Brown Jordan Furnishings at the 2020 ICONIC HAUS

Brown Jordan is proud and excited to be the presenting sponsor for the first annual Iconic Haus, a luxury showhouse produced by Iconic Life, the leading digital luxury lifestyle magazine.

Set in the spectacular landscape of Arizona’s Paradise Valley, the custom home boasts a sleek, contemporary design by award-winning architect C.P. Drewett, and interior and exterior spaces outfitted by 19 marquis design firms. “We envisioned the ICONIC HAUS as a national-caliber showhouse with unparalleled design and top-shelf sponsors like Brown Jordan, and that part of the plan came together beautifully,” says Renee Dee, the publisher of Iconic Life and the driving force behind the showhouse. “Unfortunately, the second phase of the plan—opening to the public in late March with a series of events benefiting the Phoenix Children’s Hospital—was not possible. For social distancing reasons, we had to pivot to a digital-only approach, which was heartbreaking for everyone involved.” 

Fortunately, there has been a silver lining, according to Dee. “Instead of about 10,000 people walking through the house as projected, we’ve had over 40,000 viewing the ICONIC HAUS online—so our amazing sponsors and designers have in fact reached many more viewers than they would have in person.”

As the presenting sponsor of the showhouse, Brown Jordan worked closely with Iconic Life and all the designers involved throughout the project, and Brown Jordan furnishings played the starring role in all the home’s outdoor spaces. “The ICONIC HAUS was the perfect opportunity to show off the luxurious, modern appeal of Brown Jordan in a truly outstanding architectural environment,” says Dana Dray, Business Development Manager for Brown Jordan, who not only helped coordinate the project but also designed several spaces herself. “The finished spaces do an amazing job of showing how well-appointed outdoor living spaces can enhance a home—and its owners’ lifestyle. These spaces can have such power when they’re an integrated part of the home’s overall design, not added later as an afterthought.”

Read on for a closer look at Dray’s designs, and to see how four other top designers created their spaces around Brown Jordan collections.

Dana Dray, Brown Jordan

Charged with the design for the pool deck, barbecue, and firepit areas, Dray—who has a background in interior design—took inspiration from the rectilinear forms of the house. She chose Brown Jordan’s Parkway Modular collection to create a cozy seating area around the firepit built by landscape architect Russ Greey. “Parkway Modular has very clean, boxy lines, that I felt played off the architecture of the house and the design of the fire pit really well,” says Dray. “In contrast, the circular forms of the Luna cast-aluminum group have a very high-design, almost playful look that offered important balance to all the right angles—and also repeated the shape of a circular hanging swing in an adjacent living area. Circular sunshades had a similar effect.” Dray chose a refined black-and-white palette to create a sense of continuity between the two spaces.

Jenny Slingerland and Kelli Walton, Black Ink Interiors

When planning the look of the outdoor dining area, designers Jenny Slingerland and Kelly Walton of Black Ink Interiors in Scottsdale, AZ, also allowed the architecture of the home to influence their design. “We wanted it to mimic the lines of the house and to be simple and monochromatic—but also to be inviting and comfortable. We wanted people to be drawn to sit down and hang out,” says Slingerland. Brown Jordan’s Oscar collection was the perfect choice to help the design team achieve all their goals. “We looked at all the different pieces in the Scottsdale showroom, and Oscar stood out to us,” says Slingerland. “The way the rope elements added softness and texture fit perfectly with our overall aesthetic plan.” To add even more texture, Slingerland and Walton layered a woven jute rug under the dining table. And for the tabletop, they kept things simple. “We loved the idea of just plain glass vases with very simple greenery, and a little pop of color. We wanted to let the furniture speak for itself,” says Slingerland.

Amy Klosterman, AB Design Elements

In the main outdoor living “room” of the ICONIC HAUS, designers Amy Klosterman, Michelle Jefferson, and Alexis Doerschlag of AB Design Elements in Scottsdale, AZ worked to integrate the style of the space with the minimalist architecture of the house. To this end, they chose a neutral palette of whites, charcoal grays, and black—with a few brass accents. “We wanted the beautiful natural setting, with all that green and the many desert colors, to be the focal point,” says Klosterman. “The mountain view is pure ‘wow!’.” Brown Jordan’s Still collection had the right angular lines and low scale for the “lounge-y, modern vibe” the designers were after. “Still makes a quiet, classic design statement, and the charcoal mesh upholstery with the white frame was perfect with the expansive black fireplace and white exterior walls,” Klosterman says. A pair of chairs from the Maldives collection created a cozy seating area in front of the dramatic artwork by local artist Niki Woehler. “To me, Brown Jordan is the epitome of classic design—on the level with Herman Miller and Knoll. It’s design that stands the test of time, and that’s exactly what we want for the spaces we create,” says Klosterman.

Ashli Shields, Design Outside the Lines Interiors

To transform a tucked-away seating area into a luxurious lounging space, designer Ashli Shields of Design Outside the Lines Interiors in Verrado, AZ turned to the materiality for which her firm is known. With the help of her fabrication and construction team, Shields designed a freestanding rolled-steel wall to give her space the presence it lacked, and then applied moss-covered panels to its surface, creating a richly textured living tapestry. When it came to choosing the furniture for her seating area, Shields felt an immediate affinity for the Drift collection.  “I knew I wanted wood furniture,” she says, “and I loved the curving lines and the clear-coated finish and exposed metal elements of Drift. It fits in beautifully with our overall design directive, which is all about letting materials shine in their natural forms.” The Drift chairs and end tables gather around a rolled-steel cocktail table with a white oak top and an ethanol fire pit in the center. A simple woven jute rug lends more natural texture underfoot. “The space is meant to be meditative and inspiring,” says Shields. “I love how it creates a smooth transition between the interior design and the outside world.”

Iconic Brown Jordan Design for the ICONIC HAUS

At Brown Jordan, we always remind ourselves of the guiding question behind our brand’s aesthetic: “Does it work?” This is really just a shorthand—what we’re telling ourselves is that great furniture design doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s not made for a showroom floor. Brown Jordan furnishings are meant to live well in our customers’ homes, to bring beauty and quality to their lives for many years to come. That’s why participating in a project like ICONIC HAUS is so important and meaningful. First and foremost, it’s a chance to do good, by benefiting the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. But it’s also the opportunity to show off the timeless quality of Brown Jordan furniture in a beautifully outfitted contemporary home, and to see how some of the most talented and creative design minds in the West envision outdoor design. And we think that the images of the completed outdoor living spaces speak for themselves: Our iconic Brown Jordan designs and the spectacular ICONIC HAUS — a beautiful match made in the Paradise Valley.