To a metro New York-based couple seeking a getaway home, Scottsdale offered an opportunity to trade cold winters for sunny weather. Undoubtedly wooed by its earthy landscape, the husband and wife gravitated to the Desert Highlands neighborhood, where the plans for a soon-to-be-built house caught their eye. Designed by architect Jessica Hutchison-Rough and interior designer Anita Lang, the residence so impressed the couple that they bought it before the team, including builder Phil Nichols, even broke ground. “Everything looked just like what I wanted in an Arizona home,” the wife says. “Modern desert style, a connection between inside and out, big windows, and lots of light.”
The new owners’ purchase of the dwelling prompted small changes to its layout, such as converting some bedroom square footage to expand the home office. Its overall design, however, stayed much the same, including its interior finishes, which echo the outdoor setting. “We wanted to keep the house to the local vernacular so that it felt appropriate for the Sonoran Desert,” Lang explains.
Wood and natural stone appear throughout, particularly in the great room. A soaring slanted hemlock ceiling unifies the large space, whose other dynamic feature is an interior stone wall that extends through to the outdoors—a nod to traditional local architecture but with a twist. The team chose a mortar-washed rubble stone instead of the stacked ledgestone typically found in Arizona dwellings. “The idea of a natural stone wall running through a home, from inside to outside, has been here since Frank Lloyd Wright started working in Arizona, but we brought it into a more modern context,” Hutchison-Rough explains.
Home details
Architecture
Jessica Hutchison-Rough, Urban Design Associates, Ltd.
Interior Design
Anita Lang, IMI Design
Home Builder
Phil Nichols, The Phil Nichols Company
Landscape Architecture
Jake Plocher, Desert Foothills Landscape
Textured furnishings continue the abode’s elevated organic style, most often in the form of nubby area rugs, raffia wallcoverings and the occasional basket-weave finish, a tribute to Native American baskets. Balancing this are pieces with a sophisticated urban flair. “It’s that back and forth of the sleek and refined with natural textures that creates interest and livability,” Lang muses. Black details, including dark stone in the kitchen, seating in shades of midnight and a black raffia wallcovering in the primary bedroom, reference the owners’ hometown. “When you think of the New York area, you think of black,” the designer says.
In the living room, pieces both reflect and diverge from the space’s strong linearity. The curvaceous, boomerang-like coffee table and round ottomans are juxtaposed with the straight lines of the low-profile L-shaped sectional—chosen so that it wouldn’t block the views. A similar shapely mix defines the adjoining dining area, where a set of sculpturesque upholstered chairs surround a square wood table designed by Lang. This concept of contrast continues in the primary bedroom, where a custom bed atop a wood platform is dressed in wool and linen bedding. The raffia accent wallcovering behind it plays nicely with the texture of the surrounding stone walls. “It exudes a sense of warmth,” the designer says.
Lang used a soft touch when furnishing the guest bedrooms, opting for dark neutrals to foster a sense of restfulness. In one, she chose a calming brown-gray hue for both the walls and window treatments, with cream-colored elements, such as the streamlined upholstered bed and woven rug, punctuating the dusky space. In the other, shades of taupe and gray make for a cozy place to sleep.
The interior’s sophisticated sensibility extends to the alfresco spaces as well. “The team made it a priority for the inside to flow outside,” the wife muses. “It really feels like it’s one big, cohesive space.” To accommodate poolside lounging and casual viewing of the McDowell Mountains, Lang created two distinct seating areas dressed in coordinating blue outdoor fabric, a hue inspired by the pool’s tile. While one area features a set of four woven club chairs, the other is more lounge-like, with a pebble-shaped concrete table and pair of frameless upholstered chaises that encourage reclining with a cocktail in hand.
Equally striking is the surrounding landscape designed by Jake Plocher. Drawing from the home’s linear architecture, Plocher planted a variety of native flora with strong verticality, such as Mexican fence post and organ pipe cacti as well as ocotillo. “We used a simple, repetitive design to complement the structure,” he says. It’s the final touch to providing the couple with the best of both worlds—a bustling metropolitan lifestyle balanced by the Arizona desert’s calming beauty.
Part of the great room, the dining area features ample wine storage flanked by Rysso Peters-crafted cabinetry. The custom table by Peter Thomas Designs is joined by Massproductions chairs from Haute Living.
“It’s that back and forth of the sleek and refined with natural textures that creates interest and livability.”
–Anita Lang, IMI Design
“The outdoor appointments are a natural extension of the interior concepts,” Lang says. A Paola Lenti sofa from The Bazaar and a Phillips Collection stone table gather to create one sitting area, while a set of chairs by 10Deka offer another space for lounging.
Architect Jessica Hutchison-Rough positioned the foyer so that when visitors enter, they have a prime view of Pinnacle Peak through the great room window. Low-profile furnishings, including a Nathan Anthony sectional and custom ottomans, keep the vistas clear. Limestone flooring from Solstice Stone establishes an organic vibe.
Designer Anita Lang added urban flair to the kitchen with Studio Piet Boon stools and dark granite from The Stone Collection on the backsplash, countertops and hood. The white oak cabinetry, fabricated by Rysso Peters, deftly conceals Sub-Zero, Cove and Wolf appliances.
Wood and natural stone appear throughout this desert abode with urban touches.
Part of the great room, the dining area features ample wine storage flanked by Rysso Peters-crafted cabinetry. The custom table by Peter Thomas Designs is joined by Massproductions chairs from Haute Living.
A horizontal picture window in one of the guest bedrooms spotlights desert vistas. For the walls, Lang selected an earth-tone paint, Sherwin-Williams’ Backdrop, to complement the outdoor scenery.
In the primary bathroom, a gooseneck Waterworks faucet and honed graphite marble from The Stone Collection top white oak cabinetry by Rysso Peters. The woven-back chair nods to Native American baskets.
From the freestanding Signature Hardware tub paired with a Waterworks filler, the owners can soak in the views. Limestone flooring and buttercream-colored wall tiles, both from Solstice Stone, keep the space restful.
“The outdoor appointments are a natural extension of the interior concepts,” Lang says. A Paola Lenti sofa from The Bazaar and a Phillips Collection stone table gather to create one sitting area, while a set of chairs by 10Deka offer another space for lounging.