Scattered through Heber Valley this week are hundreds of artists hard at work at their easels, participating in Wasatch Plein Air.

In the Wasatch back, the week of July 4^th is synonymous with artists at work. I have seen them with brushes in hand staring out at a field of old farm implements or at crumbling wood plank sheds, finding beauty in unlikely places and capturing it for others to see. It inspires me to try to find a view that I might like to paint if I had their skills and talent. 

The importance of art in homes and the design skill to create homes for art lovers is the subject of this blog. The opening shot is the entry of an art collector’s home in Millcreek (renovation built by Living Homes and design consultation by Cody Beal). The entry promises the pleasure of more paintings as one ventures into the heart of the space, which is what we will do.

Here is the living room of the same home with a formal dining table in the foreground. It’s a private, serene space connected by one doorway that closes for privacy. With separation from the kitchen, it affords a different style for entertaining guests. Three walls abut to the exterior, allowing ample windows and French doors to the patio, but the remodeled design ensures ample display space for paintings. The large sculpture on the console table behind the sofa offers a visual barrier between the conversation and dining spaces.

This is a corner detail by the glass dining table.

 The kitchen has an informal dining table, fireplace, paired glassed-door hutches, and a space for a vibrant piece of art that it is nicely set off by the white background.

Traveling up to Park City, this new home built on a narrow Old Town lot stacks spaces on four levels. The art offers each flight of stairs a distinct experience. (Design by Jonathan DeGray, architect)

In the same home, a series of portraits sets the tone in the media room.

Art again offers stairways and transitions visual excitement in this Sun Valley home looking at two ascending and one descending stairways. (Dr. Jack Smith, FAIA, architect)

Just as in the last example, the art adds excitement. This piece sets a dynamic tone in this Park City home. (K Rocke Interior Design)

Two artists live in one of John Sugden’s fine modernist Salt Lake homes and fill their spaces with their own work and that of their favorite colleagues. I was struck by the perfect placement of the pieces, but shouldn’t have been surprised!

In the same artist home, there is sensitivity of always something wonderful to see, but one is never overwhelmed. 

The homeowner of this renovated Salt Lake City home is an art collector from a family of collectors. (Jaffa Group responsible for architecture, interior design consultation, and construction)

In the same home, the renovation planned for displaying and lighting this sculpture collection. 

(Same home) Established homes in Utah usually have living space in the basement, which is a cool relief on summer days but a challenge for design. An interesting graphic art piece compensates for windowless walls.

This art piece sets a tone of settled calm in its subject, composition, and cool colors. (K Rocke Design)

The reflective gold of this piece pops the neutral-toned dining area and adds an elegance in this Promontory home. (K Rocke Design)

Moving to the primary bedroom of the same home, the art is soft, flowing, and the detailed lines of the painting can be better appreciated in a space viewed at eyelevel. 

The lower level of the same home has the same challenge as the Salt Lake basement room, and the playful art piece and the care to add lighting to the artwork and the shelves in the back bar compensate for the lack of windows. 

This saturated rich colors of the remodel to this Salt Lake City mansion make each room a work of art. (Cody Beal Design)

(Same home) With glass on two sides, the design adds color with the carpet and an electronic art piece that changes images. For those who were not around in the 1970s to become acquainted with conversation pits, the black outlined square with colored cushions peeking out is a sunken seating area designed for relaxation and (you guessed it) conversations. From a design perspective, you are designing the room both to be viewed from head high in the conversation pit, essentially floor level, and from the elevation of someone walking through the room.

I have just touched upon how much art adds to our experiences in homes and buildings. This week, you can find me wandering through the art on display and those for sale and auction at Wasatch Plein Air, wishing I had a little more wall space.

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Red Rock Division Headquarters for Onset Financial sets a new bar for commercial design in St. George.

For a year or so in the early 1980s I called St. George home, and I was enamored with the beauty of the red cliffs and desert, and I was drawn to the cluster of early homes in the town center. At that time, it had started to grow with strip malls and new stucco homes primarily for retirees from the Wasatch Front. But nothing prepared me for the growth that was to come. 

I recently returned from photographing Onset Financial’s Red Rock Division Offices in St. George built by Okland Construction and designed by Axis Architects. I have often wondered why the bold, cutting-edge Desert Modern architecture that took hold in Phoenix and other desert locales in the late 1980s and 1990s hasn’t been seen much in St. George. Now it has. 

The building’s sharp lines cut into the desert sky at twilight. You can see the four levels that comprise 55,000 square feet and the opportunities the shape creates for patios and outdoor experiences.

This is the main level looking toward the front entrance. Onset Financial is the sole tenant and staffs the concierge desk. In the center, the ceiling opens to the second floor with an atrium effect where the second-floor windows serve as clerestory to maximize the natural light.

Here is the same lobby space, photographed near the front entry with a view to the rear patio, which is located by the Santa Clara River Parkway. The floor-to-ceiling doors on each end of the entry fold back to disappear and allow fresh air to blow through. The focus of the main level is employee amenities and fitness, and the lobby is a central hub for these areas. 

This is the extensive patio space adjacent to the Santa Clara River Parkway. You can see the patio space on the second level, as well.

There is ample court space for basketball or pickle ball in this first-level recreation area.

Heading the other direction from the reception area is the bistro. Again, the glass doors slide open to expand dining to the outdoor patio. A pizza party luncheon was planned just after I made the photos. Bad timing on my part to not get a bite of pizza!

Beyond the bistro is the fitness center, which is fully equipped for cardio and resistance training. To the left are the locker rooms, and behind the camera is an entrance to the yoga studio. 

Moving up to the second level, you can see how the central area is open to the reception area. The second and third levels are dedicated to workspaces, private offices, collaboration areas, and conference rooms. 

The fourth level is executive offices and high-level client meeting spaces that showcase fine finishes and materials. This reception area offers views to the river.

The conference room establishes an elegant invitation to get down to business.

At the far end of this private office, you can see the desk. The seating area in the foreground provides for more relaxed business conversations. 

The wall of sliding glass doors of the residential wing intended for executive overnight stays opens to this desert-landscaped rooftop patio.

With some transitional weather, I experienced some incredible skies that enhanced the photos. My experience photographing desert architecture is that a great sky makes all the difference. 

See more Photo Friday work here.