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Homepage / Interior Design  / In This Creative Oasis, Historic Charm Meets Post-Modern Flair and Global Perspective

In This Creative Oasis, Historic Charm Meets Post-Modern Flair and Global Perspective

In an about-face from his previous homes, interior designer James McIntyre draws inspiration from multiple decades, styles and continents.

By John Roark | Photography by Mark Lipczynski

In designing his own homes, it can never be said that James McIntyre is resting on his laurels. The Biltmore Lakes townhome he shared with his husband, real estate agent Ben Jalbuna, was dark, masculine and clubby. Their residence in Scottsdale’s Cuernavaca community was markedly lighter, with a Spanish Colonial aesthetic. And now, in a recently completed Sands North townhome, the interior designer flexes his creative muscles in an entirely different manner.

“In all the homes I’ve designed in Phoenix and Scottsdale, I’ve tried to create that perfect oasis from the outside world—that quiet, cozy, private place but still alive and vibrant,” McIntyre says.

Built in the early 1970s, Sands North—which was designated as a historic district in 2019 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022—comprises 51 one- and two-story single-family dwellings in five tracts. The neighborhood has a modernist vibe with a Southwestern subtext.

“This community reminds me of neighborhoods in Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage,” McIntyre says. “It’s a part of the vernacular of the Coachella Valley, where I have done a lot of work.” He took his interior cues for re-imagining the 3,400-square-foot residence from Sands North’s exterior white stucco, dark wood beams and black metal accents. “There is no point in buying a historical home and fighting the original character and features,” he says. “It’s better to embrace it, love it and work with what you’ve got.”

The designer instantly envisioned how he would transform the home—drawing inspiration from multiple eras and locales all over the map. “I knew what to do. In my mind, I saw it complete,” he recalls. “There were a lot of influences in this project. It’s like post-modern meets Morocco, meets the fabulous 1960s Rat Pack era. Throw in a dash of Liberace, a lot of the 1970s, some nods to the early 1990s and a touch of the Beverly Hills Hotel.”

After four decades in the business, changing things up is what keeps things interesting. “I want a challenge,” McIntyre says. “I don’t ever want to get tired and bored. If I’m going to keep enjoying the creative part of interior design, reinvention is important.”

Arches were added to the ground floor, replicating the proportions found on the exterior facades of other homes in the community. Stencils are making a comeback, interior designer McIntyre reports. Detailing on interior arches and ceilings was done by McIntyre’s husband, Ben Jalbuna, who learned how to apply the patterning and thoroughly enjoyed the process.
Built in 1972 by Phoenix developer and builder E.T. Wright, Sands North Townhouses were designated as a historic district in 2019 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. The white-stucco one- and two-story models feature wood-post screening, wrought-iron accents and open carports.
The homeowner describes the living room as Moroccan riad meets a French fashion atelier meets Liberace. “This space is a romantic notion, an escape from the real world. It’s fantastical,” McIntyre says. Twin custom 1970s-style tufted velvet sofas match the orange color found on Hermes packaging. A quartet of lanterns is suspended from velvet-covered chains. “I’m addicted to Moroccan lanterns. I must have lived there in a former life,” McIntyre says. “I love the filtered light through the fretwork. There’s an escapism, a romance to it.”
Pre-remodel, the kitchen was in front of the house with an uninspired view of the carport. McIntyre relocated it to the back (originally the primary bedroom) for more natural light and easier access to the poolscape. The ebonized, quarter-cut oak cabinetry is accented by decorative ring pulls, a favorite of the interior designer.

“I like the mixture of casual desert with Hollywood glam,” McIntyre says. In the kitchen, a white plaster table is paired with antique art-deco chairs. The designer also layered in retro pieces from the 1970s, including vintage iron counter stools upholstered in bronze leather. “Making an everyday eating area more important uplifts the whole function of the kitchen to an elegant lounge space.”

Breeze block, contextual to the postmodern 1970s, was added as a nod to the era when the home was built. The blocks provide an element of mystery and create visual privacy from the main foyer to the dining and family rooms.

The kitchen, pantry, dining and family rooms are now connected by three arches. “The original floor plan had a lot of dead ends,” McIntyre recalls. “We reworked the secondary traffic flow to be beautiful and highly functional.” The ground floor features large-format, high-gloss white porcelain tiles. “I’ve been doing interior design for 40 years and never had a white floor,” McIntyre notes.

“It’s part of who I am to see a home theatrically, to step back and say, what’s going to happen here? How will that look and feel?”

—James McIntyre, interior designer and homeowner

Quiet moments co-exist within the maximalism in the rooms. Here, an art-deco chair is paired with a contemporary art piece by Jeremy Thomas against a backdrop of chocolate-brown draperies. A large mirror acts as a window against the blank wall.
Tiger-themed wallpaper “is intended to be lyrical and fun and not take itself too seriously,” McIntyre observes. “It was a step out of my comfort zone. It’s very Lucille Ball’s powder room, circa 1969.”
Two bedrooms and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom formerly made up the second floor. Now two upstairs primary suites and one guest bedroom—each with en suite baths—encompass the upper level. “Ben and I wanted our bedroom to be black and white, handsome and luxurious and to have an art focus,” McIntyre says. The chest through the arch holds refrigerated beverage drawers.
A second-floor meditation loft now overlooks the living room. The stairway railing’s original oval fretwork had been removed by the previous owner. Using historic photos as reference, the designer restored the original detailing. Black can lights were chosen over recessed ceiling lighting to underline the decor’s 1960s-’70s aesthetic.
“I borrowed the white and dark exterior of the community and brought it inside as a neutral backdrop to the theater I knew I had up my sleeve,” McIntyre says. Moorish paneling became a defining feature of the living room’s 18-foot-high ceiling.
“Midcentury breeze block, an art-deco metal credenza, a Hollywood regency lamp, a modern painting and a foo dog I have had for many years—it’s all here, and it looks good,” the designer says. “This is about curating or repurposing newfound pieces with those that have been with us for a long time.”
The pool was added to the barren backyard space. “It has a California feeling out here,” the designer says. “Are we at the Beverly Hills Hotel, or are we in Scottsdale?” The second-story sliding doors and balcony are new additions; the new glass doors below the balcony provide light to the kitchen.

SOURCES

  • Interior designer: James McIntyre, James McIntyre Interior Design, Scottsdale, jamesmcintyreinteriordesign.com

LIVING ROOM

  • Painting: christineklassengallery.com
  • Armoire: rh.com
  • Cow hide area rug: kendallgracecollection.com
  • Silver mirror: rh.com

FRONT EXTERIOR

  • Landscape: JM Lawn Care Services, Phoenix, (602) 668-6223
  • Outdoor Moroccan lights: edkenlights.com

LIVING ROOM

  • Tufted sofas: jamesmcintyreinteriordesign.com
  • Moroccan lights: edkenlights.com
  • Draperies: Arizona Custom Drapery, Phoenix, (602) 363-5362
  • Drapery fabric: pindler.com

KITCHEN

  • Cabinetry: Stile & Rail Design + Studio, Scottsdale, stileandraildesign.com
  • Pendant lights: visualcomfort.com
  • Dining table: crateandbarrel.com
  • Countertop: A&N Stone LLC, Scottsdale, anstone.net
  • Drapery (custom): Arizona Custom Drapery, (602) 363-5362
  • Drapery fabric: maxwellfabrics.com
  • Wine fridge: subzero-wolf.com
  • Counter stools (vintage): chairish.com

HALLWAY

  • Breeze blocks: tesselle.com
  • Painting: newzones.com
  • Chandelier: williams-sonoma.com
  • Stencil: jamesmcintyreinteriordesign.com; modellocustomstencils.com

LIVING ROOM

  • Ceiling molding: decoratorsupply.com

POWDER ROOM

  • Countertop: A&N Stone LLC, Phoenix, anstone.net
  • Moroccan lights: edkenlights.com
  • Cabinetry (custom): stileandraildesign.com
  • Wallpaper: retrodesign.hr

PRIMARY BEDROOM

  • Bed: rh.com.
  • Cabinetry (custom): stileandraildesign.com
  • Art: christineklassengallery.com
  • Table lamps: H. Ryan Studio, Scottsdale, hryanstudio.com
  • Nightstands: rh.com

MEDITATION LOFT

  • Table lamps: tierradellagarto.com
  • Tables: fourhands.com
  • Stool: jamesmcintyreinteriordesign.com

LIVING ROOM

  • Sculpture (by Jeremy Thomas): Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, bentleygallery.com
  • Silver mirror: rh.com
  • White porcelain tiles: modernhomedesignshowroom.com
  • Draperies: Arizona Custom Drapery, (602) 363-5362
  • Drapery fabric: pindler.com
  • Lounge chair: jamesmcintyreinteriordesign.com

ENTRY HALL

  • Painting (by Rachel Bess): Lisa Sette Gallery, Phoenix, lisasette.com
  • Credenza: bernhardt.com
  • Gray ceramic piece: Nicholas Bernard Studio Potter, Scottsdale, nbernard.com

BACKYARD

  • Exterior pots and plants: Plant Stand of Arizona, Phoenix, plantstandaz.shop
  • Awnings: phoenixtent.com
  • Outdoor furniture: crateandbarrel.com
  • Pool umbrella: rh.com
  • Landscape: JM Lawn Care Services, (602) 668-6223
  • Pool: Postorino Pools, Scottsdale, postorinopools.com
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