Ever lived in a home that you didn’t like how it looked or felt? Many can relate to that, right.

That is where Mark Porter was with his home. Mark liked the overall layout, but he wanted something with cleaner, more sophisticated lines – not too contemporary, but not traditional either.

Mark had been driving by our showroom for many months – twice a day, to and from his job at Ventana Medical. He finally took action.

But, he didn’t call or come in. First he checked out our website, liked what he saw and read, and then called for an appointment.

HGTV & DIY-TV Nut

When I first met Mark, he asked if I knew of Mike Holmes from DIY–TV. I replied, “I certainly do, his show is one of my favorites, but I’m even better.”

That took Mark a bit by surprise, but he certainly knew he was going to get what he wanted. I also knew that Mark would appreciate the high quality standards and attention to detail we have.

How to Stretch a Budget

As you can see from the Scope of Work, Mark wanted a lot done, with a tight budget.

One of the ways we helped him stretch his budget was to re-face the kitchen cabinets vs. tear-out and replace with new. If you’re not changing the footprint of the cabinets, that is a great money and time saver.

Artwork

We helped select several new pieces of artwork, of varying kinds, to compliment the new furnishings and coordinate with the new color scheme throughout the home.

Scope of Work

Mark had quite a wish list, covering every room of the house except the den and the guest bedrooms.

Kitchen

Reface Cabinets
New Appliances
New Plumbing Fixtures
Enlarge the Island
New Quartz Counters
New Pantry

Great Room

New Furniture
Rugs–Lamps– Accessories

Living / Dining Room

New Furniture
New Lighting
New Blinds & Drapes

Guest Bath

New Vanity Cabinet
New Quartz Counter
New Lighting
New Tub, Toilet, Sink
New Shower Tile
Repaint

Master Bedroom

Headboard & Mattress
Personalized Bedding
Lamps
New tables & chair
New Closet system

Master Bath

New Tub & Tile
New Cabinets
New Quartz Counters
New Shower & Tile
Mirrors & Lighting

Outdoors

Redesign entire back yard area, with new kiva fireplace

General

Paint in rooms updated
Artwork
Flooring Throughout
Audio Sound System

Desert Zen is what we call the style we created to meet the desires of several clients.

We describe Desert Zen as warm earth tone colors and clean lines. It has become quite popular with our clients that prefer a somewhat contemporary look, but not the stark and cold colors often seen in contemporary interior design.

Desert Zen was the perfect solution to the differing style desires of Corky and Larry Bull. Corky wanted warm and inviting colors and Larry was partial to a more contemporary style. When we showed them some of the other Desert Zen homes we had done, they both fell in love with it.

Corky and Larry Bull live in upstate New York. They bought a get-away and eventual retirement home in Sun City Oro Valley that needed some updating. But, they wanted to enjoy their 3 – 4 trips a year here. They love to hike in the mountains, and did not want to spend their precious time here dealing with all the hassles of home renovations.

Tile, Tile and more Tile

Corky and Larry originally wanted to replace the carpeted areas with tile to match the existing. Unfortunately, that tile had been long discontinued, so we ended up replacing all 2,800 sq. ft. of flooring with a magnificent new tile selection.

Because we were able to do the work with nobody living in the home, the work could be done much more efficiently, saving them money. We always take precautions to protect existing furniture, etc.

Custom Bar Cabinet

The Bulls like to entertain, and needed a place for a wine cooler and other party gear.

I sketched out what I thought would look good in the space available and had my outstanding cabinet and furniture maker build it to fit in the kitchen wall.

With our cabinetmaker, just about anything is possible – at a price that often surprises our clients.

Brightening a Dull Kitchen

The kitchen was somewhat dull and needed some color and focal point. So we added a strip of glass and stone to the center of diagonally placed tile. With older homes that need a bit of updating, we can often make otherwise sound cabinets look newer with much less expensive touches – like this backsplash or lighting. Another option is to reface your cabinets. Cabinet refacing can update sound but tired boxes at less cost than a full cabinet replacement.

Added Benefit of Working With Interior Expressions: We Coordinate Subs – so you don’t have to

We have rigid procedures for key control and home security that all our subs follow. We personally check the job on a near daily basis and routinely visit the job site while the work is progressing.

All our subcontractors, who we keep very busy, know that just one incident will mean they will never do work for us again. It has taken us over 10 years of trial and error to cultivate our current crew, and we’ve fired a few along the way.

We really think of what we do as problem solving. You come to us because you don’t like something about your home. Those “somethings” vary greatly. From something relatively simple, like new flooring, to complex major remodeling.

Solving unique problems for our wonderful clients is one of the things we really like about this business. Here are a few of the special solutions we designed to help clients solve special needs…

Tall Barstools

My client, Judy Sago, built a custom home in Stone Canyon. The builder elevated her dishwashers 12″ off the floor, putting a drawer underneath, for less bending over to load and unload the dishes.

Great Idea!

But, it created a major problem. This also made the counter tops 12″ higher than normal. No “standard” bar stools exist that are tall enough. After pricing several firms, Mrs. Sago came to us.

We designed, and had produced, by our local expert furniture maker, 4 bar stools tall enough to use the counter as designed. We had the stretcher made strong enough for someone to stand on in order to get into the seat.

All these meaningful details came at a price she thought was very fair, especially since she couldn’t even use the counter for seating without this solution.

Floating Desk

This Oro Valley client wanted to convert their formal living room, which they seldom used, into a home office. We discussed storage and their desire for lots of natural light in the office.

So our design has a floating desk that faces the front window of the home. The custom desk and hutch were stained to contrast the dark wood floors of the room.

Matching Your Current Furniture

Our clients wanted a liquor storage cabinet in a style and wood tone to match the existing cabinetry in their Splendido apartment. Another masterpiece from our master woodworkers.

When You Have A Picture In Your Mind, But Can’t Find It In Stores

Custom Zig-Zag Table designed and built to meet the “picture” client had in her mind of what she wanted but couldn’t find anywhere. Made with unique zebra wood from Africa.

Television Surrounds

A custom TV surround hides TV with custom artwork on sliding panels. The clients love it!

Custom Bedroom Furniture

Headboard

The master bed “headboard” is really a custom wall treatment and lighting canopy. The ceiling mounted light canopy is 4 feet deep and 12 feet wide. We had to reinforce the wall and ceiling to support the weight.

The wall behind the bed is 64 individual panels, upholstered with a luxurious silk fabric, affixed to the wall. This treatment helps prevent the king bed from being the focal point of the room. Silk is not an upholstery-friendly fabric. Even though it was a challenge, our master seamstress was able to create 64 identical panels that are flawless – true artisanship.

Custom Platform Bed

This custom bed has side rails and a footboard so the sides and foot of they are comfortable for sitting.

Custom Automotive Paint

The canopy and bed were painted with a custom automotive paint to provide the desired ultra-high gloss and superior wearability.

If You Want It, We Can Build It!

Three Master Suites?

Shirley and Chuck Kaltenbach’s modified Lariat model in SaddleBrooke was originally built for a mother and her two daughters. So, it had three master suites.

This didn’t work too well for Shirley and Chuck, so they hired us to help them remodel their home to a two-bedroom configuration that better suited their lifestyle.

Desert Zen

Shirley and Chuck’s taste lean toward contemporary when it comes to home interiors.  But, they didn’t want the harsh or bright colors often associated with contemporary styling.

We’ve developed our own little twist on contemporary interiors we call Desert Zen, which we did for Shirley and Chuck. Desert Zen combines the clean lines of contemporary with softer earth tones.

Gray was the primary color palette we used on this remodel and the Kaltenbach’s love it.

Kitchen

Besides changing some walls, and moving bath entrances, much of the work we helped them with related to updating their “dated” kitchen and bath.

In 1996, when the home was built, whitewashed cabinets were used almost exclusively in SaddleBrooke. We’ve replaced hundreds of these whitewashed cabinets in SaddleBrooke, for dozens of happy clients.

Special Touches In The Kitchen

Linear Tile – a subtle difference to compliment the design

42” Tall Upper Cabinets – for ample storage. Note the contrasting crown moulding and lighted display areas. Upper doors look like two doors, but are single panel.

Pass through opening – where the microwave and stove were, for a more open feel and look.

Ventilation added to Wine Cooler – so it will last longer. These small coolers have a tendency to overheat and burn out prematurely.

Bathroom

Their master bath needed some serious updating also. Notice the cultured marble counter/sinks and shower walls, faux brass shower doors, brass faucets and dated light fixture. All had to go.

We didn’t move any walls here, but we provided them with an updated and much more functional master bath.

Larger Shower

We actually enlarged the footprint of the shower to provide more room. The previous size was too cramped to allow the shower wand desired.

“Never would have thought of that”.

That was Shirley and Chuck’s reaction when we suggested moving the guest bath door so it didn’t open up directly into the dining room.

Who wants to be eating and people going in/out of the bathroom right in front of them? The Kaltenbach’s were very appreciative of this little suggestion.

Special Touches In The Bathroom

More Storage – By eliminating the vanity sitting area, we were able to give them more storage in the same square footage.

Quartz Counters – quartz is impervious to moisture, yet provides an upscale look

Taller & Deeper Cabinets – for less bending and more counter space

Under-mount Sinks – easy clean up and a clean look

Satin Nickel Finish – used throughout the master bath for a consistent and clean look.

His & Her Mirrors – versus the single large mirror, gave us a convenient spot for hand towels, which they didn’t have before.

Additional Photos

Interior Expressions was please to be part of the last Street of Dreams exhibit, which showcased our Interior Design, Project Management and Detailed Decorating capabilities to a vast local audience in Oro Valley, Tucson. We were the only Interior Design firm to design, build, decorate and furnish the entire home – inside and out.

Street of Dreams is a promotional event designed for developers, builders and interior designers to showcase their work within an upscale development. It provides potential clients and visitors the unique opportunity to tour incredible luxury show homes, reflecting all the latest trends in architecture, colors, interior finishes, and technologies. The convenient format, where all the homes are within easy walking distance on one street in a premier community, creates an educational and entertaining experience for visitors. The show homes featured in Street of Dreams events are built on either a speculative basis or as a custom home for a specific buyer.

Each of the interior design firms that participate in the event are drawn from the local area, and are pre-qualified by Street of Dreams, Inc. to ensure that they have the experience and resources to fully furnish and accessorize a show home. A typical Street of Dreams show home has over $250,000 worth of furniture and accessories on display, not including artwork and sometimes priceless antiques.

Project Management Services

Bella Palazzo FrontBella Palazzo was the Street of Dreams entrant of Interior Expressions Design Showroom. We not only completed the interior designer of the home, we also executed the role of project manager, including hiring and managing a quality builder. With our ability to define and communicate a clear vision for the end result, Interior Expressions demonstrated the ability to stay within budget and work to aggressive timelines. Despite the fact that this very detailed and luxurious home was the last entrant into the show, it was the first of all the Street of Dreams homes to be completed. And to top it all off, it garnered Best Interior Design, as judged by the 35,000+ attendees.

Designer Inspiration

Mediterranean Style Villa – Tucson Interior Design by Interior Expressions Betty’s vision was of a 17th-century “Old World” Mediterranean villa, but with the modern conveniences that today’s discriminating custom home buyer demands. We wanted continuity of colors and styles, and even materials. Client feedback influenced the design in a number of ways, resulting in a unique home designed by women for women.

Designed with Entertaining in Mind

The completed home is a 4,584 square-foot, single-story, four-bedroom traditional Tuscan style home that features both an informal dining area off the kitchen and a spectacular formal dining room. The home feels like a Tuscan home you’d find in the hills of Italy. A front entry of custom glass and wrought iron, reminiscent of a fine French or Italian villa, leads into a 22’ high vestibule. The 17’ high ceiling of the Great Room features hand-hewn wooden beams and one den includes “iron” scrollwork on the ceiling.

A massive cantera stone fireplace in the Great Room provides a palatial effect. As you enter the Great Room through the front foyer you look through a wall of mahogany windows with a spectacular view of the pool, spa, three water features and the stunning scenery of the majestic Catalina Mountains. The 16 ft. wide door to the covered patio opens fully, making a continuous entertainment area inside and out. The dining room boasts a unique pewter metal ceiling surrounded in light while the matching pewter island counter top in the kitchen is in keeping with common counter material used in the 17th century. The master bath features custom cabinetry with dual sinks, vanity/makeup area, Jacuzzi whirlpool tub flanked by twisted cantera columns and canopy. The split bedroom floor plan features two generous guest suites on the opposite end of the home from the master suite for ultimate privacy. Each guest suite has its own luxurious bathroom with skylight, walk-in closet and direct access to the covered patio.

And no description of Bella Palazzo is complete without mention of the large art sculpture near the radius bar, an 11’ by 11’ hand-carved dry wall mud carving of an olive tree and a Tuscan village. This three-dimensional wall sculpture was carved on-site, by the HGTV Modern Master artist, Tom Moberg, whom Betty worked with back in Iowa.

The Finishing Touches

Classic Italian Fabrics & Appointments. The fabrics in this home feature-rich vibrant colors found in the Mediterranean: smoky gold, burnt red, washed with blue-greens found in the sea. The dining room, den, master bedroom and master bath feature fabrics of nature…silks, linens, and cotton, with unique trims applied for unexpected pizzazz.

The great room features striped panels from floor to ceiling with bandings applied between the stripes, drawing your eye to the view, but not obstructing it. Roman shades in both dens, laundry, master bedroom and master bath allow soft folds of fabric to diffuse the light and provide privacy. The bedding in the master bedroom, as well as the guest suites, creates the feeling of sinful luxury that you’ll never want to leave.

Practical Planning

By combining home design skills with interior design expertise, Interior Expressions provides an important benefit to designing a functional yet luxurious living space. Before a floor plan is finalized, there needs to be a space planning phase for furniture, wall and floor outputs. This avoids major construction rework, saving much time, effort, and possible frustration.

Street of Dreams Floorplan. When defining the living space for the Bella Palazzo, our all-women design team designed a layout with women in mind. Here are some often-overlooked details that were included in this home:

Two separate dens that can be used for hobbies, or as a gym or study area
Equally sized guest rooms with access to their own amenities
Pantry situated close to the garage for easy unloading
Here at Interior Expressions we dedicate a lot of time understanding what a client does and doesn’t like, and how their home will be used. Part of this listening includes budget matters, and we always work within a client’s budget. That can be challenging, but most times, just some simple changes can solve a problem and give clients what they want. Our goal is that we exceed the expectations of even our most demanding client.

We specialize in helping clients build custom homes to ensure their dream is realized, while minimizing changes and helping the whole process be less stressful. Please call us for a no obligation consultation.

Kathy contacted us about replacing the kitchen in her Tucson retreat from the brutal northern Minnesota winters…the original kitchen from 1985.

Seeking Local Interior Design Expertise

Since Kathy didn’t know any contractors/suppliers in Tucson, she wanted to connect with someone reliable that could help her through the entire kitchen remodel process. She came to the right place and our designer Bryana did a wonderful job with helping Kathy.

Long-Distance Start

Kitchen-BeforeMuch of our communication with Kathy, especially early on, was via phone and email.
We arranged with Kathy, through a trusted friend of hers, to access her kitchen for measurements and pictures, so we could discuss with Kathy her vision.
Our ability to view Kathy’s kitchen space, even without her present, provided us the opportunity to “feel” the space as Kathy would soon.

Digital Design Renderings

3D-RenderingsThe 3-D digital renderings from Kathy’s professional interior designer, Bryana, enabled Kathy to “see” her new kitchen far before demo even started.
This “vision” of the final result which the 3-D digital renderings provided helped Kathy know that her kitchen transformation would be exactly what she envisioned.Providing such 3-D digital renderings is a now a standard part of our Kitchen or Bath Remodeling process.

Fine Details

Kitchen-AfterBry staggered the height of the cabinets on both sides of the kitchen to provide a customized, upscale look with minimal additional investment. The crown moulding provided height and a personalized look.

The new stainless steel pendant light above the sink provides more adequate task lighting. A new Hunter Douglas Honeycomb shade provides privacy, while still allowing light to filter through. Angled corner cabinets provide added storage. Textured antiqued glass ties in the kitchen design with the home’s overall feel. New above cabinet lighting and under cabinet lighting makes the room brighter and feel larger. Silestone quartz counters in a monochromatic grey color compliment the appliance, hardware and plumbing selections. A mitered edge on the counter hides the seam.

What Did the Client Think?

It was a great experience working with Interior Expressions and the reliable and competent subs they work with. It was a relief to have someone else handle all the details, since I didn’t know where to go in Tucson. I had never worked with an interior designer before, so I was happy to see my designer was open to my ideas, and didn’t shove her ideas on me. It surprised me how fast everything went in. I’m thrilled with my new kitchen.

Kathy Meyer, Tucson & Northern Minnesota

Sue and Chuck Fish live in Dallas, Texas and have a get-away home in Oro Valley. We have helped them furnish, decorate and remodel their Oro Valley home over the past seven years.  When they decided to buy a new semi-custom home in Dallas, they asked us to help them make it as beautiful, comfortable and inviting as their Oro Valley home.

Design Center

After selecting their model and the modifications they wanted, then came the daunting task of selecting the multitude of finishes.
If you’ve never been through this process before, it can seem overwhelming. Since we have helped many clients in SaddleBrooke, SaddleBrooke Ranch and other developments through the design center process, it was no problem for us.

 Common Frustrations

One of the most diningroomcommon frustrations buyers have with such a design center process is the limited options offered for things like flooring, cabinets and counters. This is especially frustrating if the buyers have ever built a custom home or done a major remodel, where they had practically unlimited choices.

The next most common frustration is NO CHANGES, after selections finalized. This is why it is important to have professional advice during the process. Our advice can help you avoid costly mistakes or having to live with the mistakes.

Insider Tip – It is OK to select a base option and then change out the item after construction. You can get what you want, often for a lower total cost. Lighting is a common item with which to do this.

For the Man Cave we had a custom bar and electronics cabinet made. We made the bar in a reverse ‘S’ shape to give it stability without being attached to the wall or floor. The 3-types of reclaimed wood in this unique electronics cabinet is stunning. The horizontal stripe effect of the electronics cabinet compliments the vertical stripe of the bar.

The 17 foot high ceiling in the great room, which featured a massive stone fireplace, required an equally massive piece of furniture to balance the room. We accomplished this with a custom entertainment system that is 12 feet wide by 11 feet tall. We mixed some of their existing furniture with new pieces to maintain the Mediterranean look and feel.

During the design center process, we helped the Fish’s select the cabinets, counters, range hood, backsplash and flooring to create a cozy kitchen with a cohesive look and feel.

We were so pleased with Betty and her team’s design and execution at our Oro Valley home, we reached out to her to help us with our new Dallas residence. We wanted to duplicate the feel of our primary residence with the same feel as we have when we are at our Arizona home. Betty helped us from start to finish and found ingenious ways to increase the storage in the house. Now we have a house that we love in Dallas with the help of Interior Expressions’ insightful design and execution. There is no challenge too small for the IE team and they go the extra mile to make sure their customer is completely satisfied.

Sue & Chuck Fish — Dallas, Texas

Lezley Barth wanted to update the tired look of their master bedroom bedding, while maintaining the formal/traditional style of the room.

She had a few specific requests for our Sr. Interior Designer, Janice Williams:

1. Bring black into the color palette while
2. Keeping the gold tones
3. Repurpose drapes & fabrics from her previous house
4. Keep the canopy bed

Janice added this wonderful floral wallpaper to the wall behind the master bed. It is an outstanding compliment to the myriad of colors in the bedding components. Unusual touches were added to make this bedding special, like the buttons on the dust ruffle. Hard to see, but the corner gussets on the comforter are on the outside, vs. the usual inside of the corner.Note the button detail on the comforter corners.

The sign of a satisfied customer is repeat business. So when we were ready to update our master bedroom, we didn’t hesitate to call IE.
They really listened to our requirements, and delivered exactly what we wanted. Their ability to design around our paint and crown moulding colors, along with re-purposing draperies from our previous home, rather than encouraging us to buy all new fabrics from IE, was appreciated. This offered significant savings and showed they were more interested in the results and a satisfied customer, than just a bigger sale.
The accent wallpaper was the PERFECT compliment to the existing colors. It definitely elevated the room to a “designer level.”
We would highly recommend Interior Expressions for your next project. On a Customer Satisfaction Scale of 1-10, we’d give Interior Expressions a “10” and think you will too!
Lezley Barth, Oro Valley

From Dull to Daring

Teri and Craig Colmar wanted to transform the master bedroom in their Kevin Howard designed contemporary home. When they first talked with our designer Becky Zimmerman, they were thinking wallpaper for the wall behind the bed.

Becky had recently seen a new product on the market, Faux Leather Wall Tile, which she thought would be perfect for this situation and their contemporary style. She designed around their black leather bed, wall-hung walnut nightstands, and pale grey coverlet. The new lamps and ceiling fan added to the contemporary finished look.

Faux Leather Wall Tile

The wall is done in a combination of padded and unpadded wall tiles. The tiles appear square, but aren’t. Becky figured out if she made all the tiles square, there would be a thin sliver of tiles needed in one or both corners. So, she had the tiles made slightly wider than tall. The tiles are attached to the wall with a strong double-sided adhesive tape. The wall mounted night-stands posed an additional challenge, as the wall tiles are different thicknesses behind the nightstands. Many people think they are looking at a high-end European hotel room when they view this bedroom.

This client wanted to give their master bathroom an updated look while keeping the existing cabinets and countertops. They also wanted it to look and feel like it was all designed all at one time.

To tone down the busy-ness of the red marble countertops, their designer Bryana, focused on the gray colors in the marble instead of the red. Using the grays as the new foundation for the design, Bryana replaced the floor tile with a large scale gray tile, set on a diagonal. The new paint colors also pull out all the different grays found in the countertops, and help accent the architectural detail around the shower.

Fresh New Look to Shower Makes the World of Difference

Replacing the dark 12×12 shower tile with a more modern vertical look accomplished what the homeowners wanted.

Bryana designed a new shower tile scheme that leveraged off the red marble counters, yet injected a more modern vertical concept. By taking the tile from floor to ceiling, it makes the shower look and feel larger.

Bryana also replaced their dated framed shower enclosure with a frameless enclosure for a clean sleek look.

Did you know we do Personalized Furniture?

Often a factory piece of furniture won’t give you the right look or feel for your space. When that happens, we love designing just the right piece for you. Here are a few examples of the hundreds of pieces of personalized furniture we have designed and built for our clients over the years.

Chiseled Look Bedroom Set

This 84” x 84” x 8” thick headboard, with its chiseled edges and stain, was designed to compliment the textural stone wall across from the bed. The chiseled look was extended to the night stands and the pop-up TV enclosure at the end of the bed. The pop-up TV enclosure was needed because the bedroom was so large.

The TV stand was designed so the TV could rotate 360, so the homeowner could view TV from the bed or chairs by the fireplace across the room.

Kitchen Nook Table for Dining or the 3 of Diamonds

This Kitchen Nook Table was designed to fit a specific space and provide the required functionality.

It is a 42” square table for every day dining. Then, with fold-up extensions to make it a 60” round table, it can host the bridge club.

Kitchen Nook Table for Dining

This upholstered bench was built so the five foot tall lady of the house could change out of walking shoes at the end of the day. It had to fit a specific space and compliment the other furniture.

Rather than just an ordinary bench, we designed it with “arms” to make it easier for her to get up and down.

Isn’t Personalized More Expensive?

Sometimes it is, but it doesn’t have to be. When you take into account freight costs, usually from North Carolina, plus receiving and inspection costs here, a locally built piece of furniture can be competitive with factory product, at least with us.

We Don’t Want You To Settle

Part of our job, we feel, is to do everything possible to not let you settle for something that isn’t right for your look and feel, just because of price. We don’t want you to have regrets down the road and say…”I wish we had….”.

Dancing Tuscan Cocktail Table

This client wanted a cocktail table to accommodate a sofa, love seat and two easy chairs. We were tasked with specific instructions… that it had to be “strong enough to dance on”. We met their demand.

Library Dilemma Solved

This client has an incredible library in her home. Her original idea was to put in a sofa to lounge on. When we found she wanted to host book reviews, we suggested four chairs with tables. We designed a set of unique tables to compliment the chairs selected.

These tables are designed to hold a drink while enjoying a great read. The finish on the tables matches the wood finish on the chairs.

Match Existing Furniture

This client moved into their new Tucson home with an existing dining room table and chairs.

They wanted “matching” chairs for their nook, which was close by. We had our woodworker and upholsterer match their existing table and chairs with “new” chairs that looked just like the “old”.