Scottsdale couple builds same house twice
Harold and Laurie Boyanovsky like their home so much they’re building it again.
Their 7,400-square-foot Italian provincial estate in Scottsdale was everything they wanted and more. But when they found a much bigger lot 100 feet higher on the mountain and in the same beautiful area, temptation called.
They realized the new property would afford better views and the ability to add more of the patio and garden space they adore.
And so, they’re building almost exactly the same house as their current residence, which has four bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms. The new home will be a mirror image of the first — a design that will take better advantage of the lot. Except for the bedrooms being on the opposite side and some areas being a little bigger, the homes will be identical.
The Boyanovskys love their current home, which they built completely custom, but they look forward to the new plot, new views, increased outdoor living space and gardening opportunities galore.
The gardens surround the dining room, office and the casita, and are often a surprise to visitors who don’t expect the plant-life and patios to be incorporated into nooks and views of various rooms, Harold said.
Still, there’s room for improvement. “In the new project, the gardens are bigger and more unique because we
have the space to do it,” Harold said. “The new project will be more like English gardens. We have fountains that will flow down falls into pools. It’s not what you traditionally think of for a desert home in Scottsdale. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for us and we’re very excited.”
Harold, a retired CEO, and Laurie, a chef and impressionist painter, met in high school and have been married for 54 years. They’ve moved 16 times and have lived in several countries, including Australia, France and Italy. They moved to their current home in 2014, two years after Harold retired.
The couple has three adult children and are empty-nesters, except for their dog.
“It was always easy to move,” Laurie said. “I looked forward to the journey and knowledge of the new place and the values people will have. It was always exciting. Some moves weren’t the best but others were fantastic. It was all good and my children learned a lot every time we moved to new situations.”
The Boyanovskys visited friends in Scottsdale every year for 10 years and each time checked out Desert Mountain, Harold said.
“We wanted to purchase an existing home but we couldn’t find one that was light, bright and airy, which was our lifestyle, so we sought out a top architect and a local builder,” he added.
They were so happy with the architect and builder that they hired them again for the new house. In the new house, the outdoors will be a “major focal point.”
“The two homes will have a totally different view of the surroundings,” Harold said. “Our current home has a 260-degree view from Pinnacle peak to Cave Creek to Anthem and beyond. We can see the fountain in Fountain Hills from our back patio. The new view is a split view. The gardens and patio of the main house will have a view from Pinnacle Peak to Cave Creek and more of a westerly view, and in the casita gardens and the casita itself there will be a tremendous view to the east for morning
sunsets.”
And for beauty inside the home, Laurie painted nearly all the artwork. Her pieces adorn the hallways and rooms and will in the new house too.
“She paints in bold, bright colors,” Harold said. “Anyone who enters the house and sees the 40-plus paintings in our house walks away happy and smiling. The hallways are long and welllighted with provisions to hang art just as it would be hung in a studio. When you walk in, you get the feeling you’re in a fine studio. It’s a great design for anyone who appreciates art.”
Harold said the residence is also perfect for entertaining.
“It’s designed to where the guest areas are separated from the main living area,” he said. “When we’re not using them, they can be shut off and the energy managed.”
The house is equipped with a smart system that controls HVAC, shade, lights, audio, video, fountains, the pool and the security system. Guests must enter three gates to get to their home.
“For anyone who is concerned about safety or security, this is an ideal house,” Harold said. He and Laurie have built six homes, but the home they’re building is the “largest and most interesting” to date, according to Harold.
“We’ve taken our aspirations and things we’ve learned to enjoy as we’ve traveled and put those in place in a desert environment,” he said. “[The house] is quite unique for the Desert Mountain community. It does bring together all the things architecturally and functionally that we had learned we could put into one project.”
The Boyanovskys are thrilled to stay in Desert Mountain, which they said has wonderful entertainment and social offerings.