In their search for an ideal snowbird nest, Peg and Randy Asmus prioritized the view. Perched above the verdant fairways of the HOA-1 Tucson Course with mountain views, the listing of the Barcelona floor plan boasted of good bones and perks like an expansive wraparound pergola-shaded patio, an extended garage with golf cart space and a guest casita.
Furthermore, the original owners had opted for an upgraded 2 x 6 construction (in lieu of the standard 2 x 4) which lent a higher insulation value. In recent years, they installed a new HVAC system and replaced the roof’s underlayment. And, prior to listing, the sellers had the home’s exterior freshly painted.
Unfortunately, the home’s interior was far less inspiring than its captivating views. In fact, the cut-up design of the home’s living and dining spaces along with the patio’s pillars and pergola posts significantly hindered the views to the back of the home and darkened its interior. Originally installed to lighten the home’s interior (and regarded a glamorous design factor a few decades back), multiple mirrored feature walls in both the main house and casita were now just a feature that screamed “dated.”
Determined to completely update the floor plan of their Arizona getaway, the Michigan-based couple employed a general contractor to open up the main living space, convert the dining room to an office desired for remote working, as well as update the kitchen baths, laundry and casita. Seemingly, no surface was left untouched, with the addition of new finishes, fixtures, doors and trim, cabinetry and appliances.
Walking towards the main residence, tour participants were treated to a peek at the entirely revamped casita, a project completed with the design assistance of a general contractor. The mirrored feature wall was deftly updated by removing the central panel and framing the remaining two to flank the bed. A new built-in coffee bar was added by borrowing space from the walk-in closet which is still large enough to fit a portable crib for visiting grandbabies. A new, contemporary five horizontal lite barn door opens to the beautifully remodeled casita bathroom.
The front doorway to the main house is notably modernized with the removal of the original door, two sidelights and a floral patterned stained glass transom window. A beautiful contemporary Therma-Tru 42-inch x 96-inch four horizontal lite door has been framed in its place. Opening the front door, one steps three decades ahead from the interior as it was at time the Asmuses acquired the home. The mismatched floors and dated wall colors have been replaced with a concrete-look porcelain 12 x 24 tile, “Newton” in Silver semi-polished, and a calm contemporary palette of stylish greige walls painted throughout with Dunn Edwards “Fine Grain”, a nudey neutral and accent walls of “Pebble Walk”, a sophisticated, muted, green-gray.
The former wall that separated the living room and family room is now gone, allowing for a lighter, brighter interior. The only remnant of the original wall is a striking two-sided tiled fireplace wall that now punctuates a fully open, great room space where living and eating areas converge. A big screen TV directed to the main seating area is located above the ribbon gas log fireplace. Beyond that, the removal of the two interior columns of the patio opens up the vista even more and enhance the flow between indoor/outdoor living.
With no desire for a formal dining room, the couple had the contractor enclose the previous dining room’s double arched entryways, adding a double French door entry and built-in workstation space for Peg and Randy. Their familiarity with midwestern mud rooms inspired a “Drop Zone” laundry room with specialty hanging space and storage with built-in bench.
Open to the great room space, the former kitchen was gutted and replaced with grey glazed cabinetry with clean lined Shaker style door, sleek white quartz counters with subtle grey veining and a stunning 2 x 6 subway mosaic tile backsplash, “NewBev” in Sepia. The new rectangular kitchen island increased nearly double in length from the preexisting with a space underneath at the end of the waterfall edge to handily tuck in two stools for a casual dining spot. A new beverage center with counter space and a glass fronted cabinetry overhead replaces the original kitchen desk. A gorgeous cascading pendant light above the kitchen sink, a stylish new wall mount range hood and illuminated open corner shelving all give glitter to the otherwise serene space.
The sleek styling continues at the hallway to the bedrooms where standard builder cabinetry was replaced with shallower cabinetry beneath and floating shelves above. Rather than being a tacked-on afterthought, the new storage has custom appeal and great aesthetic that may be adapted in many Robson built floor plans.
In the primary bedroom suite, a new double door entry improved bathroom privacy. The original jetted tub and smaller shower were demolished and replaced with one enormous, curbless walk-in shower and new bathroom cabinetry reconfigured the vanity space, adding a large tower storage cabinet to one end.
Despite being a full-scale remodel that saw the demolition of walls and the replacement of nearly every surface, the home tour property supplied visitors with inspiration and a plethora of bright ideas that could be adapted to any home.
