Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine "Point of View"

8/9/2019 Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine "Point of View"

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Above left: Changes in the living

room included removing the kiva-

style fireplace, lowering the ceiling,

and altering the step wall to open

space and create a display area.

Above right: A pair of Moroccanchairs lends eye appeal to the great

room dining area. Opposite: Vigas in

the kitchen are dropped rather than

placed at ceiling height. underscor-

ing the room's Southwest appeal is a

copper hood adorned with clavos.

I "T"'~"".!""4""'s""'6""'+"."1 HE NATURAL DESERTLANDSCAPE f northI -~ I Scottsdale provides a picture-perfect back-

drop for the sophisticated renovation of a

Midwestern couple's dream home.

Bart and KiKi Sweeney had lived in the

Valley part time until Bart opted for early

retirement from a career in Minnesota.

The couple owned a lot in the Valley and

intended to build a home on it. That is,

until KiKi, a landscape painter, fell for a

house that seemed to have everything theywanted, except views and enough space.

Built in 1994, the Southwest-style residence was oriented

toward panoramic mountain views. Unfortunately, the win-

dows were oddly placed and small, some of them nothing more

than slots.

"But the house had a Zen feeling to it," explains KiKi. "The pri-

vacy, the setting, the flow. I was taken with

the place, but Bart took some convincing."

The couple purchased the house in

2001 and quickly found the right remodel-

ing team: J .P .Malone, a design/build

company headed by Kevin and Deborah

Malone, and Statements, an interior de-

sign firm run by Milt Diriwachter .

Deborah Malone describes the original

house as "pseudo-Santa Fe, clunky and

hokey." Four-foot-wide stucco columns

blocked sunset views, low eaves obstruct-

ed two feet of sky, the kitchen had blue-

and-white tile counters, and floors were

Saltillo. All were eliminated. Columns are

now 12-inch fir vigas, new raised over-

hangs let in more sky, counters are gran-

PHOENIX HOME & GARDEN. AUGUST 2005









ite, and flooring is Mexican noche travertine.Custom alder storagewas added to nearly every room. The 18-

foot living room ceilings were lowered by four feet, and fir vigas

set in a clamshell design draw attention to the ceiling but don'toverpower the space.A large entertainment center in the great

room was removed to make space or 10 more feet of windows.Further, each small aluminum window in the house was replaced

by sturdy wood-clad windows or sliders. Western walls were

rebuilt to a 22-inch depth, to lend a richer look and keep out the

desert heat.The remodel also added a sumptuous master suite with bath,

dressing room and office, and a charming detached art stUdio,

accessibleby a flagstone walkway. Sweepsof windows bathe the

stUdio in natUral light. The artist calls her stUdio "a playhouse

for adults," noting that the 630-square-foot spacewas designedto serve as a guest casita, if needed.

For the home's interiors, Diriwachter incorporated treasures

from the Sweeneys' ravels along with "offbeat items we found

while rummaging around," according to KiKi. "Milt was on my

wavelength from the time he walked in. He pushed us to go

more dramatic in color and scale, and he even pushed me to

paint larger canvases."Diriwachter describes he blending of cultures and use of bold

color as"eclectic world style." Texture abounds n masks, sculp-

tUre, spears, textiles, baskets, ironwork, carvings, vintage Per-

sian rugs, and vibrant paintings, many of them by the homeown-er. Elements such as a stenciled hallway wall and Mexican lad-

derback-style cabinetry in the library underscore the Southwest

flavor."We had lived in a more formal home with a neutral palette

before," saysKiKi. "Milt is a master of color, so now we live in a

home filled with golds, chocolate browns, mustards and various

reds. Some of the walls are glazed for even more depth. The

rooms change color throughout the day as light moves across

them. It's quite magical.

"Many people tell horror stories about their builders and

designers," she continues. "We had a wonderful time with Deb-

orah, Kevin and Milt. We were a great team. Together, we cre-ated a fabulous home." ~

SeeResource Guide.

Right: The detached art stu-

dio has colored-concrete

floors, and walls that seem

to glow behind the home-

owner's vibrant paintings.

PHO~NIX HOM~ & GARD~N .AUGUST 2005



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Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine "Point of View"