It’s like when the big cowboy rides into the dusty, Western town and saves it from the bad actors. Except this is Diane Keaton and she is saving one of Tucson’s ancient adobes.
News last week that this beloved actress purchased one of the oldest casas (1700s) in the oldest neighborhood in Tucson was hailed by the local citizenry. She claimed Tucson was “undervalued”…Well, compared to L.A. the area is truly a bargain (you can read all about it HERE).
Ms. Keaton is already a seasoned landowner in these parts, with a ranch along the Santa Cruz River near Tubac not far away from that of the late fellow-actor Christopher Reeve. She is a kindred spirit with the desert and the unique challenges it presents.
That means she will spend what it takes to make it great but never beyond the appropriate level for the area. Yet it’s not about the money but about taste, and Keaton has it in spades.
In addition to her talents as an actor, she is known as a serial remodeler and house-flipper who always brings value to the barrio. Importantly, she has a unique design style that reflects her own wardrobe: minimalist, mannish, monochrome elegance.
Her most recent project in California is done in what we term “haute farmhouse”: lots of brick, beams, metals and rustica. We addressed this trend on our post Rustica renewed
Although some design pundits have criticized the fortress-like look, we like it because it reflects an honest vernacular that showcases natural materials and earthiness.
In a time where everyone seems to be going “tiny”, this is massively-scaled. It’s a house that takes no prisoners. Ms. Keaton is a go-big-or-go-home kind o’ gal, and designers typically like that because bucks will have to be spent.
Well, we have about zero chances of being selected to be on Ms. Keaton’s new adobe dream team re-do, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a concept or two to share “in the style of”, as we say, plus thank her for her investment in our community!
CV & Associates, LLC 