A vacation home where sleek design meets desert elegance, offering seamless indoor-outdoor living. Every detail, from sunlit interiors to panoramic golf course views, is crafted for comfort and style.
Nestled amid the rolling fairways of a Scottsdale golf community, Lydia and Thomas Tedford’s vacation home exemplifies a seamless fusion of modern Mediterranean architecture and contemporary interior design. From its glass-front entry to its sun-drenched terraces, every detail of this Arizona residence was conceived with a singular goal: to create a retreat that is as elegant as it is functional, perfect for both family living and entertaining.
Designed by Gary Wyant of Calvis Wyant Luxury Homes, the home’s architecture responds to both its dramatic desert site and the community’s strict guidelines. The property’s natural slope and surrounding wash presented challenges that were met with precision grading and retaining structures, allowing for elevated views of the McDowell Mountains, golf course, and Scottsdale city lights. The house embraces a modern Mediterranean style with tile roofs, understated exposed wood rafter tails, and a sun-facing layout that maximizes natural light and scenic vistas. Every exterior line, from the clean stucco façades to the carefully positioned casita, highlights a harmonious blend of form and function.
Interiors That Celebrate Light and Flow
Kim Harvey Creamer of Kim Harvey Creamer Interiors created interiors that reflect the Tedfords’ vision of a home that is “more modern than traditional, but still fitting the architecture.” The palette leans toward soft, natural tones inspired by the surrounding desert and views of the golf course, with shades of blue, gray, and brown accented by white oak finishes that add warmth and texture. The design prioritizes symmetry, clarity, and clutter-free spaces, with custom storage solutions integrated throughout.
The great room sets the tone, a luminous space anchored by cream-colored sofas arranged for conversation and unobstructed views. Checkerboard ottomans, a mohair-draped barrel chair, and a polished chrome coffee table complement the fireplace, creating a casual yet sophisticated gathering space. In contrast, the home office embraces moody sophistication, with charcoal feature walls, elaborate molding, and hidden storage that maintains a clean aesthetic while keeping essentials close at hand.
Dining and Culinary Design
The dining room is defined by its scale and proportion, featuring the largest table the space could comfortably accommodate, fostering connection without the feel of a conference room. Adjacent, the double-island kitchen offers a sleek, crisp white backdrop, blending seamlessly into the living areas while concealing secondary prep spaces behind cabinetry. Coffered ceilings extend throughout the public areas, enhancing the sense of height and grandeur, while mirrored doors echo the architectural rhythm and expand the sense of openness.
Private areas, including the guest casita and primary suite, exude a more glamorous tone. The guest bedroom features a crystal chandelier over a plush upholstered bed, flanked by bouclé-covered barrel chairs, while the primary bathroom combines Statuary porcelain tiles with white oak panels and elegant fixtures to create a spa-like atmosphere. Each room balances luxury with livability, ensuring comfort for family and visitors alike.
Designed for Scottsdale’s desert climate, the home’s outdoor spaces flow naturally from the interior. From the pool and patio to the fire pit seating and dining areas, every element is carefully sited to take advantage of the views and the desert landscape. Landscape architect Brandon LaCombe layered plantings from formal to wild, blending structured greenery with the rugged beauty of the Sonoran Desert. The result is a retreat that feels expansive yet intimately connected to its environment.
The Tedfords’ vacation home illustrates how architecture and interior design can work in tandem to create a residence that is visually stunning, highly functional, and perfectly suited to its environment. With thoughtful attention to scale, light, and texture, the Scottsdale retreat offers a modern Mediterranean sanctuary where family, friends, and views take center stage—a home designed to entertain, relax, and inspire in equal measure.
