A Phoenix Couple Turn a Corner Store Into a Home That Has Everything on Their List
A former bodega becomes a loft-like residence that honors its commercial past.
A former bodega becomes a loft-like residence that honors its commercial past.
A chance stop at a Phoenix grocery store checked off an unexpected item on Ryan Tyner and Kim Moellenberndt’s shopping list. It was 2018, and the two were looking for their first house as a couple. They had just viewed a disappointing home in the city’s Loma Linda Park neighborhood and were feeling discouraged—and thirsty—when they drove past Corner Market, a small, freestanding convenience store. They went in for a drink, and then it hit them: "We both looked at each other and said, ‘This would be a cool house,’ " remembers Ryan.
Working with designer Joel Contreras (at right, with Ryan), the couple preserved the modest brick-and-concrete building’s essence while creating a unique, loft-like residence.
Photo by Caitlin O’Hara
Kim Moellenberndt and Ryan Tyner found their future home at a corner store built in the 1940s.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Tyner and Kim Moellenberndt
They admired the simplicity of the structure, a single-story brick-and-concrete-block box with a pair of large windows in front. Inside, Kim photographed the coolers and aisles of groceries as Ryan stood in line to pay for a bottle of water. When he got to the counter, the couple introduced themselves to the cashier—the owner, it turned out—and told him they were interested in buying the building. "He said, ‘Great—I’ve been looking to sell it,’ " says Ryan with a laugh.
The front of the bodega was updated with an oversize glass entry door and expansive windows but otherwise "stayed pretty much the same," says Contreras.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Tyner and Kim Moellenberndt
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Phoenix Couple Turn a Corner Store Into a Home That Has Everything on Their List
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