Photos by Michael Woodall Renovated a few years ago, the master bedroom of this nearly 30-year-old Scottsdale home retains its original Pueblo influences, such as the Moorish door that leads to the master bath, and its Saltillo flooring. The arched bed niche was expanded; its wide shelf—fitted with lamps, an old Chinese gate and other bric-a-brac—serves as a headboard. Beyond the raised-hearth fireplace is a cozy sitting area.

Smitten with their Pueblo-style home, an Arizona couple chooses to stay put and renovate

When their empty-nester friends were talking about downsizing, interior designer Mary Lemire says she and husband David resisted the temptation to do the same. Instead, they remodeled their early-1980s Scottsdale home for “the long run.” “We decided it was worth doing,” says Lemire.

A couple of parameters figured into their decision to renovate. First: Relocating to Arizona, and purchasing their house in 1993, she found that she loved its Pueblo style. Far different from the Traditional Colonial residence the couple lived in while in Connecticut, this home, with its curvy walls, seemed to embrace her. “I finally found a vernacular that resonated with me.” Smiling, she adds, “I refer to it as living inside a marshmallow. It’s a very soft style. There are no hard edges. I like every curve.”

Second: Appreciative of the home’s well-executed regional elements, the couple was able to engage the services of its original architect, Jim Ashbel Rogers. He worked with them and contractor Michael O’Hair on several changes, such as fashioning a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, perfect for visiting grandkids; turning a dated kitchen into a pleasurable space for cooking and entertaining; expanding a too-small dining room; and making some outdoor spaces more habitable.

“It was obvious that the house needed changes,” Rogers recalls. He had designed it for a “single guy,” and his task included bringing it up to date and making it work for the family-oriented Lemires.


The kitchen—a top priority—was decked out with new appliances and cabinetry. Other alterations—such as borrowing space from the garage and elsewhere—allowed for the creation of a handy butler’s pantry.

Delighted with the renovation’s outcome, Lemire—a major force in the home’s overall design scheme—says that despite her professional background, she sought advice from an interior designer friend, Kathie Foster. “She helped with so many things. Anytime I needed to bounce ideas around or decide between ideas, it was so helpful to have a friend in the business. She was in on space-planning, tile design, color consultation and more.”

Having a construction supervisor on hand at all times during the 14-month project, which saw the couple living elsewhere, also was a vital element in the success of this comprehensive redo, she stresses.

“It takes a team approach to get what you want,” Lemire observes. That joint-effort redo brought her vision to reality. “It made the house more livable, and the function of the house has improved even more than we expected.”

Tip
“When remodeling, you have to stay on task,” says Mary Lemire, who recommends making and following lists of what needs to be done. “I definitely had to adhere to lists because I would frequently get distracted by a new project,” she recalls.

Refurbished, the home’s original custom front door has different carvings on the foyer side and the exterior.

Before its renovation, the dining room felt like an alcove, says Mary Lemire. Pushing its rear wall out 6 feet made the room both larger and more functional. New French doors lead to a courtyard with a fireplace and fountain. Also new are nichos on both sides of the doors, created to display collectibles. Saltillo flooring was added to match the existing tiles. Beneath the stepped ceiling, furnishings with a Mediterranean and Spanish feel are true to the character of the residence.

The foyer ceiling, crafted of vigas and latillas, was left untouched during the home’s renovation. The Spanish-style lanterns likewise were retained. A wood lintel anchors the sculptural doorway leading to the dining room. Outside, Max, the family dog, awaits visitors.

Fitted with a copper sink and faucet, and accessorized simply with tall hurricanes, a Spanish Colonial-style carved wood console became the powder room’s distinctive vanity. High on one wall, and recessed within it, the new window is made of old glass rondelles and topped with a wooden lintel.

Changing the location for a master bath’s tub to a niche under the window means bathers can now look out to a garden area. The bathtub has a concrete surround. The nearby shower is completely tiled.