Drum roll, please! Meet the winners of the Valley’s most respected design awards.

For more than 45 years, Phoenix Home & Garden has been widely acknowledged as the design authority in the Southwest. Celebrating the Valley’s most visionary creatives in every issue, we take great pride in being the standard-bearer of excellence in architecture, building, interior design, and landscape architecture and design. PH&G Honors invites both emerging and seasoned professionals to submit their finest work. Every project was reviewed by a panel of acclaimed design experts outside of the Arizona market. With more than 100 entries, the response was as impressive as the talent. Here are the winners of the 2026 Honors, a showcase of creativity and boundary-pushing design. 

Meet the Judges

JOSE ACHI
Architect and designer with a luxury residential and interiors background, known for a refined aesthetic shaped by East and West Coast influences.

JULIA BUCKINGHAM VIKANDER
Award-winning interior designer with internationally recognized residential, commercial and product design work.

BRAD MEE
Editor at large of Utah Style & Design magazine, and executive lifestyle editor for Boca Raton and Salt Lake magazines, Mee has chronicled design trends for decades. He is also the author of “Design is in the Details,” a six-volume series. 

CHARLES PAVARINI
Fluent in many design styles and recognized worldwide for both residential and commercial architectural interior design.

The Ranch Mine 

Canyon Vista is an immersive private residence designed to dissolve the boundary between interior space and the expansive landscape of Sedona. The home represents a holistic approach to interior architecture and a refined expression of the art of indoor-outdoor living, where technology, material restraint and landscape work in concert to create a home defined by connection.

The exterior envelope is glass, offering nearly 280 degrees of panoramic views. The interior design complements the architecture through a palette that emphasizes warmth without visual weight. Minimal wall treatments, natural materials and carefully calibrated furnishings allow natural light and views to remain the focal point.

Mike Alexander, Hype Studio

Designed and built in 1947, this home underwent a comprehensive remodel and addition between 2024 and 2026, carefully preserving its historic facade while updating the interior to support contemporary living. The interior was reconfigured to include an additional bedroom and bath; an open-concept kitchen; dining and living area; and a new primary suite, all featuring a timeless selection of curated materials and finishes.

The concept builds upon a defining element of the original design: the relationship between interior space and the surrounding landscape. 

Brent Kendle, Kendle Design Collaborative

Completed in 2007, the Desert Wing residence is organized into two zones: a 4,300-square-foot primary residence for the owners, and a separate wing for visiting family and friends.

Massive rammed-earth and concrete walls block harsh sun and unwanted views, while a thin, shaded line of glass dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, focusing attention on desert vegetation, mountain silhouettes and distant city lights. Folded roof planes harvest rainwater and extend deep overhangs that temper the climate and define outdoor rooms.

Desert Wing helped shift the conversation about residential architecture in the region away from nostalgic imagery toward an authentic, climate-responsive modernism. Nearly two decades later, it continues to stand as a prototype for building in the desert—an architecture inseparable from its environment and enduring in both performance and relevance.

Elizabeth Rosensteel
Elizabeth A. Rosensteel Design

Created for a culinary enthusiast who never had his “perfect kitchen,” the objective was to design a functional kitchen that serves as a beautiful backdrop to the larger area. The space is  a prominent element that commands the living room and sitting area with millwork designed like a fine piece of furniture, concealing all appliances with the exception of the range.

Jessica Hutchison-Rough
Urban Design Associates, Ltd.

This primary bathroom was designed as a calm, spa-like retreat that emphasizes clarity of layout and material continuity. Stone surfaces and clean-lined detailing reinforce a minimal aesthetic, while carefully placed glazing maintains privacy without sacrificing natural light. Direct access to the pool area and outdoor shower extends the bathing experience outward, strengthening the connection between interior space and the surrounding desert landscape.

Brent Kendle
Kendle Design Collaborative

Nestled in a rich palette of native vegetation, the Desert Fairways Residence reveals itself as it emerges from its surroundings. Its design captures the eye, with low masses defining private zones that contrast with a folded metal plane that shelters the social zone. Changing hues of textured metal cast rhythmic shadows, recalling the ribs of a cactus, while rhythm masonry forms shield the interior from the western sun.

A lush desert garden approaches the interior, its proximity heightened by a nearly frameless glass wall. Beyond, glimpses of the golf course appear through the diverse, low-water-use plantings, which ground the mountain views beyond. A narrow pool reflects the Arizona sky while simultaneously cascading down textured walls to compose a soothing harmony of sound and visual delight while creating a cool microclimate within the outdoor living area. 

A Collaboration Between Camelot Homes and Creative Environments

The pool design for this model home was conceived as an intentional sculptural element that reinforces the home’s contemporary design language while elevating the outdoor living experience.

This design introduces a distinctive oval-shaped form that mirrors the curve of the covered patio above it. This relationship between architecture and water creates a cohesive composition where the geometry of the home continues seamlessly into the landscape. The pool becomes both a visual anchor and a defining feature of the backyard environment. Expansive sliding glass doors from the home’s great room and main living areas frame views of the water, allowing the reflective surface of the pool to become an integral part of the home’s daily experience. 

Christopher Brown, Floor Associates Inc.

This private residence celebrates the diverse beauty of the Sonoran Desert. Envisioned as a desert modern home, married to the site and integrated directly into the landscape, the distinction between the built environment and the natural world is purposefully erased. The design is organized around a series of courtyard spaces connecting each room to the landscape. 

Located in an area predominated by creosote flats and washes, the perimeter landscape utilizes strictly native materials, screening the home from the neighborhood and establishing a series of controlled sightlines and transitional spaces, choreographed to immerse guests into the native landscape and allow a few moments of decompression before entering the home.

Donna Winters
Enchanted Garden Landscape

The most significant accomplishment of this project was not the creation of something new, but the restoration of something rare. This home is sited within a dramatic desert landform defined by boulder outcroppings rising more than 25 feet. Previous plantings had introduced lush tropical and non-native species that conflicted with the ecological and visual character of the surrounding terrain. There was immediate alignment between the new homeowner and landscape architect around a shared objective: restore the landscape to plant communities appropriate to the Sonoran Desert.

By returning the landscape to its rightful character, this site now stands as a preserved piece of Scottsdale’s desert legacy.

Mark Cone, LGE Design Build

Brunch & Sip is a transformative adaptive reuse project that reimagines a former multi-tenant office building as an experiential restaurant. The structure was consolidated into a single cohesive hospitality environment designed to celebrate social dining. The exterior design honors the building’s architectural character while introducing elements that support the restaurant’s brand. Original arches were preserved and complemented with new windows to maximize natural light. The former stair entry was reimagined as an open-air patio defined by breeze block, creating a welcoming arrival and a seamless indoor-outdoor dining experience. 

John Smieszek, Aspect Fine Homes

The luxury closet within the primary suite was designed to feel both elegant and highly functional. The result is a refined, well-organized space that feels tailored, intentional and seamlessly integrated into the overall design of the home. Custom cabinetry provides generous storage while preserving clean sightlines and a calm visual rhythm. Glass-front wardrobe doors add lightness and clarity, while integrated lighting ensures clothing and accessories are easily visible and accessible. The layout was designed to prioritize function, organization and ease of use.