Luxury Home Quarterly Spring 2012: "Full attention to individualized design"

No. 15

SPRING 2012

$12.99

Pacific Palace Kari Whitman rolls out the red carpet for this regal L.A. pad trÈs chic Brian McCarthy’s 18th century French revival / HOMETOWN HERO Wolford Built Homes enlivens locale

builders

construction firms specializing in peerless residences

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Belcanto Residence

Jenson Construction Utah-based company gives full attention to individualized design

by Amy Howell Hirt Every work of art needs an inspiration, and for custom luxury home builder Dave Jenson, clients are both patron and muse.

“Every project takes on a life of its own,” says Jenson, who opened his business more than 20 years ago.

Jenson Construction, based in St. George, Utah, only accepts one or two projects a year, allowing him to become fully immersed in every detail of the design.

When Jenson decided to participate for the second time in the St. George Area Parade of Homes in 2011, he had no shortage of inspiration, building for his good friend Lanny Smith, on a lot that gazes over the beauty of Pine Valley Mountain, Zion National Park and the city lights of St. George.

While the tastes of his Utah clients predominantly lean toward Tuscan, Southwestern and traditional styles, from time to time he’s called upon to create something contemporary or altogether different. A recent client in Wyoming, for example, requested that his new home have interior finishes in-line with his rugged ranch property, but an exterior that was “tropical and lush.”

“We’ve known each other for 15 years, so it was fun to collaborate with him,” Jenson says of Smith, who founded a top-selling automatic pool-cover company. “He was instrumental in the design and finish.”

Fine materials and thoughtful, custom touches are the instruments behind the “beautiful music” in the “Belcanto” – a luxury home, priced at $4.35 million.

“No detail is left undone. We didn’t spare anything,” says builder Dave Jenson of Jenson Construction in St. George, Utah.

The home boasts high-end finishes like mahogany interior doors and kitchen cabinetry from Green Valley Cabinets, 4-inch granite countertops from Distinctive Marble & Granite (distinctivemarbleandgranite.com) in Salt Lake City and an automated system from Control4 that provides whole-house control of audio/video, security, and temperature control systems.

While anyone would feel at home living in the sprawling 10,764-square-foot ranch, it was designed as a retreat to share with friends and family.

“Lanny’s idea was that every guest should have the same experience he does,” Jenson recalls.

Jenson outfitted each of the four master suites with a kitchenette, laundry amenities, a walk-in closet and covered veranda.

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01 The expansive entrance opens to a furnished courtyard creating an idyllic outdoor retreat.

02 The all-glass tiled swimming pool and spa provide outdoor entertaining year-round.

03 Curved interior architectural details in the master bathroom highlight patterns found throughout the home.

Breathtaking views are a large part of the experience, and Jenson focused on creating this impact in both interior and exterior spaces. Curvilinear shapes appear throughout the residence: in the doorways, tray ceilings and two rotundas, all developed, in part, from the use of curved windows that significantly enhance the view.

“It’s probably the best view in St. George. It’s a 275-degree unobstructed view from the top of a stone cliff,” Jenson says.

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Natural finishes like tumbled-brushed marble from Spain, walnut hardwood flooring and all-natural stone on the eight fireplaces internalize this beauty.

In some spaces, the mountains not only inspired the colors and materials, but also the designs.

Artist Juergen Dzierzon, who is known for his work in Mormon temples, etched the view of palm trees and mountains seen from the back of the house into the hand-blasted glass shower walls in the master bath.

On the garage doors, artist Mike Dumas replicated landscapes of Zion National Park - photographed by Jenson – using varying tones of copper inlays.

With 300 sun-drenched days a year and mild temperatures, by Utah standards, the home isn’t merely an observer of nature. For fair-weather days, a retractable glass wall opens the family room to the patio and outdoor kitchen, and the master bedroom connects to an outdoor shower.

luxuryhomequarterly.com

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Paradise Home Design

04 The formal dining area utilizes circular patterns to enhance feelings of community.

Creating custom designed homes in the Southern Utah area.

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05 Folk paintings by Northern Utah artist Job Biegel greet guests in the well appointed living room.

Because Smith planned to use the home primarily for entertaining, Jenson included retreat-worthy amenities like: a green, 13-seat theater room with a 160-inch projection screen from Stewart Filmscreen; an exercise room; sauna; outdoor pool; spa; sunken fire pit and a fireplace in the private courtyard.

In the kitchen, two Sub-Zero refrigerators, double warming drawers, trash compactors and dishwashers can easily accommodate a flurry of dinner guests.

Beyond the supplemental options, there are practical considerations that lie at the heart of Jenson’s construction. In addition to the seven dual-fuel HVAC systems from Day & Night that provide customized climate control and greater energy efficiency, the home includes premier

components that Jenson considers standard, like reinforced concrete flooring, insulated interior walls and a pre-wired automation system– all top features that make the home both cutting edge and cozy.

A MESSAGE FROM Paradise Home Design With over 35 years as a home designer, Scott Hughes makes his home in Southern Utah. Combining creativity and unique designs with fast and accurate service Scott, is one of Southern Utah’s most sought after designers. His designs are known for capturing the surrounding beauty while keeping the functionality of a home.

3672 Mulberry Dr. St. George, UT 84790 O. 435.674.5550 C. 435.680.9012 SPRING 2012

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