“We liked their signature stone because of the many colors it comes in and because it was a natural material from Arizona,” Janis explains. This stone also creates the skirt around the house — a contrast to the stucco, copper and wood elsewhere. This is carried as well on the garage side of the house and, inside at full height, at the master closet and bath area on the east side of the home and the two fireplace fascias.
The Breed home also celebrates water, precious in The Sonoran desert, which typically receives a scant seven inches annually. Both the front and back yards have water features that visually cool the home during the summer. In the front, under the porte-cochere, a copper water feature of Calla lilies, purchased from Suma Art in Payson, welcomes guests.
In the rear of the home, amidst the citrus, a pool and a spa beckon; these are heated for cool-weather swimming. A fire pit in this area also provides winter warmth. At the patio, Tsontakis also added a misting system on the patio for additional summer comfort.
The pool is a centerpiece inside as well as out. From the entry hall, it’s first seen through the living room, where Tsontakis has placed floor-to-ceiling butt-glazing that forms a wide-angle viewing arc. The semi-circular short sides of the pool repeat this pattern. In addition, the exterior landscaping — the arrangement of the trees — also follows the circular theme. In other parts of the home, the curvature and location of windows allows views of the pool from almost every room, including the casita.
Of course, the citrus trees figure prominently in the design and spirit of the home. The trees represent a significant part of Mesa’s pioneer history, as the early Mormon farmers began planting and digging agricultural canals from the Salt River more than a century ago. The neutral stucco color highlights the green of the citrus, and green tones appear in the Apache stone.
The Breeds must follow community guidelines regarding the trees. Janis explains that all homesites must retain a minimum of one row of citrus trees on the perimeter of the yards. What’s more, all homeowners are required to secure approval from the homeowner’s association before removing any citrus tree.
Prior to building, the Breeds had 88 citrus trees. To accommodate the home and landscaping and to remove dead or dying trees, the Breeds reduced this to 40 citrus trees — the original naval and mandarin oranges and tangelos.
“We enjoy gardening and wanted enough room for harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables,” she says. As a result, they have planted Mexican lime, lemon, Valencia and Arizona sweet oranges, pummelo, apricot, peach, and pecan trees. In addition, they are planning a vegetable and herb garden behind the pool — as both Janis and Charles enjoy cooking with the freshest ingredients.
Inside: A Tale of Details
If the exterior is lush with citrus, the interior is luxurious in detail. Typical of this is the kitchen, which showcases 4-inch-wide Brazilian cherry wood floors, meticulously installed by Kevin McMahon, owner of Scottsdale’s Fiesta Wood Floors. This flooring repeats in the bedrooms, den and great room, which, as with the kitchen, feature 5-inch alder baseboards. Also alder are all of the raised-panel doors in the home.
The kitchen cabinets, also raised panel, are maple — as is the other cabinetry in the home. The Breeds called for a variety of stain colors in the different rooms to provide unique atmospheres throughout.
