WHEN INTERIOR DESIGNER CHRISTINA ACKERMAN FIRST appeared on the scene of this 1950s build, it was undergoing a bit of an identity crisis. The owners, a young couple with a growing family, had conflicting styles and weren’t quite sure how to marry their vision into a cohesive whole. “They loved mid-century, but the farmhouse [aesthetic] was really taking off too,” explains Christina, adding that there was a healthy dose of traditional mixed in as well. The clients had purchased the property prior to having children and completed a renovation soon after, but the results felt disjointed and not quite as functional as they hoped, especially now that a baby and a toddler were a part of the equation. Through friends of friends (Christina gets almost all her clients this way—“referrals and word of mouth are my lifeblood”), the pair were connected with Christina and she quickly got to work. The home is nestled in the close-knit community of Arcadia in Scottsdale, Arizona, not far from where a little Christina once dreamt of becoming an interior designer. The neighborhood is characterized by ranch-style architecture, and because the clients knew this wouldn’t be their forever home (more on that later), resale value was kept top-of-mind throughout the design process. This meant that rustic hints of the home’s existing farmhouse feel could actually work well to connect the home’s façade to its interior. In its finished form, Christina calls this the “Arcadian charm.” We see nods to this in a metal bedframe, landscape photography, and the home’s light and airy palette. "We wanted to start fresh, so we did this off-white grey color which brought softness and depth,” shares Christina of the main floor paint shade. This was an
Wishbone chairs, a staple of mid-century design, get the California treatment with a dose of white paint and rattan seats. SPR ING 2022
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