After living in their remodeled, Santa Barbara-style home for nine years, Cindy and Steve Todare were itching for something new—however, they already lived in their ideal location. Rather than build their dream home from scratch on a mediocre lot, the Todares hired Joe Storey, president of Scottsdale’s Tierra Custom Homes, to reinvent their home in the same location they had enjoyed for almost a decade. Situated in the Bret Hills area of Paradise Valley, at the base of Mummy Mountain, Cindy says that the central location and sense of retreat contribute to their great home site. “Our particular lot is one of those hard-to-find lots—it’s quiet and it’s just a beautiful area,” she says.

When hiring Tierra Custom Homes for their second home remodel, the Todares knew they wanted a Mediterranean style house, and Storey—whose business is based on a “design-build” process—helped them achieve that. The couple was impressed with Storey’s attention to detail, quality work, organization and timeliness (the home was finished in 10 months, when the allotted time for the project was one year). “He’s just very conscientious about what he does, and we could see that in the process of drawing the plans up and seeing his work that he had done in Desert Mountain—that’s what sold us,” Cindy says. “He really likes to create a work of art. It’s more to him than just a job, and you get that sense when you work with him.”

The Todares have lived in their remodeled, 7,000-sq.-ft. home since April, which is now a complete transformation from the 1968 ranch-style house they first purchased in 1999. Some of the standout features—many of which were Storey’s design ideas—include the large patio with indoor-outdoor sliding glass doors, the crown molding and big beams in the kitchen and the formal living room turned bar area. Now, the kitchen, bar area, family room and patio all flow into one another, creating an open feel. “[Storey] built us a beautiful home,” Cindy says. And really, what more could you ask for? —A.S.

Community: Paradise Valley
Family: Cindy and Steve Todare
Residents since: 1999
Home builder: Joe Storey, Tierra Custom Homes
Favorite part of Paradise Valley: “We like the fact that the houses aren’t on top of each other. Pretty much everything in Paradise Valley is an acre-plus so you have the sense of privacy,” Cindy says.

Find it Fast:
Tierra Custom Homes, 480.538.1792, www.tierracustomhomes.com.