 Best of Both Worlds
When designing, there’s that oh-so-fragile balance between making luxury comfortable, connecting ease with awe and transforming a house into a home.
This Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club home achieves the difficult task of bridging lavishness with livability. With warm colors, natural light and an open layout, this pricey pad welcomes guests with an impressive greeting and a friendly tone.
“The (home’s) beauty is only surpassed by its comfort,” says Jude Thurston, the home’s owner, who purchased the 6,200-square-foot estate after seeing it showcased during 2002’s Street of Dreams tour. “It feels like the most comfortable pajamas you could put on.”
Jude and her husband, Robert “Bud” Thurston, weren’t the only ones who sought relaxation in this palatial retreat. Ice and Poppy, the other full-time residents, needed a way to handle life’s everyday stresses, and these Doberman pinschers sought tranquility of the four-legged variety.
The 2,300-square-foot guesthouse was converted into an upscale, professionally designed “dog house” where the Thurstons’ pets and dog sitter can stay when the couple goes out of town. Though these pampered pooches enjoy curling up on their very own couches and drinking water in their custom kitchen featuring hand-painted tilework, nothing tops the great outdoors.
The Thurstons bought the lot next door and transformed the land into a private dog park. Overlooking the foothills of Superstition Mountain and Phoenix’s city lights, the dog park is a testament to the belief that everyone — and every creature — should get to enjoy the finer things in life. This puppy paradise features lush, grassy areas surrounded by crushed granite, low-level lighting, plenty of water and a charming gazebo — all camouflaged from the street by beautiful stucco walls showcasing lattice work and Mexican tiles.
“Any dog would die to live there, and any human would die to live there,” says the home’s interior designer, Beth McGehee, owner and principal of Studio B Scottsdale.
Compared to the main house, McGehee designed the guesthouse/dog house with more practical surfaces, such as concrete tile and durable fabrics, in order to withstand eight active paws.
McGehee wanted the canine castle to match the high-end look of the main house, the other casita and the lush exterior features.
The main home was designed by Jeff Berkus at BBG Architects, while McGehee, who was working with Lyle Anderson Homes at the time, handled interior design and construction. Berkus also designed the dog house, added later, with interiors by Studio B and construction by Montara Homes.
“This is a Spanish colonial home full of unique features,” she says.
Beyond luxury items such as a grass motorcourt, a fully loaded game room and a negative-edge pool, the home uses unique materials and artistic processes.
A copy of an old Portuguese painting was created on saltillo tiles, broken up, numbered and recreated with the help of a chart. The color-impregnated concrete tilework, a process not often used in Arizona, creates the look of a traditional Spanish rug laid across the loggia’s floor.
Making sure not to be outdone by their two dogs’ outdoor oasis, McGehee created backyard attractions to also entice the human guests, including the couple’s children and grandchildren. In addition to the negative-edge pool surrounded by natural stone, there’s an in-ground spa with three fountains just off the master bedroom. Every time the couple uses their private outdoor shower, they can soak in the calming power of being so close with nature.
This motif of connecting space to nature continues throughout the home. McGehee chose indigenous materials such as mesquite and reclaimed pine for many of the custom furniture pieces, and took advantage of the spectacular views by using large, outward-opening doors and camouflaging window treatments. 
“The views from every room are unobstructed and the windows have side panels and drop-down curtains,” says Jude Thurston. “It’s like you’re walking around outside.”
Whatever your age, temperament or even species, this home treats everyone to a friendly visit.
www.studiobscottsdale.com
www.bbgarchitects.com
www.andersonco.com
www.montaracustomhomes.com
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