A re-imagining of a Paradise Valley home celebrates the best of the decade in which it was built.

There has been a nostalgic resurgence in interior design that pays homage to “the Me Decade,” when decor embraced an earthy color palette, natural materials, plush fabrics, curved lines and organic silhouettes. The same era also brought us beanbag chairs, vinyl tablecloths and avocado green shag carpeting, among other regrettable missteps. But the positives have endured and have returned to the spotlight. 

When interior designer Brittny Smith first visited her client’s home—which was built almost 50 years ago—she had a sense of the direction he might want the remodel to go. “Designers are always looking for clues,” she says. “For me, the tell was the mint-condition 1970s Volkswagen bus parked in the driveway. We also noticed his brightly colored Fiesta dinnerware collection and artworks that were essential to the story that he wanted to tell.”

The 1970s became a foundational North Star for the project. “People have softened toward what that decade had to offer in terms of the curves, shapes and boldness of decor,” Smith observes. “This house has a true sense of what it is. It didn’t stray from that. The ’70s was a through line for the project, but it was also forward-thinking.” 

“We didn’t want people to feel like they were in a time capsule,” Smith continues. “This was a romanticization of the era, of that sense of nostalgia. This home gave us the opportunity to reimagine the best of the decade, and embrace what still resonates with people today. That was the lens through which we looked as we tried to meet the needs of the modern world.” 

Smith believes she will see more projects like this. “There are a lot of homes in the Valley that were built around this time, and people are looking at what is worth preserving,” she says. 

Here, Smith shares how she elevated the residence by leaning into the best of 1970s aesthetic through a present-day vernacular.

The Bar

Interior designer Brittny Smith converted the original primary suite into a swanky gathering area built for socializing. “We knew this was going to be a house for entertaining,” she says. “Because of this room’s proximity to the kitchen and outdoor pergola, it made sense to create a zone that guests can easily flow into and out of.” 

In this space specifically, the design team went for a moody, masculine cigar-lounge vibe. “If there is one room in this house that has some glam and soul to it, this is it,” Smith says. The vaulted ceiling and clerestory windows are era-specific. Elevated nods to the 1970s include walnut paneling, an antique mirrored niche that bounces outdoor light in, and bar stools with rounded seats upholstered in boucle. Overhead lighting adds a dash of more contemporary swag.

The Patio

“This was an area in which we were able to reinvent the 1970s aesthetic both in color palette and materiality,” Smith recalls. “This whole space is a feast for the eyes.” Separating the back patio from the driveway, breeze blocks also filter light; their pattern was repeated in the pergola cutouts overhead, which creates interesting shadow play throughout the day. 

Furnishings are funky and fun, including a low oversized sectional, curvaceous side chairs and organic elements. “Outdoor living is so important here in Arizona,” Smith says. “Exterior spaces should not be an afterthought, they should be given as much attention as the home’s interiors.”

The Great Room

Due to the home’s original floor plan, the living room and its golf course view were hidden by the walled-off kitchen. “You walked into a bunch of walls when you entered the house,” Smith recalls. “Opening up the space made the biggest impact within the renovation.”

The great room is the design team’s reimagining of a sunken living room built for today’s lifestyle. “We wanted this to feel as loungey and lived-in as possible,” Smith says. Seating includes a built-in banquette spanning the windows with storage beneath, a custom freeform sofa, a playful, low-slung leather swivel chair and a side chair in luxe ochre velvet. A circular rug banded with desert colors anchors the room. 

The Primary Suite

“We decided to play into a ‘70s boutique hotel aesthetic, and create a self-contained oasis,” Smith says of one of two primary bedrooms that were remodeled to include everything a guest could need. The room is wrapped in flat-panel walnut with a built-in closet, drawers and hanging storage, and a kitchenette with under-counter fridge and microwave boosts the functionality of the space. 

Floating night stands flank the built-in bed, which features an LED-lit ledge above for artwork. The designer added brass pendants that cradle glass globes, and rounded stools to add a playful element of softness. Anchoring the room, a wool rug with a minimal pattern plays into the geometry of the space. 

SOURCES

• Architect: Rezio Pros, Phoenix, reziopro.com.
• General contractor: Fenn Rogers Custom Homes, Mesa, fennrogers.com.
• Interior designer: Brittny Smith, Homesmith Design, Mesa, homesmithdesign.com.
• Interior design team: Kaitlynn Madsen, Jenna Curiel and Kiley Trudeau, homesmithdesign.com.
• Landscape contractor: Worth Development, Scottsdale, builtbyworth.com.
• Stone slabs: Custom Stone Works, Gilbert, customstoneworksaz.com.
• A/V: Wired Up AV, Fountain Hills, wiredup-av.com.

BAR/LOUNGE

• Flooring: Desert Wood Floors, Peoria, (602) 466-5323.
• Bar stools (“Bryden”): sohohome.com.
• Doors: Discount Door and Trim, Mesa, doorshopaz.com.
• Light pendant (‘Dew Drops”): bomma.cz.
• Side table (Fossilized Stone XO Drink Table): elliottmarksfurniture.com.
• Wallpaper (Amalfi Silk Como Panna 4369): phillipjeffries.com.
• Swivel chairs (“Rumba” by Adriana Hoyos): Alexander Sinclair, Scottsdale, alexandersinclairshowroom.com.

GREAT ROOM

• Side chair (“Pacha” in coffee leather): gubi.com.

PRIMARY BEDROOM

• Cabinetry: Saguaro Skies Cabinetry and Design, Mesa, saguaroskies.com.
• Pendants (“Fiddlehead “): rollandhill.com.
• Poufs (“Bebop”): lastditchdesign.com.
• Bed coverlet: quince.com.