A couple from the east coast visited Arizona for years, in hopes of buying a home. Instead of finding the perfect home, they found the perfect lot.  It was off the golf course, with amazing mountain and city light views.  The problem was, on the lot was a 1980’s patio home.

This existing residence was an outdated, Santa Fe style home. It was very non-descript with boxy, closed-off rooms. The solution was to rearrange the existing spaces to create a flowing floor plan and add a small addition to the rear patio.  All the walls were stripped to the studs, and the sunken living room was brought-up to the rest of the structure. The kitchen was pushed to the rear of the house, so it could open to the reimagined great room and back patio, and we turned the dining room into an office. It was important the indoor/outdoor living spaces flowed organically. A guest bedroom suite was also added.

The back patios and swimming pool mostly stayed intact, while a fire pit and outdoor kitchen were added to expand the outdoor living spaces. We were even able to add a small cigar patio with beautiful views. In front of the home, an elegant entry courtyard was created. It features a “secret garden” gate, trellis, and sculpture garden.

Sizing all spaces for intimate entertaining and everyday living allowed us to fit everything on the small site.  This is a perfect example of “Jewel Box Architecture,” it might be small, but the special shines through every detail.