Our First Full Day in Lisbon 12/28/23

Enjoying the San Francisco of Europe

We only scheduled two full days in Lisbon, which was just enough to get a good taste yet definitely make us want to come back for more!!!

Lisbon strikes me as the San Francisco of Europe. It even has a Golden Gate Bridge designed by the same architects and the trolley streetcars climbing the steep hills. The only difference, Lisbon is very clean, and seems to have very few homeless or drug attics we had to dodge not to mention the things they leave behind on the streets……

The architecture is fantastic with a lot of it constructed after the great earthquake of 1755. So much variety and I absolutely love their use of color – as opposed to our boxy all grey and white world I see being creating everywhere at home. We need to be brave expressive and celebrate color – its magnificent. Not to mention all the wonderful stone detailing that I just love.

Livraria Bertrand - The Oldest Bookstore in the World

We started our first full day with a nice 20-minute walk all downhill ;-) to the Livraria Bertrand – Chiado, the oldest continuing operating book store in the world as confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records. What a cool place and how wonderful to enjoy that smell and energy of a bookstore – not to mention the oldest in the world! Isabel purchased a few books which all received the official stamp that these books were purchased at the Oldest Book Store.

Enjoying the mazing Nata pastries of Lisbon

Next stop virtually across the street was a pastry shop which are everywhere in Lisbon and of course I had to try the world famous nata pastry. A nata pastry is made with crisp, flaky layers of pastry shaped in a little cup then filled with a delicious, creamy, egg-custard filling and a dusting of cinnamon. It’s as if a croissant and créme brúle had a baby!  In 2009, The Guardian listed Pastéis de Nata as one of the 50 “best things to eat” in the world. I would have to agree.

Now that’s a seafood platter!!!

From there we wondered around town enjoying the sites and of course looking for a spot to have seafood and boy did we find it. Isabel was craving lobster and me seafood and we hit the jackpot at the Restaurante Portas and their mixed seafood platter….. yes we went a bit extreme, but man was this good. We finished dinner with our first Ginja, a Portuguese liquer made by infusing ginja berries in alcohol and adding sugar together with ingredients like cloves and cinnamon sticks. So good!!!

Isabel did a little shopping and made friends along the way!

We enjoyed more time in the city but then it was time to do some shopping. We grabbed our first ride in a Tuk Tuk to a large shopping mall and Isabel found her favorite line Twin Set and she stocked up! Talk about the variety of amazing garments to choose from and add the amazing service that the staff provided down to accompanying Isabel to the waiting rooms, carefully folding each item purchased, to just being attentive in general, what a difference from the way our stores in the States have demised to. I think this was Isabel’s favorite stop on the trip so far!

The roasted lamb was off the charts!

Dusk was approaching along with our 7pm dinner reservations at Via Graça. A bit out of the way but what an amazing view from this venue and what stellar cuisine and service. I love when we guess right! We started with the popular cod cake and Isabel had the Sea Bass and I had the roasted lamb. Perfect combo to share. I saved room for dessert and had the flan with currents and an espresso, Again, a wonderful way to finish off our first full day in Lisbon.

Our Arrival in Lisbon 2023

Enjoying our first evening in Lisbon!

Well we have been to Spain, Italy and France dozens of time but have never made a trip to Portugal and so we were definitely overdue! Isabel and I had planned a trip to celebrate our ten year anniversary this past September to Prague, Munich, Zurich and Lake Como but in July Isabel was diagnosed once again with breast cancer and so we had to cancel the trip. September through November was dedicated to her testing, then surgery, then radiation but we were blessed to make it through to the other side and so I wanted to do something special to not only celebrate our ten year anniversary but her miraculous recovery and so we decided it would be a trip to Portugal, Spain and France – our Gratitude to God Tour -just the two of us.

We booked the trip and now here we are in Lisbon, Portugal and all we can say is why have we waited so long. Wow!!! This place is amazing and way beyond our expectations!

We are off to Lisbon!

It is always a test of fortitude to make the long flight over – even when you travel first class – but so worth the effort. We flew via Charlotte to London to Lisbon leaving Phoenix at 11 am on Tuesday, the day after Christmas, and arrived in Lisbon the next day just after high noon. We checked into tour Hotel, the Memmo Principe Real, and got quickly settled and within minutes we were walking the streets of Lisbon. I have found the key to adjusting to the new time zone is to just gut it out and stay awake until the evening and then sleeping a full night – in our case 14 hours to get on the right time zone.

Plenty of hills to ascend and descend here in Lisbon!

Enjoying our initial sights and sounds from Lisbon

We left the hotel and made our way down the hills and the narrow streets lined with the small and charming streetcars to our first stop, the Time Out Market, an amazing food court in the heart of Lisbon filled with dozens of small unique food and wine venues surrounding a fabulous central court and even though it was a Wednesday afternoon it was packed full of locals and tourists. Isabel and I found a wonderful spot were we procured a charcuterie tray of Portuguese ham, olives, cheeses and bread along with two glasses of Portuguese red wine and our trip was officially kicked into motion. So fabulous and just the perfect way to keep the adrenaline flowing.

Beautiful Holiday lights at the Praça do Cemércio

From there we walked about a half mile to the Praça do Comércio which is the central plaza situated along the inner harbor. We arrived just as the holiday lights were turned on brining the square to life – absolutely fabulous. From the various vendors, including the chestnut carts filling the air with their delightful smell, to the sea air, our adrenaline was once again fortified as we were now approaching over 36 hours of no sleep.

From the Praça do Comércio we made our way back towards the hotel along the R. Augusta, the main boulevard, lined with fantastic holiday decorations, and street filled dining venues. Absolutely magical!!! We did a little shopping and climber the endless steps up the hills back to our hotel with a lovely dinner at the Lost In Restaurant with a stunning hilltop view of Lisbon.

Finally, it was back to the hotel and to bed after some nearly 40 hours of very little, if no, sleep. After this quick macro journey we could not wait to explore more!

Beautiful panoramic view from our hotel Memmo Principe Real

Weekend Getaway to Santa Fe 2023

Isabel and I love going to Santa Fe - first off, Isabel was born just north of Santa Fe in the town of Espańola and my Candelaria ancestry were one of the first of seven families to settle the Rio Grande Valley in 1690. So our DNA just jumps for joy when we are here.

Northbound on I-25 from Albuquerque to Santa Fe

There are several blogs from the past I have written about our Santa Fe trips so please check them out. This trip was specifically for our visiting Isabel’s Aunt and Uncle as they were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends. Isabel’s mom, Alette Thomson, joined us for just a quick three-day getaway where we flew into Albuquerque and made the approximate one our drive to Santa Fe where we enjoyed the afternoon.

Enjoying that delicious green chili martini at La Casa Sent.

Our first stop was supposed to be The Shed https://sfshed.com/ but they had a two hour wait, which is pretty normal, but we thought we might get lucky. Our fall back was just one courtyard over where we enjoyed a lovely lunch and a tasty green chile martini in the courtyard at La Casa Sena https://www.lacasasena.com/   Following lunch we did a little shopping around the Plaza and then made our way to our AirBnB just outside of the little artsy village of Tesuque, New Mexico.

Just off the Old Santa Fe Trail we had to take a gravel road through a wash and past an alpaca farm to our little adobe casa. What a lovely and quaint place this turned out to be. Old brick floors, wood casement windows, hand painted tiles and totally appointed with antiques from France and Spain. We settled in and all took a nice long siesta.

Our little Casita in Tesuque, New Mexico

Loved our Casita Cucina

Once we awoke, we piled back into our car and took off for Isabel’s Aunt and Uncle’s compound north of Espańola where we enjoyed reuniting with her family and a good old fashioned fish fry with of course some good New Mexican salsa and green chile. How nice to just chill on their front porch and really not have to do anything but relax – something I do not do very often.

Rancho de Chimayo

The next day was Sunday, and we were craving New Mexican food of course and so we were off to Rancho de Chimayo for some amazing enchiladas, eggs and margaritas….we were on vacation might as well get into the flow.  http://www.ranchodechimayo.com/

We picked up some goodies in their gift shop including of course powdered red chile, blue corn pancake mix and several other necessary provisions we always pick up when we come here. We tried to visit the famous church here in Chimayo the Santuario Chimayo, but the parking lot was completely packed so sadly we moved on. https://www.holychimayo.us/

Next stop was Abiquiu, New Mexico which is the home to the artist Georgia O’Keefe. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_O%27Keeffe I always love coming here as you can totally feel the spirit of this artist here and experience and enjoy the landscape that inspired her. We stopped at the Abiquiu Inn for a coffee and worked in a cat nap in the parking lot and then it was off to the 50th Anniversary party.

St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Abiquiu, New Mexico

Abiquiu Resevoir

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary to Terry and Randy Conley

Saturday night was a fish fry but tonight it was authentic New Mexican food, enchiladas, tamales, beans, rice, chips, salsa…it could not be better. Again, another evening to enjoy the cool outdoor New Mexico weather including a brief rain shower that cooled things off perfectly. I even got the chance to sing the Sweet Caroline and the National Anthem on the Barbie megaphone/karaoke machine! How special to be a part of this celebration of 50 years of marriage of Isabel’s Aunt and Uncle. Isabel and I will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary on the 16th of September and so its truly something to shoot for – I’ll be 103 years old but anything is possible.

Our lovely little chapel on our AirBnB property

Our third and final day, Monday, started with us all sleeping in as we were enjoying the cool air. I slept until 7:30 and which is quite the record for me! I got a little work done and slowly the ladies started moving. Isabel’s mom was reading about our AirBnB and discovered that there was a small chapel on the property that we were totally unaware of. We went out back and sure enough there it was! We all took the opportunity to stop and take some quiet time to say some prayers and just enjoy this lovely found treasure literally in our backyard.

Lunch at The Shed in Santa Fe

We then made our way back to the house, loaded up and headed to Santa Fe for the afternoon before our flight home. This time we did get to The Shed early enough, actually an hour early, to be the first in line. It was definitely worth the second effort as we enjoyed a fabulous New Mexican brunch.

Following brunch, Isabel and I made a 20-minute walk to the Inn of the Turquoise Bear to scout out our venue for our newest Candelaria Design Tour~Santa Fe which we have slated for the Fall of 2024. It appears we will be able to buy out the entire Bed and Breakfast venue as we did with The Setting Inn for our recently completed Willamette Valley, OR Wine and Food Tour. Isabel and I will host this five-day 2024 tour along with world renown photographer, Wes Johnson https://bendingthelight.com/ with the goal of combining photography, sketching and cooking! More details to follow and message us for more information and to get on the list as this will be an amazing artistic and culinary experience!

We finished our three-day getaway with a little more shopping on the Plaza and area surrounding and then it was back to Albuquerque and the flight home. Isabel and I both love coming here for a number of reasons. First, it is only a 45-minute flight from Phoenix. Second, we both share so much personal history with this place. Finally, we love the architecture, landscape, cuisine, people and culture of Santa Fe and this region of New Mexico. It is truly like leaving the United States and going to another country.  Isabel and I are looking forward to more of these long weekend escapes and our 2024 Tour, so stay tuned.

Peru 2022 Day 2 - Our Arrival in Cusco

Catedral del Cuzco

Our Day 2 in Peru was all about getting from Lima to Cusco.

We started our day with a nice breakfast at our Lima Airport Holiday Inn hotel which worked out great as we arrived in Lima at 12:30 am and had just one full day in Lima before we had to fly to Cusco. So staying close to the airport worked out great as we would be returning to Lima for several days at the end of our trip where we would go for the gusto with a beautiful hotel on the beaches of Lima.

Boarding our plane in Lima and off to Cusco!

Off to the airport we went and with an aisle seat my compulsive picture taking was somewhat limited but I was able to sneak a couple of pics across two people and out the window.

We landed in Cusco and our Cusco hotel transport was waiting for us. Our driver Arturo was so wonderful and gave us a fantastic introduction and overview of Cusco on our drive from the airport to the hotel. Such a different vibe from Lima and my excitement of what we were about to experience here in Cusco just grew and grew the more Arturo spoke and the closer we came to the heart of Cusco and our hotel, the Palacio del Inka.

What a marvelous place to make our home while in Cusco. A Marriott collection hotel, the venue, architecture, staff and vibe was fantastic. Built on the grounds of Inca ruins the hotel lobby takes your breath away. Our suite was fantastic with views of the Cusco hills that look like they were literally stacks of houses built one on top of the other.

Our hotel in Lima the Palacia del Inka

Covento Santo Domingo

At over 11,000 foot elevation, Cusco was once the capital of the Inca empire until conquered by the Spaniards in the early 1500’s. Hence, there are the still a number of Inca ruins but many Spanish Colonial churches, cathedrals and structures. Cusco is still the capital and hub of this part of Peru and definitely the springboard to Machu Pichu.

We would have today and tomorrow to explore and enjoy this spectacular city and once checked in we asked our concierge for a good lunch spot and we were off to explore the Plaza de Armas de Cuzco.

The walk to the plaza was fantastic. After just being in Córdoba, Spain a few months prior you could truly feel the Spanish influence in the way the streets and plazas are composed and of course the architecture. On one street in particular, you could see the remnants of the Inca masonry walls with their giant stones and super tight joints and on the other side of the street the smaller stone masonry fitted with mortar from the Spaniards.

The Plaza de Armas was busy but beautiful and not as crazy as Lima. Cusco has a magical and friendly vibe. Every vendor was so friendly, gentle and kind…. You feel it everywhere we have gone in Peru but in particular here in Cusco. Of course we had to get our photo with the Peruvian and her llama!

We found our lunch spot, Limo, which was a Japanese / Peruvian fusion restaurant and once again amazing food, cuisine, not to mention, view of the Plaza.  Of course more ceviche for me - spectacular!

We  slowly made our way back to the hotel for some complimentary oxygen brought right to our room, a siesta and then cocktails and a nice light dinner at the hotel. Peru is on Central Time but with all the travel and the high altitude, we definitely could feel it and so we called it an early night so we could really enjoy our only full day in Cusco which would be day 3 of our Peruvian  journey.

Mark and Isabel's 2022 Trip to Peru

It’s been some time since I’ve posted a blog, but our trip to Peru gave me the needed inspiration. With our Candelaria Design Tours we keep going to the same countries and I have blogged about Italy and Spain several times but coming to Peru has definitely motivated me to once again put some words together to describe this trip and experience.

So why Peru? Good question! First Isabel and I have never been to South America and so it definitely was something on our bucket list. Of course there are plenty of amazing South America destinations to choose from but as it turned out one of my classmates from high school, Carl Schell,  lives and works in Lima so my thought was let’s start there as we will at least know someone who can tee us up a bit. At the same time, I was designing a home for another high school classmate, Herb Newbold and his wife Lynda, and Isabel and I were talking with the two of them about a year ago while in Idaho about some of their travels and they reminisced about their trip to Ecuador and how much they enjoyed it. We told them that we had never been to South America and we really needed to go check it out. We started talking about the fact our friend Carl was in Peru and one thing led to the other and next thing you know we had our calendars out and we were planning the trip for a year later. Team Lima was called to action and now here we are in Peru!

Teama Lima in July 2021

Our trip to Peru entails 10 days with our first stop in Lima then off to Cusco for a couple days and then we travel by train to Machu Pichu for a couple days, then to the Sacred Valley and back to Cusco then back to Lima for a few days to finish our journey. It’s July, so it is winter here in Peru and so a nice escape from the 114º temps of Phoenix. From Phoenix we flew to Dallas, switched planes and then flew seven hours directly to Lima where we arrived at about 12:30 am the next day.

We checked into our hotel and got a good night’s rest then started our first full day in Peru. We only had this one day in Lima before we would head to Cusco so we all decided to go to the Lima Cathedral and check out the area around there and then head to the Mercado Central and grab lunch.

Our taxi ride was quite the experience – wow let’s just say I am so glad I did not rent a car! The driving here is insane and even walking around you have to be super careful as cars, busses, motorcycles and any kind of motorized contraption you can imagine is whizzing by and honking at every opportunity. Its truly madness. Our taxi ride was nearly 45 minutes but only cost about 15 US dollars so not bad – even more reason not to rent a car.

We enjoyed a lovely walk around the plaza – sans cars – and then made our way to the cathedral where we toured this amazing Spanish Colonial structure built by the Spanish from 1602 – 1797. Having been to many amazing churches in Europe this cathedral in Lima ranks right up there. Truly magnificent. Then to see the tomb of Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro and the Candelaria family crypt was truly eye opening. Next door we toured the palace of the Bishop which was equally fantastic. Beautiful details and exquisite craftsmanship.

From there we did a little shopping including a stop in the Choco Museum where we sampled and then purchased some fresh chocolate which was off the charts scrumptious. The girls did a little shopping and then we were off the Mercado Central.

The Mercado Central reminded me of the Mercados in Spain – very similar. Everything from meats, to fish, to breads, vegetable, cheeses, etc you can buy here and there are plenty of small café’s in which to grab a bight. I think the sights and sounds were a bit much for my group and so we made and exit and on the next corner found the Peru Chinatown. There is a huge Asian influence here in Lima and I read how many great options there are for Peruvian-Asian fusion cuisine. We did some exploring and did find a great spot for lunch overlooking the street below.

The Mercado Central in Lima

 From Lima’s Chinatown we hopped into another wild taxi ride back to our hotel, a quick siesta, and then we were off to dinner in the Miraflores district of Lima and the restaurant  Huaca Pucllana https://www.resthuacapucllana.com/ where we rendezvoused with our high school classmate, Carl Schell.

We arrived a bit early and so the ladies did a little shopping and Herb and I had our first Pisco, a liquor made from the San Piedro Ximenez grapes – basically a grappa. My first pisco was mixed with fruit juices from the jungle and basically it tasted like Hawaiian Punch with a kick….. amazing!

From there we were off the dinner. The Huaca Pucllana restaurant is built right next to the ancient Huaca Pucllana ruins. http://huacapucllanamiraflores.pe/  Huaca Pucllana is a great adobe and clay pyramid located in the Miraflores district of central Lima.  Built from seven staggered platforms, it served as an important ceremonial and administrative center for the advancement of the Lima culture, a society which developed in the Peruvian Central Coast between the years of 200 AD and 700 AD. The restaurant looks right onto the ruins and at night the view is mystical and enchanting.

From left to right - Durango High School Class of 78, Herb Newbold, Mark Candelaria, and Carl Schnell.

We had a great time reuniting with our high school classmate which both Herb and I had not seen since our ten year class reunion in 1988. So some 34 years later here we were in Lima, Peru – old ruins next to old ruins!

Dinner was great and we were ready to call it a night, get some sleep and get ready to go to Cusco the next morning!

Frorm left to right, Herb Newbold, Mark Candelaria, Carl Schnell, Lynda Newbold and Isabel Dellinger Candelaria at Huaca Pucllana.

2021 Review & On To 2022!

CDA staff photo in front of football great Larry Fitzgerald's home we recently designed. Click photo for a full article in Luxe Magazine showcasing the home.

So who is ready to kickoff a fresh, new year? Well every year is a fresh start that is for sure. It’s nice to look back but it’s also great to think of all the possibilities that lie ahead and how we are the writer of our story. Each day truly is a gift and needs to be lived like its your last, or as Isabel tells me, lived as if it your first! Great perspective.

Let’s hope we have all learned some good lessons from these past years, like to appreciate our health, all that is good in our lives, how important our homes are, and to stop delaying on those things you've been wanting to do. For us at Candelaria Design, we always strive to live life to its fullest and inspire ourselves and others to do the same.

We have an exciting 2022 in the works with three Candelaria Design Tours; Oregon in May, Spain in June, and Italy in September. Then add in plenty of client dinners, fund raisers, site staking and house warming parties and 2022 will not be short of exciting events filled with #CandelariaStyle.

We have been so fortunate to have stayed busier than ever this year! Our work was published in numerous publications, we won two Luxe Red Awards, two Masonry Council Awards, and were named as a top architect firm by various outlets! Our Candelaria Design Team has really done a stellar job, especially given the unforeseen changes in the world, the housing market, the supply chain and even internal company changes this year.

So now, let’s take a look back at all we accomplished in 2021 at Candelaria Design! We all wish you a joyous, prosperous and healthy 2022.

---

“Inspiring Living” Podcast

Mark's Inspiring Living Podcast has been going strong since September 2019 and has nearly 100 inspiring episodes! Take a look at our website's Podcast Page by clicking the image above to see all the past episodes and listen to some amazing stories.

---

Recipes

As you know, Mark loves to cook and entertain, but did you know we have a wide variety of recipes on our website, many of which have YouTube video tutorials featuring either Mark or professional chefs! Click the image above to see for yourself and learn something new!

---

To stay inspired and up to date on all our designs, events, podcasts, etc. follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

What to Look For When Designing or Shopping for a Luxury Home

When designing or shopping for a luxury home, there are many considerations. Location, size, architectural design, and privacy are a few of the reasons people are willing to pay a premium for this top tier of properties. However, it is the quality of materials that can truly set luxury homes apart. While high-quality materials are paramount, few buyers know exactly which materials to look for when searching for the home of their dreams. The following breakdown delves into the most sought after features in today’s home design and how to locate them when shopping for or designing a luxury home.

Dedicated Spaces

The prevailing trend in modern design over the last decade has been to tear down walls to create open and inviting spaces. And while the open layout is likely here to stay for kitchens and living rooms, contemporary luxury homes feature a good share of specialty rooms and partitioned areas.

Game hubs, workout rooms, and contactless delivery spaces are some of the most prominent dedicated spaces requested by luxury home shoppers. In this new era of remote work, even the home office is getting taken to the next level, with multiple work areas featured in some houses. Zoom walls, modular partitions, and acoustic ceiling clouds are ways that homeowners can ensure that more than one party can work or study simultaneously.

Operational Windows

The widespread virus has emphasized the importance of air quality and circulation. As a means of protecting health and wellness, luxury homeowners are eschewing fancy decorative windows in exchange for windows that can be easily opened. Casement or sliding glass windows with operable louvered shutters make for a great way to maximize air circulation while enhancing curb appeal.

Durable Kitchens

With more meals being prepared at home and casual get-togethers shifting from the bistro to private residences, it is more important than ever that the kitchen be able to withstand significant traffic without showing signs of wear. Features such as quartz countertops, rustic engineered wood flooring, and stainless steel fixtures are highly durable and require minimal maintenance.

Energy Efficient Features

There are more ways to create an energy-efficient luxury home than by having solar panels installed. While solar roofs are undoubtedly a strong option for reducing nonrenewable energy consumption, buyers are also interested in features such as Energy Star appliances, radiant floor heating, LED lighting, and smart glass windows as means of reducing the home’s energy consumption.

Exterior Living Spaces

As people spend more time at home, it is important that they be able to break the monotony of sitting inside all day. Therefore, contemporary luxury homes invest heavily in functional exterior spaces.

Covered decks, outdoor kitchens, and louvered pergolas are all some trendy features that are highly desirable to home shoppers. In addition, pass-through windows are becoming popular due to the accessibility they lend between the home’s interior and exterior, with some homes even choosing to feature café-style exterior seating on the deck or patio that opens directly into the kitchen.

Insulated Concrete Framing

As people are spending more time than ever at home, insulation has become a primary concern as a means of controlling utility consumption, with shoppers asking about foam board and fiberglass batts in the walls and polyiso insulation in the ceilings. For the more environmentally conscious, recycled denim rolls and batts are becoming a popular insulation trend and one we used in the first LEED Restaurant in Arizona, El Chorro, designed by of course, Candelaria Design.

Insulated concrete forms (ICF) is also becoming a staple as a modern luxury framing choice. In addition to elite weather resistance and thermal mass, ICF offers the highest quality protection from fire and insects, making it highly desirable in parts of the western United States that have been ravaged by wildfires in recent years.

There are many factors to balance when shopping for or designing a luxury home, with high-quality building materials being at the top of the list. However, the most contemporary trends in quality may be difficult for some buyers to stay ahead of. By considering the aforementioned points, buyers can gain a firm understanding of what to look for when shopping for a luxury home. 

Roger Marx is a contributor to the Innovative Building Materials blog. He is a content writer for the construction and home improvement industries . Roger is focused on educating homeowners, contractors, and architects on innovative materials and methods of construction that increase property value and improve sustainability.

A Look Back at 2020 in Candelaria Style

So who is ready to put a wrap on 2020? My guess is most of us! One thing for sure, none of us have any idea what to expect in 2021. Let’s assume it will be better but if there is one lesson we all learned, it is that the only thing we can be assured of is what is happening right now! Let’s hope we have all learned some good lessons from 2020; learned to slow down, learned to appreciate all that is good and special in our lives, learned how important our homes are and how special they can be.

 And speaking of our homes – wow – what a year 2020 was for our homes. We all rediscovered our homes, as for most of the year we spent a lot more time there. We had to work from home, cook at home, learn at home, socialize from home. Our home became our world. When the covid virus first started making the scene in February we prepared for the worst thinking it might be a repeat of the financial crisis of 2008 and for many that has sadly been the case. For us at Candelaria Design, it has been just the opposite – 2020 has been our best and busiest year ever! In fact we hit $100 million in sales of Candelaria Design Homes in 2020 and we are already designing new homes for many of these clients. Our Candelaria Design Team has really done a stellar job despite all of the required pivots and I personally want to thank all of them for staying positive and going above and beyond the call of duty! 

 So now, let’s take a look back at this crazy year and revisit the projects, events, and special moments from 2020 at Candelaria Design!

---

January

 We started the year with our paella dinner at Casa Candelaria. This is always a fun tradition and we brought in the new year with paella and black eyed peas thinking what an amazing year was ahead for us all…wow we had no idea what was just weeks ahead. Thanks to those who joined us and I’m still not sure what my game plan is for our 2021 New Year paella party. Stay tuned!

We also started the move into our new office expansion and I physically moved my office to the north side of the building and our Candelaria Kitchen construction was in full gear.

Our month featured projects in Salt Lake City, Durango, Co., Nashville, TN, Chalis, ID, Greensboro, NC amongst the many projects right here in Arizona.

We celebrated the completion of a beautiful project by my Partner, Architect, Meredith Thomson with a client dinner right there in their home! More to come on this project!

Fabulous dinner at the Spiekerman Residence

We attended the Gigi’s Playhouse Gala at JW Marriott at Desert Ridge in support of our good friend and client Jennifer Gage and our continued involvement and commitment to Gigi’s. Special kudos to our associate, Damon Wake, who is now on the board for his continued commitment and passion towards this amazing cause and organization. 

 We also hosted a private dinner at Taliesin West to raise funds for the Taliesin Foundation. This was a magical night and we appreciate the full support as we sold the event out. Little did we know that shortly after this event the whole Taliesin School and Foundation would part ways….unreal. Also, little did we know the Gigi’s Gala and the Taliesin dinner would be our final in-person events of the year. 

Candelaria Design sponsored dinner at Taliesin.

---

February

We started this month with a couple fun dinners at Casa Candelaria , The first was an amazing evening when our friends from Enoteca Properzio flew to the US and hosted a dinner they shipped in, prepared at our home, and then hosted an amazing wine tasting for a number of our past Candelaria Design Tour Italy travelers. Good thing we stocked up on wine before the lockdown! Then a couple weeks later we hosted a reunion dinner with our 2015 Candelaria Design Tour Italy Travelers and another with our September 2016 travelers – many made it live and the rest Zoomed in – we were zooming way ahead of what was to become the new normal.

Wine Tasting and Dinner Party with Enoteca Properzio at Casa Candelaria

Candelaria Design Tour Italy Class of 2015

Candelaria Design Tour Italy Class of 2016

Then on February 12th I flew to Miami for the LUXE Magazine Gold List Award Ceremony where we were awarded our Gold List award. This was such a fun event and well attended by many from the Phoenix/Scottsdale Design Community. 

Then on February 17th many from our firm attended the Phoenix Home and Garden Master of the Southwest event at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden where my wife, and Interior Designer, Isabel Dellinger-Candelaria, of Earth and Images https://www.earthandimages.com  was inducted into the Masters of the Southwest. https://www.phgmag.com/queen-of-the-castle/ featuring many of our Candelaria Design projects primarily our chic Parisian Transitional home by Project Manager, Damon Wake now featured on the Phoenix Home and Garden Virtual Home Tour https://www.phgmag.com/look-inside-a-modern-version-of-a-classic-parisian-home-in-paradise-valley/

I was proudly inducted in 2005 and so Isabel and I are now the first Masters of the Southwest couple!

We also had another fabulous feature in Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine featuring a iconic home on the Phoenix Country Club that I collaborated on with my partner Vivian Ayala. https://indd.adobe.com/view/01d75466-99f6-4694-862a-0aca80cf3017 . This amazing home was a complete restore, renovation, and remodel built by GM Hunt Builders https://gmhuntbuilders.com with landscape by Berghoff Design Group http://www.berghoffdesign.com  The interiors were all meticulously executed by the homeowner. 

Pre Napa Tour Dinner at the Herb Box

We did have our Candelaria Design Napa Tour Pre-Tour Dinner at the Herb Box hoping we would be able to all go on our first tour in April. I remember from the conversation around the table that Covid was on our minds and we were all thinking we would be able to go but as we all know now our tour was indefinitely postponed…. Good thing we ordered that wine for our friends in Italy! 

---

Enjoying at least one game of baseball with my brother James Candelaria, his wife Beth and my Isabel.

March

I started March with a trip to Charleston, SC to watch my nephew, Trevor, who plays baseball for Davidson University in North Carolina, play a series in Charleston. My brother, James, and his wife, Beth, joined Isabel and I for the week. What an amazing city as I had never been. Definitely returning here – fabulous architecture and cuisine!

From there I flew to Denver for my daughter’s volleyball tournament and then Seattle to meet two sets of new clients…. And that was it – COVID 19 had struck and it was time for us to all go into lockdown which we did. We had our last collective in person Candelaria Staff meeting on Friday the 13th and went over our systems and protocols not knowing how long this would last. From then on we were all zooming. Well as I’m typing this blog we are still working from home so I am glad we prepared and were ready. 

Ground breaking on a new home in Paradise Valley with Brimley Development and IMI Designs

As the month rolled on we did celebrate the arrival of twins for our associate Arland Encallado and we joined in on some exciting ground-breakings and our Candelaria Design office expansion along with our new Candelaria Design – Monogram Kitchen completed just in time for our entire team to be sequestered and working from home. So we had a new, beautiful, twice as big office and no one there!

Ground Breaking on our second home in Talking Rock Ranch in Prescott with DLB Homes

Candelaria Design Baby Shower for Arland Encallado

---

April 

Zoom Happy Hour with past Spain Travelers - Virtual Spain Tour.

In April we went virtual as we all worked from home and began zooming with our clients and each other. Client meetings, staff meetings, even happy hours went virtual. We had to cancel our first Candelaria Design Tour Napa and went into wait and see mode for our June Spain Tour and our September Tour Italy. 

With our new Candelaria Design – Monogram demonstration kitchen completed we did do our first virtual cooking class where we made pasta with our Candelaria Collection Pasta Maker. https://www.candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-lifestyle-1/2020/4/26/candelaria-design-pasta-making-class

We had our first of five LUXE Magazine features for the year in the March/April Issue. This was a lovely remodel/makeover of a Paradise Valley home that I collaborated with my Project Manager, Damon Wake, and Interior Designer Heather Ryan of H Ryan Studios https://www.hryanstudio.com built by Tiara Sun Development http://tiarasundev.com. 

 
We closed out April with one of our marquis Candelaria Design homes being sold to another one of our clients for $18.5 million. The sale was featured in the Wall Street Journal as one of the top sales ever in the Arizona Market….don’t worry more big Candelaria sales were to come during the year!

---

May

We made the cover of Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine with a beautiful estate home we designed on a hillside lot in Silverleaf  https://indd.adobe.com/view/9919e6eb-bc73-41d0-90c1-fb4a68480604 . The featured home was spearheaded by our Project Manager, Tim Mathewson, built by Schultz Development https://schultzdevelopment.org landscape design by Berghoff Design Group http://www.berghoffdesign.com, with interiors by Earth and Images https://www.earthandimages.com

---

June

 Principal, Vivian Ayala, had a spectacular modern home featured in the May/June Issue of LUXE Magazine https://issuu.com/sandow-media/docs/az_lx57_digital/228. This is the first of two projects Vivian would have featured in LUXE Magazine in 2020! Fabulous design and great collaboration with builder Cullum Homes https://cullumhomes.com and interiors by New York designer Jamie Drake http://drakeanderson.com/category/portfolio/.

We were also featured in Scottsdale Lifestyle Magazine https://citylifestyle.com/phoenix-az/articles/home-and-design/candelaria-designs-over-the-top-outdoor-spaces for our amazing home complete with a Cat Moat around the entire back yard built in Silverleaf by built by Schultz Development https://schultzdevelopment.org landscape design by Berghoff Design Group http://www.berghoffdesign.com, with interiors by Kimberly Colletti http://www.kimberlycolletti.com/portfolio

---

July

 With the Covid 19 scenario worsening and the heat of the summer I decided that if I was going to work from home I might as well find a cool place to do so and so I packed up and headed to the Pacific Northwest for the month and found a cool Mid-Century Modern AirBnB in McMinnville, Oregon in the heart of Pinot wine country. I made this my home and office for the month of July. Nice hikes through the forest in the mornings, work by day, and we even did one of our virtual cooking classes on the 4th of July. 

July also marked the completion of Season One and our 50th Podcast with a wonderful interview of my partner and fellow principal, Vivian Ayala, preceded by podcast interviews of my two other partners, Evelyn Jung, and Meredith Thomson! https://www.candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast

We also had a home we had completed ten years ago featured in Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine https://indd.adobe.com/view/a14447ec-27dd-4adc-bec4-f5a90911d64b . This Mid-Century Modern remodel on the Mountain Shadows golf course is just shy of 3000 sf. We in fact reduced the size of the home when we remodeled it! Fantastic feature and great job by our Project Manager, Tim Mathewson, and built by Eagle Luxury Properties https://eagleluxuryproperties.com.

---

August

With my month in Oregon completed it was time to pack up and head home but of course I managed to make a swing through Santa Barbara, CA and picked up a couple projects along the way! 

August 5th marked the announcement that one of our spec homes for Temac Development https://www.temac.com was selected to be the Winter 2020 Iconic Haus for Iconic Life Magazine https://iconiclife.com. This beautiful home created by the team of Vivian Ayala and Mat Grove would be completed by the end of November and would be the featured home on their Virtual Tour to benefit Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  https://iconichour.libsyn.com/rss

Podswap for the Iconic Haus Winter 2020 with Iconic Life Editor Renee Dee

Iconic Haus Winter 2020 built by Temac Development

Principal, Vivian Ayala kept her LUXE Magazine streak going with another fabulous contemporary home featured in the August LUXE Magazine https://issuu.com/sandow-media/docs/az_lx58_digital/156 . This home in Mountain Shadows was built by Cullum Homes https://cullumhomes.com with interiors by IMI Design Anita Lang https://www.imidesignstudio.com.

August also marked Phase 2 of our Candelaria Design Partnership whereby I sold 48% of the company to my three partners, Vivian Ayala, Evelyn Jung and Meredith Thomson all owning 16% each. We celebrated with a signing ceremony and me fixing a celebratory dinner at the new office kitchen. 

Buy-Sell Contract signing with partners Evelyn Jung, Meredith Thomson and Vivian Ayala

Saying our farewells to Peter Ekama

In Mid-August we said goodbye to one of our fav architects on our staff, Peter Ekama, who had been with us for many years as his wife and family decided to move to Pennsylvania to be closer to family. We already miss Peter a ton and we wish him and his family all the best in their new endeavors.

Meredith Thomson and Peter Ekama on site!

While we said good bye to Peter we did welcome a number of new members to our team over the course of the year! We welcomed Anton Adams, Jeff Innes - who rejoined us after a few year hiatus, and Scott Marshall. We welcome them all to our Candelaria Family! Check out their bios on our Meet the Team Page

On site with Isabel and our Kansas City client.

I finished August with a trip to Kansas City to begin work on a new project there. This would be our third project in the Kansas City area and our second in the community of Loch Lloyd. Isabel accompanied me and we walked to property and got down to work with an initial design and some first sketches!

Initial concept sketch of our Kansas City project.

---

September

We started September by flying off to Carmel, CA to stay with a client we are designing a home for on Camelback Mountain. Isabel and I had a little design time and a lot of cooking and fun with our clients.

Cooking butternut squash enchiladas with our clients in Carmel, CA.

We also squeezed in a few client and team dinners at our Candelaria Offices from our demonstration kitchen. We kept the numbers down and did our best to social distance but boy did we have some fun evenings. We just cannot wait to make this a standard ritual once we are on the other side of the pandemic. 

At the end of the month, my daughter, Tiffany, who also manages our social media, marketing, our podcasts, website….well you get the picture….joined me for a quick trip to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to visit my other daughter, Isabella! We rented an AirBnB and worked remotely from there for a few days, again enjoying the fresh air, great food and even a tour of a winery. 

---

October

 We started October with a trip to Flagstaff to check on a number of projects we have going there including work in Forrest Highlands, Flagstaff Ranch, and Pine Canyon. We finished the day with us cooking a paella dinner at a project we recently completed with Earth and Images https://www.earthandimages.com and Holdsworth Construction https://holdsworthconstruction.com  in Pine Canyon. Fantastic project headed up by Project Architect, Rebecca Roe, who also baked some amazing pies for the evening!

Always a pleasure to dine at Tarbell’s

On October 13th I celebrated my 60th birthday with a wonderful dinner at one of my true favorites - Tarbell’s https://www.tarbells.com. The original plan was to celebrate my 60th at Villa d’Este on Lake Como  https://www.grandluxuryhotels.com/hotel/villa-d-este?cur=USD  for the grand finale of our Tour Italy but that got scrubbed due to Covid and then the back-up plan was to celebrate at Enchantment in Sedona https://www.enchantmentresort.com , but that got scrubbed too due to limitations on the size of the party and number of guests they could accommodate so Tarbell’s it was and of course they did not disappoint! So for 2021 we are shooting for a combo 50/60 Tour Italy where we will celebrate the end of my 60th year and the beginning of Isabel’s 50th! 

Celebrating my 60th at Tarbell’s with Mom, Dad, Isabel and her mom Alette.

60th Birthday with daughter Tiffany at the Candelaria Design Kitchen

New project site at the San Juan Islands, WA

The very next day it was off to Seattle and the San Juan Islands to begin work on a new project there. So excited for this one! What an amazing place and definitely on my radar for my summer escape in 2021. 

Wheels up with Builder Jim Audiss

Celebrating birthdays with Phyllis and Gil Lerner

The following weekend, Isabel and I spent the weekend at our client and good friend’s Phyllis and Gil Lerner’s home that Vivian and I designed in Desert Mountain built by Manship Builders. We celebrated both Gil’s and my birthdays with a lovely dinner on the patio. So fun to spend a weekend and sleep, eat, and enjoy one of our creations first hand. Thank you again Phyllis and Gil!

That same weekend I flew off to Martha’s Vineyard to meet with a client’s rep to discuss another new and exciting project. I had never been to the Vineyard and it was absolutely fantastic. 

Dinner with Team Voelkel

 Later that week we were able to work in another client dinner at the Candelaria Kitchen with the project team of Earth and Images https://www.earthandimages.com and A Finer Touch Construction https://aftconstruction.com . Another fun evening and a totally cool house in the works here by Principal, Meredith Thomson, and Project Manager, Tyler Bulriss. 

George Christensen and I at Enchantment Opening Day 1987

Isabel and I finished the month with a nice stay at the Enchantment Resort with our clients and best of friends, Phil and Renee Giltner as we celebrated Phil’s birthday. Enchantment is always one of my favorites as I designed this marquis resort back in the mid 80’s with my former partner architect, George W. Christensen.

 October was a busy month!

---

 November

 November started with me cooking at a client’s home in Paradise Valley that not only was recently published and featured in LUXE Magazine but it also received a 2020 Subzero Southwest Kitchen of the Year Award. Yes, it was fun to cook in the kitchen and experience the space personally! We dined on the patio and enjoyed my Fettucine Bolagnese! Great project by my team of Vivian Ayala and Jochen Walther, builder Argue Custom Homes, interiors by Mara Green  and landscape by Refined Gardens. A video of the home is featured on the Argue Custom Homes website banner page https://arguecustomhomes.com .

Mid November it was back to Kansas City to present our conceptual plans for the project and then back to Phoenix for the opening of the Iconic Life Winter 2020 Iconic Haus https://www.candelariadesign.com/podcast-content/2020/11/27/iconic-haus-winter-2020-launch .

The following weekend it was off to Santa Barbara to begin work on two projects there, a whole house remodel with amazing views of the city and ocean beyond, and then an addition to a home we designed and completed a few years ago in Montecito. https://youtu.be/NqfEhDJLM4g

Our new project in Santa Barbara ready for a Candelaria Design makeover!

Our completed project in Montecito ready for a new addition!

We finished November with the debut of the Candelaria Design - Temac Development Iconic Haus Winter 2020 and its Virtual Tour - https://iconichour.libsyn.com/rss.

---

December

 We started December with one of our amazing contemporary homes featured on the Cover of the 15 year Anniversary Issue of LUXE Magazine https://luxesource.com/all-in-materials-little-sparkle-makes-arizona-mountain-shine-schultz ! This hillside home in Paradise Valley is one of my favorites – fabulous clients and a stellar team featuring builder Schultz Development  https://schultzdevelopment.org interiors by IMI Design Anita Lang https://www.imidesignstudio.com and landscape by Greey-Pickett http://www.greeypickett.com

We also made the first LUXE Magazine cover in 2005 with a Candelaria - Schulz collaboration, and so it was a real honor to be featured again for the anniversary issue.

We could not participate in a live Phoenix Home and Garden Home Tour this year so we worked with Editor-In-Chief John Roark in putting together a Virtual Home Tour of a Parisian influenced Transitional Style Candelaria Design & Earth and Images https://www.earthandimages.com home built by Desert Star Construction https://desertstarconstruction.com. This home was a wonderful collaboration with my Project Manager, Damon Wake, and just two super fun clients! https://vimeo.com/492569322

 Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine also featured one of our most magical homes in their holiday issue. Homeowner Jane recalls, “When we were planning this house, I knew there needed to be a surprise around every corner. A home should exude happiness—and I wanted to look up and down and see something new all the time.” Click the image below to view the article and this magical home all decked out for Christmas.

We closed out the year with our Candelaria Design Virtual Holiday Party magically executed to perfection by our Director of Lasting Impressions, Janice Rantanen, and Principal, Evelyn Jung. We had dinner delivered to our team scattered across the Valley and we even pulled off a White Elephant Gift Exchange. I sure do miss our team and our time together and it surely makes us all realize how important the little things are in life that we all take for granted. 

 So many exciting projects in the works both being built and on the boards so stay tuned to an exciting 2021 from the Candelaria Design TEAM!

What a year!!!! Even with a pandemic, our Candelaria Design Team, did an absolutely amazing job setting all-time records for our company! We want to thank them all! Thank you also to our teammates out there, the builders, designers, subcontractors, vendors, realtors, everyone who contributes to the creation and construction of these amazing homes and projects. We are all truly blessed.  Happy New Year to you all and may 2021 bring everyone joy, love, happiness, prosperity and most importantly good health! See you in 2021!!!

WISHING EVERYONE THE BEST IN 2021!!!

Mark's Summer Escape in McMinnville, OR

Summer’s in Phoenix are the hottest, longest time of the year, a time when most people try to leave for a cooler climate. For my family and I, we started spending our summers in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho when my friend and client Patrick Murphy hired me to design his family a second home on stunning Lake Coeur d’Alene in 1999. In fact, we purchased a home there in 2004 and enjoyed many years of both summer and winter fun overlooking that magnificent lake. Fast forward nearly 20 years, my oldest daughter Tiffany urged us to “explore” and spend this summer somewhere else. So, I tasked her with finding a place that provided all of the following: a cool climate, a weekly farmer’s market, a small town but with fun things to do nearby, good food, and within reasonable driving distance from Phoenix. Well, she managed to find not only a town with all of that, but situated in a lush, rolling hills wine region! Needless to say, this is our new favorite summer spot.

McMinnville, Oregon is a small city of 34,000 people (10,000 less than Coeur d’Alene) an hour southwest of Portland and 45 minutes east of the coast, situated in the heart of the Willamette Valley. This region is known for its Pinot Noirs and there are literally hundreds of wineries to visit, serving much more than Pinots. Lucky for us, the wineries and tasting rooms were just starting to re-open to the public when we arrived on June 30th, along with dine-in restaurants, state parks and the weekly farmer’s market!

Mark enjoying a Pinot Noir at Domain Divio Winery

We rented a house on Airbnb about a mile from “main street” for the month of July. With the pandemic going on, neither myself nor my wife and daughter are working in the office, so we took all our work with us and my drafting table, cooking appliances, three bikes, and made the two-day drive to Oregon. We all got plenty of work done along with lots of walks through the woods, wine tastings, cooking and dining out, podcasts and rest. One podcast episode we recorded there featured one of the wonderful wineries we visited, Domaine Divio, and the owner and head winemaker there, Bruno Corneaux. Bruno grew up in Burgundy, France and went on to work in wineries around the world, before ending up in Oregon and starting Domaine Divio in 2014. Listen to this podcast episode here.

Tiffany & Isabel Candelaria at Domaine Serene Winery

We were so impressed by the wines, the landscape, the restaurants, the friendly people and the whole experience in and around McMinnville, we not only want to return as soon as possible, but we want to give all of you the opportunity to join us! Given everything I just mentioned, plus plenty of airports nearby and an array of accommodations, yet still relatively small and unknown, we decided this is a perfect location for a new Candelaria Design Tour!

The charming “main street” of McMinnville

Fresh berries from farm stands all around town.

Peruse the photos below we took during our month in Oregon and you’ll see what a charming place this region is and all it has to offer. We are planning the McMinnville/Willamette Valley Tour to take place in April 2022, with our Spain Tours remaining in June and our Italy Tours in September. 

We hope you all managed to get away this summer and have some fun in these challenging times. We look forward to welcoming you into our office and new demonstration kitchen as soon as it is safe. In the meantime, comment below to let us know your favorite summer destinations and connect with me on Facebook and Instagram @markcandelaria. 

Sliding Into Summer

CDA Team in Newport Beach, CA for MAPS training last Summer.

Well this has been an interesting year so far and as we continue in these uncertain times, Candelaria Design wishes everyone good health and prosperity. 

We have always felt it important to learn from difficult situations and to find or create positivity out of any negative obstacles. Our team started working from home on March 13th and we are so grateful to be able to serve our clients despite the 'stay at home' orders. We understand the value of everyone's safety and time, which is why we have decided to continue working remote for a few more weeks and will continue to encourage virtual meetings in the future. We appreciate everyone's cooperation and have found our clients appreciate the efficiency and convenience of these virtual meetings. 

We are fortunate to be staying very busy and now that our office expansion has come to completion, we are very excited to add talented additions to our already dedicated team! Our first hire is Architect Jeff Innes, AIA, who has rejoined our team after a few years away. Jeff Innes brings enthusiastic experience and his joy for architecture has already added energy to our remote office culture!

After completing our office expansion, we know firsthand how a remodel can change a person’s wellbeing, which is why we encourage anyone to contact us with any remodeling work or questions! Check out the Before & After kitchen photos below and our Before and After page on our website for further inspiration.

It is also apparent to us the ways we adapt our homes and way of life after this event will change. Check out this article from Houzz - we could not agree more! Mud Rooms are becoming receiving, decontamination, and sterilization spaces. Our Home Offices are taking on a whole new level of sophistication and home schooling/homework areas are taking on new responsibilities. Dining out has changed and many people are now looking to update their kitchens.  As staying at home has be come a new way of life for many of us, we will keep you updated on the latest remodel trends and ideas.  Remodels and Additions make up the majority of our workload and many completed remodels have been added to our marquee portfolio! 

As we slide into the summer, it is clear change and making adjustments are inevitable. Whether you are interested in remodeling your home, your business needs help getting the word out, or you're interested in adding a new recipe to your routine, Candelaria Design is here for you and we couldn't do this without YOU! Stay positive and know that as the world slows down, it presents a great opportunity to try something new!

---

Press

The current May issue of Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine features a Spanish-Colonial Candelaria Design home which also graces the cover. The project is a 10,000 sq. ft. home in Silverleaf - was lead by Candelaria Design’s Tim Mathewson with interiors and furnishings by the Earth and Images team.  The home was built by Schultz Development. Check out the feature by clicking here.

Arizona Foothills digital publication has begun a series of articles featuring Candelaria Design Associates. This first article was written by Mark Candelaria looking back on the past, speaking about the present, and giving us his vision for the future of the firm as he slowly segues into retirement. Click here to read the article.

Arizona Foothills Magazine has named us Best Architecture Firm of the year in their May issue “Best of the Valley” - we appreciate it!

Luxe Magazine Arizona’s March/April issue featured this gorgeous Santa Barbara-style remodel lead by Mark Candelaria and Damon Wake “combining coastal elegance with desert tranquility” in Paradise Valley. Visit our Press page to see more of this article.

Also in April, this gorgeous Candelaria Design estate designed a decade ago just sold for $17.5 million, that’s the second highest property sale in Arizona history. The highest was the $19.25 million sale generated late last year by the sale of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver’s estate nearby.

---

Inspiring Living Podcast

Our podcast continues to grow as we release a new episode every week featuring an inspiring guest! If you have not yet listened to our podcast, what are you waiting for? The podcast is not specifically about design and architecture, but more about the interesting people we know and work with, their story, and how they Inspire Living. To see all of the past podcasts and learn more about each, visit: https://www.candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast

---

Recipes

Did you catch our Instagram Live/IGTV Virtual Cooking classes this month?! In the first Saturday class, Mark & his daughter Tiffany walked viewers through how to make fresh pasta dough and then use their pasta machines to roll out the dough and turn it into fresh Fettuccini! Visit our Instagram page or website’s Recipe Page to see the recipe and video, or click here!

And you can order your own Candelaria Collection pasta maker right here: https://www.candelariadesign.com/candelaria-collection

The second virtual cooking class, Mark and Tiffany made the classic Italian dessert Tiramisu for Mother’s Day. Visit our Instagram page or website’s Recipe Page to see the recipe and video, or click here

Our third virtual cooking class will be Saturday, May 30th live on Instagram at 10am AZ time. Mark and Isabel Candelaria will be teaching you how to make Paella along with some special guests with them in our new showroom kitchen!

Thank you for following us and enjoying our Candelaria Style! We encourage you to follow us on Instagram and Facebook and our weekly Podcast and now our YouTube Virtual Cooking Classes. A lot more to come so Tune In!

March Madness

Well, this is a month we will not soon forget. . . and I’m alright with that. Times like these make us reassess what’s truly important in life, things like family, friends, your team, and your home! Reach out to your friends and family, take time to improve and enjoy your home, spread kindness at every turn - not panic and fear! So much of getting through the tough times has to do with your mindset. Taking positive actions and small steps add up to miles and if we all move in this direction the outcome will overcome any adverse scenario!

Here at Candelaria Design, we received five calls for new projects just this week! Our team is cranking remotely and we are in contact with all our clients and conducting lots of virtual meetings!

The opportunities that are waiting once this storm clears will be unprecedented - trust me. This is the 6th economic crisis in my lifetime and I have made it through all of them and we will make it through this one too! Stay safe, be smart, lay low, be positive, pray for others and save these posts to re-read them when the good times return so we never take the simple days and joys for granted!

---

Recipe: Spatchcock Grilled Jerk Chicken

Use this extra time at home to make some delicious meals. Here I have a zesty grilled Jerk chicken recipe for you that’s easy, filling and makes great leftover options.

Ingredients

6 Servings per chicken

• 1 medium organic whole chicken

• 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

• One New Mexico dried red chili, de-seeded, de-stemmed and chopped/crushed.

• 2 tbsp of Caribbean jerk seasoning

• Fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped as needed.

• ¼ cup of olive oil as needed to cover the chicken

• 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp pepper

Preparation

• To spatchcock the chicken – wash the chicken and pat dry. Then lay the chicken breast side down on a cutting board. I like to use a set of kitchen shears and cut along both sides of the chicken backbone and remove the backbone. Turn the bird over and flatten the bird out by cracking the breast bone.

• I then sprinkle some olive oil over the chicken and use my hands to rub it all over the chicken – then wash!

• Then squeeze lime juice all over the chicken and then generously sprinkle the jerk seasoning combined with the garlic and red chili all over the chicken, along with salt and pepper.

• Then place the chicken on the grill breast side up (if grilling on a Weber or similar grille, grill the chicken indirectly) and grill the chicken for about 30-45 minutes before flipping to the other side and grill another 30-45 minutes depending on the size of the chicken until the chicken comes up to a temperature of 165º. I love to grill the chicken on my Traeger grill and so I set mine to Smoke until I see the smoke and then I crank my Traeger to 450º.

• After grilling, let the chicken rest by covering with foil for 10-15 minutes. Cut the chicken into the pieces you like and garnish with more freshly squeezed lime juice and sprinkling of parsley. Serve with grilled vegetables, or rice, potatoes, risotto etc. Save the leftovers for topping a salad, tacos, whatever – ENJOY.

---

Inspiring Living Podcast

We recently released our thirtieth podcast of Inspiring Living and our subscribers have been growing steadily. Thank you for all the listens and subscribes! We have had many amazing guests on our first 30 podcasts and have many more forthcoming! If you have not listened to our podcast give it a go and let us know what you think by giving us a subscribe, a rating, and/or comments. Our podcast is not specifically about design and architecture but more about the interesting people we know and work with, their story, and how they Inspire Living. To see all of the past Podcasts and learn more about each, visit: https://www.candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast

---

Candelaria Design Tours

Sadly, due to the spread and future uncertainty of COVID-19 we decided earlier this month to suspend our June 2020 Candelaria Design Tour Spain and our October 2020 Candelaria Design Tour Italy this year.

We plan to resume next year with a France/London Tour in 2021 in lieu of the Spain Tour and an incredible Croatia/Italy Tour in 2021.

Ciao for now~

Getting 2020 in Gear

Welcome to the New Year – well ok, the second month of 2020 is already over! I have not posted a blog since September, so that gives you an idea of how busy it has been. Let’s just say – it’s definitely busy!!! Nonetheless, it’s good to take some time to share some of the fun we’ve been having here at Candelaria Design!

We started January with a fantastic evening at Gigi’s Playhouse Gala at the JW Marriott Hotel at Desert Ridge. We are very proud to be a part of this event every year and along with Earth and Images Interiors we have donated our services since their inception in creating Gigi’s Playhouse, Café and University for children and young adults with Downs Syndrome.

This all was the result of the collaboration of Candelaria Design and Earth and Images designing the home for the Founder, Jennifer Gage, which was featured on the Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine Home Tour in 2017. We put together a fun group at a Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images table and had a fabulous evening. We encourage you to listen to our Podcast Inspiring Living Episode 21 where we feature the fabulous Founder, Jennifer Gage! (Past podcast links below)

Mid December, Mark put his chef’s apron on for client and friend, Phyllis Lerners’ birthday celebration at their newly completed, gorgeous 11,000 sq. ft. Rural Mediterranean Candelaria Design home built by Manship Builders. Mark, daughter Tiffany, who recently joined the CDA Team, and two assistants cooked, cleaned and served an elaborate five course meal for 30 of Phyllis’s closest friends.

A few weeks ago, Candelaria Design hosted a private tour and dinner at the famed Taliesin West on January 16th and in the process raised roughly $4000 for Taliesin West and The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Taliesin West is a UNESCO World Heritage site and National Historic Landmark nestled in the desert foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, AZ. It is also the home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the School of Architecture at Taliesin. The evening was hosted by Candelaria Design, with Taliesin West graduate and CDA Project Manager, Jochen Walther, giving our 30 guests a private tour followed by cocktails at sunset and then the dinner served in the infamous Cabaret Room.

What an honor it was to have Taliesin all to ourselves and feel the vibe of Frank Lloyd Wright from the fabulous stories by Foundation President and CEO Stuart Graff. We want to thank all of you who donated to the Foundation by enjoying the private tour and dinner with us at Taliesin.

Inspiring Living Podcast

We have just completed and released our thirtieth podcast of Inspiring Living and our subscribers have been growing steadily. Thank you for all the listens and subscribes! We have had many amazing guests on our first 30 podcasts and have many more forthcoming! If you have not listened to our podcast give it a go and let us know what you think by giving us a subscribe, a rating, and/or comments. Our podcast is not specifically about design and architecture but more about the interesting people we know and work with, their story, and how they Inspire Living. To see all of the past Podcasts and learn more about each, visit: https://www.candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast

Check out these past podcast episodes since December and to stay up to date, subscribe!

Bringing The Bling To Living With Scott & Marla Berger

Building The Ultimate Dream Home With Habitat For Humanity

Photographer Julianne Palmer Talks Perspective

The Art Of Living With Art Featuring Niki Woehler

AV & Home Automation Revealed With Deric Andre

There Is Always A Way With ASU Football Legend Juan Roque

Our Angel On Earth-Jennifer Gage Of Gigi's Playhouse

No Reserve On Balance - Auctiontainer, Letitia Frye

Power Couple Elliot Barkan & Corinne Hale - They Launch Real Estate

Actress, Fashion Model & Entrepreneur - Clarissa Burt

Evan & Christian Delaney Inspire Men's Fashion

Mid-January I did a “podcast swap” with my friend, Founder and Publisher of the luxury lifestyle magazine ICONIC LIFE , Renee Dee. Check out Mark’s podcast about Renee and her life in media here: Living Beautifully With Renee Dee and then Renee’s podcast featuring Mark: Mark Candelaria Exemplifies Inspired Living On Iconic Hour

Last week, I got to be the guest on an amazing, national podcast I’ve been listening to for months called “The Hustle Sold Separately” by Matt Gottesman. We discussed how I get and stay inspired, energized and aligned and that whole concept of work-life-balance. “The Hustle Sold Separately” is aimed at the emerging creative entrepreneurial class, new-economy doers and global non-conformists. It focuses on humanizing the entrepreneurial journey by providing actionable advice and interviews from global creators and peers who are embracing the journey, building their brands, growing their companies and disrupting the industry, along with their own personal/professional journey.

Press

To kick off the new year, Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine featured two of Candelaria Design’s homes. The January 2020 article highlighted the project I got to team up with my wife, Interior Designer and now Master of the Southwest, Isabel Candelaria, of Earth and Images for the transformation of an outdated house in Paradise Valley, Arizona. This remodel/makeover was featured on the Phoenix Home and Garden 2019 Fall Home Tour and featured great work by Candelaria Design Project Manager, Damon Wake and Earth and Images Jr. Designer, Nikka Bochniak.  The home was built by True Performance Construction. Check out the feature here: https://www.candelariadesign.com/press/2019/12/13/phoenix-home-and-garden-features-candelaria-design-in-the-january-2020-issue

The following month, Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine featured a home I designed with now Principal and then Project Manager, Vivian Ayala over a decade ago in their “Art and Artist’s” February edition highlighting homes with spectacular works of art. The home was built by GMHunt Builders and landscaped by Berghoff Design Group.  Check out the feature here: https://candelaria-dev.squarespace.com/press/2020/1/17/enjoy-our-newest-beautiful-feature-story-in-the-february-edition-of-phoenix-home-amp-garden

Candelaria Design was named as a LUXE Magazine  2020 Gold List Honoree and Mark Candelaria attended the Hot List party in Miami, Florida on February 13th along with recipients from Arizona and across the country. https://luxesource.com/candelaria-design-associates/?year=goldlist2020

Also, Home Builder Digest listed CDA as one of the Best Residential Architect in Scottsdale, Arizona. https://www.homebuilderdigest.com/the-best-residential-architects-in-scottsdale-arizona/  

And last but not least, my wonderful wife Isabel was awarded the honor of Master of the Southwest 2020 by Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine this month! Take a look at the lovely magazine feature here including another Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images collaboration featuring the work of Candelaria Design Project Manager, Damon Wake and Earth and Images Jr. Designer, Nikka Bochniak.

The Earth and Images Crew - Congrats!

Candelaria Design Tours

Last Friday we got our 2020 Napa Travelers together for the Pre-Napa Tour Dinner at the Herb Box in Old Town Scottsdale. Our first Candelaria Design Tour Napa will kick off on April 3rd where we will enjoy 5 days and nights at the Las Alcobas Hotel in St. Helena, CA. This tour is sold out so follow us here and on Instagram and Facebook.

We also hosted two Candelaria Design Tour Italy Reunion Dinners and a Candelaria Design Tour Italy Spello Wine Tasting evening. Our reunion dinners were from our 2015 and 2016 Tours and the Spello Wine Tasting was from two trips whereupon the Angelina family from Spello, Italy and Enoteca Properzio prepared a fabulous beef tenderloin dinner and choreographed a phenomenal wine tasting at Casa Candelaria. Based on how much wine our 20 guests ordered, it was well worth their effort!

Sadly, due to the potential complications and uncertainty of the coronavirus which has now hit Italy and Spain, we are suspending our June 2020 Candelaria Design Tour Spain and our October 2020 Candelaria Design Tour Italy this year. It is just too risky to take the chance of getting there and travelers getting sick or being quarantined for unknown lengths of time. We will try and resume next year with a France/London Tour in 2021 in lieu of the Spain Tour and a Croatia/Italy Tour in 2021. We are also looking to add a Santa Fe Tour in 2021 to alternate years with our new Napa Tour – but we will see what transpires in the weeks and months ahead and remain flexible.

We wish everyone a strong finish to the first quarter and continued good health! I think it is important we all work together, take care of each other, stay calm and be smart. We are fortunate to be working on amazing projects here in Arizona and across the country, so stay tuned and follow us on our social media, podcasts and blog! Thanks for living your life in Candelaria Style!

20th Anniversary of Candelaria Design - 1999-2019

The Candelaria Design Partners 2019 - The Faces of Luxury Residential Design - Photo by Carl Schultz

Well we made it – 20 years of Candelaria Design! First – thanks for all of the well wishes, posts, texts, special trips out for our celebration, and gifts! They are all greatly appreciated. Thank you to my partners, Evelyn Jung, Vivian Ayala and Meredith Thomson in joining forces with me to carry this legacy forward. Thank you to our team who works hard every day to make these dreams into realities with their hard work and dedication! Thanks to all of those along the way who were a part of our team during these 20 years. Thanks to my family and especially my Dad and Mom and my wife Isabel, you all inspire me and have always been there for me!

20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner at El Chorro - photo by Pearl Blossom Photography

So much to look back upon and so many stories along the way. So many projects, I figure we have some 700 projects over that 20-year period. Add another 700 for the 18 years I was at CCBG and that’s quite a few homes and projects. I am working with writer David Brown and Graphic Artist, Chris Wahl, on a book that will chronicle some 20+ of my all-time favorite homes from the last twenty years, along with a recipe for each home, and a great story reliving the inspiration, the challenges, and the relationship resulting from each home. Stay tuned – we are working away!

Enchantment Resort Opening Day while with CCBG 1987 - Left to Right, John Gardiner, Merv Griffin, George Christiansen, and Mark Candelaria

My first year Holiday Card December 1999

Looking back, I remember the fear of leaving the firm of CCBG where I had been working for 18 years and was a partner of this 40 person firm for over 12 years. The firm had taken a turn towards more commercial work and my passion was residential work and working one-on-one with the clients. I loved the personal nature of designing a home and so I gave them notice in April 1999 and signed my incorporation papers on August 27, 1999. My goal was to work out of the house on maybe two or three projects at a time and keep life simple. I was 38 years old and had just married my second wife Heather, in May, and had no idea what was in store. 

Our first project for Candelaria Design - The Murphy Residence - Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

About the same time, my good friend and past client, Patrick Murphy, said he had a project in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for me to work on and shortly thereafter, another friend and contractor, Larry Peery said he would like me to work with him to design a home for him in Cornville, AZ., so I was off and running. 

The Peery Residence, Cornville, AZ

Within six months I had about twenty projects and needed an office and help! My good friend and civil engineer, Fred Fleet, called and let me know he was going to sublease some space in his office on the fourth floor located at 44th Street and Camelback! I was thinking – wow I may get lucky and have an amazing view of Camelback Mountain! Well, I went to visit him and it turns out the office was on the fourth floor alright, the only problem is it was four floors underground! So, I passed on that one! I mean I get starting on the ground floor but not four floors below the ground floor! 

That same day another friend, Margo Kessler, calls me and says they need to sublease their office which was located on the second floor (upstairs) at 12th Street and Campbell in a very cool Al Beadle building and architect Jack Debartolo was right next door and architect Eddie Jones was downstairs – damn good company right there and much better than starting in the basement. 

I still remember signing that lease and being so scared and of course those doubts crept in but I was too busy to worry about it too much. The office was furnished and I just needed to buy computers, a copier, and some other accessories which also took capital but was able to lease it all and so I was off and running. 

One of our first team photos from St. Mary’s Food Bank - Always giving back!

Next, I hired a person to run the front desk and my good friend Dave Perrin said his wife would be interested and so Meara Perrin came on board and started running the office. Future partner, Vivian Ayala, came on board as my fourth employee and now 19 years later is a partner! Right after her came Jeff Kramer a licensed architect and a salary to go with it – I was scared again! But as before, we were so busy we had not time to worry. Both Vivian and Jeff are still with me after all these years and I owe so much to them for our success over the course of all of these years. 

Jeffrey Kramer and Vivian Ayala

Vivian Ayala, Meara Perrin, MC and Tiffany at a Candelaria Design Diamondback Game circa 2003

It was about this time when Drue and Cathy Engles, clients and later good friends, wanted me to design a Tuscan style home. I got a bit bold and suggested that we should go to Tuscany and really do it right. They agreed and we set up a trip along with another client who was a travel agent and who had been to Tuscany and Umbria many times and so our first Candelaria Design Tour Italy was set. During the trip both sets of clients encouraged me to make this an annual tour and I took them up on the suggestion and here we are this year on our 20th Tour!

One of our first Candelaria Design Tours- Italy - circa 2004

Candelaria Design circa 2006

We kept growing, made it through 911, and along the way my second future partner, Evelyn Jung, joined taking over the front desk, being my assistant, and then taking over all of the finances of our company. We grew our way right into the 2008 financial tsunami that was coming our way with virtually no warning. It was like a light switch had been turned off. Projects were being cancelled left and right and about the same time my second wife and I separated and later filed for divorce. At the same time, I had a couple projects where I was a financial partner and with the economy crashing these projects were dying on the vine with the bankers calling. Those were some dark days but with the help of Evelyn we just kept going. 

In 2010, what seemed like an endless hell, all of a sudden had a ray of light. I met my angel on earth, my Isabel. She had purchased her store Earth and Images at the top of the market and she was also struggling, but now we had each other and we would help each other, encourage each other, and together along with my team we fought our way through the tsunami hell. 

First Sketches of El Chorro from 2010

10 years later at our 20th Anniversary Celebration dinner, MC, Isabel, Alette, Mom and Dad

One major project came along that really helped us and so many others make it and that was the El Chorro Restaurant where we proudly had our 20th Anniversary Dinner this past week! That project helped us turn the corner for the second wave and where we are today. The home projects started coming again, first in remodels and then new builds. Along the way, future partner, Meredith Thomson, contacted us looking for a job and we just were not hiring, but when I saw her talent and personality I know we had to bring her on board and we did.  

Dinner at Tarbell’s welcoming Meredith to the Candelaria Design Partnership!

By 2013 we were back on a roll. I married for a third time, this time finally finding my sweet angel, my Isabel! In fact, we married on the last day of our Candelaria Design Tour Italy at the Villa d’Este on Lake Como. We then moved our offices to our current location in Scottsdale and now we are doubling our size and adding a demonstration kitchen where we will be able to cook for our clients right at our offices. 

Wedding day to my sweet Isabel at the Villa d’Este September 16, 2013

We are currently designing homes now across the country! From Montauk, NY to Greensboro, NC to Kansas City, Missouri to the Big Lost River in Idaho to Lake Tahoe to Cannon Beach, Oregon! It is amazing and I am so proud of our team. I am so excited about where my partners, Evelyn Jung, Vivian Ayala, and Meredith Thomson will take the firm. We have a new Podcast starting this Fall – Inspiring Living -  https://www.candelariadesign.com/new-blog which will feature a wide gamut of guests from designers, architects, contractors, real estate pros, craftsmen, sports figures, leaders, philanthropists… all talking about how they have made it, the challenges they have faced and overcame and what Inspires them every day. We are further developing our Inspiring Living brand with added Tours to Spain and this fall we begin our first Candelaria Design Tour Napa! More to come for sure!

Thank you again for the first 20 and I am so looking forward to the next twenty in my new role at Candelaria Design as architect, mentor, chef, traveler, blogger, podcast host, and hopefully I continue to contribute to Inspiring Living every day! Next week we are off to Italy with a fun group so make sure you follow us along the way! Ciao!

Team Candelaria Design!

Here is to the next 20 years!

Barcelona - Start of our 2019 Tour Spain!

Casa Batlló

Evelyn and MC - Ready for Spain!

La Sagrada de Familia

This year we embarked on our third Candelaria Design Tour Spain our 18th Tour over all since our first tour in 2000! This was our largest group ever for Spain, 22 travelers in all. Our itinerary included San Sebastián, Granada and Barcelona – where we started our tour. 

I love Barcelona as it is one of my favorites of Europe – at least so far, I still have more to see! I love the robustness of everything about Spain but particularly, Barcelona, from its architecture of course, but also its cuisine and Catalan culture. From Gaudi, to Picasso, to Dali, to Hemingway – there is nothing timid about this culture. You simply either get out of the way of the bull or you get gorged by the bull! Its flamboyant, its captivating and its proud. The people of Barcelona and Catalan are proud of their culture and they have every right to be. Its amazing.

Thursday May 30th

Hotel Arts - Barcelona

We started our tour this year where we finished our first Spain Tour in 2017, at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. ihttp://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/spain/barcelona?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2. What a luxurious and modern experience starting with a glass of cava – in essence Spanish champagne, and a welcome for my travelers who had been traveling for nearly 22 hours. We checked in mid-day, relaxed and rested a bit, and then went out for what else, paella! 

Hotel Arts - Barcelona

Becket and Sophia Edwards enjoying paella

My group was fantastic and consisted of a wide age range from 20 to over 80! Half of my group was younger than thirty and the rest were all near 50 or older. I loved it – what energy was brought by the younger travelers and I’m excited to see the next generation of Candelaria Design Tour travelers emerging. 

Friday May 31st

 The next day a large part of our group were off to visit the Gaudi houses of Casa Batlló and Casa Mila.  https://www.casabatllo.es   http://www.lapedrera.comTwo amazing works by Gaudi both along the grand boulevard, the Passeig de Gràcia – one of the most beautiful tree lined boulevards in Barcelona. Both of these works are really more works of art than architecture, although Gaudi manages to masterfully merge both, into a whimsical Art Nouveau creation with Casa Batlló and something from out of this world with Casa Mila – especially if you visit the roofs of both and encounter the chimneys that look like space soldiers from Star Wars. As I have said several times, I am convinced Gaudi was taken to another world, brought back and built what her remembered from his journey. 

La Rambla

The rest of us toured the La Rambla, another beautiful boulevard in Barcelona, but a bit overrun with tourists. . Of course I had to make a quick stop to my favorite spot in Barcelona, the La Boqueria. http://www.boqueria.barcelona We made a quick dash through as it was a busy time of the day – but I was able to assure myself that it was there, the world was good, and I could come back later while here and take the time to truly enjoy the magic of this food mecca.

From there we strolled through the old part of Barcelona, the Barrio Gótico de Barcelona where we basically went from shop to shop, through a maze of car free, narrow streets with the sounds of people speaking Catalan and the sounds of dishes clanking from small apartments where people are enjoying a light lunch before their siesta or from little cafes which we ultimately ventured into for our own light lunch and then it was back to our hotel for our own siesta. 

Phil and Renee Giltner and Isabel at La Boqueria

La Boqueria

La Boqueria

Then that evening, we got right into it with our first of what would be three Devour Food Tours, one in each city we would visit on our Tour. https://devourtours.com  Devour is an amazing concept by James Blick where they combine what is a guided history tour, as you typically see throughout Europe, with a food and wine tour. It lasts about three hours, you learn some history, see some sights, but you eat and drink along the way all the while experiencing local foods, wines, and traditions with locals in their settings – so away from the typical tourist spots. They are fantastic, a great value and I highly recommend them. They started in Spain, but they are growing to Rome, Paris, and Lisbon – I am sure we will see them springing up throughout Europe and I sure hope so they are a great way to get a nice macro/micro tour when visiting a city and dinner at the same time all while walking and burning those calories! 

Our Devour Tour started at the Mercat de Santantoni https://www.mercatdesantantoni.com/

Mercat de Santantoni

which is another fabulous market worth visiting and considering. We were guided by two lovely ladies who broke us into two smaller groups alternating the restaurants we would visit for quick bites and drinks.  

Our two Devour guides flanking our traveler, Bob Kramer!

Vermut

Our first stop was the La Bodega d’en Rafel https://labodegadenrafael.dudaone.com/

 This was a fun stop with wonderful tapas and we were introduced to Vermut  which is a very popular drink in Catalan and is basically what we call Vermouth – an herb infused wine poured over ice with a twist of lemon or orange. https://talesofthecocktail.com/culture/doing-vermouth-catalan-style Then the second introduction was the drinking wine from a Porrón which is a traditional glass wine pitcher originating right here in Catalan. Let’s just say my group of travelers really took a liking to the Porrón!

Drinking from the Porrón

Cellar Florida

Our next stop was the Cellar Florida for more tapas and some delicious cava and wine. We made our final stop where we met up with the entire group at the Els Sortidors del Parlament. Another wonderful spot filled with locals – not a single tourist, except us of course – and the perfect place to gather the group around a large table and enjoy more amazing wine and tastes of Catalan.

Cellar Florida

Our travelers enjoying Els Sortidors del Parliament

We finished our evening walking a few blocks to the Font Magica de Montjuïc – or the Magic Fountains! It was a beautiful evening and the perfect night to take this in. Plenty of tourists here but we managed to have some fun, do some jumps and enjoy the light and water show along with the spectacular views. 

Becky and Dave Stockett getting carried away in Barcelona!

Saturday June 1st

We started this day the same way we started the day before with a large group headed to two more spectacular Gaudi works, the La Sagrada Familia Cathedral and then Parc Güell. https://sagradafamilia.org    https://www.parkguell.cat 

Both of these works are off the charts and the Sagrada Familia in my opinion is one of the most amazing creations and architectural feats ever designed and constructed. As I said in our video, it is like looking into a kaleidoscope and then being able to walk into it. It is truly an awe-inspiring experience. Parc Güell is a lovely place to finish your Gaudi experience. It is like being a kid and exploring a fairytale. You find yourself looking for the Mad Hatter or Alice in Wonderland…or maybe Alice Cooper….its out there!

Isabel doing some shopping!

While one group was soaking in more Gaudi a few others slept in, relaxed by the beach, or went exploring and shopping. Isabel and I went exploring and shopping! We had morning breakfast at the La Boqueria at the famous Pinotxo Bar. Pinotxo is most likely La Boqueria's, and even Barcelona's, best tapas bar. The famous and charismatic owner, Juanito, greeted Isabel and I and personally served us Spanish Tortilla, and café leche, along with a few other breakfast treats. From there we did some shopping along the Passeig de Gràcia and back in the Barrio Gótico when I started getting some Instagram messages from a childhood friend I had not seen in probably 30 years. He had been following my posts and realized I was in Barcelona where he was visiting and we made arrangements to meet at the La Boqueria for lunch! This time we would go to one of my favorites, Bar Boqueria http://barboqueria.comfor their spectacular grilled seafood platter. 

Jamie Gomez with MC at the La Boqueria Bar

What fun to meet, reconnect and share some stories from years gone by. His family and my family have been friends since our great grandfathers back in Durango, Colorado so that goes back a few years! Well we couldn’t stop at the seafood platter so we went for a closer – the filet with topped with foie gras. Off the charts. A cold beer to go along and what a fantastic memory and experience. 

Isabel and I then went back to the hotel for a siesta as tonight we were going to dine in high style at the contemporary Catalan restaurant – Windsor Cuina Catalana. This came at the recommendation of our concierge at the Hotel Arts and it did not disappoint. It is always nice to experience both ends of the spectrum in food and atmosphere. 

Sunday June 2nd

Our final day in Barcelona and it did not disappoint. Given it was a Sunday we needed to go to church and so we made a trek to the mountains northwest of Barcelona and the monastery of Montserrat http://www.abadiamontserrat.net/(S(1b0knnbyzw2nubo2pwog3a1x))/Defaultangles.aspx  Such a beautiful setting and experience – if you could subtract all of the tourists…. I would recommend going on a cold rainy day so you could have it all to yourself. Nonetheless, I loved experiencing this mountainside Monastery, and the fantastic architecture. We were lucky enough to be there just as Sunday Mass was underway which I enjoyed very much. I took some time to meditate and pray and mentally cancel out all the people that were there to just take pictures and move on to the next venue on their tour. 

From here we traveled down the mountains to the valley floor below and to the winery Oller Del Mas. https://ollerdelmas.com/en/Sitting in a fertile plain with the Mont Serrat range in the distance, we enjoyed a tour of the winery and a light lunch in a beautiful private space with spectacular views and what do you know a porrón with which to enjoy our wine! 

We finished our lunch and emptied our porrón and made our way back to Barcelona to relax and then up to the rooftop of our hotel for a farewell cocktail party to bring our Barcelona leg of the trip to a close! 

Kent Welborne and Evelyn enjoying the final evening in Barcelona!

Heidi Haggerty-Welborn, Becket and Sophia Edwards

Adios Barcelona!

Happy Fourth of July 2019 - Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

Happy 4th from Mark and Isabel

Happy 4th of July weekend to everyone. Hopefully, most of you have turned this into a four day holiday. By the looks of my emails, it’s apparent most of you have! That’s part of the reason I always try and take a week or two off right around this holiday as it is quiet and a good chance to relax – which we have been doing!

The Candelaria girls 2019

With the added time, as I look back through my past blogs, I write a blog virtually every 4th of July. Type 4th of July in the search box and check out what comes up. It’s interesting to see my take from year to year, especially as my girls get older, and as do I! It is a good time to take stock of how the year is going as we have just passed the halfway point!

Group photo from the 2019 Candelaria Design Tour Spain.

Well it has definitely been a busy first half of the year. Isabel and I have traveled to Atlanta, Joshua Tree, Milan, Napa, Santa Barbara, and Spain, and now we are up here in Northern Idaho enjoying Coeur d’Alene…. One of my favorites! It is special to me for a number of reasons. It is the home of my first Candelaria Design project, the Murphy Residence, in 1999 right along the shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene. I consequently enjoyed coming up here so much that I bought a home here in 2004 and spent many summers and many Christmas/New Year holidays. I sold that home in 2012 but we have still been coming up summer, winter, and fall as it is just a real relaxing place with great produce for cooking amazing meals for the family. And so, that’s what we have been doing! 

Murphy Residence, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

From the Kootenai County Farmer’s Markets, to hiking, to boating, we have been enjoying it all. We arrived on July 1st, enjoyed the 4th of July Parade and fireworks, and now I am taking a couple weeks off until the middle of the month and then I will work here and teleconference in until the end of the month. I brought my drafting table and tools, some canvases for some painting and of course my cooking gear from pasta maker, to instapot, to paella pan! An artist cannot be without his tools. 

All three of my girls and Isabel are here for the first 10 days including my oldest daughter Tiffany’s boyfriend Josh! We have been having a blast hiking, fishing, boating, dancing, and of course cooking and eating. Isabel, Tiff and Josh all leave in the next few days and it will just be me and Sophia 14, and Bella 17 until the 22nd. Wow – now that should be an adventure! Good times, and more good memories for sure. 

You realize how fast time goes by, especially when you get off the train and look at it whizzing by. And I guess that’s the point of taking some time to truly get off the train. I’m enjoying it and I thank my partners, Evelyn, Vivian and Meredith for keeping the train flying down the tracks while I’m away! They are amazing and I love all of them for what they have accomplished and the gift of time they are giving me. They have no idea how special that is. 

So taking stock….. I am first so grateful for all that has happened in the first half of the year especially for my health and the health of my family and especially my sweet Isabel. She is doing great, we are collaborating on a number of fun projects and we just returned from our Spain Tour and now getting excited for our Italy Tour coming in September. Candelaria Design has been on the cover of Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine the last two months including the current July issue and we have a beautiful home in the new LUXE Magazine and we were awarded a RED Award by LUXE Magazine for best Regional Classic Architecture in April. 

Needless to say, we are excited about and looking forward to the second half of the year. On August 27th we will be celebrating our 20th Anniversary of the start and founding of Candelaria Design! I cannot tell you how proud I am of that. I am working with writer David Brown, my good friend Chris Wahl, and renowned and best-selling writer Patricia Hart McMillan from San Antonio, Texas on a book featuring the 20 years of Candelaria Design and 20 of our marquis homes along with the stories behind the homes and a recipe that goes with each home. We are working away on this and I hope to have it completed by the start of 2020 to commemorate our 20 years and celebrate my 60th birthday in 2020.

Our team is cranking away on amazing projects from as far away as North Carolina to the California coastline and in every size, shape and style from Traditional to Contemporary. We get typecast as only doing new build Tuscan Mega Mansions but I can tell you we have so much diversity in our work, both in style and project type. We are working on several remodels and makeovers and we have just broke ground on two Barrio Queen Restaurants, one in Tempe at the Tempe Marketplace and one in Queen Creek! 

So much to be excited about for sure. I promise I will post some recipes and more from Spain. Check out our videos on our website at http://www.candelariadesign.com/sketch-daily Have a great rest of the weekend and follow our social media on Instagram and Facebook!