Candelaria Design Tour Italy - Day 2 - Dinner at Villa San Michele

Our June 2016 Candelaria Design Tour Italy Travelers at the Villa San Michele

When you travel for nearly 30 hours between getting ready, getting to the airport, flying, and then arriving and checking in…..you are in somewhat of a dream state. I guess they call that jet lag!

Sandra Wilken, Sandra Miller & Linda Kerley at the Hotel Brunelleschi

14 travelers from all different parts of the country, on five different flights and we all made it! Not one lost piece of luggage. Amazing.  Well we checked in and all got settled one by one at the beautiful Hotel Brunellschi located in the heart of Firenze http://www.hotelbrunelleschi.it We have been staying here since 2004 and it is one of my favorites. The staff if outstanding and very friendly and have been the same crew throughout the years. It makes it feel like you are staying with good friends or family and they treat you accordingly.  

We all got settled, some of us arrived around noon and some as late as 5:30pm so some of us had time to do a little exploring and/or get a quick power nap in, while the late arrivals barely had time to drop off their suitcase, take a quick shower and meet us in the hotel lounge for cocktails before we made our way to the spectacular Villa San Michele in the hills above Firenze for our welcome dinner. http://www.belmond.com/villa-san-michele-florence/ This 5 star hotel, originally designed by none other than Michealangelo is truly off the charts spectacular. I cannot imagine it getting any better than this and it is the perfect place to start our 14 day journey.

John and Diane Whittaker

Sandra Wilken and Linda Kerley

Of course everyone is in this jet lag state of being and all of a sudden you are enjoying a Bellini on the terrace overlooking Firenze with the sun setting in the distance and the music of the pianist in the background…..well like I said dreamlike for sure.

Diane Whittaker and Sandra Wilken

We start with cocktails each year, and with the rain showers we had cocktails in the conservatory which was absolutely lovely. From there we were escorted to the Loggia where we were greeted by my waiter and good friend, Antonello, has been my waiter for nearly 15 years. We set the menu ahead along with the wine pairings so my jet lagged travelers did not have to make a single decision this evening – just relax and soak in the experience. The stories and friendships were beginning……

Fabulous evening and a wonderful start to our journey!

Candelaria Design Tour Italy June 2016 - Day 1 - Arrival in Firenze

We are officially off and on our way to Italy as we begin our 13th Candelaria Design Tour Italy! I’m currently typing over the English Channel as we are beginning our descent into Brussels, Belgium. Yes, the very airport that was bombed just a few months ago. Our flight is full with people from all over the world off starting vacations, visiting friends and family, and/or conducting business. The world and life keeps moving despite those who choose to put their time and efforts towards fear and destruction.

I love this trip especially when I get to introduce some newbies to the experience of travel. I have a couple first timers to Europe and Italy which is the best. Watching their eyes and expressions as we arrive in Firenze and come upon the Duomo for the first time.

We have a wonderful group for our June trip. I have travelers from Baltimore on the East Coast to Santa Monica and Long Beach on the West Coast, clients and wonderful friends from Coeur d’Alene, a traveler from Minneapolis and of course a crew from Scottsdale. I have three repeat travelers and so 14 travelers in total. Some of my repeat travelers are enjoying their fifth and third trips!

Diane and John Whittaker joining us from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Martha and Philip Weiner joining us from Baltimore

So what adventures will we be embarking upon on this trip. Eleven women and three men….. geez, story of my life…. I guess that’s not a bad problem to have. What I love most though, is my time here with Isabel, especially with this year’s trip finishing at Lake Como and the spectacular five star, Villa d’Este – the spot where we said our vows three years ago. Isabel is my driver and I’m the navigator. So get ready for some fun and of course beauty as Italy is just spectacular.

Follow our journey right here on my blog as I will do my best to post every day. You can virtually, take a virtual tour. We will be posting a lot of pictures and videos here, on You Tube, Facebook and Instagram so you can enjoy. I am very excited to start another trip with this group. I’m sensing some good times ahead for sure.

Here is our basic itinerary so join us on our adventure:

June 1st Departure from Phoenix

June 2nd Arrival in Firenze with dinner at the picturesque Villa Ste Michele

June 3rd A day in Firenze with dinner in front of the Duomo

June 4th Drive to Umbria with a stop at the Prada Outlet then our welcome dinner at the Farmhouse.

June 5th Sunday Brunch at Villa Piazzano then off to the antique fair in Arezzo followed by dinner and the evening in Cortona.

June 6th Assisi

June 7th Wine tour of the Banfi Winery near Montalcino Tuscany followed by a seven course farm meal at Mimmi’s.

June 8th Farmer’s market in Umbertide followed by antiquing at Lacole then our cooking class at the farmhouse.

June 9th San Gimignano and Siena

June 10th our free day in Umbria and farewell dinner in the farmhouse

June 11th – Drive to Lake Como

June 12th – June 13th Lake Como

June 14th – time to come home......

Welcome to Firenze

Also – check out our Episode 3 of SKETCH – The Artist’s Villa - being released today on The Design Network at www.thedesignnetwork.com  

The Artist's Villa - Episode 3 of SKETCH

 Ok Here we go! 

Memorial Day Weekend and here comes Italy!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!  It’s nice to have the three days – especially right before our 13th Candelaria Design Tour Italy and the busy week we just had.

First, given it is Memorial Day Weekend I want to personally thank those who have given literally “everything” including their lives for our freedom and way of life here in America! There is no measure of the gratitude or understanding we can give those and their surviving families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.

Ok – we have been busy and getting busier that is for sure! Last Sunday, Isabel and I cooked our paella dinner along with Isabel’s special New Mexico Red Chile Butternut Squash Chicken Enchiladas at the Gage Residence we just completed in Arcadia Silverleaf. I wrote in our blog last weekend of why this client and project is so special and Sunday night’s evening only further confirmed that! With Editors Michael Hiatt from Scottsdale Modern Luxury Magazine and Adrienne Honing from LUXE Magazine in attendance in addition to stylist and fashionista extraordinaire, Oscar De LaSalas, Isabel and I had to be on our A game! Let’s just throw in the SKETCH production crew from Wedgie Creative who filmed the entire evening…..No pressure! Great help from our sous chefs and Project Managers Damon Wake and Kim Schroeder, the dinner was a wonderful success and such a fun evening!!

Project Manager Damon Wake and Isabel serve the Enchiladas

The Gage Gang dining al fresco on the front terrace!

Project Manager Kim Schroeder and Isabel

MC in the Kitchen with he Wedgie Creative film crew. 

Project Architect Meredith Thomson on her way to Beverly Hills for the day!

Then add a quick trip to Beverly Hills on Monday to view a project with a client, we moved through the week to Thursday where our second episode of SKETCH was released – Chateau du Scottsdale https://www.thedesignnetwork.com/episodes/sketch-chateau-de-scottsdale/ . Watch for episode three coming this Thursday, June 2nd as we feature the Artist's Villa! Thanks to Jason Harris and his team at The Design Network for all the love on their network. Check out our blog from earlier this year which gives even more detail behind the story of this fabulous home. http://www.candelariadesign.com/blog-content/2016/1/17/candelaria-design-french-masterpiece-sold

SKETCH - Episode 3 June 2nd - The Artist's Villa

Isabel fixing Aperol Spritzs with Grandpa Don Candelaria

This weekend Isabel and I are spending time with family and working away before we depart on our 13th Candelaria Design Tour Italy this coming Wednesday morning!!! We have a wonderful group of 14 travelers joining us with travelers from coast to coast – Philadelphia to Santa Monica, with travelers from Minneapolis, Spokane, Long Beach and of course Scottsdale and Paradise Valley! We have five repeat travelers and a couple first time to Europe travelers which I love. What a great way to break into traveling than our trip!!!

Ponte Vecchio - Firenze

This year we will travel from all of our starting cities and we will all descend on Firenze arriving Thursday June 2nd. We will spend two fabulous days and evenings in Florence whereupon next Saturday June 4th we will grab our cars and form our convoy to our farmhouse compound in Umbria where our host, Elizabeth Wholey, will be waiting for us with a welcome Umbrian farmer’s dinner.

La Pietra - our farmhouse compound in Umbria

Our Umbrian farmhouse will be our home for a week where we will go on day trips to Arezzo for the antique fair, Cortona, Assisi, Sienna, San Gimignano, not to mention the Banfi Winery http://castellobanfi.com/en/ with a private tour and lunch at the winery by our personal guide Pino Terisi. Throw in a cooking class from Elizabeth and our time in the country should be fabulous.

Grilling in Umbria

After our week in the countryside we will pack up the convoy and make our way across Italy to the foot of the Alps and the Villa d’Este  http://www.villadeste.com on the picturesque Lake Como. How can you finish a trip any better than this?  Of course this is the spot where Isabel and I had our surprise wedding for our travelers on our 10th Anniversary Tour the day after singer/songwriter John Legend had his wedding to model Chrissy Teigen in the very spot Isabel and I tied the knot the next day! http://www.candelariadesign.com/blog-content/2013/09/candelaria-design-tour-italy-day-13.html?rq=Wedding So it’s very special place for us.

Wedding day on Lake Como - September 16, 2013

Follow our journey right here on our Candelaria Design Blog as I will do my best to post a blog each day and of course we will add plenty on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Basically, you can go on a two week virtual trip through Italy with us!

Now if you really want to go for it, I suggest you join us on our September 2017 Candelaria Design Tour Italy as we will follow the same itinerary only with a finish in Venice!!!! Half of the spots for this trip are already filled so don’t wait long as I always seem to fill it up once our current trip starts! We have an amazing trip planned and how can you beat Venice in mid September.

Our first Candelaria Design Tour Spain trip set for June 2017 is already filled and SOLD OUT. So follow along on that trip as I will be co-hosting the trip with famed local chef, Eddie Matney, of Eddie’s House http://eddieshouseaz.com. This should be a fantastic tour starting in Barcelona, a week in the Rioja region of Spain, and then finishing in style in San Sebastian with Eddie cooking his way through Spain and me doing my best to keep up!

Photo by April Bennett - Souls Image Photography

Have a great weekend and week everyone and we will see you in Italy! Ciao.

Celebration of a Candelaria Design - Earth and Images Collaboration

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and enjoying the fantastic weather! Thanks for all the views of our premiere Episode 1 of Season 2 of SKETCH this week on www.thedesignnetwork.com/series/sketch/  and thanks to all of you who came to our SKETCH Premiere Happy Hour! This Thursday on May 26th the Design Network will release Episode 2 Chateau de Scottsdale which will feature our French Chateau design in Arcadia and the story of its creation and execution.

So today we will be busy, blogging this morning, then drawing, then it’s off to the market as Isabel and I along with Damon Wake from our office and Kim Schroeder from Isabel’s studio will be assisting us as we make paella for 20 as we christen a beautiful Transitional Style collaboration of Candelaria Design and Earth and Images. We are so excited about this evening and this project because of the special clients and family that this is the home for – Matt and Jennifer Gage!

The design of this home started with Matt and Jennifer coming in to see me and discuss their project. Their lot was pie shaped, a wedge, but was the first lot and home you would see as you came into Arcadia Silverleaf. They wanted a family home and so we placed the master wing on one side of the wedge and the children’s rooms, Kitchen, and family spaces on the other side of the wedge with a courtyard between that then transitions to the pool once you pass a portal and then after the cabana you finish with a small playyard – all on axis through the center of the wedge!

The design basically allowed us to create a village wrapped around the center courtyard all on axis with the Entry. The Entry brings you in and takes your right back out into the courtyard. The stair tower takes you up and crosses the axis to the Office and Exercise Room on the second level.

Inspired by this initial design, Isabel working with Jennifer, took the Spanish Colonial exterior and brought in a modern, Transitional style interior that gives the home a crisp freshness combined with sophistication. I love it and it totally captures the vibe and feel of the client and their family. It is a family home for sure but yet allows Matt and Jennifer to entertain in style. What fun Isabel and I had working together on this home including a drywall picnic we shared when the two of us took a Saturday and laid out all of the wall paneling.

Of course the design of this home is just part of this story…. Our friendship that has come from this project is the real story. Matt and Jennifer are amazing people and inspire Isabel and I every day! Last year we were blessed to work with Jennifer on her personal project and charity, Gigi’s Playhouse http://www.candelariadesign.com/blog-content/2014/12/gigis-playhouse-coming-to-scottsdale-in.html?rq=gigi.

While during the course of the same year Matt and Jennifer joined us on our Candelaria Design Tour Italy where our friendship just furthered. We have so much fun with these two and of course as always, life is busy and there is never enough time between family and work to spend as much time with these two as we would like to.

Tonight however, Isabel and I will have a chance to say thank you for the this wonderful project, but more importantly for the creation of our new friendship, as we prepare paella for their friends and family along with the editors of LUXE Magazine and Scottsdale Modern Luxury Magazine who will be joining us for the evening! Follow the evening on Instagram and Facebook. We will have the SKETCH film crew on board as this entire story will be featured in Season 3!  I LOVE designing homes and living well!

Season 2 of Sketch Premieres May 19th

This Thursday, May 19th, we will premiere Episode 1 of Season 2 of our show SKETCH on The Design Network www.thedesignnetwork.com/series/sketch/ ! To kick it off we invite you all to a happy hour celebration at our offices starting at 5pm. Please RSVP to Stacey at Stacey@candelariadesign.com if you will be stopping by!

www.thedesignnetwork.com/series/sketch/

We are excited to share our second season with all of you and to be a part of the amazing lineup on The Design Network. Our Season 1 was a big success and with the production team of Ken “Spanky” Moskowitz and his talented team at www.wedgiecreative.com I think you are going to see how he has taken our show to a higher level.

So what is SKETCH about and why are we doing it? First and foremost, video is such a wonderful medium to share our work. The typical method of capturing a project in a half dozen photos that appear on your website or in a magazine never quite capture all the details, the story, or the team that shares and collaborates in the creation of these homes. I wanted a way to do this to really celebrate these homes and the memories that they capture. As I say over and over, “it’s not just about getting a set of plans.” We are creating your home and the place you experience life virtually every day and night of your life. It is such an honor and responsibility to help create a home that truly embodies a clients’ dreams, wishes, and aspirations for living life as fully as possible. Our show SKETCH will hopefully demonstrate our commitment to that experience.

So in Season 2 we have eight episodes! Our first episode premiering on May 19th will feature a beautiful home currently on the cover ofSouthwest Style Magazine.  I originally designed the Texas Hill Country inspired home in 2006 which was constructed by Schultz Development Group www.schultzdevelopment.org and landscaped by http://www.berghoffdesign.com. Well one of my clients who we just completed a remodel-renovation in LaJolla, CA purchased the home and the Candelaria-Schultz team gave it a make over. Along with a dinner celebration where I was co-chef at http://marcellinoristorante.com  where we raised $5k for www.firstfoodbank.org to Chef Marcellino cooking right in the finished home this episode will show you a wonderful makeover of one of my original homes with one of my favorite clients and and the fun we had along the way.

Episode 2 debuting on May 26th will feature probably one of my all-time marquis homes, the French Chateau on Exeter in Arcadia. Built in 2005 by http://nanceconstruction.com and landscaped impeccably by http://www.berghoffdesign.com you will be mesmerized by the footage, including drone footage by Wedgie Creative and the story behind the creation of this home.

Episode 3 debuting on June 2nd, will feature a spectacular hillside European inspired villa we designed in http://desertmountain.com . This home was designed to celebrate the views spanning from 4 peaks and the fountain in Fountain Hills to the Cardinal Stadium in the west. At the same time we were minimizing walls for the views, we needed walls for the beautiful artwork by the client who is an accomplished artist! This home was just completed by http://www.manshipbuilders.com and furnished by Paula Den Boer of http://ashleypdesign.com.

Episode 4 debuting on June 9th, while I’m in Italy on our 13th Candelaria Design Tour Italy, will feature a 20,000+ sf Italian Farmhouse estate we completed a couple of years ago in http://silverleaf.com . Inspired from my journeys to Italy this home has a beautiful elegance masterfully choreographed by Interior Designer David Michael Miller http://davidmichaelmiller.com, landscaped by http://www.berghoffdesign.com, and constructed by http://www.salcito.com .

Episode 5 then moves north for the summer for a three part episode featuring three homes over a span of 12 years I designed in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho! Our first home will debut on June 16th and is in fact the first Candelaria Design Project ever. Started in September 1999 this true log home built by http://edwardssmith.com is a special home with a special story for me. Anyone who spends time in Coeur d’Alene knows the magic of the Stancraft Boats  http://stancraftboats.com and we will feature a ride on one of these floating pieces of art on the water along with a tour of the factory by owner Robb Bloem including John Elway’s boat!

Episode 6 debuting on June 23rd will feature another European inspired home but this time in the mountains overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene in the beautiful development of https://www.blackrockidaho.com. This home will tell the story of yet another unique relationship with my clients who actually will be on our June 2016 Candelaria Design Tour Italy trip and will just be returning in time to view this episode.

Episode 7 debuting on June 30th will be the last home in our three piece series of the Candelaria Design homes of Coeur d’Alene. This home is mountain elegance at its finest. On the shores of Hayden Lake this home built by http://www.rosenbergerhomes.com with custom lighting design bymy good friend Walter Spitz at http://cdltg.com takes living on the lake to a whole new level. We finish this episode with dinner at http://www.angelosristorante.net/home.htm where I bring all three Coeur d’Alene clients over a span of 12 years together for a fabulous celebration and dinner!

Finally, Episode 8 will debut on July 7th. This episode will recap Season 2 and give you a peek at Season 3!  From blasting away on Camelback Mountain, to making pizzas in a 10,000 sf villa in the middle of a farm field in Yuma,  to going subterranean with the new 35,000 square foot Colten Cowell Crime Fighting Cave https://coltencowellfoundation.org we will tease you with some of the spectacular homes and stories that will delight you in Season 3.

Ok – so how is that for Season 2?!?! Catch up on Season 1 right here at https://www.thedesignnetwork.com/series/sketch/ . Season 3 is in production along with a series we will film this fall of our 14th Candelaria Design Tour Italy as the crew of Wedgie Creative will follow and film the entire tour from Florence, through Umbria and Tuscany, finishing on Positano and Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Follow our 13th Candelaria Design Tour Italy as we depart on June 1st. More to come on that trip next week! Have a great week everyone and let me know what you think of SKETCH!

Happy Mother's Day from Arcadia

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there and a special prayer to all of you who no longer have your mother. I have several friends this year spending this day without their mother on Mother’s Day for the first time….I cannot even imagine life without the one person on earth who loves you unconditionally. I love you Mom – it was her love of homes and architecture that compelled her to drag me around model homes when I was a kid and I’m sure had a great influence on me becoming an architect. She always loved my drawings and my Lego models and today I’m still drawings away and the Lego models are actual homes that people live, cook and celebrate life in.

And with that I segue to a fun blog for Mother’s Day written by one of my associates who is an amazing architect, Meredith Thomson. She has been with me now for several years and is most definitely a rising star in our firm. Exceptionally talented, a true artist, and a delightful and articulate, Meredith embodies our philosophy and values here at Candelaria Design. Her blog is about a home designed by the team of Candelaria Design and Berghoff Design and being built by Vista General all orchestrated by the talents of Meredith Thomson. I hope you enjoy this story – and Happy Mother’s Day!

Candelaria Design Architect, Meredith Thomson at her Modern Farmhouse creation in Arcadia.

My family moved to the Arcadia area in 1982 when I was 2 years old.  I grew up climbing the citrus trees, riding my bike through the ranch house lined streets and visiting the snack shop at Kaibab during t-ball games.  I loved it. It was the perfect environment for a child to grow up in.  

Since then there has been a lot of change.  I can still remember as an 8 year old threatening to chain myself to the orange trees they eventually removed from the last standing orchard to make way for a new development. How could they do this to my playground!  When I moved away in 1998 I continued to watch the change from afar; seeing something new in the neighborhood with every visit back.  Most people when they return home as adults comment on how small everything is compared to what they remember but I had the opposite reaction- everything was bigger. Especially the homes!  But what had not changed was the sense of community. As some families moved away, new ones moved in. New kids were riding their bikes in the streets, community parades were still being organized over the holidays, family barbeques were being had. It was still the much loved neighborhood I remembered as child- just with a facelift.

What I gained from my time working New York and San Francisco as an architect was a respect for proportion, symmetry, flow, attention to detail, use of light in space and a love for traditional precedents that can incorporate a modern vision.  When I moved back to Arizona I was so excited to apply this practice to a place I still feel deeply connected to and love. I was so excited to join the Candelaria team because I know they applied the same goals and values to their projects .

When I was asked to help design a new house at 56th and Exeter I was thrilled. The property has a special place in my heart since I grew up only a few blocks away. I used to steal tangerines from the trees in the yard and the lit up star raised on the property's flagpole always marked the beginning of the holiday season. To add to it,  I would be working with Vista General and Berghoff Design Group. Not only are they both a dream team to work with but they share the same respect for design as we do. The attention to detail, thoughtfulness when laying out the plan, and overall teamwork that went into this house is something I am proud to be a part of. Plus the design is very cool and something fresh for Arcadia!  We were inspired by what Im calling "modern farmhouse". Details are refined and traditional in nature, but with a nod to modern.  Each room gets a lot of natural light. The "U" shape plan creates an intimate backyard for the residents.  And the massing was situated in such a way as to buffer the property from the traffic on 56th street.  We even plan to keep as many original orange trees as possible. Something the 8 year old in me appreciates.  The home is nearly complete and I know it will be a timeless and gorgeous home. A home I would have loved to have grown up in.

It took me some time to accept the change happening in Arcadia and I’ve grown to recognize change isn't always bad. And as sad as I am to see some of the old ranch homes go, I’m happy to be part of a team that responds to change with well thought out, beautiful design.  I’m happy to help support and be involved in a community that I will always lovingly and nostalgically call my home.

By the way Happy Mother’s Day Mom and thank you!!!

Meredith Thomson, Architect

Candelaria Design

Spring 2016 Highpoint Market

Highpoint Market

Isabel and I try to make it to the Market in Highpoint, North Carolina at least once a year. But it had been a couple years and so we were eager to go and catch up on the latest trends. We also brought my partner, Evelyn Jung, who has been working with The Design Network for several years to get our show, SKETCH, off the ground. 

Evelyn Jung, MC and Isabel

We were also excited to be going to celebrate the kick-off to the new Spring Season of The Design Network and the launch of their new app on the new Apple TV. I encourage you to pick up an Apple TV box at the Apple Store and get connected. In addition to the fantastic content on The Design Network, there are so many other apps, networks, games, etc. that all allow you the user to interact and interface. The Design Network is no exception!

Evelyn, Is and MC

So, I would venture to say I am probably the only architect at the market every year….or so it seems. I have been to three markets now and I have yet to meet a fellow architect. So why do I go? Well of course, my wife Isabel is a designer and has her own store, Earth and Images, and she goes to restock, and select and shop for items for her clients and customers. I like to go for several reasons.

First, I love the South…. If you read my blog from a little over a month ago we were in Atlanta, and last year New Orleans. I love the Southern hospitality but most of all the Southern Cuisine and North Carolina has some amazing barbecue – my favorite being the the Midwood Smokehouse in Charlotte.

Combo Platter at Midwood Smokehouse

Second, I like seeing the trends in furnishing and where the colors, texture, scale, but most importantly, the style is going! I loved what I saw this year. Definitely a lot more of a sophisticated style starting to emerge. The rustic, industrial look seems to be losing a bit of its novelty and newness – although still very prevalent. I love understanding what is coming in terms of furniture and accessories as it give me a real clue as how to craft the spaces around these items.

Jean-Louis Deniot at Baker

Third, and probably most importantly, I love the time with my Isabel. We have fond memories of coming to Highpoint and our time and friends we have now made here – especially those from The Design Network, namely Jason and Jenny Harris and their entire team who now are simply family to Isabel and I.

It’s a real honor to be a part of The Design Network and we are so excited to kick of our second season of SKETCH with our premiere on May 19th!  We have eight episodes coming from homes in Arcadia and Scottsdale to three beautiful mountain homes in Coeur d’Alene including my first Candelaria Design project ever! I hope you download the Apple TV app or watch us on the website.

So back to the Market. Isabel and I put together this fun video of our trip this year and some of the celebrity designers we ran into including Alexa Hampton, Brooke Gomez, Mary McDonald, Thom Filicia, and Peter Sinnott. 

Isabel, Alexa, and MC at Hickory Chair

Brooke Gomes and MC at Hickory Chair

New York Designer and TDN Star Thom Filicia at the TDN Season Kickoff Party

Isabel, Mary McDonald and MC at Chaddock

Peter Sinnott and Sarah Kennedy Dolce at Chaddock

Isabel, Satya Tiwari President at Surya, and MC

As I mentioned earlier, we spotted 6 hot trends and here they are:

Hightop Table and stools at Four Hands

1.   Community Hightop Tables: Definitely an item we are noticing in many of our homes. From more industrial style to now more refined and sophisticated styles, the community table seems to be taking hold in our homes. Originally the hightop community tables were big in restaurants and bars but I think so many of us love them that we have now started incorporating them in our homes. I see these pieces occupy that no man land between the Kitchen Island and the Family Room or outside on the patio to help link that inside outside connection especially with all of the indoor / outdoor bars we are now doing.

2.   Architectural Graphics: We noticed the use of architectural graphics and drawings on a number of products from whole wall panels and backdrops to pillow and chairs.

3.   Portable Bars: I like this trend. Take that bar with you wherever you go!

Portable bar at Four Hands

4. Indoor Ventless Alcohol Fireplaces and Firepits: These are very cool - now you can have the fire and not worry about the chimney! Check out this line from Brown Jordon Fires. 

5.   Sophistication is Back: We noticed definitely a lot more sophistication in all of the showrooms. I think the milleniums are growing up.

Baker Showroom 

Eloquence Showroom

6.   Color: I tended to notice a lot more blue and creams. The orange from a couple years ago seems to have already faded.

My favorite showroom on the trip was Eloquence. Wow – what a cool place for sure. French sourced and inspired this showroom definitely caught my attention. Clean, elegant and definitely sophisticated but with a sense of casualness and country to the line.

Overall a really fun trip – fabulous showrooms, food, cocktails parties, dancing, and always new friendships. I look forward to returning – maybe this Fall!

Congrats to Our Client, Charles Keller!

Ok - I don't write every blog. Today's blog is written by one of our talented Team Director/ Project Manger's, Tim Mathewson! 

Regular readers of this blog will know that we are very fortunate to work with amazing clients on some incredible projects.  One of those unique projects is our design for the new headquarters for the Colten Cowell Foundation, founded by Charles Keller.  The campus will be located at an un-disclosed location in Gotham City (central Phoenix), but more on that later!  

Having been successful in his career, Charles Keller wanted to find a way to give back to the community.  Knowing that he cannot cure diseases or develop the latest vaccines, Charles decided to focus on what he knew he could do, make people smile.  The mission of the Colten Cowell Foundation is to bring joy to a child or family in distress and Charles brings tremendous energy and enthusiasm into this work.  The Colten Cowell Foundation works with local and national charities who nominate a deserving child and their family to have a night filled with fun and adventure.  This may not free them of the battle they face fighting their ailment, but it gives the child and their family a few hours of fun and a memory that will last forever.  As a way to show the children that giving back can be fun, at the conclusion of the evening the honored child presents over-sized Publisher’s Clearing House-style checks to the nominating charity and another charity of the families choosing so that they can focus on their mission instead of fundraising.

Charles got started on this mission back in 2009.  He and his two young boys all shared a love of the 1966 Batman television shows soo much that he decided to purchase a replica Batmobile.  Wanting to share this prized possession with others, Charles reached out to local charities with an idea.  Knowing that having just one child with a chronic disease can have an emotional and financial effect on the entire family, Charles would show up in the Batmobile with Santa Claus for pictures and rides around the block.  This would be a total surprise to the children and provided a few hours of fun, plus a memory that would last forever. 

It was at one of these events that Charles’ life would be changed forever.  Charles had found out that a 3 year old little boy named Colten Cowell had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Time being of the essence, Charles and Santa paid a visit to Colten and his family to try to give them a happy memory.  Charles decided to give Colten’s dad Earl the keys to the Batmobile so that father and son could share in this special memory.  When they came around the corner, Colten had a huge smile on his face and gave the sign for more.  Even though he was very sick, after several laps, Colten was grinning from ear to ear and Earl was in tears of joy.  Charles realized from this experience that this was the work he had been destined to do and he named the foundation in Colten’s memory. Charles continued with this work and was satisfied that he was making a positive difference in these families lives.  At another one of these events, Charles met a little boy who refused to go for a ride in the Batmobile unless it was going back to the Batcave.  This event put us all on the trajectory that we now find ourselves. 

Based on that child’s wish and Charles’ desire to expand the Superhero experience, Charles set forth to construct a replica Batcave based on the 1966 television series using the means and methods at his disposal.  With a crack team of tinkerers and craftspeople, Charles did just that in a 5,000 square foot rented warehouse building in central Phoenix.  This has been the home of the Colten Cowell Foundation ever since.  As of this post, 210 families have been celebrated at what is now called “The Colten Cowell Crime-Fighting Cave.”  439 grants have been awarded to various charities, totaling $716,000.  The impact of families and the community at large has been enormous.

These accomplishments alone would be considered a job well-done in and of themselves, but Charles is determined to do more.  Two years ago, Charles came to visit Mark Candelaria, who had done the remodel plans for his personal residence, and asked Candelaria Design to head the team in designing a new permanent home for the foundation on a 5 acre parcel of land in Phoenix across the street from Esteban Park.  Of course, we jumped at the opportunity as Charles is the type of client we especially love to work with.  His two guiding principles for the design were to create a world-class facility that can help more people than the current building.  No idea is too far out of the box for Charles if it will improve the experience of the honored guest.  This is music to our ears.  In addition to administrative offices for the day-to-day operation of the foundation, the building will house the new and improved “Colten Cowell Crime-Fighting Cave”.  Many of the features of the cave are Top-Secret, but keep your eye out for the Batmobile, BatCycle, or Batcopter.  The designs are almost complete and the ground-breaking on this 32,000 square foot cave will be in the summer of 2016.  Check back for future blog posts detailing the designs and updates on the project.

To top this all off, this week Mark and I had the honor of attending the 11th Annual Golden Rule Awards Banquet put on by the Arizona Interfaith Movement where Charles Keller was presented with their 2016 Humanitarian Award.  I know first-hand the good work that he and his team do for the community and I am very proud to know him and be able to work on this amazing project.  It was a wonderful event showcasing the good that can come from when people from every faith and background come together in peace to make this world a better place.

We are so excited to be a part of this project and endeavor! And stay tuned for opportunities on how the Design and Construction community and anyone else interested can contribute to this legacy project!

Just Another Candelaria Design Weekend

Happy Birthday Gicela!

Ok I can pack more into a weekend than most….at least that’s what I have been told. This weekend is no exception….its only Sunday morning so technically the weekend is just a little half over. I wonder what I can accomplish today???

So starting with Friday we did our first staff Candelaria Design Home Tour. Basically, this consists of my staff and I touring three or four projects in different points in the process. From a home in framing to a home completely furnished and tricked out! Its fun to see the whole process of construction in just a few hours. It’s even more fun to hear the comments from our clients now living and experiencing the finished Candelaria Design product.

I feel it is so important for my team, who all work on these homes, to experience the finished product – a few pictures do not do them justice. Spending time exploring the spaces, details, gardens, all add to their subconscious knowledge and brain data base. We work as a team and so its great to have this visual base to use when we design and brainstorm.

Now these homes are either under construction or just recently completed and have not been professionally shot yet so you are getting a sneak peek here of what we have coming!

This year we started our tour with a Spanish Colonial home we just completed in Silverleaf Arcadia that we collaborated with my wife, Isabel, and her staff from Earth and Images who orchestrated the interior design, landscape by Berghoff Design. Great job by my Project Manager, Damon Wake who you will read about later in an upcoming blog. Now this may be Spanish Colonial on the outside but the interior epitomizes the hot Transitional style with clean lines and fresh interiors. Stay tuned for a paella party debut in May with guests including the editors from LUXE Magazine and Scottsdale Modern Luxury and our film crew from Sketch for an episode in Season 3.

Client Jennifer Gage with Interior Designer and my lovely wife, Isabel.

Jeff kramer leads the tour on this spectacular Rural Mediterranean home in Paradise Valley.

Our second home will most definitely be another marquis residence in our portfolio. This home was created with the dream team of interior design by Vallone Design, landscape by Berghoff Design, and built by Schultz Development. This project was the last collaboration between me and Project Architect, Jeff Kramer, who retired a couple years ago but continues to consult on all of our projects! Rural Mediterranean in inspiration this home captures the precise lifestyle of the homeowners in how the entertain, cook, work and garden. I cannot wait to share more of this comfortable yet sophisticated home in Paradise Valley.

Project Architect Jeff Kramer, Homeowner, Principal Mark Candelaria

Our third home is a Paradise Valley, hillside Transitional Contemporary home with a glamourous twist that makes you think Greta Garbo or Frank Sinatra might be right around any corner as you explore the home. This home spans the property including a wash with a water feature bridge that connects to a stunning Guest House. Under the house is a car collectors dream garage. The home was decorated and appointed by the the client’s nephew, Interior Designer, Matt Murphy of Matt Murphy Studio of San Francisco, with the home constructed by GM Hunt.

Rod Cullum of Cullum Homes. Associate and Project Manager, Vivian Ayala, and MC

We finished journey with The Village at Mountain Shadows and a wonderful wine and cheese tour put on by the builder/developer Rod and Kim Cullum of Cullum Homes. The 40 contemporary patio homes are coming along and the grand opening gala is set for April 27th! I cannot wait for the public to see the two model homes one of which features a basement Car Bar / Home Theater! The interiors by Anita Lang of IMI Design will blow you away!

Ok so I hope you enjoyed a sneak peek at our Candelaria Design Staff Home Tour! Stay tuned to see more of these homes on our website, publications and on our show Sketch on The Design Network.

So we are still on Friday and now it was time to transition to our Candelaria Design Tour Italy Pre-Trip dinner at Vivo! This is always fun for me and my travelers. It gives everyone a chance to meet, break the ice, and go ever the details of the trip. This dinner was for our June travelers where our trip will have its grand finale’ at the Villa d’Este on Lake Como. I have travelers coming from Philadelphia, Long Beach, Coeur d’Alene , Idaho, Santa Monica, Las Vegas and of course Scottsdale – 14 travelers in all with several first time travelers to Europe! What an enjoyable evening on the patio, great food, and the start of new friendships. Our 2016 Tours in June and September are SOLD OUT so get ready for our September 2017 trip with a stunning finale' in Venice. 

Our June 2016 Candelaria Design Tour Italy Travelers at Vivo!

Join us in September 2017 for our 15th Candelaria Design Tour Italy finishing in Venice!

Now onto Saturday! How about a birthday paella dinner for 20 including our dear friend and Italy traveler (her third trip upcoming) on the new al fresca patio at our Casa Candelaria! Isabel thought we should freshen up the patio so in 5 days Jeff Berghoff and his crew came in and gave our patio a complete makeover! Top it off with some bistro lights and pole coordinated by builder, Chris Johnson, and our personal lighting designer and friend, Walter Spitz, of Creative Designs in Lighting and wah-la we had a new Italian patio and a party!

The hit of this dinner was my leftover ham and cannellini bean soup! Recipe forthcoming – you definitely want to make this. I made a giant soup terrine full and it was empty within minutes.

What a wonderful evening celebrating our friend and Italy traveler, Gicela Dulcich’s, birthday with many of the travelers who joined her on her last trip! 

Finish with a cigar and a nightcap under the lemon tree. This was the perfect way to christen our new patio.

So that get’s me through Saturday!  Now it’s Sunday – nothing like leftover Paella with a couple fried eggs over the top! How are you all spending your Sunday???? Wishing you all a fantastic April! We have some more exciting travels, projects, and events forthcoming so stay tuned.

Dinner with Lidia Bastianich at Avanti's

Lidia Bastianich, MC and Isabel at Avanti's

I love how life is sometimes like the waves of an ocean in that the tide comes in and then goes out and then comes back in again…..

Lidia Bastianich and Isabel at Avanti's

Last night, Isabel and I enjoyed a wonderful presentation and dinner with a true cuisine rock star, Lidia Bastianich, at our good friend Patricia Livi’s restaurant here in Phoenix, Avanit’s. What a treat to spend an evening with her and get to personally know her and exchange thoughts and ideas. This lady is amazing. 69 years young this lady is full of energy and life and uses her cooking to share her message.

Patricia Livi, Isabel and MC at Avanti's

Flash back to 1979, I had just moved to Tempe as a sophomore college student from Durango, Colorado and didn’t know a single person with the exception of one friend from Durango, Danny Brown. Danny and I went to High School in Durango and I also shared time and a job with him on the Durango to Silverton steam train. Danny Brown is now the City Attorney for the City of Phoenix. 

The Durango ~ Silverton Train

Well our railroad boss and family friend, Bill Griffin and his wife Della, were in town enjoying a winter getaway and knew that Danny and I were down here at ASU. He tracked me down and asked if he could take us to dinner. Of course he was expecting something like the Chuck Box or the Dash Inn…. Of course I guess even back then I had good taste, I grabbed the Yellow Pages (remember those) and looked up restaurants, and found an Italian place called Avanti’s that caught my eye. Made reservations and met them there. My boss never let me forget that – “ask the kid to pick a place for dinner, and he picks this place with duck under glass!”

Patricia  and Angiolo Livi - Owner's of Avanti's

MC with Patricia Livi of Avanti's

Now some 37 years later here I am with my wife having a fabulous Osso Bucco dinner with Lidia Bastianich in the same Avanit restaurant sitting next to one of the PBS Producers and his wife….. Add to it, over the course of the years I’ve become friends and the architect for the wife and co-owner of Avanti, Patricia Livi. If someone would have told me about this evening 37 years ago I would have laughed and never believed it. What is even more fascinating, is how many times I have watched Lidia and her shows on PBS, studied her cookbooks, and enjoyed dinners at her Eataly in NYC and now in Florence and then to sit with her and share dessert was just magical and so inspirational.

The Cheese Shop at Eataly - NYC

The Macelleria at Eataly, NY

The Pasta counter at Eataly, NYC

Sophia and Isabella Candelaria sharing a laugh at Eataly, NYC

MC with Lidia Bastianich signing my copy of her wonderful cookbook. 

At 69 she is going strong, she is out promoting her show on PBS Lidia Celebrates America, her new book Lidia’s – Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine, speaking and book signings across the world with trips to Dubai and South America. Truly an inspiration. I encourage you to try her recipes. They are authentic and generally simple.

So as the tide flows in and then flows out, I wonder 37 years from now what I’ll be blogging about. I do not think this story is over – in fact based on our conversation last night, this story is just beginning!!!!

By the way, the Osso Bucco at Avanti's is amazing. Here is the link to my Osso Bucco just in case you want to make it this evening! Enjoy and Live Different!

Candelaria Design Tour Italy - 2 spots open for June

I hope everyone is out enjoying the wonderful weather here in AZ! The weather is great but the allergies are in full force!

Buckhead, GA

Busy week last week as Isabel and I finished our trip to Buckhead. What a wonderful time and very informative as there is a lot going on in the Design Industry. We enjoyed inspiring presentations by designers Cynthia Rowley, India Hicks, Nathan Turner, and Mary McDonald. Throw in a couple wonderful dinners, Sunday night at Barcelona with Chris Meeks of Hartman Windows & Doors and his lovely daughter Whitley, followed by dinner Monday night at Hal’s Steakhouse with The Design Network founder and CEO, Jason Harris hosted by Surya President, Satya Tiwari.  

Mary McDonald at the Designer Conference in Buckhead

Cynthia Rowley at the Designer Conference

Designer India Hicks

Isabel and Interior Designer Audra Wrightson

Dinner at Barcelona with Chris & Whitley Meeks

MC with Satya Tiwari of Surya and Jason Harris of The Design Network at Hal's Steakhouse

Isabel and I returned just in time to kick off Spring Training with a day at the Scottsdale Charros Lodge at Scottsdale Stadium for our two companies – Candelaria Design & Earth and Images. What a wonderful afternoon! I encourage all of you to get out just one day and take in an afternoon at the ballpark – it is definitely one of the best and very unique experiences here in AZ.

The Candelaria Design crew out at the Ballpark - Scottsdale Charro Lodge

Our ad in the Scottsdale Charro Spring Training Programs!

Isabel and MC with the team from Earth and Images at the Charro Lodge

The rest of the week was all about work – including this weekend! We have some wonderful projects going from coast to coast. Isabel and I are heading to Albuquerque this coming week to move the design forward on a home there. Several projects are just starting and several are coming to the finish line and our clients moving in soon! So exciting!

Grand Hall nearing completion with this Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images French Transitional home on the Paradise Valley Country Club built by Desert Star Construction. 

Breakfast Room nearing completion with this Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images French Transitional home on the Paradise Valley Country Club built by Desert Star Construction. 

A new Candelaria Design ~ Nance Construction Farmhouse Transitional remodel in Arcadia 

Group photo of our 2015 Candelaria Design Tour Italy travelers at the Villa Piazzano

Meanwhile – we have had two spots open up for our June Candelaria Design Tour Italy! I have several couples that have expressed interest so I know these spots will be gone soon. This will be our thirteenth tour and I have a wonderful group of travelers coming from across the country. Our pre-trip dinner is coming on April 1st so if you are thinking about going you definitely want to sign up and meet your fellow travelers at this pre-trip dinner.

Our departure date is June 1st and we will fly into Florence, Italy where we will spend two days and two nights in this center of the Renaissance with a fabulous welcome dinner at the Villa San Michele. From Florence we will all drive in our convoy of private sedans to the countryside of Umbria where we will reside in a lovely 19th century farmhouse compound.

Pino Teresi and Isabel at winery Casanova di Neri

From our base in Umbria we will visit Cortona, Assisi, Siena, San Gimignano, and the wine country of Tuscany with our private guide, Pino. We will dedicate a day towards cooking and relaxing at the farmhouse compound when our private chef, Elizabeth Wholey, will guide us through authentic recipes from Umbria.

After a week in the country, we will then convoy to the luxurious Villa d’Este on Lake Como. From the rustic elegance of the country to the over the top ambiance of Lake Como you will experience the beautiful diversity of Italy.

What’s special about our trip is the fact that you really do not have to do anything but show up and start enjoying. Our trip runs $7500 for a single and $14k for a couple. This includes coach air-fare (upgrades are available), hotels, houses, your rental car, hotel transfers, several meals during the trip, cooking class, and wine tour. Add in the pre-trip dinner and post trip dinner and it is a total bargain.

One of the special outcomes of this trip for me and my travelers are the friendships that have been formed. There is something special that happens when cooking and dining and traveling that creates lasting memories and friendships. I have many repeat travelers and several coming on this June trip. Visit some of my past blogs and our website for more detail. Don’t wait though…..Let’s go to ITALY! 

Mark and Isabel at the Villa d'Este ~ Lake Como

Atlanta - The Design Bloggers Conference

This weekend Isabel and I are back visiting one of my favorite cities in the US and maybe only second to New Orleans in the South – Atlanta!!!

I have been here several times and what always strikes me about Atlanta and the South in general, is how friendly everyone is here! I know you always hear about Southern hospitality, but there is definitely a reason for that….it’s true!

Isabel and I are here this time for a Designer Social Media Conference that Isabel found put on by our good friends of The Design Network….what could be better for me than that!!! As you know all I do is Facebook and Blogging all day so I am in heaven! The conference starts today so we snuck out here on Friday to get in some Southern cuisine and that Southern hospitality – and of course take in some of the amazing homes here in Atlanta and specifically, Buckhead.

We also decided to keep it green this trip and do our best to never step in a car during the entire trip. I think we both know how much we love the food down here in the South so we knew we better keep on the go. So far we have done a great job. We took the light rail, MARTA, from the airport to Buckhead, then walked with our bags a good quarter mile to our hotel, and yesterday hiked all through Buckhead racking up 20,000 steps on our IWatches!  The weather could not be more perfect. 40’s at night and mid 60’s during the day. Perfect walking weather.

I am excited to attend this conference being sponsored by The Design Network and all of the exciting things they have coming including their new platform on the new Apple TV coming this April including our show SKETCH which will feature eight new episodes for our Season 2! We have really upped the production with the addition of our new director, Kenny Moskowitz, “Spanky” and his crew from Wedgie Creative. They are fantastic and the footage they are shooting and editing is beautiful. More on this as we get a little closer. I am also bringing Spanky and the crew on the September Candelaria Tour Italy where they will film the entire trip as we will be creating daily posts with dramatic footage and will put the whole trip and story into a whole new Season of SKETCH goes to Italy!

In the meantime, we are having a great time and enjoying some wonderful architecture and dining along the way. Yesterday, we hiked several neighborhoods in Buckhead. I love walking to capture the essence of these homes from both a macro level with the layout of the roads and neighborhoods down to the micro details of wall, gate, paving, window header details…..What is best, is having a partner, in Isabel, who loves this I think more than me!!! We get excited about a cool dormer detail!

The new Tom Ford Boutique in Bulkhead

Then after walking all day we did a little shopping in Buckhead - including the new Tom Ford Boutique which was amazing - grabbed lunch at Dantanna’s, did a little more shopping, including our favorites – shoes!

Then we finished the day with a fantastic dinner at Southern Art with our waiter and new friend Kurt, who took great care of us. Tonight it was a charbroiled ribeye with collard greens and sweet potato succotash. Of course add a good Bouvadier cocktail and some vino and finish with a cigar on the terrace.

Our waiter and now good friend, Kurt, at Southern Art

 Life in the South is good!

Staycation at Royal Palms then its time for Short Ribs

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine’s weekend! Isabel and I stretched it out and checked into the Royal Palms for a little staycation this weekend.

I love the Royal Palms – no I did not design it! Architect, Don Zabell of Oz Architects gets that credit and it is well deserved. Definitely one of my favorite and most romantic spots in this town for sure.

We started the weekend with a little impromptu Happy Hour in the courtyard with friends who caught wind and stopped by. We stayed for dinner and closed the place down with Isabel and I relaxing by the outdoor fireplace while I enjoyed a cigar.

Nothing better than a nice quiet weekend to reset the jets. We have really been busy drawing and designing. From beachside villas in LaJolla, to amazing equestrian estancias to luxury senior living condos we are drawing and designing like crazy.

Starting Construction on this Candelaria Design Estate in Silverleaf with Schultz Development

Nonetheless, there is always time to do some cooking! I love to cook because, unlike architecture that sometimes takes years from inspiration to completion, a dinner can achieve the same joy and sense of accomplishment in a matter of hours. I think that is why I love it so much!

This coming weekend Isabel and I along with a couple souz chefs from my Candelaria Team will be preparing our famous paella dinner for one of my clients and her friends at her home I remodeled several years ago! I love making my paella and I’m looking forward to sharing in its preparation. My paella recipe can be found in our past blog -

Meanwhile, last week we had several friends over for another of my favorites and I know my Candelaria girls love this dish – Italian Red Wine Short Ribs over Horseradish Mashed Potatoes. Here is the recipe – Enjoy!

Short Ribs bathed in Italian Wine served over Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

In a large cast iron or Dutch oven heat your olive oil until just starting to smoke. Season your short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Only add as many short ribs as you can so they have adequate space to brown. You may have to do them in batches. Brown them all over until they are a nice seared brown 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the pot and let them rest on a platter and cover with foil.

Pour the excess oil out of the pot and then add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leafs and pancetta and cook everything until the veggies are soft and starting to brown approximately 7-8 minutes. Use a wooden spoon and the onions to deglaze the pan and get all those nice meat remnants loosened off the bottom of the pan and integrated into the veggies.

Now add the red wine – I like to use a good Amarone, Rosso di Montalcino or Vino Nobile form Italy of course! Once the wine is in add your homemade tomato sauce and bring the whole mixture to a boil.

Finally, add the meat back in and let it soak in the flavor. Bring everything to a boil and then turn the heat down to simmer and cook the meat 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours until the meat is fork tender.

From here there are two way to go, you can remove the meat and then serve the veggie / stew as is, or you can bring the liquid to a boil and reduce the liquid down and thicken it as you see fit. Season with salt and pepper, and then serve over the top of the Horseradish mashed potatoes and garnish with chopped Italian parsley.

For the Horseradish Mashed Potatoes take 4 lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes and peel them. Please them in cold water along with two bay leaves and let them set until your short ribs are just about ready. Boil for over medium-high heat and cook the potatoes until they are for tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and drain the water from the potatoes, reserving 2 tablespoons of cooking water. Smash the potatoes in a large bowl along with the sour cream, butter and horseradish. Season well with salt and pepper.

Buon appetito…

Italian Wine Short Ribs

6 servings

 3 lbs of boneless or bone in short ribs

6-8 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and ground pepper

3 large Spanish onions cut into ½” dice

4 medium carrots cut into ½” think slices

3 ribs of celery cut into ½” thick slices,

4 ounces of pancetta diced

3 cups of Italian red wine

3 cups of tomato sauce

2 bay leaves

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

4 lbs of Yukon Gold potoatoes

2 bay leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups of sour cream

2 tablespoons of remaining cooking water

1 stick of unsalted butter

3 tablespoons of horseradish

Italian parsley cut for garnish.

Some Thoughts on Valentine's Day 2016

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! It looks like a beautiful weekend – at least here in sunny Arizona with temps in the upper 80’s in mid February!!!

El Chorro Before

El Chorro during construction

Valentine’s Day reminds me of several things each year. First it reminds me of a very special project for me and many others in the design and construction industry – that being the makeover and rehab of El Chorro in Paradise Valley. I most definitely will stop in for an Old Fashioned and a cigar this weekend to reflect back on this wonderful project that I am personally so proud of.

El Chorro After

Opening Day Valentine's Day 2010

Christy and Tim Moore, Jacquie Dorrance

First, and foremost I want to thank my good friend and builder, Jerry Meek, of Desert Start Construction for bringing me on board for this project and then of course Jacquie Dorrance for her vision and love of El Chorro and what it means to the history of Paradise Valley and Arizona. What a team, from Desert Star Construction, Vallone Design, Berghoff Design, Walter Spitz and Creative Design in Lighting, Tim and Kristy Moore, my team of Jeff Kramer, Tim Mathewson and Vivian Ayala, and to the many amazing subs and suppliers who all offered their input, craftsmanship and expertise. This project is a labor of love and the fact it reopened on Valentine’s week it has to make my Valentine’s Day list.

The Boys!

The El Chorro Design Team!

The makers and shakers of El Chorro!

Riding in the Parada del Sol 

My next memory of Valentine’s Day is always the Scottsdale Parada del Sol parade which kicks off this morning down Scottsdale Road in Old Town Scottsdale. I have made my way down Scottsdale Road on a horse with my fellow Scottsdale Charros brothers many times and unfortunately cannot make it this year as I have a lot going on with the kiddos this weekend. But I love participating in the parade and the experience of riding a horse down Scottsdale Road and enjoying the big crowd that always shows up. I’m sure with our great weather this weekend there will be a big turnout. I am so honored to be a part of the Scottsdale Charros and all they do for the community! Support us by making it out to the Charro Lodge and catch some Spring Training baseball next month!

The Candelaria Design crew at the Charro Lodge 2015

Me and my girls in Florence - New Years 2016

Finally, Valentine’s Day would not be complete without being in love. I am so blessed to have frankly, a ton of love, from my three daughters, Sophia, Isabella and Tiffany, my mom, Karin, my wife’s mother, Alette, and of course my wife and love of my life, Isabel! How lucky I am and a day doesn’t go by that isn’t frankly, Valentine’s Day for me. I wish all of you a wonderful Valentine's Day.

Isabel and Mark in Positano, Italy

Isabel came into my life during some of my darkest hours and has transformed my life with her love, belief, and support. She is my best friend, lover, partner, and fellow designer. I am so excited to see of our combined projects now come to life. Our trips to Italy have taken on a entirely new dimension and this year we will be celebrating and sharing our 6th and 7th trips together.  I cannot tell you how much she has added to my experience of life. The fact is architecture and design is a way of life….you live it and breathe it 24/7. To share life with a woman who also lives and breathes it 24/7 makes it so much easier. How many couples talk about baseboard details in bed….:-). We both love it.

My Valentine....

Isabel selecting colors on a Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images ~ Desert Star Construction home on the Paradise Valley Country Club, Arizona 2015

Isabel and Mark at the Poggio Rubino Winery - Montalcino, Tuscany Sept 2015

Isabel and I making our famous paella.

I think, I’ll stop there….I wish you all a beautiful and romantic Valentine’s Day. I’ll be having a few friends over Sunday and will be cooking some Valentine’s Day short ribs over risotto so stay tuned for some more recipes. Have fund everybody – I love you all!

Wedding Day September 16, 2013 - Lake Como, Italy

Opening the Doors on this Super Bowl Sunday

I hope everyone enjoy’s the big game today! I grew up in Denver so I am rooting for my Broncos but boy, Carolina looks really good. I guess that’s why they play the game….anything can happen!

Speaking how anything can happen….It’s always interesting to see how one comment, idea, or suggestion can be just like tossing a rock in still water and then watching the waves that then can virtually go on forever…..Such is the experience with my now sixteen year relationship with Lacole’ and the Belli family from Umbria Italy. This week, Gabriele Belli and his assistant, Luca, are here from Italy measuring the opening for the doors they will be manufacturing in Italy for a Candelaria Design home we have under construction in Desert Mountain.

Flash back to 1999. I was still working at CCBG Architects. I had set up a meeting with a new client who was coming in to talk about having me design a new home for them in Paradise Valley.My now good friends, Drue and Cathy Engels came in and sat down in my conference room. As I start every meeting, I asked them if I could get them anything. Drue responded with, “Anything?” I said, “Sure what would you like?” Of course in true Drue fashion he asked for the tallest Bloody Mary you can make me. I followed with, “No Problem”. Always our answer!

Well I had no idea where I was going to get a Bloody Mary fast, so I excused myself, grabbed my office assistant, and told him to go and get the tallest Bloody Mary he could and get right back. I returned to the room and assured them that is was on it’s way.

WelI I don’t know where my assistant went, but he returned with not just one, but two amazing Bloody Mary’s garnished in style. Drue said, “You are hired!” And that’s how we got the job and started our friendship that still goes to this day!

So how does this all tie into the doors…??? Well as we started the design of the home, Drue and Cathy said they wanted the home to be a true, Tuscan style home. So I casually suggested we should go to Tuscany. Drue loved the idea and like the Bloody Mary he said, “Let’s do it”. Well I was one for one and I had to keep my streak alive! It so happened that at the same time I was designing a home for a travel agent, and I told her the story and she jumped at the opportunity to set up the trip and in fact she and her husband would join us. The first Candelaria Design Tour Italy journey was born!

Well during this trip, the owner of the farmhouses we were staying in while in Umbria told us of a place where we could see wonderful artifacts for the homes. We jumped at the opportunity and so our introduction to Lacole’ and the Belli family had begun.

We purchased a container of reclaimed doors, beams, stone arches, window grates, etc. Through the years the Belli family has supplied roof tiles, and more doors to several of my Candelaria Design homes across Arizona. From Yuma to Paradise Valley and now to North Scottsdale in Desert Mountain!

On our most recent Candelaria Design Tour Italy this past September, my beloved client, Phyllis Lerner, enjoyed a day at Lacole’ and their other business Porte del Passato where she discovered their marvelous treasures. The Belli family has supplied items for the likes of George Lucas and Dolce and Gabbana.

Nearly every trip since this first trip in 2000 we have made the visit to Lacole’ and Porte del Passato and a quick hello to Gabriele Belli. It is exciting to have him and his assistant here and their first visit to America. They arrived on Wednesday and they leave today, Super Bowl Sunday. Although this is a work trip they did work in a little fun and luckily the weather has been fantastic. From Harold’s in Cave Creek to the Rokerij to the night life in Old Town Scottsdale, I think they did get a little fun in to.

I’m looking forward to seeing these beautiful doors in this amazing Candelaria Design home. The work and follow through by my long time Associate, Vivian Ayala, in the creation of this home is beyond words. This home will be a Candelaria Design masterpiece.

Little did I know some 17 years ago, getting that Bloody Mary for Drue Engels would lead to the Candelaria Design Tour Italy, and the importing of these doors into the Lerner Residence among many other homes, and my long lasting friendship with the amazing and talented Belli family of Lacole' and Porte del Passato in Italy.