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There has always been a fascination with an outdoor fire while camping or spending time outdoors.  In Arizona, this fascination has been brought home to the backyard.  At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC many of our custom homebuyers want full fireplaces or built-in fire pits incorporated in the landscape of their custom home.

Some may wonder why Arizonans adore the backyard fire, one reason is because an outdoor fire can be enjoyed through so many seasons, fall, winter and spring.  Having a New Year’s Eve party around the fire pit is a pleasure that we can enjoy in Arizona.  An outdoor fireplace isn’t only used for parties.  Sipping a morning cup of coffee by a courtyard fireplace is a luxury Arizonans can enjoy on a cool spring morning.  Having an after-dinner drink by a fire pit or fireplace in comfortable outdoor furniture is a great way to end a dinner party.

As much one may like a wood burning fire pit or fireplace, in some municipalities of the Phoenix metropolitan area, outdoor wood fire pits and fireplaces are no longer permitted for new construction.  This is due to air quality issues.   This is one reason we recommend gas fire pits or fireplaces.

At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, we assist our custom homebuyers with the planning and design of an outdoor fireplace at the very beginning of construction.  Especially important, if the fire pit or fireplace will be powered by natural gas or propane.  When natural gas or propane lines are being installed during construction of the house, it’s usually easier to extend or place a gas line at the exterior of the house near the intended fireplace location ahead of time.  This line can then be easily extended to the fire pit or fireplace upon its construction during the landscaping phase of the project.

1. The fire pit in photo 1 is located in the backyard of a custom home, also near the outdoor grill, so the gas line was easily routed here for the fire pit.
2. In photo 2 this fireplace is in the front courtyard of a Tuscan style home and is a great place to socialize with guests around the extended hearth of this fireplace.
3. Located in a transitional area of the back yard, this fire pit in photo 3 included built-in seating.  In the background of this photo is a Ramada that also included a full size fireplace which is highlighted by photo 4.  During parties, houseguests easily flow from one area of the yard to another emphasizing the well-planned and easy flowing layout of this backyard.

What is the Best Strategy for Choosing a Builder?

If you’re like most custom homebuyers you want experience, competence, service, trust, and open and honest communication.  Look for someone that you can trust.  Synonyms for trust include faith, confidence, and belief.  You want to have faith in your builder, feel confident that he can do the job on time and within budget, and believe he is the right contractor for you.  The relationship we have with our customers is long-term.  We have worked with customers for more than a year before they were ready to build their home. For another year while they worked on their plans, and then during the course of construction.

Whether you have your home site selected or not, or whether you have your house plans completed or not, the construction expert you hire to build your home is one of the most important decisions you will make during your custom home project.  Outlined below are several strategies that you may want to use.

1)      Referrals are one of the best strategies to use for finding your custom home builder, ask for referrals from your house designer if you are working with one, and/or family and friends that may have had a custom home constructed. 

2)      Visit projects that you like, if there is a construction sign on the project, call the builder.  Is the builder easy to reach?  Must you go through a handful of office staff to reach the builder or does he have a direct line?

3)      Interview builders and visit completed homes.  A finished project will reveal as much, if not more than a construction site.  Some people don’t know a good job from a bad one.  A finished home can show you the quality of finished details not just rough construction and how clean a jobsite may be.

4)      Interview builders and ask questions.  Do not ask for an estimate without a full set of house plans.  No reputable builder will give you a bid from a house plan drawn on a napkin or partial plans.  If the builder does, he is not likely the best choice.  We will explain why later in this section. 

At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC we are available for questions, feel free to contact us through our website or information outlined on our About page.

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As a custom home builder we have had the opportunity to install a wide variety of accent lighting in custom kitchens.  Depending on the desires of the customer, home design and home style there are many options for kitchen accent lighting.  The five most popular in our experience at Woodridge Custom Builders LLC has been 1) underneath upper kitchen cabinets, 2) above upper kitchen cabinets, 3) hanging light fixtures above kitchen work areas, 4) underneath lower kitchen cabinets, and 5) jam switches.

1)      Underneath the Upper Kitchen Cabinets:  Often popular in custom kitchens are accent lights hidden underneath the upper kitchen cabinets, these can be hidden by the upper cabinets so that only the light itself is seen reflecting onto the kitchen counter.  Fluorescent or halogen light fixtures are great for this area, with a different glow, tone, and warmth offered by each.  These lights are usually designed to be powered by one or two light switches in the kitchen so that all of the under cabinet lighting is lit with the power of one switch rather than turning each one on individually.

 2)      Above the Upper Kitchen Cabinets:  Becoming more popular in custom kitchens are outlets located above the upper kitchen cabinets.  Some customers opt to locate rope lighting above the kitchen counters, but others install lamps as shown in one of the photos below.  These outlets are usually electrically connected to the same under cabinet lighting so that these lights come on with the under counter lighting at the flip of a switch.  The warmth created by these lights is incredible especially in large custom kitchens with high ceilings. 

 3)      Hanging light fixtures above kitchen islands:  Above work or eating areas such as kitchen islands, hanging light fixtures offer good light for working as well as accent lighting.  The fixtures selected often match the home’s style and other lighting fixtures in the home.  Often customers will choose to hang one large light fixture above a kitchen island, others will hang two separate light fixtures, or multiple pendant types light fixtures.  This depends upon customer choice and the size of the island.  Photos below highlight both styles.

 4)      Under lower kitchen cabinets at floor level:  Another recent accent lighting feature that we have installed includes rope lighting at floor level below the lower kitchen cabinets, primarily around kitchen islands.  A photo below highlights this awesome feature.  A rope light installed at floor level is the ultimate ‘Oh wow’, when designing and planning a custom kitchen.  It is still relatively uncommon but adds a special element to the kitchen environment.  These light sare usually electrically connected toh a sensor on a wall mounted light switch.  This sensor recognizes movement in the kitchen and automatically switches on the light whenever someone enters the kitchen.  After a period of time without movement, the lights turn off.  These are great night-lights when headed to the kitchen for that late night snack.

5)      Pantry door-jam switches:  Many of our custom kitchens include a walk-in pantry for plenty of additional storage.  These pantries are usually large enough to require its own lighting, so we have frequently installed a light switch in the door jam of a pantry that allows the light to come on automatically when the door is opened, and shut off when the door is closed.  This is similar to a refrigerator door light switch, an awesome feature in a custom kitchen pantry.

Photos below highlight some of these features.  These lighting features are in addition to general overhead lighting installed in kitchens which can range from canned incandescent to canned halogen lighting.

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A master bath retreat is a dream come true for many homeowners.  More and more homeowners are recreating the luxurious atmosphere of a spa in their own home.  As custom home builders, at Woodridge Custom Builders LLC  large  bathtubs and Jacuzzi-type jets, large master showers with multiple sprays, large closets off the master bath area, full length three-way dressing mirrors, morning coffee bars, and sitting areas in the master bath area are just a few features incorporated into a master bath retreat.  When building a custom home, our customers benefit from advance planning.  Designing the master bath takes time, thought, and a lot of different ideas that eventually culminate into one terrific master retreat.

At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, our customers begin in many different ways when planning their master bath area.  Some of our customers take the floor plan as designed by their architect and plan around that.  Others collect photos from magazines or photos of other homes showing these to their architect or home designer.  The architect designs the master bath exactly how the customer wants it.  Planning these details are some of the most joyous experiences when building a custom home. 

The floor plan of a master bath retreat is an important initial step.  Decisions for sizing the bathtub, and if it will be a Jacuzzi-type, the shower, and whether to include shower doors or create a walk-in style, to construct dual vanities, or one vanity with dual sinks, are just several decisions jointly made between the architect and customers.  These decisions determine the layout of the master bath area.  The importance of the layout cannot be over emphasized, adding a built-in full-length three-way dressing mirror is not something that can be easily added later.  The space must be planned well in advance.  

Once the space is planned and designed, customers begin making selections for the master bath.  Selections for the plumbing fixtures, the number of sprays in the shower, mirrors, and the lighting fixtures are a few of the decisions that help a custom homebuyer achieve the master bath retreat of their dreams.  The tile selected for a master bath retreat is a very important decision determining the look and feel of a master bath retreat.  As one might expect, small white ceramic tiles used throughout a master bath area with chrome plumbing fixtures definitely offers a luxurious spa feeling.  Yet, a natural stone tub surround, shower, and floor with rustic oil-rubbed bronze plumbing fixtures, lends the feeling of an old Santa Fe resort.  Each decision made by custom homebuyers beginning with the floor plan, plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, and mirrors comes together creating the final look.

The total look and feel of master bath retreat is completed when the homeowners move in and accessorize.  Luxurious bath towels, curtains, candles, potted plants, potpourri’s, and other accessories pull the layout, amenities, and accessories together into a fabulous master bath retreat.   The photos below highlight master bath features of custom homes built by Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, offering ideas to anyone building a custom home and creating a master bath retreat.  These photos highlight oversized vanities including make-up areas, walk-in showers eliminating the need for shower doors, and luxurious oversized bathtubs with Jacuzzi-type jets, one accessorized by beaded curtains.

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At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, as custom home builders in Arizona our customers want flooring that reflects the architectural style of their home or their own unique style.   Unique to each homeowner’s taste and style, floors vary from saltillo tile, commercial grade ceramic tiles, and natural stone in various patterns. 

Photos below highlight some of the flooring styles selected in homes constructed by Woodridge Custom Builders LLC. 

1. Saltillo tile reflects the tastes of custom homebuyers staying true to their Spanish Colonial home style.  Saltillo tiles often vary in color from light orange-red to darker shades of red-brown.  This terra cotta Saltillo tile floor was laid in a two-piece pattern.
2. Natural unfinished or tumbled stone has a very classic look.  The home in photo 2 incorporated Mexican Noce tumbled travertine stone in Versailles pattern.  The Versailles pattern uses four stone sizes, these include 16”x24”, 16”x16”, 8”x16”, and 8”x8”.   The tile floor in this pattern works very well with the Tuscan features of this home, the wood beams, wrought iron lighting, interior stonewalls, and stone fireplace.
3. The tile used in the home of photo 3 is also Mexican Noce tumbled stone.  This tile floor included one tile size in a running pattern.  Quite large at 16”x24”, these rectangular stone pieces added an old European look to this home.
4. A very formal-looking polished, honed and smooth travertine tile is shown in photo 4.  One tile size was used for this pattern, the tiles were 24”x24” and created a sleek, elegant look for this traditional home.
5. The tile selected by the homeowners in photo 5 included commercial grade ceramic tiles.  These large pieces were 18”x18” inches and accented with black marble 3”x3” squares.  The baseboards installed here were also cut from the tile squares.

The products selected directly affect the cost of a tile floor.  Ceramic tile can be one of the most cost effective tile floor coverings.  Natural stone products are pricier.  Most products are sold by the square foot.  Installation is also priced per square foot.  Cost to install a tiled floor varies on the tile selected, the complexity of the pattern, and the complexity of the installation process itself.  A home with many curved walls affects installation costs. The number of corner posts at a kitchen island, kitchen cabinets, or bathroom vanities, and other cutouts required around cabinets affect the installation price. 

These five examples are just a few of the endless options for flooring.  At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, we will assist our custom home buyers to plan, design, find and install the tile flooring system they want in their custom home at the right price for their budget.  We have various suppliers with thousands of ceramic tile, natural stone, slate, and marble flooring options to select from so our customers get the look and style they desire.

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As a custom home builder in Arizona, at Woodridge Custom Builders LLC we must stay abreast of the housing market in the Phoenix area.  Data available through the local multiple listing services (MLS) through August 2009 reveals interesting housing market information.  Is the news good?  It still depends on whom you ask.  Here we have detailed information on closed sales, pending sales, active listings, types of homes sold, average days on the market, average sales price, list price to sales price ratio, cancellations and expired listings, and months of inventory.  Whether the news below is good or not depends upon if you’re a buyer, seller, banker, or in our case, custom home builders.  One conclusion for us is that the market looks better each month and nowhere as bad as it did 20 months ago. 

Comparing closed sales over a three-year period revealed that in August 2009, 7,028 homes sold compared to 4,847 in August of the previous year and only 3,838 in August of 2007.  Wow!  Does that indicate that this market has turned around?  One may think so.  July and August have seen a decrease in the number of homes sold since June when 8,235 homes closed.  On the seller’s side, this is due in part to the decreasing inventory – A GOOD THING.  On the buyer’s side, the market remains very competitive for homes prices less than $200,000.  The first-time homebuyer credit offered by the stimulus plan ends December 1, and this may prompt potential buyers to make decisions over the next few months before the benefit expires.

What homes are selling?  In August only 31% of the homes sold were regular sales while 51% were foreclosed homes and 18% were short sales.  Pending sales have dropped each month since this year’s high of 9,641 in June.  However, considering that the number of pending sales for August (7,179) is more than twice that in August of 2007 (3,527) indicates that things are happening here again.  Buyers most likely feel the competitive atmosphere, many buyers, especially for foreclosed homes are now offering more than list price to be the best and most competitive bidder.  The good news is that prices remain affordable with the average sales price around $176,000.

There is awesome news regarding the average days on the market where August saw an 11-day decrease.  This is the lowest since December 2006.  This number drops when there is more buyer interest and competition for properties.  This may lead to higher sales prices.  The list price to sales price ratio is another indicator of market activity.  In August the list price to sales price ratio was 96.9%, a slight in increase from the prior month.  This is another indicator that buyers must compete for great homes.  For bank owned homes, the selling price is often above list price. 

Monthly cancellations and expired listings have steadily dropped since June 2009, August experienced the lowest number of cancellations and expirations in the past three-year period.  This may mean that fewer sellers are pulling their homes off the market to wait for a better time. For buyers, it creates a competitive market and it means more homes are staying on the market with seller success. 

The number of active listings remained around 31,600 in the Phoenix-Maricopa County area for the month of August.  This is down from a three-year high of 60,600.  Nearly half as many homes are now out there for sale as were in November 2007. 

Over the same three-year period the months of inventory have dropped to 4 ½ months, up a bit from July at nearly 4 months, but nothing like the 22 ¾ months of inventory in January 2008.  Note: taking the number of active listings and dividing it by sales for the past month measure the active listings.   The great news here is that 5 or fewer months of inventory indicate a seller’s market. 

 At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC we pay attention to the housing market, as our potential customers have been concerned about knowing when the right time might be to move ahead with their custom home plans.  A couple of our customers that suspended their plans in 2008, are moving forward with their plans as this data indicates much positive activity. 

The information provided here is based on the MLS system and covers the Maricopa County area only, the data fluctuates daily.

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As Arizona custom home builders, it’s granite, granite, granite, at Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, our custom home buyers are choosing granite over any other countertop surface materials.  Granite is a natural stone, in the simplest terms, igneous rock with large crystals.  Granite ranges in color from white, gold, pink, green, blue, to gray and black.  These products are ideal for counter tops because, by nature its high durability and aesthetic qualities.

At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, our custom home buyers begin their granite selection working with a design and fabricating professional.  The colors and varieties of granite are numerous.  We recommend our customers begin looking at a color or shade of granite to focus their search.  Once a color range has been selected, the varieties in that color range are narrowed down even further.  For example, granite called Autumn Harmony, originating from India is a combination of browns, blacks and creams, yet has no veins.  Aurora Borealis, originating from Brazil, is also a combination of brown, blacks and cream, yet is venous.  Again, the colors and varieties are endless; and without the assistance of a professional the process can quickly become overwhelming. 

Granite, in a warehouse is usually stored in large four-by-eight foot slabs ¾” or 1 ¼”.  Once a custom home buyer has made the basic selections from the showroom or design professional’s samples, the actual selection process begins.  Custom home buyers walk through the granite supplier’s warehouse and hand pick the slabs they want for their home.  By then, the fabricator has calculated the number of slabs necessary to complete the job.  Once the customer selects the actual granite slabs, those slabs are removed from the warehouse and stored until needed by the fabricator.   

Granite can be priced fairly reasonably or be very expensive.  Granite is priced by grade, the lower grade costs less and usually has less veins.  It does not mean it is of lower quality. Usually the more venous a granite style is, the pricier it becomes.  The deep veins of the azures and blue shades have been particularly pricey for some of our customers.  The more veins a slab has, the more difficult for the counter top fabricator to match these veins for the most natural look. It takes more granite to complete a job because of matching the veins, so the costs increase for two reasons, 1) venous slabs are usually priced higher, and 2) it takes more granite slabs to complete the job.  

Since granite can be an expensive amenity in the custom home, at Woodridge Custom Builders LLC  we encourage our custom homebuyers to make reasonable grade selections.  We also recommend to our custom home buyers that they limit their granite selection to one variety.  Since granite is purchased in four-by-eight foot slabs, if a small bathroom vanity counter top is all that is required, we must still buy an entire slab. Choosing Baltic brown in the kitchen, Black Galaxy in one bathroom, and Rocky Ridge in another bathroom requires the purchase of three different slabs.  One slab is not likely enough for the kitchen, and one slab for a bathroom is likely too much granite. 

Granite is a great amenity for the custom home.  Its high durability, scratch, burn, and crack resistance, make it one of the best selections for counter surfaces.  Our custom home buyers usually enjoy making these selections, specifically walking the granite warehouse and handpicking the pieces for their homes.  The granite in the first photo contains more veins than other granite types.  This stunning kitchen coordinates flooring, cabinets, island cabinets, and granite colors.  The granite in the second photo has fewer veins than that in the first photo, matching very nicely the vertical pieces across the circular shaped tub decking. 

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As custom home builders in Arizona, our customers must make a large number of selections during the home construction process.  One such selection includes interior doors, door trim, baseboards, and door hardware. When making these selections there are many choices.  These choices include paint grade doors, or stain grade doors in a variety of woods and door styles.  Door hardware selected usually follows the style of the door and the style of the home whether it is traditional ranch, Spanish Colonial, or Tuscan.  With good selections, each complements the other when all of the features come together. Our customers usually make one of three choices for interior doors and trim; these include white doors and white trim, stain grade doors and trim, or stain grade doors without any trim.

 1)      Traditional White Doors and Trim:  When selecting interior doors, our customers will visit our supplier’s showroom to see first hand the variety of doors and styles to choose from.  First, our customers are asked if the interior doors are intended as paint grade or stain grade.  Paint grade doors are usually less expensive than wood doors intended for stain.  If paint grade doors are selected they will typically be finished in white paint along with door trim and large white baseboards. When our customers choose white doors and trim, we have often included white crown molding details or friezes in formal rooms of the home. White trim baseboards, interior doors and crown moldings are always classic, offering the feel and look of a very traditional American home and fit well in Arizona custom homes.  

2)      Stain Grade Doors and Trim:  Another popular option for interior doors are stained grade wood doors and trim.  These doors complement many home styles from traditional to Spanish Colonial.  Our customers have recently been selecting solid alder wood doors and have the doors and trim finished in darker wood stains that match the style of the home.  Baseboards are typically stained the same color.  In many of the Tuscan style homes we construct, wood beams in ceiling features are also stained to match.

3)      Stain Grade Doors without Trim:  Becoming very popular in Arizona are kerfed joints.  This is where wall edges  and corners are finished with a rounded drywall edge.  Because the joints at the door jams are finished and rounded with a smooth drywall edge as well, door trim is no longer necessary.  Many of our customers have selected this option in the past few years for several reasons.  One reason is because the door jams selected are usually paint grade allowing the door as the only stained feature, highlighting the door itself as a beautiful piece of work and the door doesn’t get lost in a stained frame.  Another reason our customers make this selection is that they can also skip the stain grade baseboards as well.  This further emphasizes the beauty of the wood doors throughout the house.  This is a perfect style for the ‘old-world’ look of a white Spanish Colonial with fully arched wood stained doors, black hardware and terra cotta tiled floors. 

Photos below highlight the various styles of these doors, trim and hardware, each complementing the home’s design and style of the homeowners.  Of course there are many combinations of these trim choices, white doors with or without trim, stained doors with or without trim in dozens of different combinations of door styles and stain colors.

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As Arizona custom home builders, at Woodridge Custom Builders LLC  the position of the house as it relates the sun has always been an important consideration.  In Arizona, north or south exposures have always been the most desirable direction for a house as it sits on a lot.  In some subdivisions, the lots with north or south exposures are offered at a premium to east or west facing lots.  In some well-planned subdivisions, nearly all of the vacant lots have north and south exposures.   There is usually a main vehicular artery in the neighborhood that prohibits this completely, but as many lots as possible are created with north or south exposures.  In other parts of the country this may not be as important as in Arizona.  Outlined below are five common strategies for minimizing western sun exposures in Arizona custom homes. 

1)  At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, we work with our customers and their architect or home designer with the placement of the house on the lot for the best sun exposure, minimizing the worst sun exposures.  Turning the layout of the house on the plan, perhaps just angling the house slightly can affect how the sun’s rays hit the house and any western exposures.  In one home, a bedroom’s bathroom and walk-in closet had been designed on the interior of a western exposed bedroom, but since these rooms are occupied much less of the time than the bedroom, these rooms were redesigned and placed on the western wall of the bedroom.

2)  Good window placement and window size are effective strategies to minimize the intense Arizona sun on a custom home.  Decreasing the number of windows with direct western exposure can greatly reduce the sun’s penetrating rays from entering the house.  This again is best done during the floor plan stage of a custom home.  In one case, where a large window was designed for direct western exposures, we asked the designer to move the window to the north wall of the secondary bedroom.    Where windows must be placed with western exposure, window sizes may be reduced but still meet egress requirements.  Awnings installed on western exposed windows can also reduce the impact of the sun’s rays from penetrating such rooms.

3)  Large eaves and overhangs can reduce the sun’s direct rays from penetrating through a home’s windows.  Depending on the architectural style of a custom home, some styles look great with large eaves or overhangs.  These large eaves act like an umbrella and minimize the sun’s direct hit on windows better than a house with smaller eaves or a home without eaves.  

4)  The placement of the home’s garage can also affect the home’s exposure to the sun.  A west facing garage is often designed this way to keep the livable areas of the home adjacent to the garage cooler.  In these cases, the garage gets the worst of the western sun exposure, but since garage areas are not cooled, this can serve as a buffer area to the rest of the house.

5)  Establishing heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning zones in a home may minimize the energy required to cool the home.  Grouping the western exposed rooms onto an exclusive air-conditioning unit or zone allows this unit or zone to keep only these rooms cool, yet preventing other interior rooms to get overly cold because they are on their own air-conditioning unit or zone.

There are many options when planning a custom home to minimize the intense Arizona sun from negatively impacting the house with unnecessary and uncomfortable heat.  As Arizona custom home builders, at Woodridge Custom Builders LLC .  The placement of the house on the lot, the number and size of western exposed windows, the size and depth of the home’s eaves, the garage placement, and using zoned heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units are several that, if well-planned can minimize the sun’s impact on a home and the associated energy bill for the home.  At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, we enjoy assisting our custom home buyers effectively plan their home to minimize western exposures and maximize the desirable north and south exposures adored by Arizona homeowners.

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There is something totally unique about Arizona custom homes.  The homes in Arizona are not like any other part of the country.  Some may say, “Santa Fe”.  Perhaps, though many of the homes in Santa Fe are true to the Mission or Territorial architectural styles.   As a custom home builder, California actually serves are a great inspiration source for our Arizona custom homes.  It isn’t the inspiration of new homes in northern San Diego, but sometimes it’s the old, but true classics found in San Marino and Pasadena. The old Spanish influenced homes with fully arched windows, white smooth stucco,  red terra cotta roofs and big heavily carved wood doors, this architecture still inspires Arizona custom homes.  Spanish Colonial makes one think of Billy Wilder’s film, Double Indemnity as Fred MacMurray approaches such a house to renew an insurance policy only to find a dangerous and sultry Barbara Stanwyck.  Watch the first minute or so of the clip to get the feel of the Spanish Colonial as Fred MacMurry approaches the front door.  .

The Spanish Colonial home design is what; at Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, is our term for the custom home that resembles the home highlighted in the movie clip.  This is probably not termed correctly to the professional designer or architect, but the custom homes we build today rarely seem true to one particular style.   

Elements of the Spanish colonial are often found in Arizona custom homes.  They include the architectural details of barrel and groined ceilings under the exterior covered loggias as well as inside the home.  Homes are built around a central courtyard that includes features such as a water fountains or an outdoor fireplace.  Exposed stonewalls are found within the house as well as exterior, and include stone entrances surrounding wrought iron gates.  Early Mexican haciendas had plain-whitewashed walls, but faded red terra cotta, eggshell blue and ocher yellows were often used as accent colors in ceramic-painted tiles introduced by Spanish monks, today’s homes mock the same smooth stucco and earthy colors.   Hand-hewn heavy wood doors studded with worn iron clavos are mixed with substantial hand carved wood furnishings. 

Photos below highlight features of a Spanish Colonial courtyard home that we constructed in Gilbert, Arizona.  The homeowners of this home stayed true to the style as many of the features illustrate here.  Smooth whitewashed stucco of this courtyard’s entrance gates and the custom-made wrought iron lanterns hang over the soft arched entrance.  Painted ceramic tiles bring in the terra cotta, blue and ocher yellow accent colors.   The close-up photo of the custom-made lantern emphasizes the detail attended to in this custom home.  A fire-breathing dragon holds the black iron lantern; appropriately the suspended lantern contains red glass.   The bathroom photo highlights the red terra cotta, blue and ocher yellow ceramic-painted sink true to the Spanish Colonial style.  A natural stone counter top in red terra cotta complements the colors of the sink.  True to the style are hand carved wood furnishings.  These hand carved columns were found treasure hunting by the owners of this custom home and were incorporated beautifully into the kitchen entrance.  The Saltillo tiles are also true to the Spanish Colonial style.