With a fashionable wife and four daughters outnumbering the lone husband, one Scottsdale-area home was almost certainly fated to have a high level of flair. To bring the concept to life and revitalize the property indoors and out, the homeowners turned to interior designer Emily Marek, whose fashion-forward and polished aesthetic perfectly fit their vision. “The goal was to create a modern-day castle—one that balances entertaining with warmth, connection and serene private retreats, resulting in a residence that feels both elevated and meaningfully lived in,” describes Marek, who worked with general contractor Michael Bills to bring the vision to life.
Home Details
Interior Design: Emily Marek, Emmy Couture Designs
Home Builder and Landscape Architecture: Michael Bills, NC Construction
The designer and her clients benefit from a partnership stretching back to 2018, establishing a level of trust that informed every aspect of this design. Inspired by the owners’ strong family dynamic and community-oriented spirit, Marek got to work envisioning a house that can host large-scale events and intimate moments alike. In the living room, she took what was blank drywall and added warm white oak millwork that frames a black marble fireplace. “The wood surround not only provides a visual dimension to the room, but it feels grand, and it draws your eyes up toward the tall ceiling,” she says. Built into the millwork on either side of the fireplace are two upholstered settees with channeled backs. Marek had these custom made to echo the texture of the tile above the mantel. She paired them with compact travertine side tables to arrange conversation areas among the room’s large velvet sofas and plush armchairs—all designed to accommodate sizable events. Overhead, understated light fixtures reinforce the sense of cohesion without overwhelming the space. “We wanted to create a lighting focal point that wasn’t distracting,” the designer adds. “The low-profile alabaster chandeliers were able to fill the space without feeling too heavy.”
The same level of intention extends to the luxurious kitchen, where she forwent a chandelier and opted instead for sconces on the side wall, letting the room speak for itself. Accented in deep coffering and dramatic marble, the space not only serves as the heart of the home but also guided the design direction for the entire project. “The wife had an inspiration photo of a beautiful white marble kitchen, and it set the tone for the whole home,” Marek recalls. It would, however, take nine months to source the perfect slabs, especially given the amount needed for the countertops, islands, backsplash, hood, sink apron and neighboring fireplace. On the hood and double islands, a reverse bevel allows the marble to slope inward, while custom woodwork introduces both form and function. Wide-plank herringbone floors delineate the kitchen, bar and family room from the rest of the open-concept floor plan, and mirrored cabinet doors conceal a freezer as well as a secret passageway to an expansive pantry and teen lounge.
Across the home, thoughtful touches became the signature mark. Wainscoting lends dimensionality throughout, including in the living, dining and family rooms, primary bedroom and along the staircase. There, the molding follows the stair’s curves like a tailored garment, joined by alabaster sconces that ascend in a similar rhythm. Marek also reinvigorated the scrolling rail using cleaner lines and a more sophisticated silhouette, pairing it with white risers to help soften the visual weight of the stairway.
The custom accents and trim continue to the exterior, where Bills designed the landscape to incorporate a blend of functional turf and desert natives. Here, Marek suggested floating white edging embedded in the turf, which borders the lounge seating around the pool. The abode’s façade was refreshed with a crisp white finish and updated with lantern sconces, and the patio ceiling was painted dark brown to extend the warmth of the interiors to the outdoors. All in all, the home became the family’s own private palace where guests and family alike can bask in resort-style living every day.
