Oklahoma Tornado - May 20, 2013

We have all been watching and praying for the victims and survivors of this week's horrible storm that hit the Oklahoma City area and in particular the suburb of Moore, Oklahoma. The tiny screen shots we see on television I'm sure cannot even capture the scale and vast area of destruction that is there. As an architect I look at the instantaneous destruction and it is hard to imagine the force this storm carried.

I currently have three clients from the Oklahoma City area and fortunately they are all ok. We designed a large home in northeast Oklahoma City and I know that home has a full blown reinforced concrete bunker safe room right in the middle of the home. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be in and then survive one of these storms, especially with small children.

I know all of us in the Phoenix~Scottsdale community want to help and so we have researched a couple sites we can all contribute to.

The Salvation Army
1-800-SAL-ARMY
Text - STORM to 80888 and make an automatic $10 donation.

The Red Cross
Text REDCROSS to 90999

I encourage everyone to just give a few dollars to these groups who are doing their best to provide aid, food, shelter and comfort to our friends in Oklahoma.

Happy Mother's Day - 2013

Happy Mother's Day

We wish a Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there and especially to my mom! Thanks for the legos, drawing pads, art kits, and dragging me to model homes when I was a kid. It all paid off! We are all so blessed and receive so much unconditional love from our mothers! From real moms to "bonus" moms they are all there to help us along.

In honor of my mom, I am going to be posting some of her amazing recipes in some of my upcoming blogs so be on the look out for those!




Summer is coming - Where to escape?

The next holiday is Memorial Day and then summer is here. I already see many of my clients planning their escapes from the Arizona heat. From Coronado and LaJolla to Coeur d'Alene to Colorado, I am hearing snippets of everyone's escape plan.


We have been so fortunate to now be designing homes in many of these places. We currently have a major remodel / renovation underway in LaJolla, one in San Juan Capistrano, Cuppertino, CA, and getting ready to start one in Carmel, CA. We have just completed a beautiful lakeside home in Hayden Lake, Idaho, and we just completed a summer escape on the West Dolores River in southwest Colorado. More fun projects include a bunk house in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

Then add the Arizona escapes.... we have just broke ground on the model home for the Heritage Collection cabins at the Rim Club in Payson with MB Fine Homes. 86 home lots are available with cabins from 2600 sf to 5000 sf http://www.rimpremierproperties.com. We are excited about these wonderful homes nestled in the ponderosa pines and the beautiful Tom Weiskopf Rim Club golf course. My Project Manager, Robert Vieracker, gave each model a unique look and the interiors are beautifully appointed by the talents of Isabel Dellinger and Earth and Images http://www.earthandimages.com - from a mountain miner cabin to a contemporary lodge a wide array of styles will be available. Make sure to get up to Payson this summer and check out the progress on this premier community.

Travels

We have done our fair share of traveling the first half of 2013. From Atlanta, to Austin, Santa Fe, to Denver, Vegas, to Southern California and throw in Chicago and Madison, WI - we have been busy. Austin, Texas is amazing and what a thriving city. I was fortunate to have brunch in Austin with my good friend and former Phoenix Business Journal writer, Jan Buchholz, who is now writing for the Austin Business Journal.
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bio/12301/Jan+Buchholz
. Be on the lookout for her new blog coming soon where she will write and follow architects, writers, artists, restauranteurs and everything that is going on in Austin, Phoenix and Denver.









Next, I would like to thank the folks at SubZero-Wolf for the amazing trip to Chicago and Madison, WI and the SubZero-Wolf headquarters to see all of the new products they have coming out in the next two years! Wow - some great appliances to fill the home and all on the cutting edge of technology and beauty. Check out all of their new lines at http://newgeneration.subzero-wolf.com.





Italy 2014

Our Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2013 trip is SOLD OUT! We have a fantastic group going and we depart on our 10th tour on September 4th. This year we will start the tour in Florence and then spend a week in Umbria and Tuscany at our farmhouse compound and then we will finish the trip at Lake Como and the Villa de Este' http://www.villadeste.com/en/13/home.aspx . Do not wait to book for 2014 as we are nearly sold out on that trip! Enjoy this video which highlights our itinerary for our 2013 Trip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48t7DAX6LxQ Call our office for details. We are thinking of adding a Spain 2014 trip - so let us know what you think about that? We would tour the Rioja and Basque regions of Spain including Barcelona and San Sebastian. Details to follow. We would likely schedule this trip for May 2014.

Welcome Rob Banach and Meredith Thomson


Finally, we like to welcome Rob Banach and Meredith Thomson to our Candelaria Design Team. Rob joined us in January and has been a great addition to our team. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and then received his Masters in Architecture at Arizona State University.









We have also added Meredith Thomson who is a Phoenix native and graduate of Xavier College Prep. She then went on to the University of Norte Dame and studied throughout Europe and Italy. She returned to work in New York and just recently in San Francisco. We are glad to have them both on the Candelaria Design Team.

I wish everyone a great summer. Stay tuned to our blog this summer as we will feature more travels, recipes, and of course architecture from all of us at Candelaria Design.

Springtime has arrived!

Springtime has arrived in Arizona! And it may not quite be 100º's yet but the Arizona market is sure on fire. This has been the busiest winter / spring season we have seen since 2006. It's great to see and I'm excited to see everyone busy and working hard. I appreciate all the wonderful leads and referrals and I can assure you we are doing the same on our end. I wish I had enough work to work with everyone! We have all stuck together during the tough times that is for sure and I sure appreciate everything everyone has done to help us along!

MRA Custom Homes and Candelaria Design 14 years of collaboration!

Speaking of people who have been with me since the beginning of Candelaria Design, MRA Custom Homes http://www.mrahomes.com/ has done probably more work with me than anyone! From our first project together on Desert Fairways Drive in Paradise Valley to the two beautiful homes they are completing in Morning Glory Meadows, we have now collaborated on 8 completed homes with three spectacular homes now on the boards. 

MRA’s homes always represent the very best in quality masonry construction, the finest in details and exquisite finishes both inside and out. Every person hired to work on an MRA home, including Candelaria Design, is known as the best is their respective fields. You need to come see Morning Glory Meadows on one of these beautiful weekends and enjoy the mountain views, architecture, gardens, and impeccable craftsmanship of these homes. The two homes that are available for viewing every Sunday from 12-4pm are Lot 2 and Lot 3 and are currently listed with Chris Karas of Sotheby's-Russ Lyon Realty.

Lot 2  features 9859 sq ft livable, 12,783 sq ft under roof, masonry construction with six masonry fireplaces, extensive use of hand-carved limestone and custom millwork throughout, water and air filtration systems, Apple based Savant automation system

Priced at $9,600,000.00

http://www.thekarasgroup.com/idx/mls-4707463
8345_n_morning_glory_road_paradise_valley_az_85253

Lot 3 features 9831 sq ft livable, 13,114 sq ft under roof, masonry construction with large private entry courtyard, extensive use of custom millwork and wood beamed ceilings throughout, large dining room on two courtyards with fireplace and fountains.

     
Priced at $9,800,000.00

http://www.thekarasgroup.com/idx/mls-4707464-6121_e_orchid_lane_paradise_valley_az_85253


The three Candelaria Design ~ MRA Custom Homes on the boards are all in Morning Glory Estates:

Lot 1 features 8396 sq ft livable with an elegant Santa Barbara design with large private entry courtyard and fountain, masonry construction with five masonry fireplaces, private master courtyard with spa.

           
Priced at $7,800,000.00

Lot 4 features 8660 sq ft livable and is a French inspired design with second story including bedroom, game room, viewing deck, masonry construction with five masonry fireplaces, dining room surrounded by two lush courtyards, private master courtyard with spa

            
Priced at $7,900,000.00

And finally, we have just started preliminary sketches on Lot 5 which features a full two acre lot. The home is approximately 13,000 sq ft livable with a separate guest house, separate pool cabana house, masonry construction, seven car garage with room for more and a tennis court.


Candelaria Design is proud to have designed these beautiful homes along with all of the homes we have created over the years, many of which have been featured in both local and national publications. I look forward to many more years of creation with MRA Custom Homes. 

Nick Lowery Youth Foundation Event at MRA Homes

We invite you to truly experience these magnificent homes by participating and attending the Nick Lowery Youth Foundation event on Thursday, April 4th from 6pm to 10pm for a night of elegance, prestige and celebration in Paradise Valley at one of the MRA Morning Glory Meadows estate homes. This is a party you will not want to miss. Guests will enjoy delicious food, decadent desserts. champagne, open bar and a benefit concert by renowned jazz legend and two-time Grammy award winner, saxophone player, Marion Meadows.

Guests will arrive and be greeted by a red carpet entrance, and champagne welcome. All proceeds will benefit the Nick Lowery Youth Foundation's Stop Bullying programs creating cultures of Leadership, Respect, and Diversity in Schools.

For more information email admin@Loweryspeaks.com

Candelaria Design Ranked No. 1 for 2013 by Ranking Arizona

We are proud to have received the number one spot for residential architects in the 2013 Ranking Arizona for for the second year in a row. We appreciate all of your votes in 2011 and 2012 and we hope you will support us for the 2014 top spot.
To vote:  www.candelariadesign.com/vote

Scottsdale Charros Spring Training and Last Pitch Event

Thanks for all of you who have supported the Scottsdale Charros and our 2013 Spring Training at Scottsdale Stadium. We would especially like to thank Telluride Natural Stone http://telluridenaturalstone.com , Creative Metals http://www.creativemetalsaz.com/CreativeMetalsLLC/home.html and Hinkley's Lighting http://www.hinkleylighting.com for all of their time, efforts and materials in helping Candelaria Design with the new facade at the Charro Lodge! Great job.

We welcome everyone to attend the Scottsdale Charro Last Pitch event on Saturday, March 23rd from 6-10pm at the Scottsdale Galleria. Individual tickets are $150 and tables of 10 go for $1,250.00. Contact my office at 602-604-2001 for info or the Scottsdale Charro Office at 480-990-2977. Hope to see you all there for a fun evening! Proceeds go to the Miracle League of Arizona and the Scottsdale Charro Foundation Education programs. 

Stay tuned in the weeks ahead as we will be posting some more fun events, homes, recipes, travel opportunities, etc. At Candelaria Design we are always designing to enhance the way you live! 

Happy Valentine's Day 2013

We wish all of our wonderful clients a Happy Valentine's Day! And where better to celebrate Valentine's Day than at our newest creation - Julia Baker Confections http://www.juliabakerconfections.com- and her new piece of chocolate heaven at the Arizona Biltmore Fashion Park!

We were so honored to be selected as the architect for this little jewel. Just before Labor Day and my annual trip to Italy, my good friend, Julia Baker, called me and asked if she could refer her to an architect to design her new flagship store. I told her  I had the perfect firm for her - us! She paused for about two seconds and said, "Yes of course! Let's do it!" We were so excited and knew this would not just be a chocolate boutique but a little work of art. We teamed up with Claire Ownby of Ownby Design http://www.ownbydesign.com  and Schultz Development http://www.schultzdevelopment.org and we had the store designed and open for business by December 17th! What can be better than enjoying art in your mouth while being surrounded by elegance. It doesn't get more decadent than that!

I met Julia about seven years ago when she came to my office to design a French inspired home. We immediately became good friends. She loves architecture and of course food and cooking and so do I. We have cooked and baked together many times. She created my daughter's entire farm themed cake for her 5th birthday.  She established Julia Baker Confections in 2006 and has never looked back. Her desserts and chocolates has been featured internationally and she has been acclaimed as the "Chocolatier to the Stars." Singer/songwriter Alicia Keys has called Julia"breathtakingly talented." Among the many celebrities Julia has made chocolates for Bono of U2, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston, and Brittany Spears.

Julia was trained at the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and is an amazing cook but was drawn to creating desserts. "I have had a sweet tooth all of my life. I just love dessert and have been known to eat it either before or in place of a meal! Chocolate is a super food after all," says Julia. We asked Julia what dessert comes to mind when she thinks of Valentine's Day, "Well this year with our new boutique and dessert bar - you'll be seeing a lot of heart-shaped lava cakes! Any heart with an oozing chocolate center is the definition of the PERFECT Valentine!" comments Julia.

Julia Baker Confections has some special experiences awaiting you for this Valentine's Day and the entire weekend. They will feature special dessert packages for 2 including champagne or their incredible chocolate martinis....these are a must have! Julia goes on to say, "And being that hopeless romantic - I am thinking about running nonstop romantic comedies on our TV in the wine bar. When Harry Met Sally, You've Got Mail, and Sleepless in Seattle will all be on the list!"

We asked her if she has a Valentine and what her personal Valentine wish would be this year? "I have a long distance Valentine. My wish is simple...that he would be here for Valentine's Day!"

Stop by and say hi to Julia and enjoy a very sensory inspiring experience.

Candelaria Design - St. Mary's Food Bank Day!

Thank you to all of you who pitched in and donated to our Candelaria Design day at St. Mary's Food Bank http://www.firstfoodbank.org last month. In one afternoon we put together 1890 grocery sacks of food which equates to over 10,000 meals and we also raised and donated $1,000 which equates to another 7,000 meals. It is amazing how all of us working together made such an impact in such a short amount of time. 

One statistic that really jumped out at me was that one in seven Arizonans do not know where their next meal is coming from every day, and that one in 4 Arizonan seniors do not know where their next meal is coming from and that one in three Arizonan children do not know where their next meal is coming from. It really is hard to believe those statistics exist right here in our state. We are committed to doing what we can to see that change. So - instead of doing this Candelaria Design day at St. Mary's Food Bank once a year we are going to make it every quarter! If you are interested in helping us out, just call our office and sign up. It is really easy, you just need to show up. We go for about 3 hours and you can make a direct impact. We had a great time and we all felt proud that we had made a difference. Join us - 602-604-2001.

Candelaria Design selected for Best of Houzz 2013.

We are proud to announce our selection to the Best of Houzz 2013 for both Design and Customer Satisfaction. Our work on Houzz was voted as one of the popular portfolios on the website during 2012. We are always adding new images to the site so join in and collect your library of inspiration images for your collection.

http://www.houzz.com/press/7/Houzz-Unveils-2013----Best-of-Remodeling----Winners?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRolv6vAZKXonjHpfsX57OQrXbHr08Yy0EZ5VunJEUWy2oEJS9QhcOuuEwcWGog8yANNAPo%3D

Scottsdale Charros - Parada del Sol & Spring Training

It's that time of the year again for Spring Training! I am proud to be a Grande member of the Scottsdale Charros who each year kick off the season with our ride in the Parada del Sol, followed by our Spring Training Festival which is this weekend at the Scottsdale Civic Center and then of course baseball itself where we host the 2012 World Champion, San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium.
















I enjoyed my ride with my Charro compadres down Scottsdale Road last Saturday and Candelaria Design contributed the design for the new western facade that just went up at the Charro Lodge. The new western storefront was donated and constructed by my good friends at Telluride Natural Stone http://telluridenaturalstone.com. Come check out some games. I have amazing packages right here at the Scottsdale Charro Lodge http://www.springtraining.com. Our proceeds go to wonderful programs and charities all geared towards education and children!

Final Comments

That wraps it up for this week! We have some exciting announcements coming up in the weeks and months ahead so stay tuned and subscribe to our blog. Our 10th Anniversary Candelaria Design Tour Italy Trip http://www.facebook.com/CandelariaTourItaly is sold out for this year and we are taking reservations for 2014! We already have several travelers lined up for 2104 so don't wait long!
Stay up to speed with daily updates by following and LIKEing us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/candelariadesign. 

Happy Thanksgiving from Candelaria Design

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Wow, I cannot believe the Holidays are upon us. I think it always sneaks up on us out here in Arizona when you go outside and the grass is green, the geraniums are blooming, and its sunny and 84º!

We all have so much to be thankful for that is for sure. What a year it has been so far. We have all weathered some tough seas out there and we are so excited with what we see ahead. First we have added some new faces to Candelaria Design. We welcome Stacey Payne who acts as my executive assistant and runs the front desk, Damon Wake and Peter Ekema who are both recent graduates and now part of our design team, and we have just brought on Rob Banach who will join the Candelaria Design team on January 2nd! So we have done our part to add new jobs to this economy. As many of you know, I firmly believe its the small businesses in this country that make our economy. So we are proud of this accomplishment and we appreciate the support and confidence of our clients who give us the wonderful commissions to make this happen.

So what is happening....??? First, we have some exciting projects we have recently completed, projects in construction, and projects on the boards! Here is a quick run of just a few...

Recently Completed

First, projects completed include a beautiful registered historic renovation we have just completed on North Central with Nance Construction http://www.nanceconstruction.com, Vallone Design http://www.vallonedesign.com , and Berghoff Design Group http://www.berghoffdesign.com, Vivian Ayala, Project Manager.

We have just completed a stunning 10,000 sf hillside, mountain home in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on Hayden Lake - constructed by Rosenberger Construction http://www.rosenbergerhomes.com, Robert Vieracker, Project Manager.

Finally, a contemporary Hillside home in Paradise Valley constructed by Schultz Development http://www.schultzdevelopment.org on Mummy Mountain in Paradise Valley. Interiors by Holly Ogden, Wiseman-Gale http://wisemanandgale.com, Braden Santarcangelo, Project Manager. We just set an amazing sculpture custom commissioned for the project by Santa Monica sculptor, Guy Dill http://www.guydill.com.

Under Construction

A 20,000 sf formal Mediterranean Estate in Silverleaf ~ Horseshoe Canyon is nearing completion by Schultz Development, Interiors by Treken Design http://www.trekeninteriors.com, Landscape by Berghoff Design, Braden Santarcangelo, Project Manager.

Another 20,000 sf Rural Mediterranean Estate is underway in Silverleaf ~ Horseshoe Canyon by Salcito Construction http://www.salcito.com, Interiors by David Michael Miller http://davidmichaelmiller.com, Landscape by Berghoff Design, Braden Santarcangelo, Project Manager.

A two-story beachside renovation in LaJolla, CA under construction by Parker Construction, Vivian Ayala, Project Manager. Wait until you see the before and afters on this one!

A new retail space for Julia Baker Confections,    http://www.juliabakerconfections.com is under construction by Schultz Development with interiors by Claire Ownby Design http://www.ownbydesign.com Project Managers Vivian Ayala and Tim Mathewson. The new store is going to feature a wine and chocolate bar and is located in the Biltmore Fashion Square next to William Sonoma, set to open right before Christmas.

On the Boards

We are finalizing construction documents on a new mid-century contemporary hillside home on Mummy Mountain which will be constructed by GM Hunt http://gmhuntbuilders.com, Landscape by Berghoff Design Group and Project Manager Braden Santarcangelo.

Drawings are underway on three cabin plans for 86 lots at the Rim Club in Payson Arizona. The project is being developed by Diamond Ventures  and constructed by Mb Fine Homes, LLC. Three cabins are being created ranging from 2700 sf to 3500 sf in a Mountain Miner, Mountain Manor and Contemporary Style. Stay tuned for some amazing upcoming events with this property. Robert Vieracker, Project Manager.

Plans are in for permit on a new home in Verrado http://verrado.com that will be constructed by GCon Construction http://gconinc.com, Jeffrey Kramer, AIA Project Manager. Its nice to see things happening at Verrado which is a beautiful property in the West Valley.

For Sale

Definitely one of our masterpieces from the last 12 years has come on the market. Listed by Ellie Shapiro, this French Chateau features 8400 sf livable space on an exquisite lot in Arcadia. The home was built by Nance Construction and Landscaped by Berghoff Design Group. Project Manager Vivian Ayala. http://www.ellieshapiro.com

Comfort is first and foremost in this Rural Mediterranean home just listed in the Upper Canyon of Silverleaf by Debbie Sinagoga. This home was built by West Construction with Interiors by Charles Glover Interiors http://charlesgloverinteriors.com. http://www.russlyon.com

Finally, we have two stunning estates available in Paradise Valley. Listed by Christopher Karas. Constructed by MRA Custom Homes http://www.mrahomes.com and landscaped by Berghoff Design Group. We have also started design on two additional homes for MRA in this subdivision. The two completed homes are spectacular and open most weekends from noon till 4 pm. Please stop by and enjoy a tour of these homes.
http://www.russlyon.com

Candelaria Design Tour Italy

Well that is just a quick peek at what we are up to on the architecture side. We also had a fabulous trip to Italy on our Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2012 Trip. We had 10 travelers who enjoyed 14 days of amazing architecture, food, wine, and scenery. We had a wonderful Post Trip dinner just a couple weeks ago and relived our memories. We are sold out for the 2013 Trip that departs September 4th as we have 16 travelers already signed up, so we will start planning the 2014 trip! See our previous blogs and our Candelaria Design Tour Italy page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CandelariaTourItaly.

Charities and Publications

Thanks to all of you who attended the Phoenix Home and Garden Dream Home Tour this month. We were fortunate to have two homes on the tour, including the Extreme Home which was also featured on the cover of the November issue of Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine  I sincerely thank my two clients who so graciously offered their homes for the tour which raised funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. http://www.phgmag.com/home/furnishings/201211/arcadia-cottage/.

We also had a home in Silverleaf featured on the LUXE Home Tour for Life which raised funds for the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS http://www.swhiv.org.

Finally, we have one of our homes featured inside and on the cover of the new Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine coffee table book, Essential Southwest. You can purchase the book at http://www.phgmag.com/essentialBook/index.html.

I continue to contribute time and resources to the Scottsdale Charros http://dev.charros.com of which I am a very proud Grande member. I enjoyed my 7th ride in September, and made many new friends and acquaintances. We raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year which benefit youth and education in Scottsdale and throughout Arizona. Our big fundraiser is coming up, that being the Charro Lodge at Scottsdale Stadium, for the World Champion San Francisco Giants http://www.springtraining.com. I have amazing packages for the games this spring and advertising opportunities in our spring training programs and banners. Help us raise money for our amazing programs and enjoy some spring baseball! Contact me for details at the office 602-604-2001.

Wrap up

Finally, I will wrap up this blog update with a personal announcement. Last month I made it official as I proposed to my lovely Isabel with all of my girls present and we are looking forward to an intimate gathering and wedding sometime in February of 2013. I am very excited to have found such a wonderful person who shares the same passion for life and beauty that I do and we look forward to building a life and future together. Make sure to check out her beautiful boutique, Earth and Images, http://www.earthandimages.com in the Scottsdale Design Center for your Holiday treasures.

We are excited about all that has transpired and everything we have created in 2012. We are looking forward to another very exciting and creative year as we start our 13th Year as Candelaria Design and my 31st year of designing homes. We wish you all the best during this Holiday season!