Like many Sedona homeowners, Luis and Aprille Ibarra first fell in love with their home’s sweeping views of the city’s majestic red rocks and surroundings. “The views. That’s the ultimate showstopper of this home,” says Luis. “Its location is set in an amazing space. It’s perched up on the hillside, and it has views all the way to Jerome, and then you have panoramic views of Sedona, and we fell in love with the views … but not the home’s quality.” Although the couple loved those vistas, the home also needed some upgrades. Many of the home’s features hadn’t been updated in quite some time. “We walked in, and we immediately saw all the problems, we’re trying really hard to look past them,” he says. “Then we were standing in the kitchen going, these views are insane. Honestly, we didn’t fall in love with the house. We fell in love with the views.” But despite the home’s downsides, the pair saw its enormous potential too. “It was a very well built home, originally designed by the Design Group Architects who is still in Sedona. They did a spectacular job as far as design and architecture. The previous homeowners did little to no maintenance, unfortunately,” he says. But the couple saw the home’s potential. The pair got to work transforming the four-bedroom, three-bathroom dwelling. The couple didn’t make any major structural changes. Although a new roof was installed, and the exterior’s paint color changed from pink to a light beige color.
An aerial shot of this featured Sedona home. The home was originally pink, and the owners had it repainted.
Luis tells us that they wanted to focus on the views and make the home light, bright and open. “We ended up putting in new windows, new doors, a complete landscape package,” he says. “We redid all the floors. We redid the kitchen as far as finishes and redid the bathrooms as far as finishes. So, we really put our own touch on it. My wife is the designer who typically works on our projects.” Although plenty of new features were added, the couple wanted to preserve some of the home’s older charm too. “Rather than just take everything out, we tried to work with some of what we had here to carry the character,” says Luis. “We could have easily come in and just completely modernized the entire home, but it would have lost all of its character. It would have just been another home.” The couple aimed to preserve the home’s historic aesthetic. “We’ve lived in a lot of modern homes, and they just start to feel kind of cookie cutter, but something that has a little bit of age and the wood ceilings, and it just feels like it has history versus something that was just mass produced,” he says. “I mean, I love a modern house. It’s just different.” Take a closer look at how the couple refreshed their home.
An outdoor lounge space just off the living room.
The Outdoor Spaces
Many of Sedona’s best properties take advantage of the city’s fantastic views and great weather by having plenty of outdoor living spaces. This property is no exception. Luis said his favorite part of the home is the outdoor aqua therapy lounge the couple put in. This includes a cold plunge, a hot tub and a sauna. “When we’re in the home, we have an observation deck that looks down into Jerome and do the cold plunge and go out to the deck and maybe come back and do some sauna. It’s just this whole experience, and you can end up absorbing pretty much an entire day out here. It’s really nice,” he says. Another outdoor area features a grill along with plush patio furniture. The space is typically used for outdoor grilling. The deck’s planks were refinished. “It’s a great spot, honestly, for morning coffee if you’re looking at towards the sunrise. So, I’d say we spend most of our time there in the mornings or for outdoor cooking,” he says.
An outdoor lounge space just off the living room.
Overall, the couple didn’t do too much with the outdoor spaces of the home. “Honestly, outdoors we wanted to keep natural and have the home blend into the mountain,” he says. “We left most of the landscape natural with the exception of where we did a deck and our aqua therapy lounging.” Located on backside of the home, a ground-level deck features hammock chairs where guests can relax. “You go outdoors and go on a hike or a bike ride, and you come home and just relax. We just wanted as many spaces like that as possible,” he says. “That’s Sedona.”
The kitchen counters were outfitted with Calacatta quartz.
The Kitchen
The kitchen has a long list of impressive features. First up, the space includes windows framing Sedona’s stunning red rocks and is one of the room’s main draws. The windows were replaced. “The views from the kitchen in the breakfast bar area, it’s literally panoramic all the way from [the] Chapel over to … You can see the edge of Airport Mesa.
Another shot of the kitchen showcasing red rock views.
You can almost see Thunder Mountain. It’s pretty crazy.” Another outstanding feature? The high ceilings are outfitted with red cedar. An island helps divide the space up. The hardwood cabinets were original to the home, but the couple had them restored.
The home’s hardwood floors were polished and buffed.
The expansive countertops and the tile in the kitchen were both replaced with a Calacatta quartz that’s designed to have a marble type feel. The kitchen also includes a custom wine fridge and a cabinet to display wine. All of the home’s hardwood floors were polished and buffed.
The kitchen features an espresso bar and an island.
“A lot of time is spent at this home outdoors, but coming in, grabbing your choice of beverage and sitting at one of the decks, this is probably the most practical use of our kitchen. There’s also a nice coffee bar so you can set up a coffee or espresso,” says Luis of his kitchen. Like plenty of other local homes, this one makes good use of the indoor and outdoor spaces.
The dining table is just a few steps from the kitchen.
A large table sits in the dining room with a striking chandelier hanging above it. Open up large sliding glass doors to an expansive outdoor area where diners also can gather. “I think what’s nice about it is it directly mimics the table that’s right outside. You could open this large slider and actually be dining together,” he says.
The home’s living room.
The Living Room
The living room and kitchen blend into one another. “It’s just a space where everyone can be together, and it’s not even about screens, it’s not tablets and TVs. It’s, ‘Let’s have a glass of wine or morning cup of coffee and sit together and embrace nature here from indoors,’” he says.
A view of the living room outfitted with wood ceilings.
The living room is outfitted with plush leather couches. The furniture was carefully selected to capitalize on the views. “A lot of it was just a color choice, but at the same time, keeping it low and out of the visual space again, just really trying to capture all the views,” he says. “The living room is the best. Sitting in one direction, you’re looking at Jerome and Airport Mesa, and then you turn to your right, and you’re looking all the way from Chapel into West Sedona, all other red rock views.”
The Office
In plenty of homes, a laundry room wouldn’t necessarily be given much thought, but not this one. The room was refinished. A long desk was placed underneath an expansive window showing off those red rocks. A stacked washer and dryer is beside a wall that was outfitted with colorful Spanish tile. The office views are one-of-a-kind. “It’s a great place just to kind of throw down a laptop and get some work done,” he says.
The home’s primary bedroom.
The Main Bedroom or Retreat
The primary bedroom and bathroom – or what Luis called the primary retreat – are both soothing spaces. The bedroom even features a wood-burning fireplace. Wood burning fireplaces are actually no longer permitted in town. “It kind of adds to the older vibe of the home in that sense,” he says.
The fireplace of the main bedroom. Wood-burning fireplaces are not allowed to be built in Sedona anymore – making it a true rarity.
The bathroom features a spacious shower along with a deep soaking tub by a window that looks out over Jerome. “In the mornings, it’s just beautiful. You just look out. You can see for miles,” says Luis. The general layout of the bathroom was kept intact, but the tile was refinished, and the tub was replaced.
The main bathroom with red rock views and a soaking tub.
The bathroom also includes double vanities. All of the fixtures were replaced. The bathroom counter was resurfaced to match the material that’s in the kitchen and to make the design feel cohesive throughout. “There’s just a much more updated feeling,” he says. During the interview, he mentioned being able to see planes flying in and out from the window. “It feels kind of open,” he says of the main bathroom. The windows show views of Tiger Mountain. “But at the same time, it’s full privacy, because there’s no homes there.”
One of the home’s plush guest rooms.
The Guest Rooms
The guest rooms were designed to cater to the couple’s visitors. “We just wanted to make them comfortable for our guests. So as far as the linens and the mattresses and everything, the quality is the same as what we have in our main retreat,” he says.
Arcade games and a large television in the luxe child’s room.
A Dreamy Kid’s Room
Plenty of children’s rooms only house toys, but the one in this home is not just any children’s room. Located on the ground floor of the property, this kid’s room is a child’s dream come true. The space is outfitted with arcade games, a television and plush sofas. The rest of the floor includes a separate bathroom and bunk beds. The kids have their own space, and the adults have theirs. The previous owners had set up a fitness studio there.
Bunk beds in the kid’s area.
“We have young children, so there’s a nice space downstairs where the kids can all play together and spend time together, and they’re having their own party down there, and we don’t even know what’s happening. And then the adults and our friends and everything, we’re doing whatever we want up here, enjoying ourselves as well,” he says. “We just wanted a space where the kids could have their space and not have to be worried about noise and be on their own and have their own independence.” A space like this would be a kid’s dream. It has “great luxury amenities for 10-year-olds,” he says.
The Overall Vibe
The Ibarras have lived in other cities, but feel a particular sense of peace when they’re at home in Red Rock Country. “Serenity and peacefulness here is different,” he says. “I’ve lived in very busy areas – San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix – and you just can’t get that in those places. The property is on two acres, so it’s almost like there’s no one around you at all, which it’s really nice and gives you time to just be alone with friends.” Above all, the home with its wide open spaces and stunning views, can help foster a true sense of connection. One of Luis’ favorite memories is just spending time with friends inside his own Sedona home. “We had friends over recently, all hanging out together. Not a single person was on their phone or had a TV on, and everyone just sitting around enjoying the views and the spaces,” he says. “It felt like we were more connected.”
