It took a village to modernize the former home of Frank Lloyd Wright collaborator Marshall Erdman, all while preserving its unique character and expansive views.
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.
Photo: Dwell Creative Services
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.”
Photo: Dwell Creative Services
“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.”
Photo: Dwell Creative Services
See the full story on Dwell.com: How They Pulled It Off: A Mother-Daughter Duo Take on an Adobe Renovation Headfirst
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