Bold Art Takes Center Stage In This Contemporary Arizona Home

Designer Janet Brooks had just the vision for freshening up a Mediterranean-style residence in Silverleaf. “This isn’t meant to be a contemporary house—there’s no way it could be, because, architecturally speaking, it’s not,” she explains, citing the old-world look of distressed wood floors, clay tile on the roof and limestone. She knew, however, how to bring it up to date: a high-contrast palette, cleaner lines, edgier lighting and—in a twist—retaining some of its earlier character for moments of surprise. “In every case, what the clients were looking for was more drama,” she says.

“The house felt a bit rustic, but we loved the bones of it,” the wife recalls. “We thought, ‘We can work with this.’ ” The couple preferred a simple palette of off-whites and blacks, and, beyond the grounding dark wood floors, did not want many wooden furnishings or accents. To that end, Brooks, along with builder Sam Perez, began by cleaning up some of the traditional elements. “We arrived at that pretty logically,” the designer explains. “They wanted it to feel fresher.”

Exemplary of the scheme is the great room, where a white coffered ceiling pops against the modern black marble fireplace, setting the tone for the home’s blended styles rendered in a light-and-dark palette. White ceiling beams accent the dining room, and crown molding continues throughout. Brooks layered in textured materials to break up the white walls and add drama, as seen in the metallic-threaded blush wallpaper of the wife’s office. All the existing light fixtures were replaced with edgier designs, including several ring chandeliers that, as Brooks notes, “talk to each other.”

Despite the contemporary updates, Brooks kept some of the house’s original features to help bridge the new interiors to the exterior. On the patio, which is decked out as a cozy family room with sofas and a television, the arches, limestone columns and fireplace surround are relics of the Mediterranean influence. The space’s modern black fan and contemporary door systems are offset by a distressed wood ceiling. Backdropping the sleek chaises and black-hued pool is a tailored layout of greenery running along the interior courtyard’s stone pavers, specified by landscape designer Jeremy McVicars. “We wanted to keep the garden in line with the formality of the home,” he muses of the elegant approach.

The key to marrying old and new was balance, and Brooks selected what she calls “soft contemporary or even bordering on transitional” furnishings that brought warmth to the space. For instance, the tufted dining room chairs are paired with a stained-wood table. In the great room, the sectional wears an inviting quilted geometric pattern, while nearby upholstered chairs feature round backs and sloping arms. Underfoot, rugs are generous, plush and elegant, and drapery holds some subtle color, too. “Janet was really good at blending,” the wife says. “When you walk in, things appear modern, but it’s got a little softness that fits with some of the original features.”

The subdued color scheme serves as a backdrop to a unique and impressive art collection. Brooks brought on fine art consultant Janet Priset Sandino to assist the couple in acquiring pieces, including a pair of commissioned paintings by Jylian Gustlin for their great room and a mixed-media work by Srinjoy behind the dining table. And for her office wall, the wife turned to local artist Niki Woehler to create an oversize resin piece. “We have some amazing art,” she notes, “and that’s something people notice when they come in the house: the contrast of the white with the colors of the art.”

This integration of bold, whimsical and colorful artwork is the crowning element to the home’s overarching design. The abode feels balanced and fresh—away from the heavy, muted tones of its recent past but not too far into a modern look that it feels cold. “It’s a nice surprise to be able to enjoy this traditional architectural style while bringing contrast and mixing in things that are a little more contemporary,” Brooks says. “That gives it a great vibe.”