Welcome to the New Year – well ok, the second month of 2020 is already over! I have not posted a blog since September, so that gives you an idea of how busy it has been. Let’s just say – it’s definitely busy!!! Nonetheless, it’s good to take some time to share some of the fun we’ve been having here at Candelaria Design!
We started January with a fantastic evening at Gigi’s Playhouse Gala at the JW Marriott Hotel at Desert Ridge. We are very proud to be a part of this event every year and along with Earth and Images Interiors we have donated our services since their inception in creating Gigi’s Playhouse, Café and University for children and young adults with Downs Syndrome.
This all was the result of the collaboration of Candelaria Design and Earth and Images designing the home for the Founder, Jennifer Gage, which was featured on the Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine Home Tour in 2017. We put together a fun group at a Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images table and had a fabulous evening. We encourage you to listen to our Podcast Inspiring Living Episode 21 where we feature the fabulous Founder, Jennifer Gage! (Past podcast links below)
Mid December, Mark put his chef’s apron on for client and friend, Phyllis Lerners’ birthday celebration at their newly completed, gorgeous 11,000 sq. ft. Rural Mediterranean Candelaria Design home built by Manship Builders. Mark, daughter Tiffany, who recently joined the CDA Team, and two assistants cooked, cleaned and served an elaborate five course meal for 30 of Phyllis’s closest friends.
A few weeks ago, Candelaria Design hosted a private tour and dinner at the famed Taliesin West on January 16th and in the process raised roughly $4000 for Taliesin West and The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Taliesin West is a UNESCO World Heritage site and National Historic Landmark nestled in the desert foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, AZ. It is also the home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the School of Architecture at Taliesin. The evening was hosted by Candelaria Design, with Taliesin West graduate and CDA Project Manager, Jochen Walther, giving our 30 guests a private tour followed by cocktails at sunset and then the dinner served in the infamous Cabaret Room.
What an honor it was to have Taliesin all to ourselves and feel the vibe of Frank Lloyd Wright from the fabulous stories by Foundation President and CEO Stuart Graff. We want to thank all of you who donated to the Foundation by enjoying the private tour and dinner with us at Taliesin.
Inspiring Living Podcast
We have just completed and released our thirtieth podcast of Inspiring Living and our subscribers have been growing steadily. Thank you for all the listens and subscribes! We have had many amazing guests on our first 30 podcasts and have many more forthcoming! If you have not listened to our podcast give it a go and let us know what you think by giving us a subscribe, a rating, and/or comments. Our podcast is not specifically about design and architecture but more about the interesting people we know and work with, their story, and how they Inspire Living. To see all of the past Podcasts and learn more about each, visit: https://www.candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast
Check out these past podcast episodes since December and to stay up to date, subscribe!
Bringing The Bling To Living With Scott & Marla Berger
Building The Ultimate Dream Home With Habitat For Humanity
Photographer Julianne Palmer Talks Perspective
The Art Of Living With Art Featuring Niki Woehler
AV & Home Automation Revealed With Deric Andre
There Is Always A Way With ASU Football Legend Juan Roque
Our Angel On Earth-Jennifer Gage Of Gigi's Playhouse
No Reserve On Balance - Auctiontainer, Letitia Frye
Power Couple Elliot Barkan & Corinne Hale - They Launch Real Estate
Actress, Fashion Model & Entrepreneur - Clarissa Burt
Evan & Christian Delaney Inspire Men's Fashion
Mid-January I did a “podcast swap” with my friend, Founder and Publisher of the luxury lifestyle magazine ICONIC LIFE , Renee Dee. Check out Mark’s podcast about Renee and her life in media here: Living Beautifully With Renee Dee and then Renee’s podcast featuring Mark: Mark Candelaria Exemplifies Inspired Living On Iconic Hour
Last week, I got to be the guest on an amazing, national podcast I’ve been listening to for months called “The Hustle Sold Separately” by Matt Gottesman. We discussed how I get and stay inspired, energized and aligned and that whole concept of work-life-balance. “The Hustle Sold Separately” is aimed at the emerging creative entrepreneurial class, new-economy doers and global non-conformists. It focuses on humanizing the entrepreneurial journey by providing actionable advice and interviews from global creators and peers who are embracing the journey, building their brands, growing their companies and disrupting the industry, along with their own personal/professional journey.
Press
To kick off the new year, Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine featured two of Candelaria Design’s homes. The January 2020 article highlighted the project I got to team up with my wife, Interior Designer and now Master of the Southwest, Isabel Candelaria, of Earth and Images for the transformation of an outdated house in Paradise Valley, Arizona. This remodel/makeover was featured on the Phoenix Home and Garden 2019 Fall Home Tour and featured great work by Candelaria Design Project Manager, Damon Wake and Earth and Images Jr. Designer, Nikka Bochniak. The home was built by True Performance Construction. Check out the feature here: https://www.candelariadesign.com/press/2019/12/13/phoenix-home-and-garden-features-candelaria-design-in-the-january-2020-issue
The following month, Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine featured a home I designed with now Principal and then Project Manager, Vivian Ayala over a decade ago in their “Art and Artist’s” February edition highlighting homes with spectacular works of art. The home was built by GMHunt Builders and landscaped by Berghoff Design Group. Check out the feature here: https://candelaria-dev.squarespace.com/press/2020/1/17/enjoy-our-newest-beautiful-feature-story-in-the-february-edition-of-phoenix-home-amp-garden
Candelaria Design was named as a LUXE Magazine 2020 Gold List Honoree and Mark Candelaria attended the Hot List party in Miami, Florida on February 13th along with recipients from Arizona and across the country. https://luxesource.com/candelaria-design-associates/?year=goldlist2020
Also, Home Builder Digest listed CDA as one of the Best Residential Architect in Scottsdale, Arizona. https://www.homebuilderdigest.com/the-best-residential-architects-in-scottsdale-arizona/
And last but not least, my wonderful wife Isabel was awarded the honor of Master of the Southwest 2020 by Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine this month! Take a look at the lovely magazine feature here including another Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images collaboration featuring the work of Candelaria Design Project Manager, Damon Wake and Earth and Images Jr. Designer, Nikka Bochniak.
The Earth and Images Crew - Congrats!
Candelaria Design Tours
Last Friday we got our 2020 Napa Travelers together for the Pre-Napa Tour Dinner at the Herb Box in Old Town Scottsdale. Our first Candelaria Design Tour Napa will kick off on April 3rd where we will enjoy 5 days and nights at the Las Alcobas Hotel in St. Helena, CA. This tour is sold out so follow us here and on Instagram and Facebook.
We also hosted two Candelaria Design Tour Italy Reunion Dinners and a Candelaria Design Tour Italy Spello Wine Tasting evening. Our reunion dinners were from our 2015 and 2016 Tours and the Spello Wine Tasting was from two trips whereupon the Angelina family from Spello, Italy and Enoteca Properzio prepared a fabulous beef tenderloin dinner and choreographed a phenomenal wine tasting at Casa Candelaria. Based on how much wine our 20 guests ordered, it was well worth their effort!
Sadly, due to the potential complications and uncertainty of the coronavirus which has now hit Italy and Spain, we are suspending our June 2020 Candelaria Design Tour Spain and our October 2020 Candelaria Design Tour Italy this year. It is just too risky to take the chance of getting there and travelers getting sick or being quarantined for unknown lengths of time. We will try and resume next year with a France/London Tour in 2021 in lieu of the Spain Tour and a Croatia/Italy Tour in 2021. We are also looking to add a Santa Fe Tour in 2021 to alternate years with our new Napa Tour – but we will see what transpires in the weeks and months ahead and remain flexible.
We wish everyone a strong finish to the first quarter and continued good health! I think it is important we all work together, take care of each other, stay calm and be smart. We are fortunate to be working on amazing projects here in Arizona and across the country, so stay tuned and follow us on our social media, podcasts and blog! Thanks for living your life in Candelaria Style!
