A Daughter Inherited Her Father’s Rare Art Collection—Now It Defines Her Scottsdale Home
A father’s bold art collection finds new life in a desert home that’s equal parts gallery and sanctuary.
By Lauren Tyda | Photography by Austin LaRue Baker
When an Ohio couple relocated to Scottsdale, they brought more than furniture and memories — they arrived with an extraordinary trove of modern art inherited from the wife’s late father, a celebrated plastic surgeon.
“His creativity and love for aesthetic beauty made collecting a natural fit for him,” she recalls.
Known for filling every inch of his own home with bold, thought-provoking works, he left behind an assemblage that became the centerpiece of his daughter’s new desert home. With Phoenix Home & Garden Masters of the Southwest award-winning interior designer Janet Brooks and her team, the couple embarked on a remodel that reimagined the layout, finishes and furnishings, while honoring the family legacy.
“The house had a lot of potential, but some things didn’t work for them,” Brooks says. The kitchen was cramped, the primary suite disconnected, and a sauna in the primary bathroom occupied needed space. “We ripped that out and reconfigured a couple of hallways, creating a more usable floor plan.” Project designer Ali Schierbrock reconfigured and enlarged the primary closet, added a second closet for the husband, and reoriented the bed to face the primary bedroom’s view of Camelback Mountain. The rec room became a “she-shed,” providing a personal space for the wife.
The inherited collection of artworks included more than 70 pieces, ranging from contemporary to East Asian to an original Picasso. “Some were not our taste,” the wife recalls. “We had the responsibility to properly preserve the art and be good stewards in finding proper homes for the pieces we chose not to keep.” Brooks and her team worked with Larsen Gallery in Scottsdale to select pieces for the home and auction the rest. “We reviewed everything and decided what would work best in the space,” Brooks says.
The team approached placement thoughtfully. “Some artworks were particularly meaningful to the wife, such as the Picasso, which we incorporated into her she-shed, and a large Frank Stella silkscreen that became a focal point in the family room,” explains designer Kimberly Bryan. A dramatic piece even found its perfect home in the powder room, adding a punch of personality. “Sometimes designers get caught up in matching fabrics and furnishings, as opposed to letting the art speak for itself,” Bryan shares. “This project was about supporting the art, not competing with it.”
Neutral, earthy tones and textural fabrics replaced the dwelling’s original stark contemporary finishes. Furnishings from the previous owners, such as the dining table and living room sofa, were kept. “We added chairs and a beautiful table and rugs to complement them,” Bryan states.
Lighting was updated throughout the home to highlight the art, and several works were reframed or re-matted for maximum impact. “The right lighting transforms a space,” Brooks explains. “Cooler tones let these masterpieces shine and make the rooms feel fresh.”
Even sentimental treasures, such as a robot made from reclaimed materials by the couple’s daughter’s high school art teacher, were equally considered. “It wasn’t an expensive piece,” Bryan notes. “It was just a memory for them, which is cool. We were able to incorporate everything meaningful to this couple into the home.”
Landscape designer Chad Norris, also a Master of the Southwest, transformed the yards from sand and desert brush into sculptural desert gardens. “Much of the experience is from inside the home,” he says. Carefully placed boulders, vertical cacti and salvaged trees guide the eye from the driveway to the backyard, creating a natural flow that enhances the architecture. “Every cactus, boulder and pathway leads your eye through the property, connecting the outdoor spaces to the interiors,” Norris continues.
Brooks cites problem-solving as the most rewarding part of the project.
“It’s not too often that you get a client who started with a few pieces and suddenly had a lot of art,” she says. “It was a challenge, but a fun one. I’ve done the interiors for more than 200 houses, but I have never done anything like this before.”
Months after completion, the wife reflects on the transformation: “Every time I walk into the house, I pinch myself because we love it so much,” she smiles. “We feel like this is our sanctuary, and the fact that my dad is with us in some ways just adds the cherry on top.”
Schierbrock adds, “At the end of the day, this was the wife’s story. We just helped it come to life.”
“We now live surrounded by my dad’s art, displayed and framed in a way that beautifully complements our newly remodeled home.”
SOURCES
- Builder: Armstrong Construction Group, Scottsdale, acgarizona.com.
- Interior designers: Janet Brooks, ASID, Kimberly Bryan and Ali Schierbrock, Janet Brooks Design, Scottsdale, janetbrooksdesign.com.
- Landscape designer: Chad Norris, High Desert Designs, Phoenix, highdesertdesigns.com.
- Art dealer (for auctioned pieces): Larsen Gallery, Scottsdale, larsengallery.com.
FAMILY ROOM
- Rug: Kravet, Scottsdale, kravet.com.
LIVING ROOM
- Rug: Azadi Fine Rugs, Scottsdale, azadifinerugs.com.
DINING ROOM
- Light fixtures: hinkleyslighting.com.
- Dining table (“Desert Trail” by Leila Parnian): Parnian Furniture, Scottsdale, parnian.com.
- Rug: Azadi Fine Rugs, Scottsdale, azadifinerugs.com.
BREAKFAST NOOK
- Artwork: macworthington.com.
- Framing and matting of artwork: The Art Department, Scottsdale, theartdeptaz.com.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
- Rug: kravet.com.
- Closet: californiaclosets.com.
PRIMARY BATHROOM
- Rug: azadifinerugs.com.
OFFICE
- Rug: azadifinerugs.com.
PATIO
- Furniture: Inside/Out Showrooms, Scottsdale, insideoutshowrooms.com.
