Formal Introduction

Although this private residence is located on a flat lot in an exclusive golf course community, its floor plan has an up and down flow that increases interior interest.

The grand entry foyer is one of seven stairwells in the home and features an open, octagon-shaped design that promotes through views. The mosaic inset in the travertine floor echoes the shape of the elevated entry.

Scottsdale-based, luxury home builder Greg Stanford knows the value of making an exciting entry. For him, a home's foyer "can really be the most important room because this is where first, and last, impressions are made."

The perfect illustration for Stanford's assertion is the elevated foyer of this elegant 12,862-square-foot custom residence in Paradise Valley, Ariz. The room features an open design that affords 360° views through the living spaces and out to the manicured fairways of its golf-course setting and the mountains beyond.

The vertical space in the entry rises 26-feet and culminates in a hand-painted Florentine botanical scene on its ceiling dome. An octagon-shaped opening in the ceiling creates the opportunity for a unique second-floor balcony that mirrors the shape of the foyer below.

The basement level is designed for less formal pursuits and includes a spacious central game room, a home theater and a wine cellar. The attention to detail displayed upstairs is in evidence here. The stepped design of the 12-seat home theater guarantees an unobstructed view of the 110-inch screen, while a hand-painted sky scene on the ceiling "makes you feel as though there literally is no roof above you," says Stanford. "It's as if you are outdoors."

The staircase and balcony above the foyer feature a custom-designed, wrought-iron rail and slab travertine treads.

It was equally important to get a sense of volume in the wine cellar, which doubles as an entertaining area, he says. "You don't want guests to feel claustrophobic," says Stanford. The 2,500-bottle cellar features a brick-finished, barrel vaulted ceiling and insulated glass entry doors that visually open the space. "People congregate in this space and linger here, as though it were a party room itself.

The home was completed in January 2003.

Style of Home | Formal Italianate
Location | Paradise Valley, Ariz.
Total Square Footage | 12,682
Hard Costs (per sq. ft. excluding land) | $345
Builder | Legendary Homes, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Architect | AKA Architecture, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Residential Designer | Jeff Biever, KAA Consulting, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Interior Design | Judy Stewart Design Consultants, Laveen, Ariz.
Luxury Spec-Built Residence

Photography by Gary Miller

The sky's the limit for the entertaining potential in the home's lower level media room, where the trompe l'oeil ceiling design creates the look of the outdoors. Custom-designed retractable curtains hide the projection screen when it is not in use. The walls feature a padded upholstered finish above paneled maple wainscot.

The ceiling dome was hand-painted by Wolfe Interiors (Scottsdale), which also was responsible for other faux finishes, including the hand-burnished patina walls.

Custom insulated arched glass doors and a 12-foot barrel ceiling finished with aged brick visually expand the interior space of this wine cellar. The room's custom alder racking and cabinetry was crafted by S. Stole Custom Cabinetry of Mesa.

The scene through the faux arched window above the tasting table depicts the home itself, as if seen from a distance.