After
Before
Fourteen-year-old Mason Zisette is a tennis, golf and surfing fanatic who has succeeded in earning his golf cart driver’s license at BIGHORN. Caroline, age 12, loves playing soccer and will often lead her sister Katherine, age 8, and brother Johnny, age 10, to The Marketplace on scooters for banana smoothies. Johnny and dad Matt can often be found on the tennis courts practicing their skills. The kids and their friends discovered the annual Snow Day and Fishing Derby last December and unanimously claim that it’s their favorite event of the year. They love the four sled runs, pancake breakfast, dance contests and the penultimate Snow Day attraction: competing to catch the heaviest fish in a classic sportsman’s tournament. In fact, one of the Zisette children won 3rd place in the Fishing Derby winning a cash-filled gift card. “We love everything about BIGHORN,” shares Amy Zisette. “Matt loves to hike at sunrise, the family loves to relax by the pool or have fun with all their friends and we can’t wait to spend more time in the desert and discover even more things to love.” Since the Zisettes were spending so much time enjoying BIGHORN, they decided to update, reinvest and remodel their home. They retained Bob Call and Kathy Blackbird of Blackbird Interiors to redefine and create a space that feels even more like their own. The creative team incorporated a soothing desert palette then added luxurious furnishings and wood accents. The renewed living room is highlighted by a sophisticated art piece, handsome staircase and rock waterfall feature; the family room offers a more inviting environment and the master has been expanded and incorporates a spa-inspired feeling. Today, the 5,700 sf home is so warm and welcoming that no one will ever want to leave. During their time at BIGHORN, the Zisette’s excitement and love for the Club continued to grow as it did among friends and family who like to visit. They realized that they needed more space, so with the help of BIGHORN Properties they searched for opportunities to build their ultimate desert residence. The family of six piled into the sales vehicle and together they viewed a variety of homesites. Each of the kids were encouraged to express 26
opinions about the lots, but it was Mason who described 872 Andreas Canyon as “heaven on earth.” Everyone agreed that nothing else compared and the decision was made. “I called my long-time friend and our Manhattan Beach property architect, Grant Kirkpatrick of KAA Design, to take a look at our BIGHORN homesite,” recalls Matt Zisette. “Grant designed our perfect beach home and he’s the only one I wanted to design our ultimate desert home.” “Matt and Amy are real devotees of great architecture,” says Kirkpatrick. “Their beach home is a nurturing family headquarters and they would like to create a similar feel at BIGHORN with a focus on indoor/outdoor entertaining which is perfect for their Andreas Canyon homesite.” Grant and the KAA Design team were inspired by the unique configuration of the property, the multiple views including the Canyons course and the privacy. But most of all, the property abuts a rocky hill that embodies the essence of BIGHORN – the flat desert meeting the beautiful and mysterious Santa Rosa Mountains. “We seek to literally engage this rocky hill with the architecture – the kind of engagement of natural and man-made environment that has a strong architectural legacy here in the desert,” states Kirkpatrick. “We are fortunate to be working throughout the Western United States,” Kirkpatrick adds. “But I find BIGHORN to be without a doubt one of the most inspiring platforms for our work.“ “We are looking forward to our third season at BIGHORN, designing and building our new home and enjoying everything the Coachella Valley has to offer,” shares Matt Zisette. “Life doesn’t get much better than this!” To find your dream home or homesite visit www.bighorngolf.com/ Bighorn-Properties.