Creature Comforts

For Derek and Venea Meyer, building a new house was never part of the plan.

The young couple, who were looking to move back to Arizona after a 10-year stint in California, had been searching and searching to buy a turnkey home but very quickly realized most of the houses they even vaguely liked would require massive renovations.

However, a random marketing email from Zillow about a plot of land suddenly changed their trajectory: "They had an aerial view of the lot, and you could see the sunrise, the mountains," says Venea. "So I had this crazy idea—what if we build?"

The couple soon began construction on a 3,000-square-foot, sustainability-focused home at the heart of the Ahwatukee Foothills, a small community in the southernmost part of Phoenix.

"For us, sustainability means maximizing comfort and longevity of a home while minimizing the impact and use of earth resources and footprint," says Derek of their three-year build process. With the guidance of Andrew Tuttle at Beckett Construction, the Meyers opted for wool interior insulation and ZIP System R-sheathing for exterior insulation, which reduces the amount of lumber and chemicals used to protect the home from the Arizona heat. They also used drought-resistant plants in the landscaping to conserve water as well as a heat pump water heater and energy recovery ventilator to reduce their energy use.

The Meyers’ eco-conscious mindset is evident throughout their five-bedroom, four-bathroom home, which they designed alongside Joel Contreras and Amy Williams at Joel Contreras Design. Using sustainable and organic materials was especially important for the Meyers, since they share the home with their children, five-year old Abigail and two-year-old Mason, as well as their dog, Lady.

For the mattresses in all the bedrooms, the couple decided on Avocado Green mattresses because of the company’s environmentally conscious and sustainable business practices, as well as how luxe and relaxing the mattresses are to touch. "Avocado ties into our house beautifully from a sustainability perspective, and they’re really paving the way for other mattress companies," says Venea. "Their entire mattress is certified organic by the Global Organic Textile Standard, which I loved as well, and it honestly feels like you’re sleeping on a cloud."

Read more at dwell.com/avocado.

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