Sources and Design Magazine May-June 2008

Sources & Deisgn – May/June 2008

Mixed Metaphors
Paradise Valley, Arizona |
Claire Ownby, ASID | Ownby Design |
Scottsdale Arizona |

Interior designer Claire Ownby faced a few design challenges recently when working on a residential project in Paradise Valley, Arizona. “We came in at mid-construction,” says Ownby, who is known for a deft touch with architectural details. “The amount of changes we could make was limited.” Additionally, the homeowners, a couple with grown children, asked Ownby to incorporate two distinct and seemingly disparate collections – Oriental and tribal art—within the home.

With a thoughtful approach, Ownby created an elegant, understated interior, rich in details without resorting to fussiness.

The 6,500-square-foot mountainside home was based on an open floorplan, with a master suite and library flanking the public spaces to one side and three guest suites on the other. “I would say that the architectural style is a soft contemporary,” explains Ownby, who worked on the project with Lindsey Schultz, Allied Member ASID, from her office.

Despite the fact that construction was well underway, Ownby did manage to impart a strong statement on the interior, detailing flooring, the color palette, fireplaces, finishes, cabinetry, soffits and more. The designer suggested using a pillow-cut travertine flooring throughout much of the home, which segues into black walnut flooring for the master suite and library. A taupe hue, interspersed with splashes of color, was chosen for the walls.

For a two-sided fireplace that faces both living room and family room, Ownby had the living room side framed in espresso-stained maple, creating a more formal look, and used the same wood for shelving and cabinetry on the family room side, giving the space a more intimate, informal ambiance. She clad the fireplace opening on both sides with a stone mosaic tile. A fireplace in the bedroom was clad in iridescent glass mosaic tile.

In the master bath, the designer angled a floating vanity and mirror into the room, creating a dramatic entrance into the room, which was finished with espresso-stained cabinetry and marble countertops.

The designer also created a long, low firepit for the patio outside the master suite. “We didn’t want to block the view from the room,” Ownby explains, “so we kept everything low to the ground.” Another ingenious touch for the master bedroom was a motorized television, which comes down from a void in the ceiling to viewing level. When the television is up, a framed piece of artwork takes center stage in the void. Ceilings, too, received attention, such as an oval soffit design, highlighted with rope lighting, for the library.
Ownby worked closely with the wife to incorporate many pieces of existing furniture into the home, as well as to use both the Oriental and tribal artworks appropriately. Ownby underscored most furniture groupings with a series of subtly colored and patterned Oriental rugs, then selectively placed the furnishings—a mix of traditional, contemporary and Asian-influenced pieces – within each room. Neutral fabrics and rich wood finishes link the furniture to the interior. Ownby placed many tribal pieces in the library and grouped numerous Oriental pieces in the living room.

“We tried to keep everything as simple as possible,” says Ownby. “We also kept the rooms spacious, not filled with furniture and art. That’s how the mix worked – with a little bit of space around each piece.”