GRAPHĒ: This Arizona Home Takes Design Cues From the Mighty Saguaro

The Phoenix residence draws inspiration from the Sonoran Desert and the stately cacti.

In the living area, a Hughes sectional from Joybird faces glass sliders by Windsor Windows.

Lured to Phoenix by the promise of toasty weather and access to the great outdoors, former Montana residents Eric and Sondra McVeigh purchased a home on the outskirts of the city in 2007. "We bought the property for its proximity to hiking—there’s a trailhead two blocks away," says Eric. On the downside, the house was small, poorly insulated, and in disrepair, so the McVeighs spent the next decade saving up for a major remodel.

Hemlock cladding covers the front of Eric and Sondra McVeigh’s home in Phoenix.

Photo by Roehner + Ryan

In 2017 they contacted architect Cavin Costello and interior designer Claire Costello of The Ranch Mine to guide their efforts. The designers suggested keeping the existing foundation but drew up plans for a new, 1,850-square-foot house. Its defining feature is a gabled volume that serves up cactus three ways. Black corrugated metal siding on three sides evokes a saguaro’s pleated ridges; patterns in the hemlock on the front facade recall its forked ribs; and the recessed entry corridor references a saguaro boot—a nesting hole often inhabited by desert birds.

"We tend to attract clients who have passions similar to ours—and the desert is one of them," says architect Cavin Costello. Mountain vistas surround the courtyard and pool.

Photo by Roehner + Ryan

"One thing we love so much about the desert is its dynamic simplicity," says Cavin. "The climate has shaped everything to its very essence, creating unique patterns and forms because of the specialized requirements to survive—or, ideally, to thrive."