How They Pulled It Off: A Mother-Daughter Duo Take on an Adobe Renovation Headfirst
Partner Story
Welcome to How They Pulled It Off, where we take a close look at one particularly challenging aspect of a home design and get the nitty-gritty details about how it became a reality.
When Michelle Hanson and her husband started searching for a second home in the mountains at the edge of Scottsdale, Arizona, they had their hearts set on a Sante Fe-style house, characterized by organic lines, an earth-toned palette, and thick adobe walls.
The home is typical of the Santa Fe style, with an earthy palette and organic form that blends into the surrounding landscape.
After their daughter Kelly moved to Arizona for school, the Hansons—originally from Minnesota—had grown fond of the outdoor lifestyle, finding it a welcome reprieve from the harsh winters they knew back home. They soon decided to look for a second home that could accommodate their tight-knit family, including all four children and their own growing families.
It was a tough market, so when Michelle saw a house that fit her brief in the town of Carefree—a place known for its preservation of the Sonoran Desert’s natural beauty and architecture—come up in the middle of the night, she emailed her realtor immediately and agreed on a price before ever actually visiting.
Carefree, Arizona, has strict rules about preserving native plants and maintaining the integrity of the Sonoran Desert. Before any construction, Michelle had to have the property surveyed and tagged by a specialist to ensure compliance—particularly for the Saguaro cacti that surround the property. "The preservation of the Sonoran native plants and cacti in this area was important to me," says Michelle. "We welcome all the local wildlife too—including tarantulas."
"Our first impression was that the structure needed some love but the style, location, and the city views at night were ideal," says Michelle’s daughter, Kelly. "You can always update the architecture, but those are the things you can’t change."
They soon discovered that the house had a compelling history. Built in 1985 as part of a new-build development, it was purchased by builder Marshall Erdman, a close collaborator of Frank Lloyd Wright and early champion of prefabrication. Erdman had significant influence over the final design, which is characterized by tall windows, clean lines, and an appreciation for the surrounding landscape—features Michelle was eager to respect and enhance as she updated the home that had fallen into neglect. "I didn’t know anything about the history of the house, but it had a really good flow," says Michelle. "When I saw the view I thought ‘It doesn’t get much better than this.’"
The large swaths of glass in the home reflect the work that Frank Lloyd Wright and Marshall Erdman were collaborating on in Wisconsin. "A lot of the other houses around here don’t have large windows," says Michelle. "The original windows were very simple, with a one-by-three trim. I wanted to capture that and to keep the round return in the windows."
"Even though the house was in rough shape when my parents bought it, you could tell the windows were placed very intentionally," says Kelly, who has a Masters in architecture, specializing in ecological design, and helped her mother through the renovation. "You really experience the way the light changes throughout the day, from sunrise to sunset."
Michelle grew up around the building industry. With her father and brother both general contractors, she’d been involved in several home builds and renovations over the years. So when she purchased the home, it felt natural to take on the restoration herself. "The day we were closing, my husband handed me this list: ‘20 reasons why we should not buy this house,’" Michelle says. "And I looked at him and I said, ‘oh, you can't do that now.’"
As well as replacing all the windows in the main home and its two casitas, they also added an office to the garage in a style sympathetic with the original design.
A wood-burning fireplace in the primary bedroom suite features a hearth that doubles as a bench. It’s flanked by two windows from the Marvin Modern collection that frame views over the pool to the desert landscape beyond, while a Marvin Modern Swinging door offers direct poolside access. The entire Marvin Modern collection features a high-quality bronze finish on both the interior and exterior.
The new addition echoes the features of the existing home, including lit alcoves for displaying ceramics and other objets d’art. The Kiva fireplace is inspired by the look of the original wood-burning fireplaces, but is powered by gas to meet modern regulatory standards.
Working with Topaz Remodelers and an architect friend who helped with permitting, Michelle handled all the design decisions herself. From the start, she was determined to maintain the home’s architectural integrity. This meant embracing the challenges of working within strict preservation guidelines designed to protect the region’s natural beauty. An even bigger challenge, however, was finding windows that would echo the style and elegance of the original but meet modern standards.
The tiles in the primary en suite are individually hand-painted, celebrating the same sense of craft as the organic architecture. "Nothing is perfect and that is what gives this kind of Santa Fe architecture such beauty," says Kelly. Michelle decided to replace the original single large picture window with three tall windows to create a better rhythm in the space.
After much research, Michelle chose Marvin Modern windows and doors to achieve the look she wanted. The slim profiles and expansive glass panels captured the views of the Sonoran Desert and let light in without overwhelming the house’s classic Adobe aesthetic. "The windows were very different from other Santa Fe-style houses—and I didn’t want to lose that look," she explains. "The only thing I could get that big with a very simple trim that had the same feel was the Marvin Modern line."
How they pulled it off: Bringing new life (and light) into a home in disrepair
- Respecting the original vision: Michelle wanted to maintain the simplicity and elegance of the original design. She paid special attention to keeping the tall windows and clean lines that characterized the house. Modern windows and doors were selected for their minimalist frames and ability to provide sweeping views without compromising Marshall Erdman’s original vision. Michelle and her husband also bought the lot below to ensure the views of the Sonoran Desert remain uncompromised.
The 10-foot-high Modern Swinging doors in the living area were ideal for emphasizing the height of the space. "The biggest reason we chose the Marvin Modern collection is because of the simplicity of its frame and its ability to maintain and enhance the transitions between inside and out," says Michelle. "I could use the tall 10-foot-high doors without a transom above and really open the space up."
- Finding the right partners: The renovation involved careful planning and multiple approvals from the HOA and the town of Carefree. While Michelle handled the design herself, she worked with an architect friend for drawings and permitting, and Topaz Remodelers to bring her vision to life. Her familiarity with Marvin products from a previous project she had worked on in Minnesota made her confident they would be "perfect" for this house.
- Keeping the curves: The original windows feature minimal frames and are set into curved plaster walls. The slim frame of the Modern collection allowed Michelle to preserve this character in both the original home and the addition. "You almost feel like you’re outside, especially at night," says Kelly. In the primary en suite, each hand-painted tile around the three windows is hand-cut into sections to retain the curved edge profile.
Homeowner Michelle and her daughter Kelly discussing the hand-painted tiles used in the primary en suite. Michelle cut up drawings of the tiles and glued them to brown paper to see what they would look like once set.
The Marvin Modern collection features a bronze finish on the interior and exterior, low-gloss aluminum interiors, along with black spacer bars and black sealant, to minimize visual distractions on the frame. Internal covers completely disguise fasteners and conceal rubber gaskets to create clean, crisp edges. In the primary en suite, this allowed the visual focus to remain firmly on the hand-painted tiles and the spectacular views. "We wanted the colors of the tile to be blending with the outside view, not necessarily a heavier frame," explains Michelle.
- Keep it consistent: Initially, Michelle planned to only put new windows in the addition and to replace the existing windows at a later date. When she realized that the timber trims were deteriorating throughout the original home, she decided to replace all the windows at once—a decision that helped to create a seamless flow between old and new. "The great thing about Marvin is that we could use the same collection for the refurb as we did for the addition—they just slotted in," says Michelle.
The living area features a domed ceiling with clerestory windows around its perimeter, flooding the interior with natural light. The elevated dining area features three tall windows that echo the positioning of these small windows to create an intentional rhythm of light when viewed from the living area.
- Don’t be afraid to go big: Michelle didn’t just preserve the original design intent but emphasized it, introducing 10-foot-tall doors in the living area, and opening up the connection between the kitchen and the patio with an enormous sliding pocket door. The result is an impressive connection between the interior and the surrounding landscape.
The pocket door from the kitchen to the patio is a Modern Multi-Slide door by Marvin. "We built out the wall and made the door as big as we could," says Michelle. "It’s as if the glass disappears when it is open. It’s very minimalist. You can walk in and out freely and use it year round."
- Install the right way: The enormous picture windows in the primary en suite and living area were installed using vacuum glass lifters for the perfect install, and a large wooden ramp was built for access. The installer for the windows was recommended by Marvin.
The pool area has been landscaped with native plants that extend the Sonoran Desert landscape. "I didn’t want to see concrete around the pool—I wanted to see a garden," says Michelle. "We tried to convert it back into the desert flora that is typical around here, and to make it beautiful and interesting."
The outdoor spaces are just as important as the interior, with a large entertaining zone complete with a firepit.
"When you approach the house, it's very minimalist and blends into the landscape," says Michelle. "Once you walk in and step down to the living area, you immediately encounter the huge glass windows and you're transported back into nature."
Project Credits:
Original Homeowner: Marshall Erdman
Builder: Topaz Remodelers
Windows and Doors: Marvin
Photography: Yoni Goldberg for Dwell Creative Services
Video: 22 Waves for Dwell Creative Services
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