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Homepage / Interior Design  / Farmhouse to Fabulous: A Couple Trades the Expected for Soulful, European Style

Farmhouse to Fabulous: A Couple Trades the Expected for Soulful, European Style

With clients open to taking chances, interior designer Bonnie Knobloch
takes a Scottsdale residence from farmhouse to fabulous.

By John Roark | Photography by Mark Lipczynski

The joy of design is in the details— and in avoiding obvious choices,” says interior designer Bonnie Knobloch. “It’s about finding the soul of a house and bringing in something you don’t see every day here in Arizona.” 

Knobloch and design associate Brittany Scheitlin recently had the opportunity to reimagine the Mediterranean-style, golf course-adjacent home that Michael and Brianne Christiansen purchased in 2018. “Right away, we did a fast and furious two-month lipstick renovation and lived with it while our kids were younger,” says Brianne. “It served us well for six years, but I was ready to have my grown-up house.” 

The clients envisioned a pivot from modern farmhouse to a European vibe. “They were ready to elevate the space,” says Knobloch, who presented some ideas that went beyond the usual and offered some unexpected choices. “Sometimes homeowners can get stuck in their own heads,” she says. “They think about resale value and that painting everything white is the safest option. That can be a scary place.”

Brianne was on board and ready to take chances. “I said, ‘Let’s go for it,’” she recalls. “Truth be told, there is no point in hiring an interior designer if you don’t trust them and want them to create for you,” she says. “Without Bonnie, we would still have the same porcelain tile that everyone else has. I wanted this house to be unique. Now it feels right. We finally feel like we’re home.”

With mature landscaping and rustic details, the Mediterranean-style home’s front elevation imparts a peaceful, welcoming vibe.
Mountain vistas and colorful desert flora are the backdrop for the tranquil front courtyard, where a stone garden wall helps frame the view.
Seen at the front entry, the brickwork flooring is original to the house. Twelve-inch baseboards are fitting for the large scale of the residence.
“I can’t handle doing what’s already been done. I am more fearful of what is expected because it bores me. I have an adverse reaction to conforming.”

—Bonnie Knobloch, interior designer

Just off the living room, mature trees bring shade to the interior courtyard.
The breezy living room features banks of sliding doors on both sides, which open to an interior courtyard on one side and the poolscape on the other. Twenty-five-foot-high ceilings made the scale of the furnishings important. In addition to new 12-foot-high shelving on either side of the existing fireplace, a leather chandelier anchors the space. “There are two focal points in this room: The bookcases and the chandelier are the showstoppers,” says interior designer Bonnie Knobloch. “What catches your eye? If you have too many wow factors, you have too much.”
With a view of the adjacent golf course’s 18th hole, the poolscape includes an outdoor kitchen and upper-deck cigar hangout. Vintage-inspired umbrellas add a cheerful note.
The antique stone trough’s blemishes are part of its appeal. “This style isn’t for everyone. We as Americans tend to want everything to look perfect, but it’s the flaws that tell the story,” Knobloch says. Homeowner Brianne Christiansen agrees. “I think when you try to make everything perfect, all you can see are the imperfections when they no longer hold up. I love interesting pieces. You can’t duplicate them.”
“This is one of the most luxurious pool baths I’ve ever done,” says Knobloch, who paired dark green zellige tile with a golden-hued complement in the walk-in shower. “There’s so much beige out there. Deep green is calming and timeless.” Aged brass plumbing fixtures will patina over time, adding to the European aesthetic.
A pre-remodel carry-over, the dining table has been with the family for many years. “We have so many amazing memories of the kids and their school friends and graduation parties,” says Brianne. “Ours was the house that everyone came to. I wouldn’t change that for anything.” l
The double-stack wine wall, which can hold almost 500 bottles, was added during the remodel. Soft lighting reflects beautifully in the countertops after dark, imparting a cozy glow.
The kitchen countertops are a bold, high-gloss, polished porcelain. “Brianne had marble counters in the past, and the upkeep made her nervous,” Knobloch says. “Porcelain is more practical for real life.” Two-tone cabinetry was upgraded with handmade aged brass knobs, handles and pulls. “Hardware is where many people cut corners, and I think that’s a shame. If you have the means and the budget, hardware can really elevate a home.”
The powder room’s floating concrete sink includes a vessel for botanicals. “We originally had two mirrors for this space, but then found it was more interesting with just one,” Knobloch observes. “Your first idea may not always be what you go with, and there’s no shame in that. Give yourself the freedom to pivot, if needed.”
Tiger-themed pillows and a chrome-legged blue velvet bench are elegant additions to the primary bedroom. “Adding the unexpected relieves pretentiousness,” the designer says. “They make it not so matchy and a little more playful.”
A fireplace divides the primary bedroom from the sitting area. The curved modern pieces bring a fresh complement to existing rustic elements.
“I had just returned from a trip to Paris and was so inspired by everything I saw,” Knobloch recalls. “Red onyx checkerboard flooring in a primary bath is extremely bold, and we didn’t know if Brianne would go for it, but she said, ‘Let’s be brave. Let’s do it.’”
The “man spa” includes a cold plunge, sauna and kitchenette stocked with whiskey and cigars. “We wanted a dark, masculine, moody vibe,” Knobloch says. The flooring was existing; a gray marble mosaic backsplash was added. The leather chair was relocated from another room in the house. “Feel free to move things around your home and try them out in a new location.”
Sources
  • Interior designer: Bonnie Knobloch, Blythe + Grey Home, Scottsdale, blythegrey.com.
  • Associate designer: Brittany Scheitlin, blythegrey.com.
  • Landscape architect: Donna Winters, Enchanted Garden Landscapes Inc., Phoenix, enchantedgardenaz.com.
  • Original builder and designer: Tom Archer, Tom Archer Custom Homes & Design LLC, Scottsdale, (480) 205-4813.
  • Original interior designer: Gail Archer, Tom Archer Custom Homes & Design LLC, (480) 205-4811.
  • LIVING ROOM—Bovine leather fringe light: ngalatrading.com.
  • Travertine coffee tables, green chaise, bolster pillows and Tahj hand knotted rug: luluandgeorgia.com.
  • White slip-covered sofas: rh.com.
  • Flooring: Wood Floors and More, Phoenix, (602) 717-4386.
  • POOL—Pool builder: Mossman Brothers Pools, Scottsdale, mossmanbrotherspools.com.
  • Umbrellas: businessandpleasureco.com.
  • Outdoor pool bar stools (Havana Collection): rh.com.
  • Striped pool floats: funboy.com.
  • POOL BATH SHOWER—Zellige tile: tile-collective.com.
  • Plumbing fixtures (by Perrin and Rowe in unlacquered brass): houseofrohl.com.
  • Striped spa towel: hawkinsnewyork.com.
  • POOL BATH VANITY—French stone trough: Studio Ressource, Scottsdale, studioressource.com.
  • Plumbing fixtures (by Perrin and Rowe in unlacquered brass): houseofrohl.com.
  • Lime-wash walls (in “Creative White” by meodedpaint.com): Desert Hills Painting, Phoenix, Wittman (623) 229-6581.
  • Green zellige tile: tile-collective.com. Onyx mirror: cb2.com.
  • DINING ROOM—Table and slip covered chairs: rh.com.
  • KITCHEN/WINE ROOM—Wood flooring: Wood Floors and More, Phoenix, (602) 717-4386.
  • Counter (Calacatta Viola Porcelain): The Stone Collection, Phoenix, thestonecollection.com.
  • Counter fabricator: Summit Stone, Phoenix, summitstoneaz.com.
  • Range: agarangeusa.com.
  • Cabinet hardware (in aged brass): armacmartin.com.
  • Wine room: Roc Air and Wine Cooling LLC, Scottsdale, rocairwinecooling.com.
  • Wine room metal doors: Bella Doors & More, Phoenix, (602) 334-0299.
  • Cabinetry: worldclasswoodworking.com.
  • KITCHEN ISLAND—Pendant lights: visualcomfort.com.
  • Bar stools: potterybarn.com.
  • PRIMARY BATH—Red onyx and white marble checkered floor: tile-collective.com.
  • Lime wash walls (“Creative White” by meodedpaint.com): Desert Hills Painting, Phoenix, (623) 229-6581.
  • Tile behind bath (“Kozo Snow”): tile-collective.com.
  • Walnut table (vintage) sourced by blythegrey.com.
  • Chandelier (“Corvina” in unlacquered polished brass): cb2.com.
  • PRIMARY BEDROOM—Bed and chandelier: rh.com.
  • Bedding: parachutehome.com.
  • Tiger bed pillows: lulugeorgia.com.
  • Marble end tables: sohohome.com.
  • PRIMARY SITTING ROOM—Red marble nesting tables: lulugeorgia.com.
  • Swivel chairs (“Gwyneth” in ivory boucle): cb2.com.
  • Rug: lulugeorgia.com.
  • MAN SPA—Gray marble broken mosaic tile: tile-collective.com.
  • Chandelier (Moon Brass and Glass): crateandbarrel.com.
  • Painted walls: Desert Hills Painting, (623) 229-6581.
  • Striped spa towel: hawkinsnewyork.com.
  • POWDER ROOM—Concrete powder bath vanity sink (custom): Compound Concrete, Phoenix, compoundconcrete.com.
  • Blush Zellige tile: tile-collective.com.
  • Plumbing fixture (in aged brass): devolkitchens.com.
  • Tile: tile-collective.com.
  • Wallpaper (“Glades”): gucci.com.
  • Manzanita branches: Camelback Flowershop, Phoenix, camelbackflowershop.com. 
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