Pratt and Lambert - Personal Expressions 2008 - (Page 19)

known as Taliesin West at the foothills of the McDowell Mountains, and he designed many buildings in the area. His use of natural materials and details that complemented the surroundings continues to influence local architecture and interior design. On the outside, today’s Scottsdale houses can range from light stucco facades with red tile roofs to custom contemporary, mission, adobe or Euro-Spanish designs. Inside, the houses typically feature open-plan layouts. “The desert is very open as are the homes, with high ceilings and large window areas to view the beautiful mountains, rock formations and vast desert area with natural plants,” explains Melinda Foote, owner of Foote & Company, an interior design firm in Phoenix, and a color expert. Most houses do not have living rooms, she says, but rely on a continuous space that flows from indoors to outdoors and allows for a variety of entertainment options. Despite its rather important architectural history, Scottsdale is a relatively young city, and its inhabitants are often transplants from other parts of the country, rather than natives of Arizona. This influences the styles that can be found inside Scottsdale homes. “People come from Oregon, Toronto, California, Boston — it’s like a melting pot of design,” says Mark LaPalm, owner of the Scottsdale design firm Blue Desert Inc. in Gilbert, Arizona. “They’re bringing their own designs and adapting them to the Arizona lifestyle.” This convergence of local tastes and outof-town styles is becoming more pronounced, according to LaPalm. “In recent years, the Scottsdale area has gone from very themed styles with specific color palettes to a much broader paint vocabulary. It’s a very exciting shift.” LaPalm adds that many of his clients look for natural color palettes ala Frank Lloyd Wright accented with bold hues. Foote agrees with this decorating trend, and notes that light to medium walls with contrasting woods and flooring brings interiors to life when complemented by a mix of natural stone, handmade tiles and art accents. “Collecting art is a large contributing factor to many clients,” she says. Foote often relies on ornamental and decorative details and bold fabrics to make a home “pop” with color. While LaPalm does not necessarily shy away from color on the walls of the houses he designs, he is careful to pick the proper shade for a particular decor and use just Oat Grass 24-24 (wall), Hare 2-31 and Foliage 18-12 (circle accents) the right amount. In an Oxford, Arizona, home, LaPalm used an intense orange in key areas of a living/dining room: around the P R AT T & L A M B E R T 19

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