A stunning hillside abode by PHX Architecture, Vallone Design, Greey| Pickett and DLB Custom Homes brings a California vibe and resortlike sensibility to Camelback Canyon.
Nestled on the west side of Camelback Mountain, this new build boasts staggering views of Echo Canyon, the desert and city lights. Here, a rain curtain quietly falls from the top of the shade structure into the beach entry to the pool below. Photographed by Phil Johnson/ProVisuals Media
With the right players in place, the sky’s the limit, a theory made evident by a recently completed home in Camelback Canyon by some of Scottsdale’s top talents. When builder Dan Boylan of DLB Custom Homes was enlisted to execute the resort-style contemporary estate, he called in some heavy hitters, including Erik Peterson of PHX Architecture, Shane Mehrer of Vallone Design and landscape architect Russ Greey of Greey|Pickett. “We take great pride in the projects we are asked to be involved with,” says Boylan. “In this case, we truly had a dream team with Erik, Shane and Russ.”
The home contains guest rooms, a theater and the garage downstairs. The living room, dining room, kitchen and primary suite are on the upper level. Photographed by Phil Johnson/ProVisuals Media
While there was an existing structure on-site, it did not line up with the homeowner’s vision. “She really wanted something with a great California contemporary feel,” Peterson says, sharing that because the home is technically in Phoenix, design restrictions in place for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley did not apply. “We were able to get away with using different materials and colors that we typically don’t.”
In the theater, a sectional from Lee Industries—upholstered in Opuzen velvet—tops a patterned cowhide rug from Surya. The walls are upholstered in a wool fabric from Brentano. The throw pillows are made with fabric from Jim Thompson. Photographed by Phil Johnson/ProVisuals Media
Built on a steep hillside, the home has a resortlike feel, with stunning views from every angle and an easy indoor-outdoor flow. “Our main objective was to get up high enough so we were seeing over the tops of all of the other homes in the area,” Peterson says. “From the kitchen to the dining room to the living room, there’s glass all around that captures views of the red rock but also looks out to city views in the distance.” Upstairs houses the living room, dining room, kitchen and primary suite, while downstairs are the guest rooms, theater and garage. “Th e primary suite is a private sanctuary sort of carved out of the mountainside with an outdoor shower and a tranquil water feature, while the public spaces have views that go on forever.”
Architect Erik Peterson had very specific ideas for the home’s three stairwells, including the one at right, which was partially inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. Photographed by Phil Johnson/ProVisuals Media
Mehrer took cues from the architecture when considering the interior design. “A lot of the materials outside were carried through inside, like the stone walls,” he says. “Th e homeowner likes contemporary but a warm look and feel, so we had to keep things streamlined, yet comfortable.” One space that brought that idea to life particularly well is the great room. Playing off the warm wood flooring and natural stone, Mehrer incorporated a custom sectional by A. Rudin covered in performance velvet upholstery from Holly Hunt into the space, alongside cowhide ottomans from Bernhardt and an area rug from David E. Adler Fine Rugs. “We wanted to make sure we warmed up the contemporary space and created balance with the sleek architecture,” he adds. Mehrer worked with Boylan to create the unique lighting fixture. “We were trying to figure out what we could do to add some interest because there’s no wall space for art and we had this big ceiling. So I thought, ‘Let’s do something sculptural there.’ The lights really add a cool element to the room.”
The guest house exterior features a butterfly art installation by NP Fabrication. Photographed by Phil Johnson/ProVisuals Media
One area that all involved call a favorite is the interior stairwell. “One thing the homeowner wanted to keep was a massive, huge tree,” says Peterson. “We tried everything we could to work around it but couldn’t make the new design happen with the tree in the way.” To pay homage to the tree, the team turned it into an art piece displayed in the stairwell. As well, they commissioned an artist from Washington state, Matt Schwenk, to create a custom butterfly piece from crushed glass. “That’s one part of the house that I think is really special to the homeowner, because it incorporates things that are personal to her,” Mehrer shares.
The dining room table by Parish Co is surrounded by chairs from Vanguard Furniture. Photographed by Phil Johnson/ProVisuals Media
A huge part of what makes the home sing are the exteriors and the landscape, expertly designed by Greey, who, like Mehrer, took cues from Peterson’s architectural designs. “The core of the project is very minimalist, green with synthetic turf, and has a completely different feel [from] the rugged mountain it sits on,” he says. “Part of the beauty is the contrast of the environment versus what’s created. We really pulled from the language of the house. This home had a lot of warm qualities to it like the wooden ceilings, so we did some wood decking to create that resort kind of vibe.”
A custom sectional by A. Rudin covered in performance velvet upholstery from Holly Hunt and swivel lounge chairs—also by A. Rudin— upholstered in Casamance fabric and A. Rudin leather surround a custom cocktail table by Robert James. The cowhide ottomans are Bernhardt and the area rug is from David E. Adler Fine Rugs. Photographed by Phil Johnson/ProVisuals Media
One of Greey’s favorite areas of the home—a shaded pavilion with a woven fabric top above the angular pool with a rainlike water feature—also incorporates butterflies. “This particular owner has a connection to butterflies, so we did these art panels of the butterflies that are backlit at night,” he explains. “Then we took the cutouts and created a mural on the side of the guest house, with individual fiber-optic lighting behind each cutout. They all light up at night.”
“The kitchen was meant to be very clean because it’s open to the whole room,” says Peterson. The counter stools are by Vanguard Furniture. Photographed by Phil Johnson/ProVisuals Media
At the end of the day, the project—which took about two and a half years to complete—is a huge success. “It was just a very good team,” says Greey. “Everyone came together and made it work.”
The upper deck swivel chairs were purchased through Woodard. Photographed by Phil Johnson/ProVisuals Media
TYPE
Single-family home
LOCATION
Camelback Canyon, Phoenix
ARCHITECTURE
Erik Peterson, PHX Architecture
phxarch.com
INTERIOR DESIGN
Shane Mehrer, Vallone Design
vallonedesign.com
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Russell Greey, Greey|Pickett
greeypickett.com
BUILDER
Dan Boylan, DLB
Custom Homes Inc.
dlbhomes.com
A. RUDIN
Great room sectional and swivel chairs
arudin.com
BERNHARDT
Great room ottomans
bernhardt.com
DAVID E. ADLER FINE RUGS
Great room area rug
davideadler.com
LEE INDUSTRIES
Theater sectional
leeindustries.com
NP FABRICATION
Exterior butterfly installation
480.684.0345
PARISH CO
Dining room table
danparishltd.com
ROBERT JAMES COLLECTION
Great room cocktail table
robertjamescollection.com
SURYA
Theater rug
surya.com/rugs
VANGUARD FURNITURE
Dining room chairs and kitchen counter stools
vanguardfurniture.com
WOODARD
Upper deck swivel chairs
woodard-furniture.com
Photography by:
