The landscape of this home honors the formality of Spanish Colonial / Santa Barbara Style early homes in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix. By re-grading the lot and allowing for terraced opportunities, we featured a variety of hardscape stone, brick, and decorative tiles that reinforce the eclectic Spanish Colonial feel. Cantera and La Negra volcanic stone, brick, natural field stone, and handcrafted Spanish decorative tiles are used to establish interest throughout the property. A front courtyard patio includes a hand painted tile fountain and sitting area near the outdoor fire place. This patio features formal Boxwood hedges, Hibiscus, and a rose garden set in pea gravel. The living room of the home opens to an outdoor living area which is raised three feet above the pool. This allowed for opportunity to feature handcrafted Spanish tiles and raised planters. The side courtyard, with stepping stones and Dichondra grass, surrounds a focal Crape Myrtle tree. One focal point of the back patio is a 24-foot hand-hammered wrought iron trellis, anchored with a stone wall water feature. We added a pizza oven and barbecue, bistro lights, and hanging flower baskets to complete the intimate outdoor dining space. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Higgins Architects Landscape Contractor: Premier Environments Photography: Scott Sandler

This exterior fireplace is the perfect addition to the courtyard with wrought iron detail on the wall, custom outdoor furniture, and turf stone pavers.

wall hung succulents

Our feature courtyard in the trendy suburb of Mordialloc. This outdoor living space features an outdoor entertainers dream set up: 6 burner BeefEater BBQ, Outdoor Heating, BOSE Outdoor Speakers, Mood Lighting & a double door bar fridge.

Erik Moden

This great outdoor living area is perfect for the quite getaway or for entertaining friends. The colors of this Tennessee fieldstone are spectacular and go great with the lighter travertine. One of my favorites. Great seating walls beside the fireplace Beautiful patterned travertine natural stone patio!! Tennessee Fieldstone with a grout joint

Azalea is The 2012 New American Home as commissioned by the National Association of Home Builders and was featured and shown at the International Builders Show and in Florida Design Magazine, Volume 22; No. 4; Issue 24-12. With 4,335 square foot of air conditioned space and a total under roof square footage of 5,643 this home has four bedrooms, four full bathrooms, and two half bathrooms. It was designed and constructed to achieve the highest level of “green” certification while still including sophisticated technology such as retractable window shades, motorized glass doors and a high-tech surveillance system operable just by the touch of an iPad or iPhone. This showcase residence has been deemed an “urban-suburban” home and happily dwells among single family homes and condominiums. The two story home brings together the indoors and outdoors in a seamless blend with motorized doors opening from interior space to the outdoor space. Two separate second floor lounge terraces also flow seamlessly from the inside. The front door opens to an interior lanai, pool, and deck while floor-to-ceiling glass walls reveal the indoor living space. An interior art gallery wall is an entertaining masterpiece and is completed by a wet bar at one end with a separate powder room. The open kitchen welcomes guests to gather and when the floor to ceiling retractable glass doors are open the great room and lanai flow together as one cohesive space. A summer kitchen takes the hospitality poolside. Awards: 2012 Golden Aurora Award – “Best of Show”, Southeast Building Conference – Grand Aurora Award – “Best of State” – Florida – Grand Aurora Award – Custom Home, One-of-a-Kind $2,000,001 – $3,000,000 – Grand Aurora Award – Green Construction Demonstration Model – Grand Aurora Award – Best Energy Efficient Home – Grand Aurora Award – Best Solar Energy Efficient House – Grand Aurora Award – Best Natural Gas Single Family Home – Aurora Award, Green Construction – New Construction over $2,000,001 – Aurora Award – Best Water-Wise Home – Aurora Award – Interior Detailing over $2,000,001 2012 Parade of Homes – “Grand Award Winner”, HBA of Metro Orlando – First Place – Custom Home 2012 Major Achievement Award, HBA of Metro Orlando – Best Interior Design 2012 Orlando Home & Leisure’s: – Outdoor Living Space of the Year – Specialty Room of the Year 2012 Gold Nugget Awards, Pacific Coast Builders Conference – Grand Award, Indoor/Outdoor Space – Merit Award, Best Custom Home 3,000 – 5,000 sq. ft. 2012 Design Excellence Awards, Residential Design & Build magazine – Best Custom Home 4,000 – 4,999 sq ft – Best Green Home – Best Outdoor Living – Best Specialty Room – Best Use of Technology 2012 Residential Coverings Award, Coverings Show 2012 AIA Orlando Design Awards – Residential Design, Award of Merit – Sustainable Design, Award of Merit 2012 American Residential Design Awards, AIBD – First Place – Custom Luxury Homes, 4,001 – 5,000 sq ft – Second Place – Green Design

Hood House is a playful protector that respects the heritage character of Carlton North whilst celebrating purposeful change. It is a luxurious yet compact and hyper-functional home defined by an exploration of contrast: it is ornamental and restrained, subdued and lively, stately and casual, compartmental and open. For us, it is also a project with an unusual history. This dual-natured renovation evolved through the ownership of two separate clients. Originally intended to accommodate the needs of a young family of four, we shifted gears at the eleventh hour and adapted a thoroughly resolved design solution to the needs of only two. From a young, nuclear family to a blended adult one, our design solution was put to a test of flexibility. The result is a subtle renovation almost invisible from the street yet dramatic in its expressive qualities. An oblique view from the northwest reveals the playful zigzag of the new roof, the rippling metal hood. This is a form-making exercise that connects old to new as well as establishing spatial drama in what might otherwise have been utilitarian rooms upstairs. A simple palette of Australian hardwood timbers and white surfaces are complimented by tactile splashes of brass and rich moments of colour that reveal themselves from behind closed doors. Our internal joke is that Hood House is like Lazarus, risen from the ashes. We’re grateful that almost six years of hard work have culminated in this beautiful, protective and playful house, and so pleased that Glenda and Alistair get to call it home.

©Edward Butera / ibi designs / Boca Raton, Florida

Christopher Marona

The transparency of the house is evident from views such as this, as the Sitting Room off the courtyard looks through the Living Room of the main house to the south lawn beyond.

Landscape Architect: Douglas Hoerr, FASLA; Photos by Linda Oyama Bryan

Outdoor patio odd the sunroom provides views of the pool and any approaching guests. The arched pass through is reminiscent of a horse farm.

The 5 car garage (3 detached and 2 attached) is split by an arched pass through leading to the private courtyard. The cupola above marks the location of the 'man cave' extending above the garages.