Still, prior to the remodel the interior of the prestigiously located home was bland and banal, dominated by 80’s-style curves and arches. “It looked like so many similar homes—as if it couldn’t decide if it was Mediterranean or Southwest contemporary,” says Graber, who also frequently lectures on design.

“When we moved to Arizona from Chicago, we purchased our home on spec, so we had limited input into our selections,” explains Linda, also the marketing director for Republic West. Because of their new Arizona address, they were first attracted to a Southwest contemporary style, so their furnishings followed this liking.

However, as they frequently travel back to Chicago for work and pleasure, the couple found that they preferred a crisply delineated urban look consistent with the birthplace of modern architecture. “In our hearts, we have always favored contemporary furnishing, so when the opportunity to remodel and refurnish was presented, we knew we wanted to go back to a contemporary feeling in our home,” Linda says.

In addition to modern fixtures, they wanted color and luxurious finishes; a sophisticated material palette—glass, stone, wood, stainless steel and copper; an entertainment-friendly kitchen/family room with a multi-purpose walk-behind bar and revamped media center; a “wow” powder room; and a Zen master suite that would invoke a spalike feeling every time Linda escapes behind its French doors. “It was also important that our home feel very warm and inviting, which is sometimes a challenge with the contemporary look,” she says.

Through friends and business, they knew of Graber’s interior design reputation (she’s been practicing here for 23 years) for innovative commercial and residential design solutions as well as her creative strokes of color and artwork commissions.