Paradise Valley, AZ March 2023

The Home Issue

HOME + DESIGN

UNIQUE TEXTILES

BACKYARD BLISS HOME SERVICES IN THE KITCHEN WITH A RENOWNED ARCHITECT

inspiring living

Home Sweet Home

To me, home is family. It’s comfort. It’s where I can relax, think, and rest. It’s the space that I created for myself and family, so it is an expression of both who I am and my love.

What does your home mean to you?

If you’re looking for some inspiration for turning your house into a home, check out our stories throughout the issue, from unique textiles to backyard options. Plus, read the story about popular architect Mark Candelaria, who not only designs homes but also cooks for his clients in them!

As you flip through the pages of this issue, we hope you’ll feel encouraged and connected to the people around you—in your city, neighborhood, and, most of all, your home.

Thank you for letting us be part of it.

Yours,

MICHELLE GLICKSMAN, EDITOR @PARADISEVALLEYCITYLIFESTYLE

March 2023

PUBLISHER

Tammy Fellows | tammy.fellows@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR

Michelle Glicksman

michelle.glicksman@citylifestyle.com

ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR

Faith Morello | faith.morello@citylifestyle.com

SALES SUPPORT DIRECTOR

Gina Ziehmer | gina.ziehmer@citylifestyle.com

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Jen David | jen.david@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Alison Bailin Batz, Michelle Talsma Everson, Georgann Yara

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophia DuBois

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer

ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

AD DESIGNER Whitney Lockhart

LAYOUT DESIGNER Eva Tucker

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1: Robert E. Carlucci, Austin Potenza, and Robert Allegrini at the National Italian American Foundation Regional Arizona Gala. 2: Howard and Ellen Katz at Phoenix Art Museum’s The pARTy. 3: Paul and Susan Stander at JFCS’s Brighter Tomorrow Luncheon, held at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Resort & Spa. 4: Rachel Rabinovich, Rich Kasper, and Gail Baer at JFCS’s Brighter Tomorrow Luncheon. 5: Chef Joey Maggiore and his wife, Cristina, at the National Italian American Foundation Regional Arizona Gala. 6: Libby and Joel Cohen at Phoenix Art Museum’s The pARTy. 7: Bill Pope and Sally OdeGard at Phoenix Art Museum’s The pARTy.

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HAUTE MEDIA

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Protection for your pride and joy

A round-up of exciting news from local businesses.

JoEllen James, Agent 4706 N 44th St Phoenix, AZ 85018 Bus: 602-956-1110

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Yulissa Acosta Named Chef de Cuisine at Mountain Shadows

Mountain Shadows recently appointed Yulissa Acosta as chef de cuisine of the resort’s signature restaurant, Hearth ’61. She has worked at Bink’s Midtown and Mirabel Golf Club, and has been on the Hearth ’61 scene from the restaurant's launch. In her new role, Acosta oversees menu creation and continued culinary development. One dish she recently debuted is the Two Wash Ranch Chicken Roulade with barley risotto, romanesco, and natural jus. MountainShadows.com

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Photography by Hearth ’61

JoEllen James Ins Fin Svcs Inc

Phoenix Zoo Debuts Art Gallery

The Arizona Center for Nature Conservation (ACNC)/Phoenix Zoo recently debut the Wild Side Gallery. The gallery honors a Mid-Century modern style and showcases artwork in over 2,400 square feet of climate-controlled space. The new space will also serve as the zoo’s first dedicated venue for the rotating exhibits of Art on the Wild Side, a program focused on inspiration, celebration, and conservation through art. PhoenixZoo.org

Silver Sky Development Announces the New Custom-Home Enclave Silver Sky

Silver Sky Development recently announced a new custom home enclave called Silver Sky in Paradise Valley. Named in honor of the incredibly colorful sunsets viewed from its Mummy Mountain site, Silver Sky is a rare, pristine parcel, home to 12 sprawling, ultra-custom estate homes. Nestled against Mummy Mountain with views of the McDowells and Four Peaks, the land was once owned by the legendary Cheney “ranch” family. It has sat untouched for more than 85 years. SilverSkyPV.com

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letter from the PUBLISHER

Ahhh ... springtime!

March 20th marks the first day of spring, and let me say … it’s my FAVORITE time of year! Perfect temperatures, sunshine, fresh air, colorful flowers, birds chirping, bees buzzing, endless beauty around us, and all of that puts us in grateful mindsets of where we get to call home!

Arizona's springtime weather is one of the best in the world. How lucky are we to live where we do? This is the time to cease each day, get out there, and enjoy the amazing things our home has to offer. There are endless activities, events like spring training, hiking, biking, running, and walking trails to explore. Of course, one thing we are not short of is the natural beauty around us.

IDEAS:

• Create a picnic at your favorite park with your best friend.

• Hike a trail you haven’t tried yet.

• Bike down the Scottsdale Greenbelt.

• Try one of the many new restaurants and sit on a comfy patio while eating tasty bites.

• Attend a spring training game.

• Go to one of our nearby lakes and enjoy the water.

• Take a day trip to beautiful Sedona, Prescott, or Flagstaff.

• Go on a wine tour in one of our Arizona wineries.

Consider this the time to experience rebirth, a fresh start, gratitude, and love for this amazing place we live. Fun and adventure abound!

Be grateful, be kind, and live well,

Tammy Fellows Owner/Publisher

A Decade of Delicious

Kirsten Steele’s Journey From Devotee to the Driving Force Behind the Success of Chestnut

In the early 2010s, Illinois transplant Kirsten Steele was working in medical administration.

“The clear next step was hospitality,” jokes Steele, who still cannot believe her transition from the office to the kitchen was 10 years ago.

And it all happened on a whim.

“My sister Marissa and I loved the original Chestnut, which some folks may remember from its prior location where Buck & Rider Arcadia sits today,” says Steele. “In 2013, when we found out the owner was planning to close the concept, something just told us to take a chance and offer to buy it.”

That leap of faith changed the course of Steele’s life forever. While she initially worked with her sister and continued on in her administrative career, Steele soon became Chestnut’s sole owner and a fulltime chef and restauranter.

“While I had no formal training, I did have the love of food and desire to learn,” says Steele. “I also grew up in an Asian household, where my mom and grandmother were accomplished home chefs.”

Steele first reopened Chestnut across the street from the original location, slowly developing her own menus while keeping some of the longtime customers’ favorites. Then in 2020, she relocated to a 3,000-square-foot space at 44th Street and Osborn.

Today, as she celebrates a decade in the restaurant business and overcoming the challenges of COVID-19 and its associated obstacles, Steele has things humming at Chestnut, both in the restaurant and via its in-house events and Valleywide catering division.

“We focus on mouthwatering breakfasts, as well as ample fresh salads, bowls, and sandwiches, plus we have a popular bar menu that includes elevated takes on gastropub favorites—think bacon popcorn, leek-topped flatbread, and flash-fried fried Brussels topped with crispy prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano—as well as ever-changing seasonal cocktails,” says Steele. “And, of course, we still have ample baked goods as Chestnut has always had.”

ARTICLE BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOPHIA DUBOIS

Downtown Phoenix Icon Offers Multi-Sensory

Entertainment Experience Thanks to Creative Couple

DUCE IS WILD

ARTICLE BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOPHIA DUBOIS

In the 1920s, the corner of Lincoln and Central Avenue in Downtown Phoenix was the place to be.

The area was nicknamed “The Deuce,” both because it was the epicenter of the city’s produce industry, as well as ground zero for gambling, speakeasies, and other not-so-clean fun during the height of Prohibition.

Today, nearly 100 years later, those iconic crossroads are still the place to be, thanks to Steve and Andi Rosenstein.

The entrepreneurial couple first met in Chicago in 1986 when both were a few years out of college.

“I worked for a company selling surf gear, and Andi walked into my life, both literally and metaphorically, when she marched into my office one day and presented me with her resume,” says Rosenstein, who immediately knew that she was “the one.”

The couple went on to live together for several years before marrying in 1992, during which time they co-founded Fitigues, a clothing line with gym-chic casual looks.

“We were bucking what was customary at the time, choosing to trend-set versus be trendy, and it caught on,” says Steve. “Within a year of our launch, which was in 1988, we

were in Nordstrom, Saks, Bergdorf Goodman’s, and more, leading us to open a stand-alone store in Chicago in 1989.”

By 2001, the couple had 30 stores nationwide—but they were ready for a change.

“At the time, our children were young, so we sold our home and distribution center and moved to Scottsdale for a change of scenery,” says Andi. “We would ultimately continue with the brand for another six years from the Valley.”

Out of the business by 2007, the Rosensteins vowed to take some time off. That lasted 24 hours.

“The day after we left Fitigues, a real estate broker we never met sent a photo of a 14,000-square-foot warehouse in Downtown Phoenix,” says Steve. “I thought it might be a good investment property, but Andi had bigger ideas.”

She envisioned it as a bar, lounge, and entertainment pavilion the likes that Phoenix had never seen. Steve eventually saw the vision, especially after the couple came into ownership of a moveable bar installation that was once part of the Black Orchid bar in Chicago.

“My stepdad was a musician. When we found this bar, I sent a photo of it to my mom, and she got goosebumps,” says Andi. “Turns out he played at the Black Orchid on Saturday nights. We knew it was meant to be.”

Armed with a bar, the couple next chose a name.

“The Duce is spelled without the ‘e’ on purpose,” says Steve. “It is a nod to the produce market and homage to the notorious neighborhood during Prohibition.”

Over the next three years, the couple painstakingly sourced every element of what would become The Duce before opening it in 2010, despite the recession.

In its early years, it featured an eclectic array of bars, stages, a vintage soda fountain, and—thanks to a push by son Jake, who today leads event sales for the business—a restaurant featuring Andi’s best family recipes.

Over the years, it would grow to be a playground for all the senses at the highest level.

Today, there are three separate stages and multiple bars, as well as a boxing ring, a 1965 Airstream trailer that doubles as kitchen space; a dance floor; a massive patio; a retro television playing classic films and Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (which they were featured on in 2013); and even citrus trees under a refurbished skylight.

The locale is also on the National Register of Historic Places.

“We are home to families and couples, to hipsters and boomers, to people of all walks of life,” says Steve. “We are Phoenix at its essence, which to us is a melting pot of possibilities.” TheDucePhx.com

An Artist’s Touch

Caroline Cecil Textiles Adds Original Art to Fabrics, Wallpaper, and Pillows for Truly Customized Home Decor

ARTICLE BY MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON

With a clean, modern, versatile, and approachable aesthetic, Caroline Cecil Textiles offers interior designers and home decor enthusiasts unique handmade fabrics, wallpaper, and pillows.

Headquartered here in the Valley, with customers across the globe, Caroline Cecil Textiles’ collections begin as the original artwork of owner and founder Caroline Cecil, and are then translated into quality, eco-friendly, one-of-a-kind home decor.

“Original artwork is at the center of everything we do,” Cecil says. “People love products when they know who is behind them. We believe in a careful blend of the artisanal and the modern, the timeless and the fashionable—that the most stylish homes embrace the personality and little imperfections of handmade designs.”

With more than 15 years of experience as a creative and textile designer, Cecil says that her home decor products feature the highest-quality linens from

Belgium that are then printed by small local business partners. Her main customer base are those in the interior design industry, but anyone is welcome to shop her designs.

One of the latest offerings from Caroline Cecil Textiles is the new DRIFT collection, which features fabric and pillows in a range of rich, easy-to-layer earth tones, and the unveiling of four new prints.

“Throughout the design process, I spent a lot of time contemplating how most of my artwork is inspired by an emotional state, rather than a place or an object,” Cecil explains. “The creative process for me is calming and centering, and that experience lives on after I finish painting, whenever I see the piece again. I wanted to create a collection that would provide that same experience in other people’s homes, and the result is DRIFT.”

Next up on Cecil’s radar is creating a collection of grasscloth wallpaper, she says.

“My goal is to make designs that are calming, centering, not too busy, and can be mixed and matched,” she says. “I hope to create classic looks that can live in homes for years to come.”

CarolineCecilTextiles.com

Caroline Cecil

Caroline Cecil has been bringing an artful touch home since 2014. Her first proprietary textile collection began with her grandmother’s brushes and a pot of India Ink. That hand-painted piece served as the initial inspiration for her entire collection.

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THE SECRET LIFE OF AN ARCHITECT

Renowned Architect Mark Candelaria Turned His Passion for Gourmet Cooking Into a Popular Perk for Clients and Nonprofits

ARTICLE BY GEORGANN YARA | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

By day, Mark Candelaria designs the Valley’s most elegant and luxurious homes.

But in the evening, under the cover of sunset and within the confines of the finest kitchens—most of them done by him and his team—the longtime acclaimed architect dons a different hat.

A chef’s hat.

For more than 20 years, Candelaria has enjoyed a side gig cooking gourmet meals for clients in the homes he designed. It’s been a kind of housewarming gift that’s customized around the time-honored tradition of breaking bread.

“We joke that there’s a clause in the contract. When the house is all done, I get to cook you a beautiful dinner in the beautiful kitchen I designed for you,” Candelaria says.

Many take him up on that offer, sometimes 10 or 15 years later, but they all eventually do. Some clients save that experience for a special occasion, like a birthday or wedding anniversary.

“I spend two or three years designing a home, but I can cook a dinner in two or three hours and get the same feeling of satisfaction,” he says.

He’s perfected the craft so that he can create stellar dinners for every diet preference. This includes paella, his marquee dish he learned while in Spain from a friend’s mother in 1992. Candelaria has adapted the recipe over time, with chicken, seafood, and chorizo. He also does vegetarian and vegan versions that are just as hearty and satisfying.

Candelaria’s in-home dinners have gained such a reputation that he’s donated them as auction items for fundraisers. They have also become a family affair, with his daughter Tiffany accompanying him as his sous chef, server, and photographer.

He’s done a paella dinner for as many as 300 people for a fundraiser. A paella dinner for eight went for $8,000 as an auction item in a Habitat for Humanity fundraiser, and two dinners were just auctioned for $17,000 this past month for Gigi’s Playhouse.

Candelaria even does paella on job sites, with a large, portable, propane-powered pan. And, he’s got a full kitchen in the office, where he has hosted internal dinners and client team dinners.

It’s clear that food means much more than sustenance. It’s an invaluable connector among friends, colleagues, and even strangers.

“It’s a way to build and create great relationships,” he says. “I love it when everyone comes over and we cook together.”

Food was always an integral part of Candelaria’s life. His mother is an amazing cook, and growing up in Colorado, he made pancakes for breakfast for the family. This was his first taste of the power of good eats.

“I love food, but I love how it made everybody happy,” he recalls of those memories.

Waiter jobs throughout college exposed him to great chefs. His passion for at-home cooking grew along with being a self-described Food Network junkie.

But his hobby was catapulted to a new level on a tour of Italy, a year after Candelaria started his firm in 1999.

A client wanted a Tuscan house. Neither had been to Tuscany, so they booked a trip for real-life research. A cooking class on that tour was life-changing.

“I learned techniques, but also how cooking and being around food is an experience that binds everybody together,” he says.

This trip was so impactful that it has become tradition.

Candelaria has done 27 tours with clients, usually 14-16 people, to places such as Spain, France, and Oregon wine country. The destinations combine architecture, food, and wine, and a cooking class is part of every adventure.

“Somehow, the food and wine always take the focus,” Candelaria says with a chuckle.

But not all guests are clients. The reputation of those trips has reached friends of friends, and even those who have made the flight from Australia to meet them in Europe. These ventures have created long-lasting friendships among people who would have never otherwise met.

“It’s an example of unique ways to reach people about your business that are not necessarily tied to architecture,” he says.

But Candelaria has found a way to combine his passions and reach a larger audience with “Mark Candelaria: Homes,” his new hardcover book that features 278 stunning pages flaunting 12 of his favorite houses he’s done over the last decade. Each home is accompanied by an original recipe Candelaria carefully selected to pair with that project. It’s a coffee table, design, and cookbook all in one.

He talks about doing a dinner at a client’s house with the design team responsible for it. They designed the Paradise Valley home 10 years ago. The homeowner sold it last year, and Candelaria organized a farewell dinner there with everyone who was involved with designing the home.

“It was so much fun. We were thinking that’s the last time we’d all be together,” Candelaria says. After a pause he continues, “I’m getting choked up talking about it.”

For everyday, less formal dining evenings, Candelaria comes home to his wife Isabel, who is also an avid home cook. Between the two Traeger grills and nine Instant Pots, a comforting meal is never far away.

“Tonight, we’ll get home, start cooking, talk about our day, have a glass of wine and good Bolognese, and hang out,” he says on a Thursday morning, thinking about that evening’s dinner.

While cooking may feel like a dreaded chore for some, it actually yields a completely opposite response from Candelaria.

“I can work all day long and have five or six people over for dinner that night. I start out exhausted, but by the time I’ve finished making dinner, I’m energized, and it rejuvenates me,” he says. “It’s a meditative thing. I’m very focused when I cook, and it takes my mind off projects. And, you’re creating memories with others around food.”  CandelariaDesign.com

“I LOVE IT WHEN EVERYONE COMES OVER AND WE COOK TOGETHER.”

Backyard Bliss

FROM ARTIFICIAL TURF TO AN ENTIRE BACKYARD DESIGN AND INSTALL, TURF MONSTERS CREATES STUNNING SPACES

ARTICLE BY MICHELLE GLICKSMAN

It was 2016, and Mike Freeland had a goal—he wanted to provide high-quality landscaping created with the highest-quality materials and installation, but that was still competitively priced.

Fast-forward to 2023, and Freeland has far exceeded his goals for both himself and his clients.

Turf Monsters—the company that he launched that year—is a popular, in-demand one-stop shop for all landscaping needs, including pavers and patios, putting greens, fire pits and grills, pergolas, landscape lighting, trees and plants, and of course, artificial turf, which is available at wholesale pricing.

“We’re here for the customer,” Freeland says of his full-service landscaping business model.

“We genuinely care as a company. Our goal is to take someone’s space and make it useable, taking it from something they don’t even want to see to something they want to spend time in.”

Providing an excellent customer experience includes treating customers right and offering top-quality products they can depend on. Turf Monsters installs high-quality, American-made Tiger Turf or Everlast, which offers long-term durability and, with its mixture of olive green and field turf fibers, looks and feels similar to living grass.

The TigerCool option is extremely pet-friendly for those with pets, and won’t tear or damage with digging, chewing, or clawing. It’s scientifically proven to stay cooler, is non-toxic, allergen-free, and easy to rinse.

And while customers may choose to hose down a pet area if they want, the overall water savings of having artificial turf—whether standard turf or petfriendly turf—is significant, making it a perfect ecofriendly(nottomentionmaintenance-free!)option.

No matter what product is installed, Turf Monstersprovidesa10-yearwarrantyoneverything it sells, guaranteeing that nothing will fade or have any issues.

Of his company and success, Freeland says, “I love meeting new people, the relationships that are built, making people happy, doing what we say we’re going to do, and being a good contractor. That’s what we pride ourselves on and what we do.”

Adding another way to serve his customers, in 2021, Freeland opened a wholesale warehouse and showroom.

“We did that because we can buy in bulk,” he explains, “and so we can store turf in large amounts, and then we can pass those savings on to our customers. People can then come to our showroom and see what we have.”

Regarding the rest of the backyard landscaping, Turf Monsters’ one-stop shop also includes custom options for everything from the grills to pergolas, and everything in between.

“We just genuinely care about our customers and want to ensure a positive experience. And pricewise,forwhatweoffer,Idon’tthinkanyonecanbeat us in town in regard to our quality and installation.”

IF YOU ARE READING THIS... SO IS YOUR BEST CLIENT.

2 OUT OF 3 of our readers regularly purchase from our ads.

events

A curated selection of the most intriguing upcoming events in our area.

MARCH 11TH

AAHA! Art. Food. Wine

JW MARRIOTT SCOTTSDALE

CAMELBACK INN RESORT & SPA | 6:00 PM

Hospice of the Valley’s signature fundraising event features a seated dinner, dancing, and silent and live auctions of fine art, unique wines, dining packages, exceptional trips, and one-of-akind experiences. Proceeds support the charity's care programs for patients and families. HOV.org/aaha

MARCH 22ND

Legacy Luncheon

ARIZONA BILTMORE | 12:00 PM

The annual Legacy Luncheon, presented by the Ladies of the Court, honors the life and work of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court. This year’s featured speaker is Dr. Anthea Hartig, the first woman to serve as director of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History. OConnorInstitute.org

APRIL 1ST

Gateway Celebrity Fight Night

JW MARRIOTT DESERT RIDGE

RESORT & SPA

Arizona’s premier celebrity red carpet charity event, the Gateway for Cancer Research gala is a star-studded entertainment extravaganza with a performance lineup created exclusively by Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster. A black-tie affair that unites celebrities, artists, actors, and individuals from all walks of life in the fight against cancer, it benefits early-phase clinical cancer research. CelebrityFightNight.org

Want to be featured?

Get in touch by heading over to our landing page to connect: CityLifestyle.com/ParadiseValley

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