Having previously been involved in the home’s original design while with another firm, SPIRAL ARCHITECTS was invited back to create a second-story Paradise Valley home addition for this Provençal-inspired residence in Arizona. The primary design goal was to adapt the home for its new owners while ensuring the addition felt as though it had “always been there”—a seamless synthesis of European country elegance, desert siting, and continuity of craft.

This transformative renovation demanded precise attention to massing, authentic materials, and architectural proportions to match the original home’s established language. Key technical and design challenges included engineering a custom winding staircase to access the new upper level within Paradise Valley’s strict municipal height restrictions, as well as extending the Great Room’s massive stone chimney seamlessly upward through the new second-story volume without disrupting the existing fireplace draw or interior sightlines.

To maintain an authentic Provençal aesthetic, the expanded architectural envelope incorporates hand-cut stone masonry, integrally colored lime plaster, and two-piece clay barrel roof tiles. Deeply recessed multipane window assemblies and arched openings invite soft natural light deep into the newly created living areas, framing panoramic views of the Sonoran desert backdrop and mature landscape gardens.

Inside, the addition introduces soaring vaulted ceiling volumes anchored by hand-hewn structural timber beams, polished limestone flooring, and custom architectural joinery. Set gracefully against the desert environment, the finished design blends authentic European-inspired detailing with the relaxed elegance of Arizona living—an understated yet transformative renovation that preserves the home’s timeless character while significantly enhancing its daily livability.