The aura of the Mediterranean embraces this luxurious residence, where stone pillars guard a stately facade (opposite) and arches define a covered poolside patio (this photo). • Pictured below, left to right, arches likewise fringe the length of a back patio, and a tiered fountain and formal terraced garden add European flavor to the gracious estate. Photo by Tom Krebsbach

Off the beaten path, but just yards from civilization, a palatial desert home with Mediterranean influences takes command of the landscape. The scene is set as one drives through a gate into a beautifully landscaped auto court accessorized by stone pillars and a tiered fountain.
“This element is found in Europe, but rarely in Arizona,” points out builder Jon Kitchell of Kitchell Custom Homes. “As soon as you enter the court, you feel like you are home.”
Lined with cypress trees and beds of flowers, the auto court is one of dozens of Old World elements created by a talented design team that, along with Kitchell, includes the homeowners, architect Rick Daugherty, interior designer Carol Minchew, and landscape and lighting firm Berghoff Design Group.
Comfortable as well as grand, the home encompasses more than 10,000 square feet of living space, a fact that prompts its owners to admit they “forgot to downsize.” Essentially a long, narrow plan, it is organized around three zones containing public, private and guest areas. Daugherty says his challenge was not arranging the numerous large rooms, but merging the Old World with the desert. “Desert architecture is very horizontal, while European architecture is very vertical,” he notes. His solution was to extend the house through long horizontal spaces, and mass components within to create vertical energy.