Hi Folks!
I’m in a veritable whirlwind of activity lately! I just got into a new gallery in Oro Valley (Opening reception was Friday night) and today I went and checked out the “Street Of Dreams” luxury home tour …this one also in Oro Valley, at Stone Canyon. Some of the homes were extraordinary, a few were merely ok and one was downright unattractive. Taste is in the eye of the beholder for the most part, but when your home looks like a hotel lobby, I just can’t see myself entertaining people with cocktails by the pool. I kept expecting a concierge desk or porter around the corner. Plus the oversized furniture in a couple of these places was just bad. There were so many pillows on one sofa that a small child or two could get lost. And sofas so deep your legs didn't touch the ground.

But there were moments of greatness as well, such as the rooftop deck (with ramada so you didn’t roast) with bar, fireplace and plasma TV at home #6, the art collection and amazing textures at #4, and the beautiful guest casita at home #5. The homes that weren’t as well done (#2, #3, #1), were strangely enough, all over-the-top “Faux-Tuscany” villas- all fake columns & Italianate fountains and such. One of these stood out, home #7 and it was pretty well done despite that it wasn’t to my taste since it was a bit too ornate. But it was well designed spatially and had great use of a round motif such as curved wall, round windows, rotunda entries, etc. One of my favorite homes, #4 was great but the landscaping was a total afterthought: shrubs like calla lilies and heavenly bamboo (In Arizona?) plunked down between a few rocks. Awesome house, disappointing landscaping.
And there you are.
reb