treatment and wood paneling, the home feels much more thoughtful.”

The same cabinet is adorned with simple knobs found on Etsy. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN BROST

Furniture-wise, Wolfe brought in a mix of vintage and new pieces, and worked with local craftspeople to create custom furniture and wall treatments throughout. One standout space is the salonlike sitting room. Filled with a striking medley of seating options—including two Luna low-back chairs by Scandinavian Designs, a rattan chair by France & Son and a boucle chair by Diamond Sofa—the unique space is anything but ordinary, and, more importantly, exudes a welcoming, relaxed look and feel. The Stella rug by Chandra grounds the space, while the View wall lamp by Modway and the Lote wall hanging by Anthropologie spice up the white wall. A black coffee table—the Wunder table by Moe’s Home Collection—gives the eye a focal point to rest on.

Clean and crisp, the open kitchen-living room houses an island made by Sunwest Marble & Granite topped with ivory white honed countertops by Arizona Tile. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN BROST

The living room incorporates a mix of custom and new pieces. “We brought in custom cabinetry [by Luxury Woodworker] to their living room with wooden sphere knobs [from Etsy], which complement the modern kitchen cabinetry, and bring much-needed storage to their living space,” says Wolfe. The Bain coffee table by Noir pairs nicely with a white tile side table by CB2, while the Angelo rug by Chandra pulls everything together. The kitchen did not require much of a change, but Wolfe worked her magic here and there. “We identified what the existing kitchen countertop slab material was and reshaped the island completely, which allowed for them to have a larger living room, more usable island seating and more functionality to the kitchen,” she shares.

A painterly mural by Passion 4 Murals lights up the primary bedroom, which features a CB2 bed, a lumbar pillow from The Citizenry, vintage nightstands found at 1stDibs and Blu Dot pendant lights. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN BROST

Customized wall treatments add a unique touch while also defining certain areas of the home—for example, the bar space and dining room. “We incorporated a black plaster wall, which we designated as the bar area,” explains Wolfe. “We also did a colorblocking feature on the wall and ceiling in their dining room with a beige paint color to define the space and give it personality.” A wall in the primary bedroom also got in on the action. “We drew a one-of-a-kind custom wall mural design... and had it painted by a local artist,” Wolfe adds.

A cozy corner in the guest bedroom. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN BROST

While most home gyms are purely functional, the one Wolfe created is, yes, functional, but also stylish, warm and welcoming. “We installed a cork flooring [by APC Cork] in their gym along with a paneled wall [by Luxury Woodworker], which gives it a high-end studio feel,” she says. Upplyft wall bars by FitWood serve a purpose, but also have a chic, sculptural appeal and almost double as art in the room. Black hooks from Shelfology and framed art from Juniper Print Shop—and the Peloton—complete the look.

In the bar area, a mirror from Etsy and a lamp from Virginia Sin—atop a France & Son cabinet—stand out against a bold gray backdrop. Compound Concrete created the interesting Limestrong wall texture. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN BROST

Relatively speaking, the project went quickly, especially considering it all happened during the height of the pandemic. All in all, from when the first meeting occurred to design presentations to the final reveal, it took six months, with only five weeks of work on-site. “We fully furnished the space while our clients were out for the day and they came home to a completed home,” explains Wolfe, who has since become close to the family. “They cried when they saw the finished spaces. We really felt like we brought their personalities and desires into their home and created a place for them to enjoy and grow as a family.”

A custom slat wall by Luxury Woodworker and cork flooring by APC Cork warm up the gym area. Shelfology hooks and an art piece by Juniper Print Shop add a homey touch. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN BROST