Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Down-to-Earth Minimalism in Paradise Valley
The spare, elegant aesthetic of this rammed-earth home in Arizona evokes a sense of desert calm
After building and living in several large homes, a retired couple decided to downsize and simplify. The feel of this single-story, rammed-earth home evokes the midcentury modern homes that once dominated Arizona’s Paradise Valley. Elegant yet simple materials and frameless glass create a seamless connection between the desert and the minimalist interiors. The result is a visually calm aesthetic grounded in sophisticated elegance.
The foyer opens to an open-plan living area, where the vertical-grain Douglas fir roof overhangs continue to the exterior, providing a sense of indoor-outdoor continuity. “In Arizona, shade is a huge commodity,” Kendle says. “We want to bring in diffuse natural light, but not direct sunlight. So the overhangs bring in that diffuse light, creating a floating form over the desert floor.”
The reading area in the main living space has a lower ceiling to create a sense of intimacy. Frameless glass windows “allow the glass to disappear and the outside and inside to flow seamlessly together,” Kendle says. The rammed-earth walls “are striated like the canyon walls throughout Arizona,” he says. “The stratification, which is done by hand, still has a natural, organic feel. It brings the homeowners closer to the earth and brings the outdoors in.”
The Fleetwood sliding glass door system provides unobstructed access to the patio from the living room. “This house extends the ability to live outdoors as far into the season as possible,” Kendle says. The rammed-earth fireplace has a custom steel box with a custom burner and matching recessed steel frame set into the wall to frame the TV. The stone hearth is marble.
On the other side of the fireplace is the formal dining area. The dining table, chairs and buffet are from Berman Rosetti and made from Hawaiian koa.
“The owner loves to cook and entertain,” Kendle says, “so this is his command center. Friends can sit at the island and enjoy a cocktail while he prepares dinners.” Lined up next to the island are Bottega stools from Design Within Reach. The cabinets are rift-cut walnut; the countertops are Blizzard Caesarstone.
Three skylights bring additional light into the kitchen. Double-stacked ovens, a hidden refrigerator and a pullout pantry keep the area’s profile clean and streamlined.
In the master bedroom, Kendle suspended a block wall above glass, so the homeowners can enjoy privacy while watching wildlife passing by.
From inside the master bedroom, the wall and glass composition was created to provide views while blocking the houses next door. A succulent garden provides an additional sculptural element. The interior floors are clear white oak.
The patio, with pool and spa to one side, extends the length of the house. The house is divided into a private zone (with bedrooms and a recording studio) and a public zone (living, dining, kitchen).
A slot fireplace in the Empress limestone patio provides interest outside the dining room and complements the indoor fireplace on cool evenings while completing the home’s sophisticated play of interlocking interior and exterior living spaces.
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Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who are empty nesters
Location: Paradise Valley, Arizona
Size: Three bedrooms
Designer: Brent Kendle of Kendle Design Collaborative
Near famed McDowell Mountain in the greater Phoenix area, designer Brent Kendle created a rammed-earth, single-story home for empty nesters seeking a spare, minimalist aesthetic. “We considered several construction methods,” Kendle says, “but to me, the beauty of rammed earth is having used a construction material that’s of the site, that ties the home to its location in a natural, integral way.” The understated entrance is tucked beneath a metal-clad overhang. The succulent plantings add a sculptural element to the exterior.