A West Valley couple has extensively remodeled their Peoria home to be comfortably inviting—all while welcoming three children into their family.
Scott and Rylan Comfort purchased their 2,728-square-foot custom home in a quiet neighborhood near Thunderbird Road and 75th Street in August 2014.
The house, located on a half-acre corner yard with double garage, was architecturally designed for a disabled owner. Comforts remodeled the home in two separate phases, the first coming with the addition of three children to their family.
“We had a lot of end-of-day shifts in the middle of the night after working full-time jobs,” said Scott Comfort.
“We were without a kitchen sink and worktops for six weeks; washing dishes in the bathroom and putting sports plywood in place of windows and a few days without a front door.”
In the second phase, the couple added to the home an area of 3,700 square feet.
The Comforts also revamped the landscaping—covering more than 100 plants, adding pavers and relocating a large fountain—and adding a circular walkway. During the holiday season, the driveway, front porch, and seating area are decorated festively, and the mature Palo Verde trees feature holiday lights.
Double iron doors with operable glass entries lead into the house. Amenities describe its décor as modern farmhouse meets French countryside. says Scott Comfort, of Bluefin Pool and Landscape Design Co. His exposure to clients’ homes has sparked ideas for their own private sanctuary.
‘We pretty much blew everything up’
The couple effectively recreated the house’s original floor plan.
Vaulted ceilings create a feeling of at once spaciousness within the connecting foyer, grand room, and formal dining rooms. Floor-to-ceiling wall tiles from Floor N Décor provide interest with a rustic feel, grounding the hallway while inviting warmth and sparking what to follow.
Plantation shutters span a series of east-facing windows, while wooden ceramic tiles in French Lark carry the base of the home’s floors. The original 30-inch cupboards and worktops accommodating wheelchair access were destroyed.
“We pretty much blew the whole thing off,” said Scott Comfort. “The kitchen was quite compact, so we pushed the wall back and removed a large window partition.”
“We found seven separate windows in an antiques store, and our installer got married to the set,” his wife said.
The result: three transom windows crown four aisles of hydraulic awnings into the courtyard, creating a stunning and functional backdrop. There is a hammered copper farmhouse sink under the window sill. Granite bullnose countertops prevail throughout.
An oversized island has a rustic dark blue finish, while glazed antique white cabinetry provides contrast. A set of oversized glass pendants atop an island walnut butcher block counter, paired nicely with a custom wood exhaust manifold over the stove. The inclusion of a pot filler spout is a plus.
The spacious pantry, a must-have for a family of seven, was designed with a custom 9-inch frosted door. The pantry space, formerly a small bathroom, has been remodeled.
The backyard is accessed from the kitchen and room by another amazing feature – a commercial restaurant, a farmhouse style door with skylights. The door opens outwards, allowing for an unobstructed dining space, separate from the formal dining room.
The inviting room, Scott Comfort’s favorite space in the home, features a wood-burning fireplace located off the kitchen.
A large bundle of cotton wrapped in burlap in the Great Room honors the five-generation cotton farming business of the Rylan Comfort family.
Custom Living Spaces
The entrance from the den leads at the end to the entry/large room and storage room with access to the garage. The room, which was remodeled from their eldest son’s bedroom, is secured by two single sliding, wood-panelled doors often seen in cupboards in older homes. They’re decorated with stained-glass inserts sourced from one of the couple’s many antiques-selecting adventures.
Across the hallway, a full bathroom was renovated to complete the home’s south wing. A custom metal and wood barn door provides privacy.
The master bedroom suite has been reconfigured with a revised entry point. A private outdoor retreat with access through Arcadia doors is currently under construction, but an elegant chandelier suspended from a private patio ceiling heralds what’s to come.
Vaulted ceilings continue throughout the master bedroom, allowing for an intentional reduction in the room’s footprint unnoticed when the couple created a massive closet area with custom built-in features and features. Fencing barn doors provide separation between the bedroom and the master closet/bathroom.
The original shower and water closet in the house were huge and wheelchair accessible. Comforts reconfigured the space by reducing both voids, allowing a bathtub to be installed.
The custom claw foot tub purchased through Craigslist has a nautical exterior. When Comforts learned that the seller was a tile installer, they hired him to install the stone wall and marble tile throughout the master bathroom.
A bathtub is a stunning feature for the still plentiful shower space, wall-mounted gas fireplace, granite countertops, and custom sinks.
A pretty red sofa set against the stone wall adds a pop of color to the white and navy master bathroom décor.
Two bedrooms and a spacious Jack and Jill bathroom were added to the rear of the house in the second phase of construction.
“We’ve had three kids in three years and need bedrooms,” said Raylan Comfort.
Their eldest daughter, Madison, attended Northern Arizona University, and their other son, Jacob, attended high school.
Elwood Chambers, 5; Scarlett, 4; Wendell, 2; Large with abundant and uniquely designed walk-in wardrobe. The bedrooms are separated by a Jack and Jill bathroom, which has ample counter space and access to the backyard.
An additional guest bathroom outside the large room features double sinks and wooden walls.
Scarlett’s room is the feminine of a princess and features a stunning ceiling-to-floor mural. Scott Comfort’s late father installed wallpaper panels to create a seamless mural for his granddaughter.
Elwood’s bedroom blends adventure, curiosity, and the great outdoors. Baby Wendell snatched original home office space from the main living area. His pocket is designed with a fishing theme and decorated with memorabilia of his grandfather.
“I love walking into his room,” said Scott Comfort. “It reminds me of my dad every day.”
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