First Half of Year is Done!

Ok - that was a fast first half of the year! We all know the second half will go even faster! 4th of July is right around the corner and hopefully you are all escaping the heat and finding someplace cooler. We will load up the family and hit the road this week.....stay tuned for our adventure.

So a lot has happened in the first six months and we have a lot ready to happen in the second half of the year. The Candelaria Design crew is busy! THANK YOU!!!! Our clients and projects are amazing and it is so true that when you hire our family that is exactly what you are engaging. We approach each project as the creating of not only your home but the creation of a lasting friendship that is so unique simply because we have designed your home and crafted the stage for your life. We understand this and we evaluate every design decision along the way with this in mind. It naturally results in a special bond with our clients that has become the basis and core of my life. It is why I love residential design.

So what's on the boards.....??? Homes on the sides of cliffs requiring dynamite to build the tunnel to get to the home featured as the lead story on the evening news - yes the project is moving forward....the builder just can't use dynamite :-) FOX 10 Story. 

A new home on the beach in LaJolla, CA. A remodel to a home on the far end of Long Island in Montauk, NY with the view of the beach. A quarter horse breeding ranch with arena, barn, home and guest house on 5 acres. Of course our units at the Village at Mountain Shadows by Cullum Homes is in full gear and now going vertical and we are in design on the units on the west side of 56th Street. We are in design for the new Colten Cowell Memorial Crime Fighting Cave #buildthecave - more to come on this amazing project and how everyone can get involved this September. One of homes will be featured in the upcoming summer issue of LUXE Magazine and the home will be featured this fall in our show Sketch.

Several homes under construction including three on the Paradise Valley Country Club, homes in Desert Mountain, Silverleaf, and throughout Arcadia, Verrado, Scottsdale and Peoria.

My wife Isabel who owns a Home furnishing and Accessory Store and Interior Design Studio,

Earth and Images, has completed her move from the Scottsdale Design Center in north Scottsdale to her new location at the SW corner of Marshall Way and 5th Avenue right in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. We have several projects both completing and in design with her design studio!

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Our 2015 Candelaria Design Tour Italy is sold out along with our September 2016 trip and we are looking at possibly adding a second May 2016 trip. So don't wait to sign up for 2016 or 17. We had our Pre-Trip dinner at Marcellino's and what fun that was. I love kicking the trip off with this dinner. What a fun group we have this year including artists, CEO's, photographers, designers, fashion retailers from NY and folks as far away as Delaware and Oklahoma. Our trip truly has a national draw now. This is our 12th Tour and despite others who claim they do a trip - we really do!

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Our second season of Sketch is in production and we are so happy to have our new producer and production company. Kenny "Spanky" Moskowitz and his firm Wedgie Creative is doing a fabulous job. From French Chateaus in Scottsdale, to Rural Mediterranean estates inspired from our Italy trips to mountain and lake lodges and wood boats in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho we will dazzle our viewers with these new episodes! Our second season premieres this September and you can catch all five of our episodes from Season One on The Design Network

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Of course we are traveling and cooking, so stay tuned to more of that in the second half. We have a Paella dinner I will be preparing for silent auction winners of the Taste of Asia event we donated to in May. Yes - I know Paella is not Asian, but it was a successful item on the silent auction and I am glad we were able to donate to one of our client's charities.

Ok - I've blogged enough. Sorry I didn't do more in June but we are really busy working day and night. My team is cranking and they have ALL been working extremely hard. They are the BEST!!! Here is to a great second half of 2015 - go for it! So what do you have planned for the second half of 2015? Share your adventures here on our blog!

Our Visit with Louisiana Architect - Ken Tate

I love how life brings you full circle some times and how on any given day something you never could imagine just falls into place and happens. 

Back in 2003/04 we were working on a home in Arcadia with Nance Construction and looking for inspiration on what could be the next new look for Exeter and Arcadia. In the midst of our research, Nancy Brunkhorst brought this book the New Classicists - Ken Tate Architect​! I loved it! The book - if you can still find it...is a true coffee table book and features a dozen or so of his homes in beautiful detail including detailed drawings all printed on a black background! 

We poured through the book and was struck by a home he had done with lime washed reclaimed brick walls. Nance wanted to do it - the client and I loved it, and off we went! Our house turned out amazing and the limed washed brick became a hit in Arcadia and a real look and feel that still goes today.

That's what great artists and architects do.... Their work gets copied - it becomes part of the fabric and culture of a place. 

So his book, and a second book that followed it, has been used in my office for years. I had just been in Denver a couple weeks ago and one of the builders we were interviewing took me through a Ken Tate house I mentioned that I was going to New Orleans in a few days. The builder said, "Why don't you look Ken Tate up and see what he thinks of us." So that's what we did!

What a Southern gentlemen and the epitome of Southern hospitality! He not only welcomed us he set up lunch for us in New Orleans and then toured us through one of his homes currently under construction in New Orleans. 

We enjoyed our two martini lunch at Lilette's on Magazine Street. We compared notes and shared experiences and we both had to laugh at the similarities of our careers, work, staff, etc. we even discussed collaborating on some projects together! He took us to the Guthrie Contemporary Gallery to see some of his recent paintings and then off to see his project.

Spending the time with Ken was wonderful and brought a whole added richness to our first trip to New Orleans. It's how I love to travel - not just see the tourist sites and eat at the marquis restaurants, but also get out and dine at someone's home, meet the people who truly create and move the culture of a place. Ken Tate is one of those people here in the South!

Our Visit to Louisiana Cajun Country

I wasn't quite sure what to expect once venturing away from New Orleans and heading to the back country of Cajun Country! Would I be venturing into a vignette from Deliverance? Quite the contrary! 

So how did we end up going to Lafayette? We have to chalk it all up to Facebook and the connection I made some four years ago with Interior Designer, Dawn Dupuis Clark, who spotted my work on our Candelaria Design Page and then friended me whereupon we truly became friends. 

She came out to Scottsdale a couple years ago and toured some of my work and so I had to return the favor and make it out to Lafayette. We were not disappointed!

After a beautiful drive north and west from New Orleans via Baton Rouge we made the 2-1/2 hour drive to Lafayette! What I came to find out is Lafayette is the heart of Cajun Country! 

So what is a Cajun? Cajuns mainly came from Acadia - not Arcadia - in Nova Scotia and migrated down to the  Lafayette / Acadiana region of Louisiana. The music is French Based, and more folkish. The food is more spicy!  Creoles on the other hand are a mix of people's. Whites and Blacks some from the Caribbean and some from the north. Given that New Orleans is a port city it became he melting pot of the Creole culture and people. The food is more African and Caribbean based.

Dawn said anyone south of 1-10 is a Cajun.... Hey mom and Dad you live in Maricopa which is technically south of Maricopa - you must be Cajuns! 

So what could possibly be the first stop when you come to Cajun Country? Of course food! Dawn and her wonderful friend Lynne Thibodeaux - how's that for a Cajun name - took us to David Bertrand's Shucks Restaurant! And who should greet us at the door but David himself! He sat us and said just relax and let me start bringing the flavor of Cajun cuisine your way. And boy did he! 

You have to start with a Cajun Bloody Mary and then fresh oysters on the half shell, followed by a little fried alligator and crab claws, followed by oyster stew, and then char broiled oysters - these were the best of the entire trip! Then a little ettouffe' and then some sautéed pan fried oysters and then sautéed redfish! Top it off with a tour of the kitchen and of course David's amazing bread pudding topped with white chocolate buttered rum sauce! Wow!! Great job David and what a wonderful host. If in the Lafayette area - please make this a stop!

Then Dawn and Lynne took us sight seeing to see some of the beautiful neighborhoods and homes in Lafayette! Fabulous - you definitely see a wide range of styles all well done! One development that definitely caught my eye was River Ranch! Fabulous mixture of styles from French Provencial, to Creole Southern / Caribbean to Spanish! Fabulous way to allow a wide range of styles yet it all comes together!

Then to top of our visit we were all invited back to Dawn's personal residence to relax and have a little back patio barbecue. The boys hung out on the back porch and spun stories of Louisiana local and state politics, to sports, to the oil business, and the women were inside and God knows what they were chatting about. The way discussions are done around food and beverage is quite different from how this goes down in Arizona - there is definitely a Southern way - a Cajun Way! 

Thank Dawn and Lynne for the amazing visit and thanks Facebook for yet another amazing connection. Wow - i would never imagined any of this but I love where life takes you if you just venture out!

New Orleans - City of Resiliency

We have been in New Orleans three days now and I have to say I am definitely coming back and adding this town to my "Have to" list! 

I know New Orleans is known as a party town and sure that aspect is definitely here but there is a lot more depth to this place than just the Mardi Gras vibe! New Orleans is a foodie Mecca! Quite frankly the restaurants are endless so it's going to take a few trips to get this place dialed in. Thanks for all the great tips we have been receiving on Facebook!

What strikes me about New Orleans is the resiliency of the people and this place. I remember watching the whole Hurricane Katrina debacle and thinking I wish I had been to NOLA before this disaster hit and that this town was done....! Well then add the BP oil spill a few years ago and you would think that that would be the nail in the coffin. Well let me tell you, this place is far from dead. New Orleans is alive and well and the people here are flat out amazing, friendly and frankly all have that can do attitude about them. 











The other thing I notice is despite the problems in Ferguson and Baltimore I don't feel that racial divide here in New Orleans. Quite the contrary! At least from my perspective while here everyone is cool, getting along and just enjoying and contributing to the energy and culture. 




Bourbon Street is definitely a sight to see and you will see just about everything and that's even during the tame hours! I can only imagine during Mardi Gras or SuperBowl week! 

There is a lot to see here beyond the French Quarter and Bourbon Street. Yesterday we went to the Garden District to do a little shopping, dining and neighborhood touring! Beautiful! Of course you have to check out a cemetery here....not sure I would do that at night though! All fabulous - all New Orleans. 
















So what do you think of New Orleans? Who has been here both before and after Katrina??? Tell us what you notice....

Ok off to Lafayette, LA to visit one of our wonderful Facebook friend, Dawn Dupuis Clark who has graciously invited Isabel and I over for a little taste of Cajun Country! Stay tuned!!! 

Let's Do New Orleans!

With all the traveling I have done there are still some spots and places in the USA I have never been. One that has been on my bucket list for many years is New Orleans! First of all, I LOVE cajun food and then let's add architecture and how could I have never been here???!!!



Isabel and I have vowed to work in as much travel as we can and instead of being caged up enamor offices to end the month and do all of our paperwork, we are going to bring our paperwork with us and finish the end of the month with a little work and a lot of adventure while traveling and exploring.













As designers I do not know anything that inspires and educates one more than travel. You can peruse through thousands of books, magazines and Pinterest pages and never get the true soul or feeling of full comprehension of a space or place than what traveling does. The sights, sounds, smells and tastes all come together to add further depth and context to the pictures. Nothing beats true 3D.































So this month we packed the paperwork, drawings, billings, timesheet and we are here in New Orleans. The weather is great - 80's and not too humid. I always love coming to the South. The people are so laid back and so polite and nice. Southern hospitality at its best for sure. Thank you everyone for all the great tips - we are exploring as many as we can. We worked all morning and now we are off to explore. We will be here until Wednesday so follow this month's adventure here on our blog and on Facebook and Instagram!


Ok - it's time for some more oysters and gumbo!

Architects Who Inspire - Ken Tate

People always ask me, which architect inspires you. Frankly, there are many! From Andrea Palladio from the 1500's Venice, to modern day Robert Stern, I have many! I guess its like music and cooking - I really love it all. From Traditional to Modern - again I love it all. It comes down to a simple answer - I love good work period and artists who put thought, effort and passion into their work.

Great work doesn't just happen. Yes there is inherent talent, but without hard work it never reaches its true potential or does the work raise thebar for others. I have been blessed with a wonderful career, great clients, and an amazing team that collaborates and supports our team. But as with everything in life the more you explore the higher roads you discover and in art, architecture, cooking, music, travel, business - whatever it is you are passionate about - you will find those that are frankly on another level of awareness and exploration that draw you up a higher path and a wider vision. The ironic thing is the further you travel the more road you realize is really ahead of you and the more and more interesting it becomes.

So back to architects who inspire......I was introduced to the architecture of Ken Tate by local builder Nancy Brunkhorst of Nance Construction sometime in the early 2000's when we were working with her on the design of two homes in Arcadia. She had brought his book,  New Classicists - Ken Tate Architect to a meeting and I was hooked. First of all, it was a beautiful book featuring several homes in detail along with an insert rendering of each house. From the macro view of the home down to the details of the home accompanied by some of the actual drawings I really connected with the work and the thought and inspiration.

Ken Tate's practice is in Covington, Louisiana and is a recipient of the Institute of Classical Architecture’s 2008 Shutze Award, and three-time winner of Southern Progress Corporation’s Southern Home Award, architect Ken Tate received his Bachelor of Architecture from Auburn University in 1975. His work is beautiful and thoughtful. His website goes on to say, "Bringing Karl Jung’s ideas of archetypes that speak the universal language of the collective unconscious to his understanding of past architecture and his own creative process, Tate established the foundation for his future work. It is this love of historic details and authenticity that drew me to his work.

http://www.kentatearchitect.com

Last week, while in Denver, we were interviewing several builders for a new home we are designing in Cherry Hills, CO and as I was touring one of the homes built by Montare Builders I commented that the house reminded me of the work of architect, Ken Tate. The builder chuckled and said yes, Ken Tate's work was the inspiration for Denver Architect Don Ruggles, but in fact the next home we are going to see is a Ken Tate home. Needless to say, I was excited. The home which is the posh Cherry Hills neighborhood of Denver, was elegant and tasteful. It was a real joy to explore and truly experience one of his homes in person and not simply by flipping pages. Again, flipping through a website or book is one thing, but actually experiencing a work of architecture in person is totally a higher level of experience and really the only way to truly appreciate the work.

This coming weekend I am off to New Orleans.....maybe I make a drive over to Covington and stop in and say hello and thank you to this true talent and inspiration. 

Summer Escapes

We can definitely see it, the summer temps are right around the corner, the kids are winding down their studies and getting ready for summer and of course our clients are also getting ready to flee the 100º + temps and head to their summer getaways.

Each year it seems the new projects come in from January through May and then everyone leaves and its time to work away until everyone returns in September and October. Luckily, with technology, we are able to keep things moving while everyone is away. With GoToMeeting and FaceTime and Skype we keep the meetings and progress going whether the clients are at Martha's Vineyard, the Hamptons,  San Fran, Maui, Laguna, or Paris. And it really doesn't matter where I am as long as we all connect. I love it!

We get so much work done during the summer as clients are busy with their summer pursuits and we can just crank away. I love to work remote simply for the change of scenery and what it does for my creativity. As an architect, I am constantly working.....it never stops. My mind is always going, looking, absorbing. After all, there are details and ideas everywhere and when you add a change of scenery it really awakens you.



 

















I also love visiting and meeting with clients while they are away at their summer retreats. Seeing clients in a different setting is so helpful. I see another side of them, and another environment they live in and live in a different manner from their day-to-day home in Phoenix. For some clients its the other way around, their summer home is their main residence so for obvious reasons that is great to see and absorb.



So - where are you escaping to this summer??? Isabel and I are going to escape the Arizona heat for New Orleans and some humidity next weekend. I have never been there and I'm really looking forward to exploring this city. I love cajun food and I understand the architecture is amazing. So stay tuned for some blogging from New Orleans next week. Other thrips this summer include trips to Colorado, Park City, Coeur d'Alene, Laguna, Santa Barbara, New York and Maine....and of course let's finish with our annual Candelaria Design Tour Italy finishing off in Positano and the Amalfi Coast! Sounds like a pretty good summer to me......

Candelaria Design ~ From Coast to Coast

It is official, Candelaria Design has gone coast to coast! From a home under construction in Montecito, California to a beach home in design on the far east tip of Long Island in Montauk, New York, to a couple of homes in design in Idaho to homes in the beautiful neighborhood of Cherry Hills in Denver, to finally a project in Albuquerque, New Mexico.....we are literally coast to coast and border to border!

I cannot tell you how fun it is to work in different styles and in different environments and settings. I also enjoy meeting new builders, vendors and craftsman - it definitely gets one out of the comfort zone and allows one to experience new ideas and techniques. Of course, it also means we need to work with different municipalities and governing authorities. I have to say, I love the Town of PV!!!! it is by far the friendliest and easiest municipality to work with. What I have found though is how important it is to make some face time with whoever you are going to be working with and really make a connection - especially with towns and their building safety departments.

People always ask, isn't it difficult to be halfway across the country and design a house? It's interesting because it is virtually the reverse of how we design homes here for clients who live in other parts of the country. With all the advances in technology such as FaceTime, Skype, GotoMeeting, it is really quite easy to work anywhere as an architect. I think for a builder it is much more difficult for obvious reasons - you have to be there. It is important we visit the site and get the context of the project in our mind, and then I like to stake the initial design on the lot and walk the design with the client. Then course we like to kick off the project with a ground breaking! Once under construction I like to come out for a framing walk through and an electrical walk thru. We can review shop drawings, samples, etc. by Skype and email. The key is to schedule bi-weekly meetings during the entire process so communication and progress are in a rhythmic cadence.

So what's on the boards???? Our home in Santa Barbara is a lovely Spanish Country Cottage in the hills of Montecito. This is a very exciting project for us as I have taken many clients to Santa Barbara for inspiration for projects here in Scottsdale. But to actually now design a home in Santa Barbara and see it now get built is so exciting for me and our Candelaria Design Team! What makes it even more fulfilling is that the client is a couple I designed a home for in Silverleaf in Scottsdale over ten years ago, and they then went on our Italy trip, attended our surprise wedding at Villa d'Este in Lake Como, and now we are under construction on their lovely dream home in Montecito. What I love about all this is we all share so many amazing memories and now capture all of that in this new home. It is the epitome of custom residential design. Homes are like a bottle of wine.....this home is a 100 pt. on the Wine Spectator List.

Then on the other coast we have started the design on a Hampton Style Beach Home in Montauk, NY for a client we just completed a historic renovation in Encanto. I have always been enamored with the Hampton Style....maybe because it is so different from the stucco and clay tile roofs of Arizona. I love the homes of Robert Stern and his book has been sitting on my office coffee table for years. Our client has been spending the summers  there for years and have had their eye on this property for some time. We visited the property for the first time in February of course in the midst of a blizzard! There is an existing home there that we will remodel in Phase I and then add a second story in Phase II. This is so exciting because our client is a designer and has exquisite taste so yet another wine on the 100 pt. scale!






Stay tuned as these projects come together.....Well - it's back to the boards!!! 

Sketching - Keeping the Art in Architecture at Candelaria Design

Anyone who knows me knows I love to draw and sketch. I think I purposely made the conscious decision to not learn CAD so I would not lose my passion to draw.  I have been drawing buildings, houses and whole cities since I was a small child. My clients love when I draw - it brings the design process alive and makes it an instantaneous adventure that engages and entertains my clients.

I remember when I first started in architecture I was blessed to work for the late George W. Christensen, FAIA who was an amazing sketcher and taught me to sketch upside down! He often had another architect, Bruce Kimball come in and do his quick sketches for projects. The two were amazing and left a lasting impression on me. I loved how clients would be mesmerized by them drawing right in front of them and seeing the details of the project come alive.

I am really saddened how this art seems to be fading and I notice each year the graduates who come in are so agreed towards computer rendering and modeling and I doubt many no longer even own a pencil or sketch pad. I still wonder what an architect does in the field or at a cocktail party - pull out their CAD station???? I have designed and drawn whole bird's-eye  sketches on tablecloths at restaurants with clients, or details and ideas on plywood sheets while out in the field.

We put a real emphasis on hand drawing combined with CAD and 3D Computer modeling. The two together really make a difference. The CAD and 3D modeling, although absolutely amazing and don't get me wrong I love it, when you soften it with the human hand something happens - I think its like making bread from scratch - some love goes into it.  Sketching forces the designer to think and consciously feel every inch of a design. With CAD you are always cutting and pasting large swaths of area and the thought process is just different. We are fortunate at Candelaria Design to have several skilled artists/architects on our staff and we all love to use and express our craft!

I personally feel a house designed with PAD has a totally different feel than a house all done strictly with CAD! One is personal and has spirit - the other tends to be stiff and lack life. At least that's how I see it....and draw it!

Easter Brunch at Casa Candelaria - Leg of Lamb!

Happy Easter and Passover everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend - we sure did!

I don't know about you, but each year I debate - go out for Easter brunch or make Easter brunch? Going out is pretty easy, make a reservation, get dressed and ready, gather the troops and head to some swank resort hotel for brunch. Of course there is no prep time and no dishes. Unfortunately, we have had some real misses at brunch and then you get the tab and think geez we should have just cooked. Of course making brunch involves shopping, prepping, setting the table, cooking and of course cleaning!

Last year I took the girls to New York City for Easter so this year it only felt right to cook at home!

Cooking at home was definitely the right choice! My oldest daughter, Tiffany, was in town, and my daughter Bella was with us and we were joined by my Mom and Dad and Isabel's Mom. So a party of 6 - no sweat for me having cooked for as many as 80 in one setting!


Of course I am a Food Network junkie as I always have it on on Saturday's while I draw in the morning and I draw and enjoy the creations of Ina Garten, Giada De Laurentiis, Bobby Flay, Trisha Yearwood, and the rest....Well last Saturday while watching, a recipe by Giada caught my eye - an Italian Springtime Lamb! So this recipe is totally Giada's with my little twist on it!!! Add Bobby Flay's roasted brussel sprouts with another Candelaria Twist and we were set!


Meanwhile, Isabel joined in with her amazing Challah Bread French toast and jasmine rice, her Mom would bring a salad, and my Mom would make a gluten free cherry cheesecake! Our brunch was in gear! We all pitched in and enjoyed a lovely afternoon enjoying a fabulous dinner and then watching a slide show from out NYC Easter trip!

 So here is the Italian Springtime Lamb recipe:

I bought my lamb at AJ's where they deboned it and butterflied it so I could stuff it and roll it up. You start with warming two tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat. You add the garlic, rosemary fresh from my garden, crushed red pepper flakes and I like to use piñon nuts instead of the walnuts in Giada's recipe. Toast this in the pan until fragrant and starting to brown. Stir in the raisins and then add the chopped spinach and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook until wilted.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Spread the lamb out flat, fat side down in a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread evenly with the mustard, distribute the spinach mixture over the mustard. Starting from one side, roll up the lamb with the filling inside. Tie with the butcher's twine at 2-inch intervals. Season the outside with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.












Wipe out the sauce pan and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place the pan over high heat and allow it to get hot. Place the lamb in the pan and sear it on all sides. Here is where I like to pour in some red wine to give the lamb crust a little flavor and aroma. Sear it on all sides until golden brown and toss the pan in the oven and roast for an hour and fifteen minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 135º. When done, place on a cutting board and let it rest for at least fifteen minutes before slicing.

While the lamb is roasting, prepare the gremolata. In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the gluten free bread crumbs, stirring regularly, until golden brown. Add the parsley, lemon zest, pepper flakes and salt. Toss and set aside to the let the flavors mingle.

Giada's recipe is on the Food Network website Gilda's Italian Springtime Lamb  along with a video. It is really easy and very tasty. Don't be intimidated - go for it. You will like my twists on the recipe! Add some Bloody Mary's with bacon and shrimp my Mom's cherry cheesecake, Alette's salad and that delish french toast with homemade lemon curd from our lemon trees and - yes we had another Casa Candelaria feast! I'm glad we stayed home!

Take me out to the Ball Park

Wow - what a start we have had to 2015 so far. First thanks for all the LIKES and SHARES on Facebook for the Mark Candelaria sings the National Anthem at the World Champion SF Giants Spring Training Game in front of 12,000 at Scottsdale Stadium this past Thursday afternoon! What a rush that was.

So many asked how I got that gig? I'm not really sure how it all started but I have always wanted to sing the National Anthem. First of all - needless to say, I LOVE our country and I am always so proud of those who have given to this country including my father, Donald, who is an US Army Veteran and along with my Mom whom is a first generation immigrant from East Prussia, Germany, whom my father met while serving in Germany and later married here in the US. My mother taught herself English and went on to get her US Citizenship. So the National Anthem means a lot to me and to sing it before my Mom and Dad and Isabel and her mother, and my Candelaria Design Staff and my fellow Scottsdale Charros meant a lot!

Ok back to how I came to sing on Thursday.... with all of my desire to sing this song, I saw an email calling for auditions to sing the National Anthem for the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. I signed up and was assigned my lucky number 44. I sang more in the Frank Sinatra style and did well but not well enough to make the cut. I remember getting the email a few weeks later saying I was not chosen, so it was back to architecture!

Well late last year, I received an email from Scottsdale Stadium asking if I would be interested in signing. They knew me from all of Scottsdale Charro work at the stadium, and apparently they were given my video so they could fill their Spring Training game schedule. Of course I couldn't resist! This would actually be better with the smaller venue and in the home of my Scottsdale Charros.

Yes, the adrenaline was flowing but it's a quick song and once I got started it was just me singing the song I had been singing since I was a little boy. No worries forgetting the words that's for sure. Thanks to all of you who came to hear me play and even those that went to the wrong stadium and game to hear me! There were a few of those too! It was a great day! Thanks to my director and producer of my show SKETCH - Architainment coming to The Design Network this spring for filming the event! Great job!

Meanwhile, we were honored to also be a part of upgrading the Charro Lodge sundeck with the amazing work and materials from Rob Myer and Dayna Bigelow of Telluride Natural Stone and the metals from Creative Metals, and the coordination and inspiration of my Project Manager, Mathew Grove! What a difference in look and feel and what a nice tie in to our front entry Charro Lodge facade that this same team did two years ago! Fantastic and thank you so much on behalf of all of the Scottsdale Charros!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to you all. This year, Isabel and I are celebrating our 5th Valentine's with our first being at my El Chorro. This year we are keeping it pretty low key with me riding in the Parada del Sol this morning down Scottsdale Road, then we are off to our client's grand opening of Gigi's Playhouse in Scottsdale and then we have a nice dinner reservation at the spot of our first date, Zinc Bistro.

I am so fortunate to have found and fallen in love with my Valentine, my lovely Isabel. Life is funny and I have learned it is simply an adventure and despite your best attempts to plan and control its outcome, you really can't.  As soon as you accept the fact that you just have to have an endless endurance to push forward and have faith that good things lie ahead you just have to embrace the pot holes, hurdles, and detours life throws you and really relish and celebrate those good things when they do finally come your way. Trust me, I have had my share of the potholes.....but I have also had so many absolutely amazing experiences, met so many remarkable people, with my Isabel being the best surprise and gift in my life.

Isabel is my best friend, my lover, and truly my life partner. We have so much fun together including now designing several projects together. I know our clients are enjoying our talents and passion not only for design but each other and the energy we infuse in our projects together. We love to travel - Isabel drives and I navigate, we love to cook with and for each other, and we love just hanging out and reading, playing the piano and enjoying what little downtime we get - trust me - that downtime is really hard to find!


So, thank you Isabel for brining so much joy in my life. Every day is Valentine's Day with you!

Super Bowl in Arizona

Well the day has arrived! SuperBowl Sunday in Glendale, Arizona. Although I am not going, I am having a few friends over to enjoy some Paella and the game! Isabel and our good friend, Gicela, are off to New York this afternoon to do a little shopping for her store, Earth and Images. So I will be bachelor-ing it for a few days!





I am hoping for a better Super Bowl this year than the one I had to withstand last year being a diehard Denver Bronco fan. Seattle and New England - really you couldn't ask for two better teams to come to Arizona - both wonderful cities with amazing entrepreneur spirits and two of the wealthiest cities in the country. So I am happy they are bringing the dollars here to Arizona. I wish the weather was a bit better so we can truly showcase our beautiful city. How about the fog this morning.....geez - Really???

Its been fun to just be in the city and feel the electricity. Yesterday was my father's 80th birthday and so Friday we made it to the Super Bowl Breakfast where they honored Peyton Manning and then off to the Phoenix Open to get poured upon, so we escaped to the Spa for some massages and of course a martini, and finally capped the day off with dinner with the family. But what was great was all the people coming and going and the celebrities we saw all over town. What fun.

So no Super Bowl red carpet parties, didn't make the NFL Experience, and no ESPN Zone.....just a wonderful day with Dad and today I'll kick back and enjoy the game on my big screen with some good vino and good friends. I am proud of our city - what a great opportunity for us all! Let's all be gracious ambassadors and make this the best Super Bowl ever so the NFL has no choice but to come back. I think with all this fog and rain you would think Seattle.....but last year was the Year of the Horse and look what happened! So I am going with New England 27 - 24 in OT. So who do you think is going to win today????

Congratulate my two new Associates at Candelaria Design

Well in our last blog we looked back at the year that was 2014. Now its time to start looking forward and what better way than to announce the promotion of two long time members of my Candelaria Design Team and Family.

We are starting our 16th year at Candelaria Design and my 33rd year in the business. My goal is to keep Candelaria Design going long after I'm gone and keep the spirit of our homes and design moving ahead with the next generation. I've been blessed with some amazing people who have worked with me over the years but two in particular have earned and deserve their new titles.

And so I am most proud to announce the promotion of Vivian Ayala and Evelyn Jung to the title of Associate. Vivian will head the Design and Production  functions of the firm and Evelyn will head the Business Operations and Development.





Vivian will still run her projects - which if any of you had Vivian as your PM you know why she is getting the promotion! She is amazing and a very dedicated, hard working, just overall wonderful person and soul on this earth. She inspires me every day and is just the best person to be a teammate with. Vivian joined me shortly after I started the firm in 2000 and has been with me over 15 years. She is from Puerto Rico and completed her studies at ASU. I remember she could barely speak English when I hired her but now - wow - she's hard to keep up with. We completed some amazing projects and have some outstanding projects now underway including a new project getting started in Montauk, Long Island, New York!

Evelyn has just completed nine years with me. We found her as a temp for our front desk. After two days in the office it was clear we couldn't let her go! Starting as my assistant, Evelyn quickly absorbed all of the intricacies of our little operation and has now run the show for several years including getting us through the Great Recession - ahhhh that was a fun ride. But here we are now in 2015 and she has us on fire. Evelyn is due to have her second child in March and will take a short leave to attend to her growing family but will return this summer and will transition more into a broader scope of running the business with the focus on overall business operations and business development. As you can tell from the 2014 That's a Wrap Blog, she has full plate keeping up with me! From our Tour Italy to our Television show, Sketch, she will be busy.




The next step for both is full on Principals of the firm with ownership of the company. I plan to make this announcement this time next year! So stay tuned!!! So please congratulate them with an email, Facebook Post or comment here on our blog! They truly deserve the honor. 

2014 That's a Wrap and here we go ~ 2015!

Wow, what a year 2014 was. I enjoyed it thoroughly and all it brought our way. Probably the biggest change was relocating our offices from Central Phoenix to right in the heart of Scottsdale. The overall reaction from our clients has been very favorable and we all love our new home. Much was accomplished and I am so optimistic of what lies ahead in 2015.

First and foremost, I thank my clients, staff, friends, vendors, builders, and of course my family for the continued support and encouragement. We have all made it through some tough times over the last eight years and I feel like we are all now back on track and moving forward. I'm so encouraged by the projects underway and just the underlying optimism and drive I'm seeing out there is so uplifting. What an exciting month we have ahead here in Phoenix/Scottsdale with the Barrett Jackson Car Show and the Pro Bowl, Super Bowl and Phoenix Open! I love it! Let's all showcase our beautiful city and state in a positive and friendly manner.

It all comes down to our attitude, our drive, and our optimism not just with our work but with our lives. And the power of our collective optimism makes an even greater difference. So let's GO!

So here is a look back to 2014 - what a year for Candelaria Design. I think you will see that Candelaria Design is about much more than just drawing a set of plans. We are about infusing a lot of life and living into our plans and designs. Enjoy and follow us in 2015 on Candelaria Design on Facebook  and Candelaria Design Lifestyle on Flipboard

January 2014 

We started the year with some cooking of course. A little paella is always a good start to the year at Casa Candelaria with friends from Arizona and Spain!

We wrapped up the design on several homes to start the year including a lovely Ranch Hacienda home now starting drywall in Verrado being build by Steg Custom Homes and a Ranch Contemporary underway in Paradise Valley by Schultz Development. 

Project Manager, Meredith Thomson, and I traveled to the Bay Area to start design on a home in Atherton and toured the process on our Candelaria Design home under construction in Cupertino. CA. 

Probably the most exciting event was the selection of our new Candelaria Design Home in Scottsdale and the start of our design and construction!

We then saw the completion of this beautiful Candelaria Design Formal Mediterranean Estate at Silverleaf  built by Schultz Development! The home is now featured in the Spring / Summer 2015 Issue of Tuscan Style! 

We finished the month off with a trip to Vegas with clients to shop for finishes at the Surfaces Show. 

February 2014

We finished production on our first Season of Architainment on The Design Network. Get ready for Season 2 now with our new show SKETCH on The Design Network.

We started work on the Mountain Shadows project which is so exciting! Get ready for construction starting this January 2015!

Of course we always worked some cooking in! How about this herb crusted pork roast with roasted apples!

We always work in our commitment to community with our work on the design for the new Colton Bat Cave and of course our ten year commitment now to St. Mary's Food Bank!

A number of new projects continued forward including this Candelaria Design ~ Earth and images Desert Mountain remodel by Landmark West Construction. 

And this beautiful Transitional Style hillside home underway on Mummy Mountain being built by GM Hunt Construction!

Mathew Grove joined Candelaria Design in February of 2014 as an intern and affiliated with the firm full time as Job Captain following his graduation from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the College of Architecture Planning and Landscape Architecture. 

 March 2014

March was filled with a lot of action! From the completion of this Candelaria Design Ranch Hacienda in the Upper Canyon of Silverleaf with interiors by Caroline DeCesare and construction by Ron Barney. 

 

to the completion of this beautiful Santa Barbara Transitional Revival in Paradise Valley by Schultz Development and Berghoff Design Group. 

Design wrapped up on a Candelaria Design Spec Home in Verrado being built by Steg Custom Homes.

We enjoyed a day oaf Spring Training Baseball at the Charro Lodge at Scottsdale Stadium with the Candelaria Design staff  and I auditioned for the singing of the National Anthem for the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. I didn't make the cut for the Diamondbacks but I will be singing the National Anthem on March 5th, 2015 at 1pm this spring at Scottsdale Stadium!!!

Our Project Manager, Damon Wake, designed and built this fabulous Micro Dwell at the Schemer Art Center in Arcadia. 

We broke ground on our 5th Candelaria Design home in Arcadia Silverleaf with interiors by Earth and Images and construction by Tom laBlonde and we completed our 3rd and 4th homes both built by Fratantoni Luxury Estates.

We completed this amazing backyard and Pool Cabana featuring and underground poker room and wine vault as featured on our show Architainment on The Design Network!

We completed work on a beautiful Candelaria Design renovation in LaJolla, California. 

Traveled to Kansas City, MO to look at some exciting new Candelaria Design possibilities. 

And we said farewell to the amazing Jeff Kramer with a goodbye happy hour at El Charro! We may have said goodbye on a day to day basis but its great to have Jeff available as an on-going consultant to our firm. Jeff and his family will always be a part of our Candelaria Design Family.

April 2014

We started this month with a lovely open house hosted by our clients at this spectacular Candelaria Design ~ Schultz Development ~ Berghoff Design Group ~ Treken Interiors estate in Silverleaf!

Work started on the remodel and addition to this classic Candelaria Design ~ MRA Custom Homes  estate in Paradise Valley with interiors by Earth and Images.

 Isabel and I traveled with our lovely Desert Mountain clients, Phil and Renee Giltner, to Highpoint, North Carolina to do a little shopping in the furniture capital of the country, enjoy a little Southern barbecue and some sights from the Vanderbilt Estate in Ashville, North Carolina.

I was also able to do a little filming with The Design Network on the Hot List!

Of course there is always work to do…. started design on a beautiful Paradise Valley Transitional Estate with MRA Homes. 

Finished design and broke ground on a beautiful Candelaria Design ~ DC Homes Rural Mediterranean estate in Desert Mountain! 

 

Worked in some more travel with a Spring Break trip with all three of my girls to NYC!

And finished the month starting conceptual sketches for the new Village at Mountain Shadows for Cullum Homes. 

 May 2014

May was a great month and it started with the completion of a lovely Candelaria Design ~ Schultz Development Santa Barbara Style renovation in Paradise Valley. 

Probably one of the most satisfying events of 2015 for me was moving my parents from Denver to Arizona! It is so nice having them here and sharing time and experiences with them! 

And yes - we love the outdoors including some fishing on the North Platte River with clients and buddies  - I love it all. 

We broke ground on some more projects in May including this new home in Paradise Valley with Schultz Development with interiors by Caroline DeCesare and landscape by Berghoff Design Group. 

Design continued on this French Transitional Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images home coming on the Paradise Valley Country Club being built by Desert Star Construction.

Then we celebrated a beautiful wedding of our client at her newly decorated Candelaria Design ~ MRA Custom Homes estate in Paradise Valley with interiors by Isabel of Earth and Images. 

Then I worked in a trip to one of my favorite places, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to start work on a new home on Hayden Lake and stop by to visit our client on another Hayden Lake home we completed in 2013!

We completed the renovation of this little Candelaria Design  ~ Andra Miller Design ranch charmer in Clearwater Estates, Paradise Valley only to have a buyer walk off the street and buy the house shortly after the homeowner moved in……Not bad!

 

Finally, we finished the month with a little more cooking both at Marcellino's where I played guest chef with the amazing Marcellino and then he was gracious enough to come cook at my client's home where we christened her new Candelaria Design kitchen at her home in Arcadia. My guest chef appearance raised over $5000 for St. Mary's Food Bank!!! Thanks to all of my clients and friends who supported us. What a great evening that was. 

And we are were proud to bring Hector Medina on board as a Project Manager. Hector graduated with honors in 1996 from ITESM (Mexico), started his own firm as an Architect/Builder. He lived in Italy in 1997 and 1998, where he learned not only the language, but the culture.Mark and hector worked together on a number of projects in the past so it was great to bring Hector on board and part of the Candelaria Design family. 

June 2014

Summer arrived and the projects just kept moving starting with framing underway on our Candelaria Design ~ Ownby Design `Schultz Development Ranch Contemporary in Paradise Valley.

We broke bread for the fist time with our Candelaria Design Tour Italy 2014 Travelers at Marcellino's.

Design continued on this Candelaria Design Formal Mediterranean residence on Roadrunner Rd in Paradise Valley while drywall way underway on the Candelaria Design Spec home right next door completing five Candelaria Design Homes in a row on Roadrunner!

And preliminary sketches were underway on a new Rural Mediterranean in Mirabel in North Scottsdale and this Mountain Lodge in Flagstaff. 

Isabel and I made a quick trip to Dallas, TX to market and some brainstorming time with my good friends at Bentwood Kitchens.

 Lee Tribbie joined Candelaria Design in June of 2014. Originally from Charleston, West Virginia, he earned his Bachelor's Degree in architecture from Fairmont State University. He then decided to move to Arizona to study at Arizona State University to receive his Masters of Architecture. During his time as a student, Lee has had the opportunity to study abroad in many cities including Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, New York and Montreal. 

July 2014

$th of July is one of my favorite holidays and definitely a time my family and it seems our clients take a nice summer break to escape the AZ summer 100º + temps. We made our way back up to Coeur d'Alene to spend a little time with clients and family.

Work continued on several Candelaria Design projects across the Valley including Litchfield Park, Paradise Valley, and Desert Mountain.

And the ground was broken on the Village at Mountain Shadows by Cullum Homes with interiors by Anita Lange of IMI Design Studio. 

Scott Morgan joined Candelaria Design in July of 2014 as a Job Captain. He is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Architecture from Arizona State University, and will graduate in the Spring of 2016. 

August 2014

August had some more travel with another trip to Coeur d'Alene at the beginning of the month to start another project there with my associate, Vivian Ayala and her family, then off to Santa Fe, NM to enjoy the summer temps and time with Isabel's family,  and then to NYC with clients! So much fun!!!

And I said goodbye one last time to my old office of 15 years at 12th Street and said hello to our new office in Scottsdale. And so the move in began …..

 Even with the traveling and moving we kept the projects going including a groundbreaking on our fourth Candelaria Design home in Fulton Ranch - this one with Fratantoni Luxury Estates right across the street from another Candelaria Design Home with Argue Custom Homes.

September 2014

September was probably the busiest month with us finalizing the moves of both our office and home and then Isabel and my American Wedding to our departure on the 12th Candelaria Design Tour Italy. Still - we made some amazing progress on a number of wonderful projects. 

 

Final touches on this Candelaria Design ~ Manship Custom Homes residence in Desert Mountain with Interiors by Ashley P Interiors. 

 

Our first Candelaria Design Happy Hour in our new home compliments of our client John Deakin!

 French Country residence in Arcadia.

 

New Rural Mediterranean Residence in Horseshoe Canyon ~ Silverleaf. 

A new spec residence for Sage Luxury Homes in Arcadia getting ready to break ground in January 2015. 

 And of course the wedding and Tour Italy! Thanks to all who attended our wedding and donated to the American Heart Association!!!

October 2014

We finished the second half of our Candelaria Design Tour Italy with the grand finale at Villa de Este at Lake Como. What a great trip and fun group!

One of our Candelaria Design ~ Nance Construction  homes made the cover of Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine and was featured on the Dream Homes Tour. 

And our Candelaria Design ~ Camelback Interiors  ~ RJ Gurley Construction Dream Room at the Phoenix Dream Center won AZ Foothills Magazine Favorite Room Award! We are looking forward to participating in 2015! Great job by Project Manager, Peter Ekama, and the entire team and vendors who contributed. 

 Finally, we started preliminary design on a new home at the Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colorado.

November 2014

 We finalized plans on a new Candelaria Design home in Arcadia Silverleaf...

And saw framing progress on this Candelaria Design ~ Vallone Design home being built by Schultz Development in Paradise Valley. 

Work was completing on this Candelaria Design Guest House addition to an Arcadia property by Vista General. 

And conceptual design was completed on this Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images Ranch Transitional in the Boulders by Landmark West Construction. 

December 2014

Finally December…. We started with our Post Italy Trip Brunch so graciously hosted by our clients and Italy travelers, Phil and Renee Giltner at their newly completed Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images Interiors Desert Mountain Home built by Ken Madden of Landmark West Construction. 

And then some cooking the very next day to christen another Candelaria Design ~ Manship Builders ~ Ashley P Interiors  home - this time in Desert Mountain. 

Squeeze in a quick framing walk through in this Candelaria Design ~ Vallone Design home is Montecito, CA. 

Design work continued on this new Candelaria Design ~ Schultz Development Paradise Hillside Contemporary Home in Paradise Valley.

along with construction on this Candelaria Design ~ Caroline DeCesare Interiors ~ Berghoff Design home being built by Schultz Development that we broke ground on in May 2014 (see above!!!)

And finally we are getting ready to go vertical on this Desert Mountain Candelaria Design ~ DC Homes  residence we broke ground on in April 2014 (see above!)

Well that's it! What a year!!! As you can see we aren't sitting around and waiting for things to happen. We have clients that keep us on the move with projects now in California, Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Michigan, and a new one getting ready to get started on Long Island, New York! Tomorrow we start our first week of the year! We wish you all a great 2015 and we hope we can be a part of it. Let's saddle up and as the Scottsdale Charros say - Let's Ride!