Masters of the Southwest Alumni
Masters of the Southwest Alumni
Michael Rockwell, Azul Verde Design Group, Inc
2010 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Landscape Architecture
What was the best part of winning the Masters of the Southwest award?
Hard work pays off! Knowing that my work is being recognized does feel good. It moves me to really embrace the clients desires (sometimes without them even knowing it) until the project is completed and they derive great pleasure from their outdoor spaces.
What tips would you give to homeowners looking to renovate or build their dream home?
They need to allow time to let the design professionals do their work. Be patient and provide feedback for the best results.
What is your favorite book and why?
Desert Gardening: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruits and Vegetables. As a novice “gardener” this book has provided tons of insight not just for my garden but also for applications to ongoing projects.
Mark Candelaria, AIA, Candelaria Design
2010 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Architecture
What have you been up to since being awarded Masters of the Southwest Award Winner?
A lot! Mostly working but a lot of traveling, cooking and enjoying time with my team, clients and family. Of course since 2005 a lot has happened and getting married to my lovely wife and Interior Designer, Isabel Dellinger, being one of the best moments of these past 15 years. I am grateful to so many who have helped me and my team over the course of these years. It has been incredible. We are now doing projects across the country.
In your own words, what is the legacy of being named a Masters of the Southwest Award Winner?
I think I was lucky to be named a Master of the Southwest when I was just 45 years old and the work I did prior to receiving that honor was very good but has continued to only get better and so it is nice to see the progression of my/our work through the years but now as a “Master”!
What advice would you give to homeowners looking to renovate or build their dream home?
Hire the best people you can – it’s your home and trust your team. Enjoy the experience – an experience so few in this world will ever have the opportunity to experience.
Donna Winters, Enchanted Garden Landscape, Inc
2002 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Landscape Design
How has your work evolved since winning?
Projects have become more focused on Xeriscaping and integration with the existing Sonoran desert environment. I have seen an increased appreciation by clients for native plant salvage and re-vegitation of disturbed areas. Often, clients will reach out to change their thirsty legacy yards into refined, yet sustainable, low-water using xeriscapes.
Tip/Advice you’d give to homeowners looking to renovate or build their dream home:
Home values are driven by curb appeal. Investing in a home should include a generous budget for landscaping. Landscapes are living things and as they age may decline due to the climate that we enjoy, and desert fauna can take their toll especially in areas outside your private living space. Landscaping is not a one time purchase but when money is spent wisely it can bring years of enjoyment and increase resale value of your home.
Where would we find you or what would we find you doing when you’re not working your craft?
My passion is landscaping and I find myself doing and studying landscaping in my free time. I enjoy a personal library of books about landscapes. I do enjoy watching KU Basketball and Larry Fitzgerald’s Arizona Cardinals. Occasionally, I enjoy a Valley Youth Theatre production or rocking out to my favorite AZ rock band, Cosmic Shindig.
Donna Winters, Enchanted Garden Landscape, Inc.
Phoenix | 480.483.7289
enchantedgardenaz.com
21602 North 21st Ave.
ROC #130250
Chad Norris, High Desert Designs
2017 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Landscape Design
Do you have a tried-and-true design formula?
To achieve a much more aesthetically pleasing look and design a sustainable landscape, I like to create high-impact focal points, in different scales and with drought-tolerant vegetation, in various locations throughout the yard. Then when you view it all together, each area plays off the other, creating one big vignette.
What gives you the edge?
Enjoyment in the one facet of the process that is typically the least liked: the maintenance and blue-collar side of the job. Nobody enjoys the labor-intensive portion, but over time I learned to appreciate the fundamentals of landscape and maintenance. Having that understanding is important to creating a sustainable, low-water, and low-maintenance landscape.
What’s the team like at High Desert Designs?
High Desert Designs is the union of Chad and his father’s passion for harnessing and highlighting nature’s attributes to enhance some of the Valley’s most stunning homes in the most elite zip codes. Chad enjoys the aspect of helming a true family business. His dad, Brian, oversees the technical irrigation and lighting systems, repairs, installation, maintenance, and quality control. Chad’s wife, Bahia, handles the finances, and Chad does the design work and everything else needed to make sure all runs smoothly.
But the extended family within our team members and leaders is the real heart of the company. Having a team that has unique passion for creating stunning outdoor environments, is the most important aspect. There is something special about working on a project for sometimes months on end, looking back at when its complete, and knowing you were part of something great.
Peggy De La Garza, Trademark Landscape
2015 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Landscape Design
What have you been up to since being awarded Phoenix Home & Garden Masters of the Southwest recognition?
Our company has grown by leaps and bounds. Trademark’s current clientele continually come back for more, either to update or add on to an older project or to start fresh on a new property. We have also gained quite a following from homeowners who have followed our work and are now requesting our services for the first time based on our excellent reputation and outstanding designs. It just keeps getting better and better.
What has happened since being named a MOTSW that you didn’t expect?
People so often come to us now preparing to be wowed, and when we finish up designing and installing their new landscape, they tell us the work goes way beyond what they had originally expected. We have always strived for excellence in everything we do and our clients hold us up to this, which in turn pushes us to strive for the highest level of creativity and professionalism possible. It’s about staying on top of our game and making sure our clients’ priorities are No. 1.
What are your tips for homeowners wanting to create a dream landscape?
As I’ve always said, the first priority is to hire a licensed professional to create a master plan in order to define a client’s vision and provide a starting point. Without this, a project can flounder, may not live up to expectations and can often cost much more than is necessary. Once this is in place, the sky is the limit.
Amy Bubier Klosterman, ASID
2017 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Interior Design
I am proud to be in this talented group! Design is an interesting balance of creativity and the coordination of details. Each week, we explore big ideas and then dive deep into the details to make them work. I love the process of connecting with our clients and skilled craftspeople to create livable luxurious homes.
As we now spend more time at home working, cooking, parenting and also relaxing, we are seeing our interior spaces in a different way. We love expansive open floor plans but we are also needing quiet spaces to work or escape. Our homes are an important place for both wellness and smarthome efficiency.
AB Design Elements provides interior architectural design for luxury renovations and custom homes as well as furnishings at a turnkey level.
Amy Bubier Klosterman
AB Design Elements
602.525.0921
abdesignelements.com
11639 East Wethersfield Road | Scottsdale
Lynda Martin, ASID
2016 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Interior Design
I have always felt the Masters of the Southwest award is similar to the film industry’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” as an acknowledgement of skill, quality and professionalism. It was a tremendous honor for me to join this esteemed group of peers in 2016, when I was selected by Phoenix Home & Garden as a Masters of the Southwest award winner.
My most rewarding projects are those in which the client takes a leap of faith and allows us to develop the most creative solutions to suit them. The beautiful details of this hand painted wall creates an art centerpiece in itself and emphasizes the gorgeous custom furnishings of this master suite.
I always advise future designers to love what you are doing. Your clients are your best asset so enjoy the work!
Lynda Martin, Camelback Interior Design
602.625.5967 | Lyndamartinasid.com
Lynda@camelbackinteriordesign.com
Clint Miller, AIA
2010 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Architect
“They say do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. That is architecture to me.”
I have long admired the architects and design professionals that have been honored as Masters of the Southwest by Phoenix Home & Garden. When I learned that I was to be included with this exclusive group, I was thrilled. Today, this honor continues to increase my passion for architecture.
The project of which I am proudest, is my first adobe home. This home became the building block for many adobe homes to follow. For the next 20 years, I was consumed with ‘real load-bearing’ adobe structures. The adobe homes that I designed ranged from very modest to the most elaborate homes. Today, I design homes for clients in many different styles leaning in a modern direction.
Clint Miller Architect
480.889.4660 | Carefree
928.3631677 | Pine
clintmillerarchitect.com
Mil.ler@me.com
Clay Scrivner, Scrivner Design Group, LLC
2015 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Architect
When it comes to innovative concepts paired with historic authenticity, award-winning residential designer Clay Scrivner is a powerhouse of ideas. With more than three decades of experience in residential design—he has conceived an abundance of livable, one-of-a- kind homes that honor the Southwest, convey a romantic sensibility and celebrate the art of living both indoors and out. In addition to the buildings themselves, Scrivner’s client-specific designs can be found in a home’s ironwork, lighting and patterns for tile and flooring, as well as water features and other outdoor elements. The result is a unique and dream-worthy residence offering timeless appeal.
Clay Scrivner, Scrivner Design Group, LLC
480.874.2696 | scrivnerdesign.com
7234 E. Shoeman Ln., Ste. 10 | Scottsdale
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