Yours, Mine and Ours

January 3, 2020

Indoor/outdoor living was key to the new layout of this residence near the base of Mummy Mountain in Paradise Valley.

Two families get a fresh start with a rebuilt home designed for their blended lifestyle.

By Nancy Erdmann | Photography by Dino Tonn

After deciding to get married and combine households, Gini O’Malley and Dan Quigley knew they would have to find a home that would function well for all members of the family. “We have nine children between us, all of whom are out on their own,” says Gini. While their new place would mostly be occupied by just the two of them, they hoped their kids would be visiting often. The couple realized their best option was to sell Dan’s home and rework and enlarge Gini’s existing house.

1. Thirty years after the residence was constructed, the newly designed home was given a sophisticated makeover to “reinforce the Santa Barbara style,” says architect Mark Candelaria. While the footprint stayed pretty much the same, additional square footage was added to accommodate the blended families. An entry gate connects the new and old wings and creates a welcoming front courtyard. 2. Prior to the renovation, the home was uninspiring and lacked charm. 3. The 1.25-acre lot allowed for expansion of the house without losing much of the yard. The home’s many patios and courtyards emphasize the couple’s request to merge the indoors with the outdoors.

Situated near the base of Mummy Mountain in Paradise Valley, the 1980s-built home was dated by its discordant Tuscan-colored interior walls, a sunken living room and a closed floor plan. “It was a real mix of styles,” Dan recalls. But its 1.25-acre lot, large swimming pool, lush setting and mountain views were difficult to replicate and were elements neither homeowner was willing to give up. “We wanted to create a new place for our families that was relaxed and not too fussy, and this was the perfect location.”

Although the newlyweds weren’t exactly sure what they wanted their home to look like, they gathered magazine clippings and images from the internet to narrow down their preferences. “Our vision kind of unfolded this way, and when our architect Mark Candelaria came on board, he was able to identify it as an authentic Santa Barbara style with a Transitional twist,” Gini recalls.

High on their list of must-haves were a shared his-and-hers office, separate closets, a big pantry and a large, open kitchen with lots of storage. “I took the essence of the previous structure and reorganized the spaces, opened them up to the outdoors and gave the inside and outside a more sophisticated look,” Candelaria explains. Even though the homeowners are essentially empty nesters, they ended up increasing the size of their residence. The Phoenix Home & Garden Masters of the Southwest award-winning architect added 2,500 square feet, which allowed him to build on a large great room and patios, bringing the total square footage to 6,500.

The single-story, five-bedroom residence has four full and two half baths and is divided into several smaller rooms and a few open spaces. “Gini and Dan wanted to follow the format they had in the original house: living room, dining room, kitchen—which we opened to the great room as they were separated before—an office, and then the bedroom wing with the master on one end and the children’s rooms arranged around a new lounge space,” Candelaria describes.

1. Removing vegetation and widening the walkway gave the front entrance a welcoming appeal. The homeowners fell in love with the distressed adobe brick from Mexico, which is also used to pave the patios and pool deck. The children’s area can be accessed through the double doors. 2. With massive columns, a heavy roof structure and overgrown plantings, the original entry was anything but inviting. 3. The covered fireplace patio adjacent to the great room was added to extend the interior living space and capture views of Mummy Mountain. Its beamed ceiling serves as a visual connection to the interior architecture and helps cozy up the space. Interior designer Isabel Dellinger Candelaria filled the room with slipcovered furniture; the paprika-hued fabric plays off the great room’s draperies. The multitiered chandelier is wood and iron.

To complete the home and give it a stylish and inviting look, Dan and Gini decided to have Candelaria’s wife, interior designer Isabel Dellinger Candelaria, join the team. “Mark and Isabel have great synergy, and it became clear over time that the two of them working together with us was a really smart way to get things done efficiently,” notes Gini.

Dellinger Candelaria spent a good part of the next year working with the couple on the furnishings. “Gini and Dan wanted to use as much of their existing furniture as possible, so that provided a great base for us to start,” she says, remarking that the couple not only have easy-going personalities but similar tastes in design, as well. “About a third of the furnishings were mine, another third were Gini’s, and we bought the rest,” Dan adds. “It worked out surprisingly well.”

“We used distressed red brick as pavers and incorporated furnishings with comfort as a priority.”

—Isabel Dellinger Candelaria, interior designer

1. The great room’s beamed ceiling is vaulted in two directions and ties together the front patio at right and the outdoor living room to the left. Outfitted with pieces that homeowners Gini O’Malley and Dan Quigley both brought to their union, plus additional jointly acquired items, the space is dressed in warm browns and reds. A circular iron chandelier reflects the dwelling’s Santa Barbara style. 2. The updated pool and Mexican paver decking, which the homeowners say is easy on the feet, provide the perfect backdrop for chairs topped with black-and-white-striped cushions that reflect the indoor color scheme. 3. With a layered palette of rich chocolatey browns, the couple’s shared office has a studious but comfortable vibe. Beneath the cabinets, an upholstered pinboard adds a note of color. 4. The office is the site of the home’s original kitchen, which was relocated to take advantage of backyard views and patio access. 5. & 6. Intimate and inviting, the living room offers plenty of natural light during the day and a soft glow at night from the fireplace, which was moved from the window wall to the east side of the room to keep the view of the backyard from being blocked. The fireplace was inspired by Moorish designs.

A simple color palette throughout allowed vivid hues—especially Gini’s favorite, red—to come into play through the furniture, accessories and art. “Black and white served as the base to balance a strong use of other shades,” explains Dellinger Candelaria. “In the great room, for instance, we brought in Dan’s existing rusty-red occasional chairs but added a rich saddle-brown leather sectional, so there’s just a wonderful, livable earthy vibe.”

Textiles and surface materials bring an unexpected element of fun to many areas. “The drapery fabric in the great room is a print of animals on a paprika-colored background, and in the master bath, we added red pom-pom trim to white fabric printed with black bunnies,” says the designer. Graphic black-and-white room rugs and patterned tile floors add drama and pizazz. “The whole house is spirited, playful, bright and happy.”

The children’s area also was a big driver in the design, notes Dellinger Candelaria. “The house includes a kid’s lounge that connects to four guest bedrooms. One has double bunks, which is really a lot of fun.” Last year, Dan’s daughter along with several friends were in town for the Phoenix Open golf tournament and stayed in the bunk room. “There were six of them in there, and they had a blast,” Dan remembers. Gini also loves the bunk beds. “They just feel so jolly,” she remarks. “I always say, the more the merrier.”

The landscape, which also received a complete renovation, is divided into several distinct zones, including an entry courtyard, an herb garden patio, a backyard dining area and a fireplace lounge. “We used distressed red brick as pavers and incorporated furnishings with comfort as a priority,” Dellinger Candelaria points out. Around the pool, which was resurfaced and replumbed, plush seating covered in bold black-and-white striped outdoor fabric creates continuity between the interiors and exteriors. “We also incorporated raised planters for greenery and fresh herbs in the front patio off the kitchen and great room,” she adds.

It’s been three years since the couple moved in, and both agree it’s a feel-good home ideal for big family gatherings and entertaining. “I’m happy when I get up in the morning, and I’m happy to come home at night. This house has good energy,” says Gini. “It has the best kitchen for cooking, great indoor/outdoor living and wonderful views. We feel as though we’re living in a boutique hotel.”

1. Gini’s farm table and Dan’s wooden bench serve as the centerpiece of the breakfast nook, which looks out to the backyard. With the addition of glass doors, this space illuminates the eating area and provides access to the adjacent patio. 2. The idea behind the kitchen was to lighten and brighten the space with white cabinetry and a pass-through window to the dining patio, says Dellinger Candelaria. Hammered nickel pendants illuminate a working butcher block-topped island, as well as an eating island with a honed marble counter, both of which provide additional prep and serving space.The black-and-white rattan counter stools were a find of Gini’s. 3. Located in the kid’s lounge area adjacent to a window that overlooks the entry courtyard, a glass-topped desk was a contribution of Dan’s. The red-and-white-striped Roman shade and matching curtains were custom-made. 4. Just off the entry, the main hallway leads to the children’s living quarters at left and the master suite at right. “We turned the existing flat ceiling (shown above) into a soft barrel design broken up with a series of thick arches to create a progression of layered light down the hallway,” notes the architect. The bench is crafted from an antique bed headboard.

Architect: Mark Candelaria, Candelaria Design Associates. Builder: Steve Watson, True Performance Construction. Interior Designer: Isabel Dellinger Candelaria, Earth and Images.

For more information, see Sources.

1. In the formal dining room, a high-sheen finish was used on the red display cabinets and under-counter wine refrigerators while the backsplash displays a contrasting denim hue. The rug was from Gini’s original living room. 2. Two gray sand-washed hardwood bunk beds—one a twin over twin, the other a full over full—provide plenty of additional sleeping accommodations for guests. Their platform-style adds a modern touch to this playful space, as do the nature-inspired roman shade and houndstooth-patterned rug. 3. Gini and Dan requested dark floors and white walls for most of the house, including the master bedroom. “We selected an engineered wood in a dark blackish-brown finish,” says Dellinger Candelaria. The way it’s made gives the flooring a well-worn appearance and contrasts with the black-and-white color scheme. Earthy Sonoran Desert-hued bedding, a tribal-inspired rug and a graphic artwork above the fireplace add personality and warmth.

Above left: While functional, the original master bath was dark and closed-in due to the use of plantation shutters and dull gray-and-green tiles. Above right: Dellinger Candelaria kept the all-white master bathroom open and bright, and because Gini loves black and white with splashes of color, the designer incorporated red in an overhead metal barn light, on the trim of the bunny-printed window treatments and in the hand and bath towels. The black-and-white ceramic tile flooring adds a retro feel to the room.

POST TAGS:

February/March 2023

December 2022/January 2023

October/November 2022

August/September 2022

February/March 2023

December 2022/January 2023

October/November 2022

August/September 2022