Warm Industrial Style Meets Vintage in an Arizona Condo

Name: Jevon Lake
Location: Central Phoenix, Arizona
Size: 950 square feet
Years lived in: 5 years; Owned

When Jevon was hunting for a home five years ago, his agents brought him to a unit in a Mid-century condominium community. The unit was a slow moving project by a local designer, not yet on the market, and Jevon immediately fell in love with it. A deal was struck and Jevon lived in a hotel for about a month, while consulting on the finished design.

After moving in, Jevon’s first priority was to get himself on the HOA board. The community, last updated in the 90’s, was suffering from numerous foreclosures, unpaid HOA dues, and some renovations in the unfortunate style of American Southwest meets generic Tuscan village. Jevon desperately wanted to return the community to its original aesthetic, knowing it would help fill units and attract people who would help sustain the local restaurants and shops in the area.

They started with new pool furniture and stainless steel unit numbers. A destructive hail storm in 2009 allowed them to replace the satillo tile accents with brick. Jevon’s biggest push, to repaint the entire complex light gray with dark gray and red accents, was met with a ton of uncertainty. So he put together renderings to convince people, and finally got approval. After that, additional modern touches were easily agreed upon and approved. “We donated our old lights to a church in the neighborhood, and the plants we removed to a community that needed them. We’re happy where the community is right now… All the units are full.”

The changes to this unit are just as substantial. They exposed and then polished the concrete floors and sandblasted the brick walls. The galley kitchen was opened up to allow for the floating island and steel support beam. The countertop is Caesarstone. “It was a risk for me to choose orange, I’m thinking, ‘When I buy an orange shirt I like it for about a month, and then I put it away and I don’t ever wear it again. I knew it was going to be a risk, but now I really, really like it.” Jevon wanted a full size washer and dryer, so he decided to eat up a bit of the master bedroom to allow for it. The door leading outside from the kitchen is also new. “That really allowed me to take a small space, open it up, and bring the outdoors in.” Overall, Jevon has been instrumental in transforming a bland and shabby community into something the original designers would be proud of.

My Style: Eclectic modern with an organic appreciation for all things vintage.

Inspiration: My travels… and my mom, of course. (She was an interior designer.)

Favorite Element: Mixing of two different eras of Modern — 50’s and today. Love to see the warm woods soften up the hard modern lines of today.

Biggest Challenge: Keeping clutter out of sight. Then when I stash the clutter… finding it again. Ha!

What Friends Say: Where do you possibly find all this stuff?!

Biggest Embarrassment: Closet arrangement — I’m possibly a bit OCD with colors.

Proudest DIY: Designing the outdoor living space, as well as the recent purchase of a full size digital washer/dryer and the install. It fit by just a few inches. Also, quarterbacking the HOA board to go back to modern of the course of a long five years. 🙂

Biggest Indulgence: The floating island/table with built-in cooktop.

Best Advice: Don’t rush design projects or furniture/art purchases just to “get it done.” You will find yourself going back and redoing later. You will know when you find the right piece or project!

Dream Sources: All my travels and reading different design mags/media.

• Yellow sofa – Original 70’s vintage from southern CA
• Walnut credenza with pull out table – Stanley Young for Glenn of California
• Credenza – Danish teak with tambor doors
• Club chairs – Arne Norell Brazilian Rosewood Safari chairs
• Electric fireplace – Malm Preway

• Vintage Percival Lafer Brazilian leather sofa
• Vintage 60’s Danish teak desk

• Vintage walnut diamond panel dresser found in 2008
• Found matching headboard three years later!
• Siqurd Resell Falcon black leather original Falcon sling chair – Denmark

Thanks, Jevon!

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*Tour previously published