cultivate contrast

Paradise
Valley

For desert dwellers, bold extremes are not a fearsome thing, but a freeing thing.

The poetic allure of this Paradise Valley home reflects the spirit of its owners, who embrace intentional contrasts with the same ease and radiance as their stunning desert surroundings.

“the fine work of the mason joins again and again with the gentle grain of well-worn wood, reflecting the way, in time, each chapter of our story is seamed elegantly to the next.”

At the entry, smoothly finished walls in bright reflective tones rise out of the dune filled landscape to communicate a luminous sense of permanence. Inside, the softened light penetrates the places where relationships are nourished, and deep overhangs send shadows over the spaces intended for saturating you with refreshment. Outside, the living area opens to a backyard oasis – a sheltered place for soaking in this beautifully rugged landscape.

There is an intricate dance throughout, a rhythmic shifting between shared and secluded spaces. Between the places we open ourselves to grand inspiration, and the places we go to be sheltered from the harsh world beyond. Between protection and connection. Woven into every edge and flowing line of this home, is an invitation to celebrate the beauty of contraposition within us, as well as around us.

Held in balance, these contrasts are not dulled into unity; they are amplified, to be enjoyed in full brilliance.

©2020, J. STEVEN KEMP, ARCHITECT​

view all – collection