At Home withValley Construction CEO

iy Danielle D’Adamo

As Chairman and CEO of Chanen Construction, Herman Chanen, builder of notable Valley sites such as Terminal 4 at Sky Harbor and Biltmore Fashion Park, has a wealth of knowledge and more than 50 years’ experience in the building industry. In addition, Chanen is a well-known community activist and philanthropist, serving on more than 50 public and private boards.

After tackling the construction of hospitals, helicopter plants and even a humane society, building a mountainside home that required the excavation of a few hundred tons of solid rock was merely a welcomed challenge.

For Chanen, no other lot would do. “I feel in love with this property,” he says. “The moment I saw this lot, I thought, ‘Wow, what a great opportunity to build something spectacular.’”

And spectacular it is—a 16,000 square foot estate etched into the west side of Camelback Mountain in the Biltmore Estates. The Phoenix hillside manor was literally carved out of the mountain to create a three-level floor plan with 300-degree views of the city and mountains. “It’s hard to visualize now,” says Chanen, “but this was all solid mountain.” Excavators removed 473 tons of rock and crushed it to create a gabion basket retaining wall.

Mountains Majesty

The home was completed a year and a half ago after five months of excavation and 15 months building the home. Chanen stressed to architects that his home needed to look natural against the mountain backdrop. Designed by Swaback Partners, the architecture utilizes the rocky terrain and incorporates natural stone cladding throughout the exterior.

“It’s not designed around a ‘don’t touch that’ mentality,” Chanen explains. “The house is here to live in, simple as that.”

With several balconies and breathtaking views from every angle, it’s impossible to miss the majestic scenery. “Just about every room has French doors that face out to the mountain or city,” Chanen says. “My backyard is the mountain preserve. It’s not a bad setup!”

Wraparound terraces and a backyard patio that offers a full kitchen and an outdoor bar with travertine countertops are easily accessible from several rooms. Visitors can indulge in the reverse negative edge pool with a waterfall or relax in a Jacuzzi while surveying the stunning 88 acres that make up Chanen’s “backyard.”

A second-floor apartment and separate guesthouse allows for multiple houseguests, but the home still maintains a close, cozy atmosphere. “Intimacy is the key word, I told the architects,” Chanen says. “See, I’m from the Midwest, and I did not want a house that looks like a hotel.”

Old World Intimacy

Slate shingles imported from China, grand wooden doors from Mexico and furniture and accessories imported from places throughout the globe add to the Classic Antiquity charm of Chanen’s estate home. The dominant style is French Country, and Studio V filled the interior with custom furniture, colorful fabric swatches, pillows and throws. Rich wood cabinets accompanied with rustic earthenware add deep shades of brown, gold and red to the décor.

Winding through the home, the walls are hand plastered in an antique finish and wall colors change subtly from room to room. The entrance hall from the lower-level garage holds an impressive art gallery that continues onto the second floor. Chanen’s extraordinary collection ranges from an early sketch by Monet to a modest painting of a curly-headed young girl painted by an unknown artist.

“In regard to my art,” Chanen says, “I have some good art and some bad art. But when it comes down to it, if I like the picture, I don’t care who painted it or where it came from.”

The cozy kitchen is a true representation of French Country style, complete with a wrought iron pot rack, a large rooster figurine and colorful country chairs. Florentine tile graces the wall behind the six-burner Viking gas range and electric oven. There are fun extras such as Subzero cooling/warming drawers and a wet bar wine cooler. But it’s the built-in coffee and espresso maker that has a warm spot in Herman’s heart. “It’s my favorite appliance in the entire home,” he says.

The dining room comfortably seats 14 people at two round tables, arranged for small conversational groups rather than for formal seating. “People either love this dining room or they hate it,” Chanen says. “Most people like big, long traditional tables, but to me, this is a lot more intimate and interesting. You can sit down at a dining room table sometimes and never ever get to meet or talk to people at the other end. I didn’t want that.”

In fact, each room in the home is designed to be intimate. The great room—the largest in the home—is 656 square feet and doubles as a deluxe home theater with a concealed flat screen TV that rises up from a cabinet. “I find that a lot of people get a cocktail and then want to sit and chat,” says Chanen. “So I created personal places where people can gather in twos, threes and fours.”

Private Retreat

The 422-sqaure-foot master bedroom features coffered ceilings, thick, elegant draperies and an intricate carpet pattern. The view from the private sun deck is Chanen’s favorite. But the room’s most appealing feature may be the 362-square-foot closet that boasts a large travertine countertop for packing.

Chanen refers to a 7-year old Maltese, Miss Lilly, as the “beautiful woman” in his life and points to the plush armchair she sleeps in each night. Daisy, a 6-month old Maltese, prefers to lounge in the living room.

A private hallway from Chanen’s master suite leads to a spacious bath, a workout room, a massage room and a steam room. Adjacent to “his” master suite is a complete “hers” master suite with a Jacuzzi tub, private balcony and an even larger closet. “There are 28 drawers,” Chanen says, “because all women say they never have enough drawer space.”

And what home would be complete without a private wine cellar? The stored wine can be viewed through large glass doors that close off the climate controlled room. Guests can admire the intricate ironwork as well as the wine from within or without the chamber.

Convenient for guests also is a large 2,395 square foot covered auto court with four bays. With 11,000 square feet of livable space, 16,000 square feet of enclosed space and 21,000 square feet under roof, the home takes the shape of a small French country villa.

“Actually, by today’s standards, this house isn’t all that big,” Chanen says. “Builders are doing homes starting at 21,000 square feet. But this house gave us the idea to start a new company called Chanen Estate Homes. All we build are custom homes, and mine was the first.” Not a bad start.