Black Mist granite from Midwest Tile, Marble & Granite, Inc.

Example of a mountain style home design design in Phoenix

**Paragraph 1: Spatial Composition & Architectural Volume** This terrace operates as an outdoor room in the fullest architectural sense — a compressed foreground plane opening onto one of the most consequential borrowed landscapes in the world. The composition is organized along a strong diagonal: an L-shaped seating arrangement anchors the lower left and right quadrants, its low-slung horizontality deliberately calibrated to sit beneath the sightline of the parapet rail so that the vista remains uninterrupted from a seated position. The spatial logic is one of layered thresholds. First, the intimate zone of the furniture group; second, the clipped boxwood hedge set within a matte-dark planter, functioning as a green datum line and soft balustrade; third, the slender vertical picket railing, whose rhythmic cadence reads as a fine-grained screen rather than a barrier; and finally the middle-ground canopy of Central Park and the distant supergraphic of the Billionaires' Row skyline. To the left, a mature juniper mass performs as a living pilaster, terminating the composition and screening the adjacent stone masonry wall — a rough-hewn ashlar remnant of the prewar building envelope that grounds the scheme in its architectural provenance. The stepped stone paving and the raked geometry of the railing as it descends to the right introduce a subtle asymmetry, preventing the picturesque from becoming static. **Paragraph 2: Materiality, Color & Texture** The material palette is disciplined to the point of austerity, precisely so the horticulture and the skyline may carry the chromatic load. Powder-coated aluminum in a deep graphite-bronze forms the furniture armature — slender, squared-section framing with an almost Miesian restraint — paired with performance-grade upholstery in a warm dove grey whose greige undertone reads neither cold nor sallow against the surrounding foliage. The single decorative gesture, ikat-patterned scatter cushions in charcoal and ecru, introduces a hand-loomed irregularity that humanizes the machined frames. Underfoot, large-format bluestone or cast-stone pavers in a cool grey provide a matte, granular ground plane, echoed in the honed surface of the low cocktail table. Against this monochrome scaffolding, the botanical register supplies saturation: the dense, glossy, small-leaf texture of the boxwood; the feathery, blue-green needling of the juniper; trailing ivy softening the planter edge; and, in the near foreground, the blowsy, dessicating panicles of hydrangea in blush, sage and antique rose. A ceramic vessel of coral-and-butter garden roses and a pair of banded stoneware cups on a rimmed tray introduce warm terracotta accents — small, deliberate points of chromatic heat within an otherwise tonal field. **Paragraph 3: Lighting, Atmosphere & Style Profile** The scheme is lit almost entirely by ambient, high-latitude daylight, diffused through a stratus-laced sky that acts as an enormous softbox. The result is shadowless modeling: the upholstery reads as luminous rather than glaring, the foliage retains full chromatic depth without specular hotspots, and the pale limestone and glass towers beyond are rendered in atmospheric perspective, receding into a silvered haze. No artificial fixtures assert themselves in the frame — a confident editorial choice that keeps the scheme legible as a daytime sanctuary and defers entirely to the natural theatre of the site. The prevailing mood is one of cultivated repose: urbane but unhurried, private without being hermetic. Stylistically, the project synthesizes into what might be termed **Refined Metropolitan Naturalism** — a hybrid of Soft Minimalism's tonal restraint and reductive geometry with the structured horticultural formality of a classical English terrace garden. The vocabulary is contemporary and materially honest, yet it observes the compositional manners of the prewar building it inhabits, treating the skyline not as backdrop but as the primary work of art around which the entire interior architecture of the terrace has been quietly framed.

Originally built in 1938, this bungalow cottage had enduring character, but its traditional closed kitchen layout – typical of the era – didn’t align with the way the homeowners envisioned living in the space. Inspired by their travels through England’s Cotswolds, the French countryside, and Carmel’s whimsical Storybook Cottages by the Sea, the homeowners dreamed of a home that captured the romance of cottages and one that would seamlessly connect with their stunning English-style garden. After years of attempting to reimagine the kitchen in its original location the homeowners realized it would never truly suit the way they lived & wanted to entertain. The original kitchen was historical & was built when the kitchen was the last room you wanted guests to see. It was tucked into the front corner of the home off a hallway leading to the main level bedrooms and bath. To reach the dining room, you passed through a servery swing door, then continued into the living room. While the original door had charm, it disrupted the flow and connection between the kitchen and the main living areas. To bring the homeowners’ vision to life, the design called for a bold move—relocating the kitchen entirely. We designed a 560-square-foot addition off the living room – placing the kitchen at the heart of the home and connecting it to the gardens. The new space includes a sunlit breakfast nook, a charming butler’s pantry, a garden vestibule with its own entry porch, and a wraparound porch that encourages indoor-outdoor living. The main level remodel also redefined existing spaces: the old dining room was transformed into a cozy study library, while a former bedroom became an elegant dining room just off the new kitchen. Every design decision honored the home’s original 1938 architecture and character. Matching the home’s original 1.5-story proportions, the new kitchen wing was designed with intersecting gables that echo the scale and pitch of the existing roofline. A stone-wrapped chimney topped with a handcrafted copper cap is straight from the pages of a storybook. Decorative corbels, intricate window trim, and cedar shake in the gable ends further connect the new architecture to the home’s historic detailing. Finishes and fixtures were thoughtfully chosen to marry the home’s moodier, character-rich original rooms with the brighter, lighter new spaces. The result is a timeless transformation that feels as though it has always been part of the home – an enchanting blend of storybook charm, functional design, and garden-centered living. At the ground level, a Pennsylvania bluestone porch and stone skirting ground the addition in traditional materials. Inside, a tongue-and-groove ceiling with hand-hewn beams gives purpose and intimacy to the heightened kitchen ceiling. The home’s signature arched openings were meticulously replicated in the new kitchen, breakfast nook, and dining room, ensuring a seamless transition between old and new. Every element – inside and out – was chosen to honor the original home while enhancing the charm, character, and connection to the garden. Photos by MK Photography