The Rosenfelds were initially attracted to the twisting, turning driveway of their home—but it was the tranquility and sophistication on the inside that they fell in love with.
Dianne and Jay Rosenfeld were living in Naples, Fla., searching for a change from the humidity and bustle of their prestigious address. Both retired, they wanted to enjoy their success in a peaceful Arizona community amidst natural beauty and abundant high-desert wildlife as well as be close to some of their children and grandchildren.
Their realtor sent them a Web link to a virtual tour of a home in Troon North, the luxe desert-lifestyle community in North Scottsdale on the north side of the McDowell Mountains. The 10-year-old, 5,760-sq.-ft. home was situated on four and a half acres in sight of Troon Mountain, uniquely crowned with haphazardly strewn granite boulders.
“The driveway was so mysterious,” says Dianne, describing how it winds in from one of the community’s roads. “And, it leads to the kind of privacy and seclusion we were searching for.”
The Rosenfelds knew immediately upon seeing pictures that they wanted to change the interior of the one-story Santa Barbara-style home; it was white, white, white, Western, Western, Western. “We didn’t like anything about the existing interior design,” Dianne says, candidly.
At the same time, they thought the location of the five-bedroom, three-car-garage home was perfect. As wildlife lovers, the Rosenfelds now enjoy species like gray wolf, coyote, mule deer, hawks, grackles and hummingbirds. “I’ve looked out in the morning and found bobcats sitting in the crooks of the branches, and the javelina families come in regularly after dusk,” says Dianne, a long-time equestrian. Inside, they enjoy Brandi, their Doberman pup.
About four years ago, when they had settled on this home of choice, they then needed a home-design specialist. The computer had performed well for the first item, so they returned to its search engine for the second. Auspiciously, they landed on Judy Fox Interiors, the Scottsdale firm that has been providing outstanding solutions for more than three decades.
“We asked Judy to create an interior that would provide comfort, beauty and elegance,” says Dianne, a Manhattan native who met Jay in Naples. “We wanted an exciting interior that would complement our wonderful exterior environment; Judy gave us what we wanted and made the changes we asked for.” She adds, “It’s difficult to not sound like you are bragging when talking about your home that you really, really love so much.”
Notes Fox: “My job, and my team’s, was to actualize the potential of this home in the beautiful setting of mountains, trees, washes and desert. Dianne and Jay feel at one in this exterior, and I wanted to bring it inside. They wanted open, casual, comfortable and a blend of masculine and feminine to reflect their natures.”
Fox simultaneously worked at the macro and micro design levels. This entailed a complete renovation of the kitchen, pantry, powder room and master bedroom, bathroom and closets. Throughout, she eliminated kitschy “howling coyote” details, such as geckos in some of the Saltillo tile. In their place, she infused timeless details like the antique-style Mexican door for the dining room stemware and China niche; statement colors, like the bold paprika in the powder room; and carefully layered textures, like the dining room drapes.
For the project, Fox enlisted professionals that she’s worked with before. For the general contracting, she called Jeff Thompson, principal of Phoenix-based J.T. Building Corporation, which specializes in high-end residential projects. For the millwork, furniture and cabinetry, she contracted Dan Hutchens Fine Woodworking, also of Phoenix—who created focal-point pieces such as the clear alder wet bar in the billiards room and the mahogany countertop in the powder room.
The three pros coordinated with the Rosenfelds and their own teams to ensure a superlative product. “Judy and I have worked on several other projects together and have become very familiar with each of our responsibilities and our end goal of a smoothly run project with a satisfied client,” Thompson says.
Still, because the Rosenfelds were already living in the home, the project was particularly challenging, Thompson explains: “Patience can be tested due to the inconveniences during demolition and the constant tasks that are addressed while under way.”
Following Fox’s guidance, cleanliness and through-views were emphasized—both to the resplendent backyard and into the home. The original layout, for example, included too many art and sculpture niches, so Thompson eliminated a number of them. Some doors were removed, such as the one to the office just off the foyer; this opened up the foyer and hallway. So, too, many of the soffits were eliminated and some walls pushed back. “There was too much lineage, and you saw too many surfaces,” Fox says. “It created clutter and visual confusion.”
Now, the home delivers clarity and focus. The living room, adjacent to the foyer, retains the original lightly stained Ponderosa pine columns, which delineate the space between the two rooms while providing a see-through to the rear yard.
Dan Hutchens created a focal-point black and tan open bookcase with carvings just below the cornice. The bookcase in the living room anchors this expansive space, Fox explains. “We designed it to strengthen the only true wall in this room,” she says. “Its proportions are bold. By painting the interior a lighter color, all of the accessories displayed stand out and add complexity to the room.”
Dianne notes: “Standing at the top of the steps leading down to the living room, we are able to take in the mix of beautiful colors, elegant fabrics, handsome cabinetry with what we consider a wonderful view of the mountains; we think everything is just perfect.”
The kitchen and adjoining family and breakfast rooms offer continuous space with a variety of textures: granite, tumbled marble, tile, leather, woven fabrics, dark wood cabinetry and latilla-style ceilings. In the family room, a custom sectional insets the curved window space—a multi-functional nook for reading, wildlife-watching or taking a nap.
“The kitchen was undersized for the home and didn’t offer the level of function the Rosenfelds wanted,” Fox says. She removed a pantry for more room and deleted soffits to visually enlarge the space. A large hood and cook top now anchor the room.
Equally peaceful is the master suite, revivified with new colors and fabrics as well as a new large-scale bed and matching, but not identical, night tables. Fitted with a new Jacuzzi tub, the private master bath appears to float above the wash outside. Fox added new granite surfaces and a separate vanity area to intensify the spalike experience. “The views from the bedroom and bath are very wonderful, and we are so fortunate to view Arizona’s wildlife meandering through our property from these windows,” Dianne says.
“We feel fortunate to have what we like to call our little piece of heaven in Scottsdale,” she says. “Our property and the beautiful surrounding views remain a constant source of pleasure and visual enjoyment for us. Our home is so very comfortable and works for our casual lifestyle. Nature is a wonderful backdrop for the comfort, beauty and elegance that Judy created for us.”
“This was a very satisfying project,” Fox says. “It was the perfect coming together of great client, good project and excellent team. It doesn’t get better than that.”
