Showroom

BY RAEANNE MARSH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SANDLER

>>> Scottsdale Design District, Scottsdale, Arizona

Jack Pesarcyk Associates welcomes designers with its intimate ambiance and selection of classic accessories and furniture.

A long-established design destination, Scottsdale Design District has a new look to go with its new name. The complex of buildings on 68th Street at Thomas Road in Scottsdale has exchanged its pastel-hued terra cotta roofs for a richer, deeper look in painted aluminum, along with numerous other cosmetic upgrades. The renovation was completed this past June, following Fenway Properties' purchase of the center a year earlier.

"We wanted it to keep the charm of Old Scottsdale, but with a contemporary look," says Larry Jackel, a partner in Fenway Properties, pointing out the rustic style of the new lighting and the enhanced landscaping between buildings and throughout the parking lot.

The MN Collection features European furnishings and accessories.

Squared openings where arches used to be have let more light into spaces, helping create the fresher look, points out Marvin Wilkinson, owner of John Brooks Inc., whose store has been at the location for eight years. He credits the "young and energetic landlords" with being attentive to the tenants' input and reconverting the property into "more of a statement place, where designers can be comfortable bringing their clients," and sums it up: "The façade has morphed into a modern-day design center."

Jackel candidly shares that it was a learning experience; although his company owns more than a million square feet of commercial property in metro Phoenix, this was its first foray into the design industry. "We met with the tenants and studied design centers, and realized there was a need for a nice-quality property in proximity to the arts district and concentration of designers' studios in Downtown Scottsdale," he says.

High ceilings and skylights showcase the furniture, accessories, lighting and art at John Brooks, Inc.'s new, spacious showroom.

"Most designers know the center is here," observes Jack Pesarcyk, of Jack Pesarcyk Associates. But the nine-year tenant's statement "Location is a positive" encompasses more than familiarity. "Not only is the center close to the airport, but it's close to Downtown [Scottsdale]," he says, explaining the broader import of the word "district" in the center's new name. "Designers who come in from out of town — San Francisco, Seattle, and this also includes Tucson — have a lot of interest in the surrounding area."

The word also underscores the potential for Scottsdale Design District to add art- or design-related businesses, such as an art museum or artist studio, according to Jackel. Two tenants, Costello-Childs Contemporary Fine Art and Interior Excess, are already expanding the art-related offerings. "We're trying to create a harmonious environment, where tenants can complement each other," he says. New construction on the adjacent corner and across the street also help give the center a fresher look, Jackel points out, bringing in a coffee shop and other attractive amenities.

New exterior details, lighting and landscaping have freshened the Scottsdale Design District's look.

Current tenants are to-the-trade, filling approximately 60 percent of the center's 109,628 square feet.

John Brooks occupies 36,000 square feet under roof and another 2,000 of outdoor space for patio collections. Owner Wilkinson took advantage not only of the opportunity to bring together what had previously been scattered in three separate spaces on the property, but also to expand his showroom. "We have more space for our lines to read," he says. He has expanded what he shows of the furniture, fabric and lighting lines he has carried for many years, such as Donghia and Bergamo, and added new ones, such as Holly Hunt, who, he says, sought him out when she heard the showroom was expanding.

Thanks to newly installed windows all around the building and twenty skylights added to the roof, the showroom also enjoys a lot of natural light. "It's important for people to see true colors," says Wilkinson. "And there's so much natural light, we don't need to turn on the electric lights. Designers from around the country can be comfortable working and not feel enclosed."

Flooring and wallcovering options are displayed at Design Surfaces.

Pesarcyk's 3,000 square feet offer a more intimate feel, with vignettes presenting a well-defined display of goods in a space designed for wandering through. With a large selection of accessories, he says, "The eye is always noticing something new." Designers can walk in and walk out with the item they want, he says. This highlights another advantage tenants find in the Scottsdale Design District: convenient parking. Notes Marianne Mulhall, owner of Design Surfaces, "Designers can come right up to the showrooms." That makes the center more individual. "It personalizes the center."

Mulhall has been at her location three years. Her primarily custom flooring and wall coverings occupy approximately 2,500 square feet in a showroom connected to the 3,200-square-foot space of Charlotte Roper's MN Collection. "We complement each other," says Mulhall. For instance, The MN Collection's displays of European furnishings and accessories are accented by Design Surfaces' unique wallcoverings from European designers that incorporate glass beads in the design.

"Our location is in the heart of Scottsdale, close to the arts, restaurants, fashion. Designers can stay in this part of town and take care of all their needs right here," says Mulhall.

Scottsdale Design District, 2708-2732 N. 68th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85257; www.scottsdaledesigndistrict.com.

Scottsdale Design District Showrooms

Color Quest
(480) 675-8830

Costello-Childs Contemporary Fine Art
(480) 949-2701 or www.costellochilds.com

Design Surfaces, LLC
(480) 946-2565 or www.designsurfacesllc.com

Floor Styles, Inc.
(480) 421-0221 or www.floorstyles.com

Flooring Resources
(480) 991-9605 or www.flooringresourcesinc.com

Interior Excess, Inc.
(480) 994-6456

Jack Pesarcyk Associates, LLC
(480) 947-6582

John Brooks, Inc.
(480) 675-8828 or www.johnbrooksinc.com

The MN Collection
(480) 946-2664

Taber & Company
(480) 946-0610 or www.taberandcompany.net

Trenz Group, LLC
(480) 945-0094 or www.trenzgroup.com