The Visionary Designs of Lori Carroll

BizTucson Magazine — Fall 2021 — By Romi Carrell Wittman — For more than three decades, Lori Ca​r​roll has transformed homes, businesses, and outdoor spaces with her creative and chic residential and commercial designs. Her work can be seen in medical offices, restaurants, hotels, and countless luxury homes across the region. Carroll and her team at Lori Carroll & Associates have built a solid reputation for desert sophistication and style while retaining the individuality of their clients. “I don’t have a huge calling for opulence here,” she said. “It’s more understated elegance – beautiful indoor and outdoor living.”

From her Tucson headquarters, Carroll has also built a large client base across​ ​the United States, from California to New York for her world-class, award-winning designs. In fact, she’s won more than 100 local, national and international design awards, including the International Design of the Year for Powder Rooms, the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s Pinnacle of Design, the NKBA Kitchen of the Year, and NKBA Bathroom of the Year.

In her new book, “Circle Square Balance Hue,” which highlights some of Carroll’s favorite projects through the years, she details her approach to design. “Spaces should capture the imagination while honoring the clients’ needs and lifestyle,” she wrote. Her straightforward yet innovative aesthetic, coupled with her boundless imagination and singular work ethic, is at the core of her design practice. “Every single project we create, I love that project at that time. We put our heart and soul into it,” she said. Here’s a look at many of her note-worthy designs over the years:

The Good Life Ideal Living Room Designs

A home’s living room is one of the most multi-functional, highly used rooms in any house. “No two living rooms are alike,” Carroll said. For some clients, a living room serves as a retreat from the world, a place to relax and tune out the stress and anxiety of daily life. For others, it’s an extension of the kitchen gathering space, available for both large and small gatherings of friends and families. At the end of the day, however, the space must be practical as well as beautiful.

One of Carroll’s favorite living room projects is a testament to her knowledge and application of color, with the use of crisp greens playing off crimson tones in the artwork for a beautiful contemporary feel. “This is color at work for an energizing design.”

Using the beautiful, rugged desert as a breathtaking visual backdrop is also her forte, as seen in a Foothills home that is “a sanctuary like no other,” Carroll said. “I feel totally comfortable mixing textures and fabric to create a memorable and dynamic space. When it’s done well, it’s gorgeous.”

Another luxurious Ventana Canyon home is a feast of textures created from top with the wood latticework to bottom with rustic brick flooring and impactful rugs and lighting. “This is a wonderful environment where durability and beauty co-exist together,” she said.

The Heart of the Home​ ​Stunning Kitchen​ ​Designs.

Kitchens serve as a home’s central nervous system, according to Carroll. They serve as a place where food is prepared, where people gather and converse, and where work is done. As such, functionality is of utmost importance.

“While function may dictate the general scope of the kitchen, there is plenty of room to push the envelope,” she said.

Advances in materials and kitchen technologies have made for many opportunities to create statements. Carroll said she views kitchens as the ultimate place to meld impeccable design with practical functionality.

One of Carroll’s ultra-modern kitchen designs for a Foothills home won the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s 2016 Kitchen of the Year. The room was completely wrapped in afromosia, a wood with beautiful, exotic qualities. “When we first started creating the initial concepts, this project just felt really good,” Carroll recalled. “I told one of my team members that the project was definitely special.”

Modern kitchens, she said, provide a perfect opportunity to make a visual impact. An open uncluttered layout is critical. In the Foothills kitchen, the wrap-around wood warms what could have been a cold and dark space. Additional lighting draws attention to the height of the room and its clean lines. While the design is minimalist, with multiple spaces to encourage small gatherings, it’s inviting and functional. “The handcrafted materials, artisan touches, and timeless styling here really made for a dramatic statement,” she said.

A transitional style reigned supreme in another of Carroll’s welcoming kitchens, where warm ivory cabinets encircle a complementary gray and tan wood island. The granite marries the palette of both and the expansive lighting fixtures illuminate the entire space. “This design is inclusive, inspiring and innovative,” she said.

Click here to read the complete story, which begins on page 126.

Carroll, who is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), the International Design Associates (IIDA) and NCIDQ certified, is working with Robinette Architects, Inc to bring her imaginative thinking to the residences at Moonlight Canyon at Saguaro Ranch.

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To learn more about Saguaro Ranch and the luxury residences at Moonlight Canyon call (520) 833-6141 to be put on the guest list and to arrange your personalized tour. Brokers are protected.

The Urbanist’s Guide to Tucson

New York Magazine — Elizabeth Thompson — Sonoran Desert chiles, full-moon-brewed beer, and grocery-store-heiress antiques. Tucson’s never really had an official nickname. There’s “Old Pueblo,” meant to evoke the city’s ancient roots — it was settled by 17th-century Spanish missionaries on prehistoric Hohokam land. Some locals reject it as sounding too sleepy or because it was coined as a marketing ploy to siphon tourists from other southwestern cities (like Santa Fe, the long-reigning popular girl of the Southwest). Recently, such tactics have become unnecessary. In 2015, Tucson was the first “city of gastronomy” to be named in the U.S. by the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

The body chose Tucson for its agricultural history (it has been continuously cultivated for 4,000 years — the longest in North America) and wide variety of cultural influences (take the popular bacon-wrapped Sonoran hot dog). All of a sudden, restaurants and bars with newfangled menus started popping up throughout the city, luring food-obsessed visitors and averaging an opening a week by 2018. The formerly sparse downtown became home to breweries, shops, and stylish hotels, but, as is often the case, rents shot up and longtime beloved businesses closed. A bright spot: Tucson elected its first Latina mayor, Regina Romero, in November, cementing its status as a “blue dot in a sea of red.” As for visiting, winter and spring are the best times to go (most people fly into Phoenix and drive the hour and a half to Tucson), when temperatures rarely drop below 60 or go above 80 degrees.

1. Four Ideal Evenings (Shamanic walks and dive bars)

Visit an Unruined Dive: “Danny’s Baboquivari Lounge (2910 E. Fort Lowell Rd.) is a classic watering hole, named after my favorite mountain in southern Arizona, and has charismatic bartenders and a great patio. In the era of shows like Bar Rescue, it breaks my heart watching classic bars being converted into half-hearted man caves. Danny’s still has their timeless cowboy wallpaper, hand-drawn cactus sign out front, and weird outsider-art robot structure out back.” - Bryan Eichhorst, drink programmer at Owls Club

Attend a Star Party: “Kitt Peak National Observatory and Mt. Lemmon Skycenter observatory both have nighttime programs that are great — from explorations of the moon to overnight telescope observing sessions where you get a full tour of the cosmos that lasts right up until sunrise. There’s also the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, which hosts regular star parties open to the public. Also, if you just want to be able to see the Milky Way with your naked eye, go west, over Gates Pass, toward Saguaro National Park.” - Buell Jannuzi, head of the University of Arizona’s astronomy department and Steward Observatory

Take a Witch-Approved Walk: “There is a full-moon labyrinth walk hosted by the Web of Life-Intuitive Shamanic Animists group. The labyrinth is created monthly in the desert and outlined in lights, with an altar in the center. Or if you want a drink, Crooked Tooth Brewing Co. (228 E. 6th St.) makes Full Moon beer that is brewed under the full moon each month and crafted in ritual with a variety of crystals and herbs that support the intended vibration of the beer.” - Melisa Doran Cole, owner of witchy-goods store and community space the Ninth House

Catch a Word-of-Mouth Waila Band: “Waila bands play in the Tohono O’odham Nation, at the San Xavier Dance Ramada, but it’s mostly word-of-mouth. Waila has that norteño-style polka sound with jazz elements but differs in that it’s almost exclusively instrumental. You can hear waila on Rez Radio here every Friday night.” - Duncan Hudson, music director of KXCI Community Radio

2. From Kimchee Egg Sandwiches to Ají Ceviche

A day’s worth of food options, according to James Beard Award semifinalist Don Guerra of Barrio Bread.

Breakfast: “Start at Exo Roast Co. (403 N. Sixth Ave.) and keep it simple with a beautiful coffee, which they roast in house — the owners are really into preserving the true flavor of the coffee. They have these inventive breakfast sandwiches, like Kimchee Egg. It’s made with Bajo Tierra Kitchen kimchee, a little local, Sonoran-style kimchee company that uses local chiltepin and cilantro. They have a lovely back room, which turns into El Crisol mezcal bar at night.”

Lunch: “For lunch, I’d go nearby to BOCA Tacos y Tequilla (533 N. Fourth Ave.) and people-watch the crowd walking by. I love the Rajas tacos with roasted Anaheim chiles in a cheese sauce. The tacos, which arrive on a cutting board, come with three or four salsas to try that they walk you through. It’s not just a red salsa, a green salsa, and that’s it. Chef Maria Mazon changes them daily and is really creative — you might get a basil salsa or a fruit salsa.”

Dinner: “Go down to Charro del Rey (178 E. Broadway Blvd.). It’s a seafood restaurant from the Flores family, who own the Mexican restaurant El Charro — a Tucson institution — and are icons in the community. Their ají ceviche is so fresh and delicious. It’s plenty for one person or great to share, and the price point is $12; when you consider the obvious thoughtfulness and preparation that goes into it, that ceviche would easily be $20 if you were eating up at Ventana Canyon resort.”

Dessert: “Go to Monsoon Chocolate (234 E. 22nd St.). The owner, Adam Krantz, opened in an old tortilla factory. They have a frozen hot chocolate that, when it’s 105 here in July and your brain is melting, will make you feel like a million dollars.”

3. Want to Rile Up a Tucsonan? Bring up … Phoenix.

To an outsider, Tucson and Phoenix may seem indistinguishable. Confusing Tucson with its rival 90 minutes north, however, results in a terse correction from a local. Fueling the grudge are the bitter sports rivalries between the state’s two biggest colleges - the University of Arizona in Tucson and Arizona State University. Then there’s the tendency for Tucsonans to look down their noses at Phoenix’s moneyed sprawl. Though no stranger to resorts, Tucson thinks of itself as more accepting of its natural desert habitat - bland dirt, rocks, and all. Some of the city’s rougher-hewn charm is captured beautifully on local photographer Kristine Peashock’s Instagram account Tucson Ordinary.

The Immigration Crisis: The city is home to anti-deportation human-rights groups like No More Deaths, which has long provided water and food to immigrants crossing the harsh Sonoran Desert on foot. No More Deaths volunteer Scott Warren became a national story when he was arrested by Border Patrol agents in 2018 and charged with three felonies for providing temporary shelter to two young men crossing from Central America.

Downtown: The recent revitalization of Tucson’s downtown has pushed out artists and small businesses. The 2019 razing of a longtime music venue (to make room for high-rise apartments) fanned the flames of the decade-long “Keep Tucson Shitty” anti-gentrification movement, a play on similar pleas from Portland and Austin to keep their towns “weird.”

4. Where a Local Would Stay If She Weren’t a Local

Acupuncturist Kelly LeGendre on the best places to spend the night (and possibly spot Diane Keaton)

The Downtown Clifton $ 485 S. Stone Ave.

“A newly renovated motor lodge with a Western, mid-century, Pendleton-blanket kind of vibe, located just south of downtown. It’s also home to the Red Light Lounge, which features Sonoran-inspired cocktails, food, and little bites like delicious masa pretzels.”

The Fig (Barrio Viejo) $$ Location provided upon booking.

“An updated, four-bedroom historic adobe. It’s in the charming historic district, Barrio Viejo, and is the place to stay if you want to experience Tucson like a local. You might run into Diane Keaton, who recently bought a house nearby.”

Posada $$$ Location provided upon booking.

“A truly gorgeous lodge-style inn with a modern Sonoran feel. Right at the edge of Saguaro National Park, it’s a 30-minute drive from downtown and perfectly located for hiking and exploring the nearby Sonora Desert Museum.”

Plus One for the ‘Gram

Hotel McCoy $ 720 W. Silverlake Rd.

“It’s affordable and filled with colorful pieces by local artists. You drive in under a painted rainbow archway that says ‘Tucson Is Magic’ and is begging to be photographed.”

5. A Muralist’s Favorite Mural Plus a gallery and museum recommended by artists.

La Pilita 420 S. Main Ave. 

“What I love about this mural is how it’s influenced by the Chicano style; it’s not trained or academic. It is so beautiful and simple and tells the timeline of a family’s Aztec roots. It was restored about ten years ago, so the colors are super-beautiful.” — Racheal Rios, muralist

Etherton Gallery 135 S. Sixth Ave. B

“They put on world-class exhibitions with local and international artists. Their latest installation, ‘Land Re-Form,’ showcases incredible gelatin-silver-print landscape photos. I also love a series of self-portraits taken by Arizona artist Mark Klett; they’re of him and his daughter, and they date back to the early ’90s.” — Nick Georgiou, sculptor

Pima Air & Space Museum 6000 E. Valencia Rd.

“There are about 350 aircraft, and you can go right up to them — close enough to see the nose art painted on each of them. Their helicopters are very fun for little ones because you can touch them, and they also have tons of jumpsuits and artifacts on display.” — Ishi Glinsky, artist

6. A Mid-Century Architecture Tour

Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation CEO Demion Clinco shares a day’s worth of the city’s notable churches, storefronts, and signs.

Start at the Welcome Diner  902 E. Broadway Blvd
“A wonderful example of restored Googie architecture.”

Then Head East to the Sunshine Mile
East along Broadway Blvd. from the Welcome Diner to Country Club Rd.
“You’ll see clusters of incredibly intact storefronts by local mid-century legend Bernard Friedman: the sculptural former Valley National Bank Building (3033 E. Broadway Blvd.), which was built in 1971, then Hirsh’s Shoes, built in 1954 (2934 E. Broadway Blvd.), which is one of the few surviving examples of this type of commercial architecture in the country.”

Go North Along Country Club to Catalina American Baptist Church 1900 N. Country Club Rd.
“Cox did a few churches. This one has an angled, hyperbolic-paraboloid thin-shell roof and is on the National Register of Historic Places.”

Drive Northwest to Miracle Mile
“It’s full of intact mid-century motels and neon signs. There’s the iconic Tucson Inn sign (127 W. Drachman St.), but another really special neon sign was designed by Georgia O’Keeffe for the Ghost Ranch Lodge (801 W. Miracle Mile), which has since been turned into senior housing.

Drive Southeast and Finish at The Shelter  4155 E. Grant Rd.
“This bar was built in 1961 by Anne Rysdale, the only female architect working in Tucson during the ’50s and early ’60s.”

Plus One Mid-Century House You Can Stay In:

“We recently bought and restored the historic Ball-Paylore House, by architect Arthur T. Brown. We made it rentable on Airbnb. It’s the quintessential example of desert mid-century architecture.”

For Heiress Vintage:

“Tom’s Fine Furniture and Collectables (5454 E. Pima St.) has a mishmash of antiques and jewelry. He once bought the estate from the heiress to the Fry’s grocery-store chain. There was like 30 years’ worth of Chanel in there.” —Salima Boufelfel and Roberto Cowan, owners of Desert Vintage

For Ephemera on a Ranch:

“The Antique and Vintage Fair at Medella Vina Ranch (4450 S. Houghton Rd.) is the first Sunday of the month and has a great cross-section of vintage clothes, books, jewelry, and odds and ends. And it’s beautiful out there on the fields.” —S.B. and R.C.

For Native American Seeds:

“Native Seeds/Search (3061 N. Campbell Ave.) is likely the only place to buy tepary beans and mesquite cutting boards while supporting a nonprofit dedicated to conserving southwestern crop diversity.” —Tawney Weir, owner of Little Toro Designs

8. Easy Excursions

Courtesy of ceramics artist and frequent outside-the-city-limits explorer Lia Griesser.

Stroll Around a 17th-Century Mission 45 minutes south of Tucson

“Mission San José de Tumacácori, situated in a mesquite bosk, was founded in 1691, and the gardens and orchards have been replanted. Across the street is Abe’s Old Tumacacori Bar - a charming, real desert watering hole and tavern. Next to that is Santa Cruz Chili & Spice. Pick up a pack of chiltepins, the wild progenitor of domesticated chiles that originate from the Sonoran Desert.”

Stay in a Clay-Forward B&B About 80 minutes southeast of Tucson 

“Stay at a B&B run by Bill and Athena Steen of the Canelo Project in nearby Canelo. They literally wrote the book on building with clay, and their land is covered in examples of the craft. Then drive south and get lost in the maze of backcountry roads with epic prairie views.”

Eat at a Restaurant Built Into a Cliff About 75 minutes south of Tucson

“The border wall runs straight through the city of Nogales, and you get a real sense of how intrusive it is for the people who live there. The area is architecturally fascinating, with most storefronts dating to the mid-20th century, when the town was booming. Eat at La Roca, built in the late 1800s in the style of a Mexican hacienda. Sit in the bright-blue main dining room built into the rock wall of a natural cliff.” Story authored by Elizabeth Thompson, New York Magazine

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When you visit Tucson and Saguaro Ranch, we encourage you to follow Covid 19 protocols that include wearing a mask, using hand sanitizer and social distancing. To learn more about luxury homes for sale in Tucson, contact John Hays at Miramonte Homes by calling (520) 833-6141 to arrange an appointment at the Saguaro Ranch Sales Center. Brokers are protected.

Arizona's Second-largest City has a Relaxed Vibe.

By FODOR’s Travel — The "Old Pueblo," as Tucson is affectionately known, is built upon a deep Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Old West foundation, and you can find elements of these influences in the city's architecture, restaurants, and friendly, relaxed vibe. Arizona's second-largest city is both a bustling center of business and development and a laid-back university and resort town, with abundant hiking trails and nature preserves. Tucson is particularly popular among golfers and spa-goers. Saguaro National Park, along with the four mountain ranges surrounding the city, provides a variety of outdoor activities.

Metropolitan Tucson has more than 850,000 residents, including thousands of snowbirds, who flee colder climes to enjoy the sun that shines on the city more than 340 days out of 365. The city's tricultural population (Hispanic, Anglo, Native American) offers visitors the chance to see how these cultures interact and to sample their flavorful cuisine.

The city also has a youthful energy, largely due to the population of students attending the University of Arizona. Although high-tech industries have moved into the area, the economy still relies heavily on the university and tourism. Come summer, though, you'd never guess; when the snowbirds and students depart, Tucson can be a sleepy place.

Sabino Canyon
Year-round, but especially in summer, locals flock to Coronado National Forest to hike, picnic, and enjoy the waterfalls, streams, swimming holes, saguaros, and shade trees. No cars are allowed, but a narrated tram ride (about 45 minutes round-trip) takes you up a WPA-built road to the top of the canyon; you can hop off and on at any of the nine stops or hike any of the numerous trails.

There's also a shorter tram ride (or you can walk) to adjacent Bear Canyon, where a rigorous but rewarding hike leads to the popular Seven Falls (it'll take about 1½ to 2 hours each way from the drop-off point, so carry plenty of water). If you're in Tucson near a full moon between April and November, take the special night tram and watch the desert come alive with nocturnal critters. Authored by Fodor’s Travel

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When you visit Tucson and Saguaro Ranch, we encourage you to follow Covid 19 protocols that include wearing a mask, using hand sanitizer and social distancing. To learn more about luxury homes for sale in Tucson, call (520) 833-6141 to arrange an appointment at the Saguaro Ranch Sales Center. Brokers are protected.