John and Chris Suppes owned a second home in Scottsdale’s Terravita community for 10 years, but they wanted more—these former Chicago dwellers left the snow and traffic behind two years ago for permanent sunny retired life in North Scottsdale’s Mirabel Golf Club. The luxurious community is now the setting for the couple’s active lifestyle filled with hiking, biking and plenty of golf. “I refer to it as a five-star restaurant with a great golf course attached. The club just has wonderful food, which is unique for a golf club,” John says.
To create their dream home, the Suppeses hired Erik Peterson AIA of Peterson Architecture & Associates after a recommendation from their builder, Ken Bielenberg of Monterra Custom Homes. “It was around our lifestyle that he designed a house,” Chris says of Peterson. “He went through a couple interviews and a long process of getting to know how we live every day—he [asked] us questions like, where do we eat dinner? Do we eat in front of the television, at the kitchen table, do we sit on the floor? He took all that time to really get to know us before he even started developing the home land,” John says. “He was just a delight to work with,―he’s so down to earth and such a nice guy.”
Some highlights of the Suppes' 5,800-sq.-ft. home? “We have a lot of outdoor living area. We love spending time outside,” John says. “It can be used year round. For the winter months we have an area [with] a fireplace and electric heaters so you can sit outside with a roof over your head,” Chris adds. Both the Suppeses and Peterson note the large great room as one of the home’s standout features, as it boasts all-stone walls, enhancing the overall “Old World Tuscan” style, as John calls it. The involvement and detailed work of Peterson, Bielenberg and interior designer Janet Brooks of Brooks Henry Interior Design were all important components to the project. As for how the home came together, John insists, “It was truly a team effort.” —A.S.
Community: Mirabel
Family: John and Chris Suppes
Residents since: 2007
Home architect: Peterson Architecture & Associates
Favorite part of Mirabel: “The Mirabel Club itself is just a great group of members and we have wonderful neighbors,” John says.
Find it Fast:
Peterson Architecture & Associates, 480.477.1111, www.peterson-architecture.com.
Mirabel, 480.595.2545, www.mirabel.com.
