Su Casa Southwest Homes Spring 2013 Digital Edition

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Southwestern homes

Tour New Mexico ®

inspiration ideas resources

it’s all about the architecture in Corrales

bathroom bliss intimate spaces

that inspire

gardening + xeriscaping

Tijeras mountain retreat VOL. 19 NO. 2 SPRING 2013

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Southwestern homes

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inspiration ideas resources

southwestern

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36 what would Frank do?

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mountain retreat

An open floorplan sited on two spectacular acres facing the Sandia Mountains is the perfect setting for a retired Tijeras couple.

Above: Kirk Gittings; Left: Amadeus Leitner

Minimalism and contemporary design inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright take the stage in a Corrales home with striking features, including rammed earth walls, concrete floors, and abundant glass.

82 bathroom bliss

From an organic oasis to a retreat inspired by Northern New Mexico’s landscape, four bathrooms are all private sanctuaries.

SPECIAL SECTION Spring Homes of Enchantment Parade

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Featured Builder: Twilight Homes Spring Homes of Enchantment Parade

Su Casa (ISSN 1084-4562) is published four times a year (March, June, September, and December) by Bella Media LLC, 215 West San Francisco, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM 87501. $9.95 for 4 issues, or $15.95 for 8 issues. Periodicals postage paid at Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Denver, Colorado. POSTMASTER: Please send changes to Su Casa Magazine, 4100 Wolcott Ave. NE, Suite B, Albuquerque, NM 87109.

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in every issue 16 Inside Su Casa

18 Life+Style Southwest

A look at local lavender, Steve Thomas talks gray water systems, a roundup of our favorite tubs, tips for staying stylish while gardening, and more.

28 Design Studio

Celebrating xeriscaping and water-wise gardening in the arid Southwest.

32 Cosas Bonitas

Local jewelry retailers are inspired by the Southwest’s materials and lifestyle.

34 Southwest 101

The history and art of vigas and beams.

44 Su Cocina

Smart kitchens and appliances of the future and a recipe for Chocolate Ancho Chile Torte using a new steam convection oven.

90 Su Libro

Three books highlight Southwestern décor, grass-free yards, and the time-honored ritual of Japanese bathing.

96 Rain Chains

Artistic downspouts for your desert home.

104 Dream On

Smart appliances use futuristic technology that’s available today.

Amadeus Leitner

A luxurious hidden garden is the ultimate place to retreat.

On the Cover: Even at night, the inspired architecture of this Corrales home shines through. Read about it on page 36. Photograph by Kirk Gittings.

Visit SuCasaMagazine.com In the arid Southwest, xeriscaping just makes sense. Desert Willow (below) requires little water, but makes a big impact on the desert palette.

Courtesy of Osuna Nursery

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Builders Source Appliance Gallery 308 Menaul NE. Albuquerque, NM 87107 Phone: 505.889.3001 www.builderssource.com

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Southwestern homes

inspiration ideas resources

Published by Bella Media, LLC Publisher

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Associate Editor

Samantha Schwirck Contributors Ben Ikenson, Alicia Kellogg Charles C. Poling, Steve Thomas

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Michelle Odom Photography

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Periodicals postage paid at Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Denver, Colorado.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Su Casa Magazine, PO Box 461393, Escondido CA 92046.

Pella has more energy efficient window and door options to fit your home and budget. So you can spend less on your home energy costs and have more for other things that matter to you. In fact, Pella offers many different energy-saving glass options. So we can help keep your home — and your budget — comfortable. Other windows and doors merely frame the landscape. At Pella, we’re creating a better view of your energy costs. Month after month. Year after year.

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Inside Su Casa

bringing the outside in

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Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, a rammed earth home in Corrales takes advantage of many natural elements. Read more on page 36.

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SU C A S A S P R I N G 2013

Kirk Gittings

Bruce Adams

DAVID ROBIN

hile there are many joys to living in New Mexico, certainly our connection with the outdoors is one of the strongest. Many of us can see several different mountain ranges from our homes, putting us in sync with the natural world that surrounds us. We watch our mountains change colors in the fall, become white-capped in the winter, and then ever slowly burst back into brilliant spring green. I’m of the belief that this has a soothing effect, reminding us of our connection to the seasons and the beautiful world just outside our walls. It also gives us a sense of place. Our home may not be Southwestern, but certainly our surroundings are—and we love to be reminded of that.

In this issue of Su Casa, you will see many homes that have found a way to bring the outdoors in. The beautiful rammed earth home in Corrales was designed around a massive, beautiful old tree, with windows that bring its magnificence and greenery into the home. Much of the building materials came from the land just outside of the home.

In our feature on bathrooms, we see a stunning waterfall shower using natural stone and spaces that take advantage of natural light. Even vigas and beams—staples of Southwestern design—serve to remind us of the beauty that comes from the forests just beyond our windows.

At this time of year, when we’re all yearning to shake off the winter blues and get out and about in nature, bringing nature into the home is so satisfying. For me, someone who loves being outside, having nature within my home gives me satisfaction for all the times I can’t be out there.

Of course, we do this with other elements in our homes, too. For example, I have a seascape painting in my home to remind me of the ocean that I often miss. Consider what you love most—especially those elements that may not be native to this region. With a little creativity, you can create magic in your home so simply and add to the satisfaction that your home is already providing you. Happy Spring!

Life+Style Southwest

come on up

Home and Interior Design: Laraine Ely, e2designs13@aol.com

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SU C A S A W I NTER 2013 SU C A S A S P R I N G 2013

Photo by Douglas Aurand

Two lovely surprises lie at the top of the gently curving stairway of this Bernalillo home: an expansive deck featuring a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, and from the deck, a spectacular view of the Sandia Mountains. With smooth, rounded corners, flagstone steps, light sconces handmade

by Albuquerque iron artist Phil Martinez, and a one-of-a-kind railing made of driftwood from the Rio Grande River bottom and formed by wood artist Ben Forgery, the staircase is at once earthy and ethereal.

See more of this magnificent home on page 94.

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Life+Style Southwest

by Eve Tolpa

lovely lavender There isn’t much this fragrant herb can’t do

Fresh lavender from Purple Adobe Lavender Farm in Abiquiú is steam-distilled for its fragrant, medicinal oil; the culinary variety is dried and used to flavor beverages, desserts, and more.

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In full bloom, the stunning purple buds of a lavender bush provide the perfect colorful accent against a traditional New Mexico adobe exterior. and your recipe may taste bitter. Inman notes that it’s best to use the herb in its dried form, which is “much more controllable.” When using culinary lavender, chefs recommend using only about one-third the amount of dried that you would fresh.

A particularly felicitous culinary combo? Lavender and lemon, such as the heavenly pairing in the blueberry scones with lemon lavender icing enjoyed by guests at Albuquerque’s Mauger Bed & Breakfast. Cookies, shortbread, and pancakes are good starting points for experimentation, as are tea, fruit water, and lemonade. More adventurous cooks concoct jams, chocolates, and even lavender-based cocktails.

Purple Adobe steam-distills lavender oil and uses it in their own lines of bath, body, and home products—shampoos, hand salves, lotions, lip balms, candles, and sachets that can be found in stores and at various events held each year, such as Los Ranchos de Albuquerque’s Lavender in the Village Festival and in Santa Fe at the Herb and Lavender Fair at El Rancho de las Golondrinas. Wear comfortable shoes to either fair; part of the fun involves picking your own lavender to take home.

In New Mexico, we love the scents that define the region. Move over, roasting chiles and piñon smoke—the heavenly fragrance of lavender is quickly taking its place as a distinctive scent that evokes home.

Courtesy of Purple Adobe Lavender Farm

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rought to the area in the 1600s by the Spanish, lavender is perfectly suited to our state’s terrain and climate; it has very few natural predators, needs little water, and likes the hot sun. In full bloom, the stunning purple buds of a lavender bush provide the perfect colorful accent against a traditional New Mexico adobe exterior. But lavender’s not just a foolproof high desert garden staple anymore. Thanks to places like Abiquiú’s Purple Adobe Lavender Farm, the colorful and fragrant botanical herb is now also becoming an established large-scale crop.

“So many lavender farms are popping up here in New Mexico right now,” says Purple Adobe owner Elizabeth Inman, citing, among other factors, the area’s high elevation. “The higher the elevation, the sweeter the lavender and the more medicinal properties it has.”

In addition to possessing a soothing aroma that makes it ideal for calming anxiety, lavender boasts antibacterial and antimicrobial qualities, and historically curanderos (Native American healers) applied it topically for cuts, burns, bruises, and mosquito bites. Lavender can also be made into tinctures and taken internally, but, says Inman, not just any lavender oil will do for this purpose—it must be food- or pharmaceutical-grade.

The same goes for lavender recipes, and in terms of cooking, a little goes a long way. Add too much,

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Conserving water, one home at a time imported water is “wasted” in the sense that it is underutilized. Smart homeowners who install low-flow showers, faucets, and toilets are helping to dramatically reduce domestic water waste.

“Standardized, manufactured gray water systems should become as routine to install as water heaters.”

—Steve Thomas

I

n my current work with Habitat for Humanity International, I was dispatched to a refugee camp in Maai Mahiu, Kenya, to cover the completion of Habitat’s 500,000th home. The houses are small—300 square feet—built of stone concrete floors and metal roofs. Cooking is done in the courtyard outside, and the toilet facilities consist of a stone latrine.

Owning one of these homes is a huge advance from living in a refugee tent.

But there is no water. Women and girls carry it from cisterns a quarter of a mile away, or down from the mountains when the cisterns are empty. This represents a major investment in time and labor, and there’s never a guarantee the water you carry won’t make you sick. If there is one luxury that we in the United States take for granted, it’s clean, potable water. Even here in the arid Southwest, it’s delivered straight to your door, no questions asked.

In New Mexico, most of our water comes from the Colorado River and the Rio Grande through the San Juan/ Chama Project. And much of that

(Simply switching from a regular toilet to a lowflow toilet saves 9,000 gallons of water a year!)

But still much of the water we use at home could be better utilized. Here’s what I mean: “Gray water” (sometimes spelled greywater) is the water produced after showering, brushing teeth, and washing clothes. Collected properly, that water can be used to irrigate your garden or trees, and as allowed by code in some states, even flush your toilets. An average family of four in the Southwest uses 192,720 gallons of water a year—about one-third the water in an Olympicsized pool. By some estimates, a combination of a gray water system coupled with replacing all of a home’s fixtures with low-flow versions could reduce that one home’s water usage by more than 40 percent. Add to that additional rain catchment and xeric planting, and a home could potentially see a negative use scenario.

Now imagine if we all did this!

My thinking is that standardized, manufactured gray water systems should become as routine to install as water heaters. They should perform reliably, be reasonably priced, and allow us as homeowners to do our part in preserving the resources that make the Southwest such a wonderful place to live. Consider installing a gray water system in your new home or retrofitting your current home with one; it’s the right thing to do. And I promise, a heck of a lot easier than carrying water a quarter mile from the local cistern.

Steve Thomas is a home renovation expert and the spokesperson for Habitat for Humanity International. His Santa Fe home was on the cover of Su Casa’s Winter 2013 issue.

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What is a gray water system?

Gray water is the water produced when you use your bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and laundry.

The water from these sources is considered to be suitable—that is, clean enough—to irrigate certain home gardens and landscapes.

This reuse of your household water is an excellent conservation method, especially here in the arid Southwest. A gray water system is a method of plumbing a home whereby this usable gray water is routed to a holding container and then used for irrigation of nonfood plants (fruit and nut trees being the exception). It must be strictly marked as nonpotable.

Depending upon what state you live in, there is usually a limit to how much gray water your system may produce each day without a permit. In New Mexico, 250 gallons is the daily limit.

What water cannot be used in a gray water system?

The water from dishwashers and kitchen sinks, because it may contain food particles or organic matter, is not usable in a gray water irrigation system. Likewise, water from toilets—referred to as blackwater—cannot be reused around your home in any way.

How hard is it to install a gray water system?

There are two costs to consider: parts and labor. In a new home, dual plumbing is easily and inexpensively done during the build stage, but it’s important to find a builder or plumber experienced with installing gray water systems. Retrofitting an existing home is a bit more complicated and costly—again, an experienced installer is key—but is well worth the effort in terms of conservation of potable water.

Sources: New Mexico Office of the State Engineer; Greywater Action

Douglas Merriam

it’s okay to go gray

by Steve Thomas

Life+Style Southwest

by Amy Gross

soaking it all in

Today’s bathtubs are designed to clean, heal, and even inspire

Jason International’s forma® collection of tubs has built-in lumbar support, a purity-focused plumbing system, and silent air control. Victoria + Albert’s Cabrits tub (left) is made of a single piece of volcanic limestone and resin.

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nlike showering, which is about getting clean—fast—bathing is a ritual of leisurely enjoyment. Simply filling a tub takes time, providing an unexpected opportunity for daydreaming and unwinding after a long day. And then there’s the bath itself. Lazy, steamy, and decadent, a long soak in hot water works wonders on achy bones, soothes tired muscles, and corrals racing thoughts. For a few wonderful minutes, it’s all about you.

If you’re a bath lover, you owe it to yourself to invest in a great tub, one that has the ability to relax as well as invigorate you, to energize your spirit while it cleanses your pores. Where tubs used to be relegated to shower combos or afterthoughts following a bathroom design, today’s gorgeous tubs are works of art—the focal point around which entire bathrooms are designed or remodeled. They also have exciting new features to make the bath experience even more enjoyable.

“People are getting away from whirlpool tubs these days and going with tubs that are air-jetted,” says Derick Holman, showroom manager of Ferguson Bath, Kitchen, and Lighting Gallery in Albuquerque. “With a whirlpool tub, you get the hard pounding action of water; it’s like a massage. But air jets provide a more spa-like experience; the bubbles are smaller, like strong champagne bubbles, which is more relaxing.”

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Clockwise from top left: Courtesy of Victoria + Albert, Jason International, Stone Forest, Sonoma Cast Stone

With an air-jetted tub, Holman adds, cleaning of the tub is more simplified. “The systems purge and blow out spa mud, bath oils, and soap,” he says. “You can’t use those things in a whirlpool.” Some of the air jet and whirlpool tubs carried by Ferguson include Mirabelle, Kohler, Duravit, and PROFLO. Kathy Fennema, owner of Santa Fe By Design, loves the new MicroSilk collection by Jason International. “These tubs produce microbubbles that are even smaller than air bubbles,” Fennema says. “The microbubbles get into your pores and clean them from the inside out.” Jason claims their MicroSilk technology not only cleans skin, but moisturizes it, too, aided by negatively charged ions in the bubbles that specifically address skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Most air jet, whirlpool, and yes, microbubble tubs are the drop-in variety requiring a tub surround; usually they’re made of acrylic. But freestanding versions are out there, and if you’re not married to the idea of bubbles and jets, freestanding soaking tubs represent some of the most beautiful designs available today. Loreen Perry, showroom manager at Golden Eagle Design in Albuquerque, is partial to freestanding tubs from Victoria + Albert. They’re made of volcanic limestone—a great investment if you’re concerned about durability and maintenance.

“The volcanic limestone is a solid surface,” says Perry.

Available in granite or marble, Stone Forest’s Oval Bathtub makes a real statement. Each tub—well over 2,000 pounds—is made to order with several texture options. Shown here, a polished interior and chiseled exterior.

A great bathtub has the ability to relax as well as invigorate you, to energize your spirit while it cleanses your pores.

Sonoma Cast Stone’s Indulge Wave Tub marries EarthCrete, a recycled concrete, with a sharp metal finish. The signature wave design built into the base makes soaking incredibly comfortable.

“The color goes all the way through it, so if you ever nick it, you can actually just buff it out, good as new.” Another benefit is the limestone’s ability to retain heat. “Once it gets warm [from hot water], the limestone holds in warmth like cast iron,” she says—certainly a plus if you’re planning to take a long, leisurely bath. Naturally white to complement any bathroom style, Victoria + Albert tubs are available in a wide variety of sculptural shapes: oval, egg-shaped, slipper, rectangular, even hourglass.

Depending on the style of your bathroom, a copper, concrete, Carrara marble, stainless steel, or stone tub might be the focal point you’re looking for. Fennema is partial to Sonoma Cast Stone tubs from California. With radiant heat on the sides and bottom to keep the cast stone warm, many also feature waves designed into the base that make soaking extra comfortable— for one person or two. For bathing purists who maintain that the only way to bathe is in a deep (28" to 36" tall) Japanese-style soaking tub, sans jets, bubbles, or other frills, Sonoma Cast Stone’s Ofuro tub is available in the company’s trademark concrete finish or with a variety of stunning metallic finishes—pewter, bronze, steel, or copper—permanently plated to the tub. Its only “extra”: embedded heating coils that allow you to soak even longer.

Most Japanese tubs, though deep, are usually built for one. A gentle reminder that a truly luxurious bath is not about aesthetics or amenities; it’s about taking a few moments for oneself to relax and to reflect on the simple joys of a day well spent.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

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Life+Style Southwest

by Samantha Schwirck

the joy of gardening From handy composting containers to all-weather waterproof clogs, here are some of our favorite tools for gardening with sense and style.

Gardener’s Supply Company Gardener’s Supply Cart No more lugging supplies across the yard. Make gardening enjoyable with this durable cart, which carries up to 500 pounds of mulch, compost, and other supplies. $299, gardeners.com

Plow & Hearth Ceramic Compost Crock The days of stinky compost containers clogging up your counter space are gone.

This ceramic crock is not only attractive; it’s also leak-proof, odor-free, and holds up to one gallon of food scraps in biodegradable liner bags (included). $39.95, plowhearth.com

Tijeras Rain Barrels Circular Hanging Planter Made of recycled polyethylene, this unusual circular hanging planter is a great way to differentiate your outdoor space from the rest.

The planter is highly customizable—available in 36 colors with the option of a granite, sandstone, or millstone resin. $90–$95, tijerasrainbarrels.com 26

SU C A S A S P R I N G 2013

Radius Garden NRG Hand Tools These flashy tools (trowel, transplanter, weeder, and cultivator) come in multiple colors, have strong aluminum blades, and are ergonomically designed to help avoid wrist stress. $9.99–$14.99 per tool, jerichonursery.com

Smith & Hawken Garden Gloves Keep your hands cool as the weather warms up with these lightweight but durable polyester gloves. Their light green shade is tailor-made for the spring season. $9.99, target.com

Gardener’s Supply Company Garden Clogs Made specifically for garden work, these clogs (available in eight colors) come with a molded cork insole that can be removed when you need to hose them off. High backs also help to keep your feet extra dry and clean. $47.95, gardeners.com

Design Studio

by Ben Ikenson

arid oases

Xeriscaping is the naturally beautiful and responsible way to landscape in the Southwest

D

espite receiving fewer than nine inches of rainfall per year, New Mexico supports a huge variety of colorful flora and is widely celebrated for its captivating beauty.

Of course, the picture-perfect landscapes here include the plants that have thrived in these arid conditions long before our species entered the scenery. For homeowners in New Mexico, xeriscaping—landscaping that requires little water and showcases drought-tolerant flora—represents both a tribute to the area’s endemic beauty and a responsible, low-cost complement to home and hearth.

“There’s really no downside when it comes to xeriscaping,” says Yvette Tovar, executive director of New Mexico Water Collaborative, a nonprofit organization that supports implementation of water conservation and reclamation for communities in the state. “It’s all about the appropriate use of regional plant material and the compatible use of water to support it. And considering the prolonged drought conditions that persist in an already dry region, it’s the most sensible landscaping approach.”

Blue Avena Grass, Jupiter’s Beard, and Munstead Lavender have grown together to create a living mulch that insulates the soil from hot and cold temperatures as well as high winds.

A xeric flagstone path designed by Santa Fe Permaculture sheds its runoff water into nearby bark-mulched beds. From front to back: Yarrow, Pineleaf Penstemon, Purple Butterfly Bush, Snow-in-Summer, and Munstead Lavender.

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Tovar is also a professional residential landscape designer who teaches her trade through a continuing education program at the University of New Mexico. “Contrary to what a lot of people think, xeriscaping is not about planting a single cactus and then throwing down some rocks around it,” she says. “Well-executed xeric designs can turn properties into extremely beautiful, colorful, year-round natural oases. In fall and winter, they can showcase beautiful grasses while the perennials are not in bloom. But there are many perennials with a very long bloom season, and a lot of them attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other great pollinators.”

With so many xeric plant species from which to choose, Tovar offers a recipe to help simplify and ensure success: “It is important to have a wellrounded plant palette that includes deciduous and evergreen trees, deciduous and evergreen shrubs, succulents, flowering perennials, and ornamental grasses,” she says. “Getting the right balance within this combination is key.”

Also crucial is identifying the plants that might otherwise thrive on your property naturally, according to David Ferguson, curator of the desert collection at the Rio Grande Botanical Gardens. “There are different microclimates even within Albuquerque, so that a slightly different plant palette may be more appropriate for properties in the foothills than for those, say, in the valley,” he explains. Likewise, while many of the same xeric plants will work in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe, Ferguson observes, “Albuquerque is

Charles Mann and Santa Fe Permaculture

“Well-executed xeric designs can turn properties into extremely beautiful, colorful, year-round natural oases.”—Yvette Tovar

hotter and drier, with milder and shorter winters, so we can grow a larger palette of desert-adapted plants, and plants that do not tolerate cold winters quite as well, such as some of the desert trees, cacti, agaves, and desert shrubs like creosote, mesquite, and acacia. In Santa Fe, plants from higher elevations and cooler climates will have a better chance, such as some of the conifers, aspens, and shrubs and flowers that originate from higher and further north.”

Other important considerations include planning a design that accounts for the orientation of the house in relation to the sun and grouping compatible plant species. For watering purposes, Tovar suggests maximizing the use of rainwater with water harvesting catchments and rain gutters, or even installing a gray water system to recycle bathtub, bathroom sink, and laundry water. Most experts, including Tovar, also recommend a subsurface drip system, which will help establish the plants’ roots.

“Once the plants are established, you probably only need to hit them with water once a week for maybe 10 minutes, and you lose no water from evaporation like you do with sprinklers,” says Katherine Yuhas, water conservation officer for the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority.

In fact, because xeriscapes require far less water than traditional lawn landscapes, the Water Authority awards residential water bill credits in the amount of one dollar for every square foot of grass that is removed or replaced with xeric plants. The utility also offers a plant guide that divides hundreds of xeric species into five regions for most of the Middle Rio Grande Valley. With about 40 percent of residential water use in the area going to landscaping, the rebate program has helped reduce water usage in its purview dramatically. In 1995, the year prior to the program’s establishment,

Q &A

Landscapers and nursery managers in Northern New Mexico are challenged with creating beautiful gardens and landscapes in a responsible, water-friendly manner. Su Casa talked to a few local professionals about xeriscaping.

What are your favorite xeric plants, and why do you recommend them?

For shade trees in the desert, I love Chinese Pistache for its fall color. Modesto Ash is fast-growing and pretty uniform in shape. It’s really durable and is really just the perfect-looking shade tree. Arizona Rosewood is a favorite large shrub. It’s evergreen and real versatile; you can prune it into a small courtyard tree or grow it into a privacy screen. My favorite xeric perennials are just about any of the Penstemons— they’re easy to build into landscapes and come in beautiful reds, purples, and whites—and Prairie Zinnia. It’s a ground cover with real pretty yellow flowers that’s great for filling in spaces in rock gardens. The single most dangerous thing you can do to it is overwater it.

—Michael Erickson, Plant World, Inc. in Albuquerque.

505-898-9627, plantworldinc.com Chocolate Flower is a very full, fluffy shrub native to New Mexico; it has lots of color and sweet little yellow blooms. I love greenness, so New Mexico Privet is one of my favorite trees. It’s a full-size tree from the olive family—very green, clean-looking, and pretty to look at. Red Yucca is very unique-looking, with a spiky base and tall stalks with beautiful red buds. It’s a great container plant, so if you need to move, it can go right with you.

Desert Willow can be a tree or shrub, and it’s a hummingbird magnet! It takes full sun and has yellow-green blooms that attract hummingbirds like no other.—Kara Burd, Osuna Nursery in Albuquerque. 505-345-6644, osunanursery.com

Courtesy of Osuna Nursery

Clockwise from above left: Red Yucca, a great container plant, has a spiky base and long, red-tipped stalks; Chocolate Flower offers plenty of color to a desert palette; Desert Willow can be grown as a tree or a shrub. And according to Kara Burd of Osuna Nursery, “It’s a hummingbird magnet!”

Chamisa is really, really drought-tolerant, and it’s really quite pretty, too. Big Sage is also very drought-tolerant—it can go without water for a year or so. It’s what smudge sticks are made out of. And I also like Four-wing Saltbush because of the four “wings” of its leaves. Again, a very drought-tolerant plant and also beautiful. It’s dioecious, meaning the reproductive units are either male or female. The female plant produces a gorgeous gold seedhead.—Pat McCue, Plants of the Southwest, with locations in Santa Fe (505-438-8888) and Albuquerque (505-344-8830). plantsofthesouthwest.com For grasses, I’ve always liked Stipa (also called Silky Thread Grass). It grows to about 24", is very wispy and elegant, and has a nice texture without being too coarse. Plumbago is what I call a “bulletproof” ground cover; it’s a medium-water plant that has green foliage but luminescent blue flowers.

Sunset Hyssop is a medium-height plant. It has light green foliage, but the flowers run the spectrum of oranges, yellows, and reds. A nice low-water plant is Catmint, which has silvery-bluish flowers that bloom consistently from spring through fall.—Rick Garcia, Landscape Solutions in Albuquerque. 505-892-2338, landscapesolutionsnm.com

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water use was at 250 gallons per day per person; in 2011, it had dropped to 150 gallons.

According to Yuhas, residents who participate love the program. “Many of our customers have gone without a water bill for an entire year thanks to their xeriscaping credits,” she says. “And when the credits are gone, their bills are significantly lower than they had been.” Not to mention, their properties are often significantly enhanced as well.

“Aesthetics are always a matter of personal taste, of course,” says David Ferguson. “I prefer a wild-and-woolly looking landscape, with lots of browns and grays and earth tones and pops of color, with spines and cacti and soft bunchgrasses. All of this contrast in shape and texture and color can really capture the flavor and feel of the Southwest.”

“The dirt-colored mulch is called crusher fines,” says Santa Fe Permaculture’s Nate Downey.

“It’s great for drainage and can be a weed barrier, but it’s not so tough so as to prevent plants from spreading laterally.”

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Cosas Bonitas

dazzling

designs

Local jewelry designers find inspiration in Southwestern and international influences

by Samantha Schwirck Photographs by Gabriella Marks

One of Lilly Barrack’s newest designs: a sterling silver bracelet with natural Emerald Valley turquoise.

A Gertrude Zachary’s contemporary Native American jewelry (top left) makes use of nearly one dozen types of turquoise. From Sukhmani (above), a necklace with turquoise beads, cultured pearls, and handmade 24k gold beads.

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ll that glitters is not necessarily gold in the world of Southwestern jewelry. In fact, the sparkle that catches your eye on a fancy brooch or a custom pair of earrings might be silver, a precious bead, or an unusual stone. With the variety of jewelry offered by Northern New Mexico artists and retailers, you’re bound to find something that not only glitters, but is also unique, durable, and loaded with regional and international flair.

A familiar presence in Nob Hill (with additional locations at Paseo/Wyoming and Rio Grande), Lilly Barrack supports the use of local materials and resources. The former painter creates her signature jewelry by hand in a local studio with sterling silver and raw and cut gemstones. The result: a wide range of designs that feature simple, geometric ornamentation that’s both visually striking and elegant. Lilly Barrack is a family-operated business that’s been up and running in Albuquerque for 25 years, with strong community ties. “We have a very loyal and fabulous customer base that we consider family,” says employee Gigi Fite. “So we provide a distinguished, one-of-a-kind experience in our service, product, and price.”

Word word word word and more words word word word word word with a word word word word and an extra word word.

A wide-cuff bracelet and necklace set from Carolyn Pollack’s The Rodeo Collection rests on rough turquoise stones. Màti Jewelers (left) celebrates innovative design.

Gertrude Zachary keeps Southwestern roots close by with a focus on contemporary Native American jewelry. Gertrude Zachary works directly with Native American silversmiths during the design process to ensure quality and authenticity. Their multiple Albuquerque locations (jewelry stores in Old Town and Nob Hill plus Gertrude’s Secret Antiques downtown) feature everything from dangly earrings and bold rings to authentic Concho belts and pawn jewelry lined with turquoise from mines in Arizona and Nevada. Gertrude Zachary’s craftsmen use nearly a dozen different types of turquoise in their designs, praising the stone for its holiness and healing abilities, just as Native Americans have done for centuries.

Along the same lines, Màti Jewelers has also been following local traditions since 1975 when founder Stavros Eleftheriou started his jewelry business in an old Mission Church in Albuquerque. Now the company has four locations (Old Town, Cottonwood, Coronado, and Santa Fe) where they carry multiple jewelry brands. Kabana jewelry is one of their specialties, highlighting the traditional jewelry-making method of inlay (laying gemstones into precious metals). Màti Jewelers also carries diamonds ranging from traditional round cuts to progressive cushion and marquise cuts, as well as high-end watches such as those made by Tissot and Cuervo y Sobrinos.

In hopes of spreading Southwestern style around the globe, Albuquerque-based jewelry designer and retailer Carolyn Pollack began a partnership with QVC in 2004. Today, Pollack has two shows on the network: Carolyn Pollack Sterling Jewelry and American West. The former is a rebranded version of her original show, featuring sterling and natural gemstone jewelry, while the latter showcases casual but elegant jewelry inspired by Western lifestyle and fashion. Pollack’s Lilly Barrack jewelry—which is often created in collaboration with well-known Native lillybarrack.com designers such as Cippy Crazyhorse and Fritz Casuse—can also be found locally at the ABQ Uptown mall.

Gertrude Zachary In Nob Hill, Sukhmani specializes in silver and gemstones from the gertrudezachary.com world over. Think silver from Bali, turquoise from Tibet, royal blue lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, Baltic amber, and more. A newcomer to the Màti Jewelers local scene, Sukhmani’s main jewelry designer Sat Gurumuckh Singh matijewelers.com Khalsa opened the store in 2010 with co-owner Sat Bachan Anthony.

Just three years later, they’re already supplying their custom designs to Carolyn Pollack carolynpollack.com the Museum of New Mexico Foundation shops, and across the globe to the Smithsonian Institution and the Vatican Archives. “Every piece of Sukhmani Sukhmani jewelry is designed to have a strong purpose and affect one’s sukhmaninobhill.com well-being, health, energy, and spirit,” says Anthony. “Times are changing, and the jewelry at Sukhmani is at the forefront of that change.”

A striking three-stone ring by Lilly Barrack juxtaposes two squarecut brown coffee cubic zirconia against a large, round Emerald Valley turquoise stone.

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southwest 101: vigas and beams

what’s up

by Charles C. Poling

Vigas sometimes protrude through exterior walls, as with this portal, or simply decorate interior ceilings (above) with the help of slim latillas angled against the bigger beams.

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Vigas remain a key element of the traditional New Mexico design vocabulary, as crucial in defining the regional style as earth-toned stucco.

These days you’re more likely to see vigas and posts in a portal or accenting a kitchen than at the ceiling. Chances are they came from either Groff Lumber of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque or Wholesale Timber & Viga of Bernalillo.

Groff Lumber has been selling and installing Southweststyle building materials for more than 50 years. General manager Lisa Blumhorst says the company specializes in rough-cut ponderosa pine, latillas, custom carving, carved corbels, decorative end cuts on beams, and the like. They stock traditional round vigas (lightly lathed to reduce the tree’s natural taper, yielding a nearly uniform diameter top to bottom) and squared, milled beams, too. The wood comes from the mountains of Northern New Mexico, southern Colorado, and eastern Arizona.

As their name would imply, Wholesale Timber & Viga sells primarily to contractors and a few retailers. Co-owners Leo Basquez and Jeff Gonzales say that with several mills on-site, they are able to custom cut some pretty hefty beams—up to 20" x 20" x 32'. Like Groff Lumber, Wholesale Timber & Viga also employs a posse of skilled artisans to produce—by hand—customized carving and sculpting of an amazing array of designs, from the traditional to the fanciful, depending on the customer’s preference. They also ship a great deal of their products out of state; Texas, Arizona, and California are big markets.

Says Basquez, “We do work for people here who like Southwestern style, and for people who like the Southwest style and want to take it someplace else.”

Groff Lumber, 505-898-0464, grofflumber.com; Wholesale Timber & Viga, 505-867-1200, wholesaletimber.net

Top: Mark William Photography

I

f you’ve spent any time in old adobes, you’ve noticed that the vigas—those round, roughly peeled timbers holding up the roof—are much smaller than the ones we use today, they’re placed closer together, and, not surprisingly, they tend to sag. Now think about felling trees for those timbers using only hand tools, hefting the logs onto a horse-drawn wagon, jolting your way down some mountain track 10 miles to your building site, and hoisting them aloft without the use of modern equipment. Suddenly those small-diameter vigas make a lot more sense.

In most modern homes, vigas don’t really support the roof anymore. Now mostly decorative, they’ve ceded that role to hidden trusses. This creates a vast cavity for muchneeded insulation, which itself replaces the foot of dirt atop the latillas and paper you’ll find in older homes around New Mexico. No wonder those vigas sagged. Yet vigas, along with their city cousins—squared beams and scroll-carved corbels—remain a key element of the traditional New Mexico design vocabulary, as crucial in defining the regional style as earth-toned stucco, even in offshoot style trends like Tuscan and Contemporary Southwest.

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what would Frank do?

A minimalist home in Corrales is all about the architecture

In Corrales, natural elements make up the very structure of the rammed earth walls, and the outdoors is invited in at every opportunity. With a minimalist aesthetic firmly in mind, homeowners Roger and Mary Downey opted for plenty of windows and glass to emphasize the outdoors, including at the end of what they call the “bridge” (opposite) to Mary’s meditation room.

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by Charles C. Poling

P

Photographs by Kirk Gittings

eople with a penchant for contemporary design often say they love simplicity, but you’d have to scour New Mexico from Anthony to Raton to find a home as minimally appointed as the Downey residence in Corrales. Nothing gets in the way of the architecture by Efthimios Maniatis. But don’t think for one minute this home lacks visual interest—far from it. Form and materials steal the show. And nature provides the encore.

The homeowners are as different as two people can be. Maniatis describes client Roger Downey, who had major input into the design, as “exuberant, powerful—everything is rough, and minimal, minimal, minimal. If you start with three things, he wants two. I was always taking away.” Roger’s wife, Mary, on the other hand, is “sensitive, kind, quiet. She keeps her beauty close, and she doesn’t ask for much,” whereas Roger had strong opinions about the design. Maniatis’s design associate, William SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

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“Design elements should be simple.

I’m real avid about all things being the same, same, same.”—Roger Downey

The home is sited within a meadow (above) designed by landscape architect Judith Wong. Inside, the warm, distinctive pattern of rammed earth (right).

Coburn, acted as a key sounding board for Maniatis and Roger’s architectural ideas.

Roger has retired from the insurance business he started in Albuquerque in 1975, though he still owns it. Mary is a former Catholic nun now involved with an Albuquerque Buddhist community. Roger helped design their last house, also in Corrales, which was a classic adobe. But this time, he says, “I wanted something different.”

While designing the 3,200-square-foot home (arranged in four distinct blocks forming a subtle south-facing crescent), Maniatis created personal spaces for both of its inhabitants, and, of course, some shared spaces. The orientation of the home and the generous use of glass emphasize a connection with nature at every turn. From the street side on the north, the place is perfectly situated in its planted meadow behind a sturdy but open two-rail, rusted-pipe fence. Immediately noticeable are 38

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the mud walls and the nicely rusted Corten steel roof, pitched like a shed with the high side facing south. A four-foot, precast concrete wall establishes privacy in this completely curtainless house.

At the farthest west end of the property is the guest house, the only frame-and-stucco structure here, with a tall corrugated metal garage far behind it. The guest house connects to the main living-area block across an open breezeway to the front door, which is well concealed, as Roger points out, “in the manner of Frank Lloyd Wright,” whom he often quotes and clearly admires.

This main block contains the aforementioned living room-slash-kitchen area, plus a hallway with crystal-clear views of the grasses out front. The kinked hallway leads to the bedroom block, then becomes a covered, wood-floored “bridge” to Mary’s meditation room. This unadorned, freestanding cube at the eastern end sits closest to the riverside bosque, visually striking both inside and out. From the outside, the rusty-steel enclosed bridge, looking like a Photographs by San Francisco–based photographer Lisa Kristine adorn the hallway (above), while stained concrete floors mirror the hue of the walls for a seamless flow. The bridge (right) that connects the house to the meditation room appears to float above the cobblestones.

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three-quarter-scale boxcar, seems to float over a well of cobblestones.

Inside the bridge, the flooring turns from the home’s pervasive concrete to wood; a sliver of shinhigh windows lines the base of the northside wall through which you can only see grass and cobbles.

Above, the Venetian plaster takes on a green hue. And the entire east end of this long rectangle ends in glass so clear it feels you could step right outside, a wonderful piece of participatory architecture that must thrill Mary and Roger every day.

The meditation room defines sparse: meditation bench and cushion, a small bookshelf shrine, and a closet hiding a computer work area. By comparison, the master bedroom suite, with a bed, reading light, TV, nightstand, tapestry, bureau, and one small red Eames chair, seems almost busy—though modestly scaled. The simple master bath maintains the spare theme and politely declines to be a focal point.

If the meditation room is Mary, “the hallway is Roger,” Maniatis says. “It’s the river [the nearby Rio Grande] rough, with only three materials: concrete, rammed earth—which is soil from the river—and wood. The living room is for the two of them, so part of it is rough materials, and part is soft plaster and wood, more like Santa Fe style.” One wall is naked A bold sphere sits in serene contrast to sharply defined walls (left). Most of the cabinetry in the house is from OGB Architectural Millwork, including the master bath (below).

The meditation room defines sparse: meditation bench and cushion, a small bookshelf shrine, and a closet hiding a computer work area.

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rammed earth. The other three walls sport Diamond plaster on furred-out sheetrock with beveled edges. They seem to float over the earthen walls with remarkably precise craftsmanship, a credit to contractor Michael Sims of Sims General Building in Corrales.

Design elements and component selections repeat throughout the home.

“Decisions for design should be simple,” Roger says. “I’m real avid about all things being the same, same, same.” He points to the TV. “We have three TVs, all the same.” He points downward. “The floors, the same. Light fixtures, the windows, the millwork, the closet design. They’re all the same.”

With Roger and Mary taken care of, Maniatis had one more element to balance in his already unusual client mix: “I had to develop a new theory for this house: how to design for two people and a tree.” He’s referring to a glorious 100-year-old cottonwood presiding over the southeast quadrant of the oneacre property. Every one of the many south windows faces it.

“All the buildings relate to the tree in a circular form,” Maniatis says, sketching the floorplan as he talks. “The tree is the heart—every house has a heart. It has to be powerful. And the house talks to the tree with the roof.” He shows how the shed roof opens its high side toward the cottonwood. But out of respect he kept the roof to less than half the height of the tree. “I was working with inches!” he says. Clearly, nature counts here.

The tree also represents—in a deep sense of that verb—the neighborhood and its rural, traditionally New Mexican Corrales setting. Context and authenThe living area (above), like all of the south-facing rooms, looks upon a 100-year-old cottonwood tree architect Efthimios Maniatis calls the heart of the house. Green Venetian plaster and wood flooring (right) signal the transition from the main house to the bridge leading to the meditation room straight ahead.

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Laura Gaetjens of Anandam LLC worked with Roger on interior design for the home, which included the stainless-topped Bulthaup kitchen.

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Every room in the house—from the master bedroom, living room, and kitchen (opposite)—is streamlined but not severe, while the liberal use of windows throughout the home (above) encourages what the Downeys call a “dialogue with nature.”

ticity rank highly in Maniatis’s design philosophy.

“Everywhere I do a project, I take forms from the old and the new architecture and incorporate them into mine, to make it fit.” For instance, the angle in the living room mirrors the bend in the road out front where it jogs around a landmark tree.

That dialogue between architecture and context mirrors the dialogue between architect and client in this stunning example of modern regionalism.

Maniatis and Roger had a rare collaboration, with Roger contributing very specific ideas, then stepping back and giving Maniatis “the freedom to do.” That strategy paid off.

Invoking his hero, Frank Lloyd Wright, Roger says with satisfaction: “If he saw this place, I think he’d say, ‘Roger, you didn’t screw that up.’”

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Su Cocina

by John Vollertsen

that’s one smart appliance Your futuristic kitchen is just a touchscreen away

Y

hot: induction and steam cooking

Our energy-conscious world has urged manufacturers to come up with more proficient heat sources, and the new range of induction cooktops fills that bill nicely. Induction technology works on an oscillating magnetic field theory: the cooking vessel is heated instantly, using only low voltage to activate it. And since none of the air around or above the pot is heated, often no hood fan is required above it. Just make sure your pots are magnetic to facilitate the connection. Le Creuset, AllClad, Viking, Chantal, and Staub are all popular brands that will work with induction.

Mary McManus opted for an induction cooktop when building her home in Santa Fe after moving from Ohio 18 months ago. “Our builder, Sharon Woods, directed us to Builders Source,” says McManus. “We have had gas and radiant stoves in the past, but I love the induction for its speed control and cleanliness. Our whole kitchen is Wolf Sub-Zero; I spoiled myself with a double convection oven, too!

Everything our sales rep, Jason, told us about the appliances has been true.”

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Miele’s combination Electric Boiler and Fryer is versatile and safe, with an oil/water safety drain valve and a “temperature reached” indicator.

Thermador’s Grand Pro Steam Range (above) has seven cooking options, including steam and convection.

This page: Courtesy of Thermador; Miele. Opposite: Courtesy of Sub-Zero Wolf

ou’re out of town when the motor of your well-stocked refrigerator suddenly dies. How do you even know this? Because a tiny sensor immediately activates, sending out a signal that identifies the problem, sources the part that needs replacing, orders the part, and then alerts you that the part is on the way. Of course it also checks with you to schedule the service call—by phone, text, or email.

Welcome to the future—except that this technology is available now. Called RemoteVision in Miele refrigerators, this unique connection between your major appliances and a monitoring center will soon be a feature offered by many manufacturers on all sorts of kitchen appliances.

Visiting one of New Mexico’s premier appliance centers like Builders Source Appliance Gallery (with stores in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and El Paso) or Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery in Albuquerque is truly a step into the future. With an open mind and a healthy budget at your disposal, the kitchen of your dreams is closer than you think. If you find yourself spending more and more time in the kitchen, why not gear up the new playroom with all the bells and whistles. This spring, explore what’s new and hot; you’ll feel like George or Jane Jetson. (American Express gold card? Don’t leave home without it!)

A real challenge for cooks who live in desert locales is the fact that food dries out during cooking, leaving less-than-perfect results. The new much-hyped oven that solves that problem is the range of steam convection combination ovens that inject hot vapor into the oven, speeding up cooking time and keeping food fresh and moist.

Available from most major manufacturers including Wolf, Viking, Miele, Jenn-Air, and Thermador, at Builders Source they’ll demonstrate the benefits of this technology by reheating a three-day-old pizza that comes back as fresh as the minute it first came out of the oven. All ovens are getting smarter. In fact, many now prompt you with settings to proof dough, activate a rotisserie, fire up a perfect pizza, and even dehydrate food.

form meets function

The absolute coolest hood fans in the universe are the Italian-made Elica brand of über-stylish vent systems that double as art, lighting, and design statement. They do cost a pretty lira, but are must-haves if you want something utterly unique. If your budget permits, you can also invest in a sleek, custom model from Prizer Hoods.

With one of these babies above your range, your friends and family will know you take your culinary prowess seriously.

Wine lovers will be tempted by the SubZero Wolf Wine Chiller that can store over 100 bottles and has the ability to hold your prized vintage at three different optimum temperatures—all within the same unit. (I’ll drink to that!) Tired of losing utensils in the bottom of the dishwasher?

Check out the variety of brands that offer internal halogen or LED lighting. Another planet-friendly feature provides double drawers within one washer, each with the ability to be run individually—some with a cycle gentle enough to wash Riedel wine glasses. Check out Fisher & Paykel’s full line of double-drawer dishwashers.

professional grade

If a commercial-style kitchen really is your dream, counter-installed modular cooking vessels by Miele and Wolf allow you to enjoy a built-in deep-fat fryer or pasta boiler/vegetable steamer at your fingertips.

Stovetop grills and griddles continue to be popular and can be included in the design of your dream kitchen, incorporated right into a complete stove setup. Blue Star

3711 Paseo Del Norte n ABQ, NM 505.998.0000 n ogb-am.com

RemoteVision, available in many Miele appliances, connects your refrigerator with Miele’s client services.

makes a gas convection oven with side swing doors that’s available in 190 colors, from chocolate to turquoise to hot fuscia. Pair yours with a stove with griddle and a salamander broiler just like the restaurants use. Made in Redding, Pennsylvania, Blue Star is the only major manufacturer of kitchen appliances made in the good old U.S.A. Get cooking!

Courtesy of Elica; Courtesy of Miele

Made in Italy, the Elica Legend ventilation system makes a statement with its polished stainless steel ring and advanced perimeter suction system.

Chocolate Ancho Chile Torte Makes approximately 14 slices The steam oven keeps this chocolate cake silky and moist, while the ancho chile gives it a New Mexico kick!

Recipe adapted from the Thermador website, thermador.com. ¾ lb. grated dark chocolate 10 tablespoons butter 1¼ cups sugar ¼ cup powdered sugar 1¼ cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons ground ancho chile or other ground red chile, or to taste ¼ cup raspberry jam Cocoa for dusting Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl over simmering water. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs.

Gradually add the melted chocolate and egg yolks to the butter mixture and beat well.

Beat the egg whites with the powdered sugar until stiff.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and chile and sift onto the egg mixture. Add the chocolate mixture and carefully fold everything together. Cover the base of a 10-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the pan, level the surface, and bake the cake with True Convection at 325° for 60 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan. Loosen the sides from the pan with a sharp knife, turn it out, and remove the parchment paper.

Warm the jam, then spread it over the cake. Let stand in a cool place for several hours and then dust lightly with cocoa.

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Diana Lucero, CGA, CGP, CAPS VP, Construction Lending 505.830.8103 dlucero@nmb-t.com

New Mexico Bank & Trust is a full-service bank with knowledgeable staff offering the finest in construction financing.

Albuquerque

www.NMB-T.com Member

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Terri Lynne Construction Loan Specialist 505.830.8105 tlynne@nmb-t.com

Diana and Terri... making great things happen!

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spacious double living areas open to an extended outdoor entertaining area, as well as a large media room, a study, three-plus bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths, and a three-car garage.

From I-25 north, exit at Paseo del Norte and continue west to Unser Boulevard. Turn right on Unser (north). Take Unser north to Wellspring Drive (across from Presbyterian Hospital). Turn left on Wellspring.

Take the first left on 21st Avenue and continue to the stop sign. At the stop sign, go left onto 15th Street. The model is on the right.

Subcontractors & Vendors

Businesses are located in the Albuquerque area with area code 505, unless otherwise noted.

Architect: Maguire Design, 255-4008

Interior design: Exquisite Design, 238-9690

Appliances: Jenn-Air, 889-3001

Landscaping: The Hilltop, 898-9690

Appliances supplier: Builders Source, 889-3001

Lot developer: M3 Investments, 328-2825

Block wall contractors: Aspen Construction, 341-6800

Lumber: Raks Lumber, 328-5184

Cabinets: Mastercraft Cabinets, (480) 628-3586

Paint: High Desert Painting, 720-4108

Concrete: Hammer Construction, 975-3264

Plumbing: BMI Mechanical, 797-2170

Drywall: Hammer Construction, 259-0586

Plumbing fixtures: Brizo by WW Sales Co., 878-0636

Electrical fixtures: Turn On Lighting, 891-2124

Roofing: Otero Roofing, 975-5299

Electrician: Elcon Electric, 822-0003

Stucco contractor: Lang Construction, 280-4372

Fireplace: Heat & Glo; Mountain West Sales, 888-4469

Stucco supplier: Sto Powerwall; Chaparral Materials, 515-4939

Flooring: Flooring Concepts, 350-2017

Trim, doors, hardware, and windows: Stock Lumber, 345-8135

Framing labor: Hammer Construction, 259-0586

Trim labor: ICR-NM, 261-2043

Granite countertops: NM Granite and Slate, 489-1438

Trusses: Pro-Built, 908-0866

HVAC: BMI Mechanical, 797-2170

Wrought-iron entry door: Casa di Ferro, 892-1800

Insulation: Banker Building Products, 341-4600

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Main St.

SW

6

Main St.

LOS LUNAS

6

SW

Heights

Ashton Homes by Desert West Development 9123 Twilight Lane NE

The Estates at Glendale

1

3 bedrooms 2½ baths 2,636 sq. ft. $556,000 Betty Leslie-Schmille (505) 271-1191 schmilleco@aol.com ashtonhomesnm.com

This custom single-story home is located in a new 23-lot gated community in the La Cueva High School area. Perfect for empty nesters, professionals, and small families, the homes feature

Heights

stone fronts, pitched concrete tile roofs, lowmaintenance exteriors, and three-car garages.

This is a brand-new subdivision of Mountain, Barcelona, and Tuscan-style homes.

From I-25 and I-40, drive north on I-25.

Exit right on Alameda Boulevard. Turn left on Wyoming Boulevard. Turn right on Glendale Avenue, continue half a block, and turn right on Twilight Lane to 9123 Twilight Lane NE.

2

Picasso Builders

9901 Sand Verbena Trail NE

Ocotillo

3 bedrooms 3½ baths 3,320 sq. ft. $850,000 Chris G. Martinez (505) 720-0627 chris@picassobuilders.com picassobuilders.com

This Old European–styled home has an interior that incorporates metropolitan loft influences coupled with antique architectural elements that, when intertwined, create Picasso Builders’

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unique style. The home features handmade light fixtures from Spain, copper gas lanterns, plastered floors with wood inlays, a home theater, limestone fireplaces, and white brick ceilings.

Take I-25 north to Paseo del Norte.

Drive east on Paseo del Norte to Holbrook. Drive north on Holbrook to the Ocotillo subdivision. Take the first right.

9901 Sand Verbena Trail NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122 505.720-0627 Fax: 505-922-9818 E-Mail: chris@picassobuilders.com www.picassobuilders.com

3

Panorama Homes

Heights

9913 Cielito Norte Way NE

Cielo Estates

3 bedrooms 2 baths 2,681 sq. ft. $490,000 John S. Lowe (505) 688-6834 jlowe14@comcast.net panoramahomes.com

Located in Albuquerque’s newest Northeast Heights subdivision, Cielo Estates, this beautiful and unique Nuevo-Mexican-Eclectic–style home has a private courtyard entry and fantastic views.

Every home in this green-certified subdivision is custom designed and is a certified Build Green New Mexico energy-efficient home!

From I-25 and Paseo del Norte, travel east on Paseo del Norte almost 3 miles to Holbrook. Turn right on Holbrook, and then left onto Palomas. Make another immediate left onto the frontage road, and follow the frontage road to the subdivision entrance. Turn left on Cielito Norte Way. The home is on the left.

Let us orchestrate your dream.

For the perfect products for your kitchen or bath, stop by a Ferguson showroom. It’s where you’ll find the largest range of quality brands, a symphony of ideas, and trained product experts to help orchestrate your dream. With showrooms from coast to coast, come see why Ferguson is recommended by professional contractors and designers everywhere.

APPLIANCES

PLUMBING

Albuquerque: FERGUSON.COM 54

SU C A S A S P R I N G 2013

PASSIONATE PEOPLE

FIXTURES

4820 Hardware Drive NE

LIGHTING

(505) 345-9001 ©2013 Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Koinonia Architects & Builders

Heights

11520 Zinfandel Lane NE

Sauvignon Estates

4

4 bedrooms 4½ baths 4,154 sq. ft. $1,900,000

4 - Koinonia (B/W)

Paul R. McDonald

(505) 249-8634 koinonia@comcast.net koinonialuxurycustomhomebuilders.com

Situated on Tanoan golf course, this greenbuilt home captures magnificent views. Modern Tuscan styling is announced by the Old World gate and bell tower with glass block accents

leading to the entry courtyard. Heavy timbers and stonework combine with contemporary forms, lighting, and accents, creating this unique luxury custom home.

From the Big-I intersection of I-25 and I-40, go north on I-25 and exit right to Paseo del Norte. Turn right at Tramway.

Turn right at San Rafael. Continue .5 mile, then turn left on Lowell then right on San Antonio. Turn left at the entrance of the subdivision. Turn right on Zinfandel Lane.

Continue to 11520 Zinfandel Lane.

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RayLee Homes: A New Generation

Heights

11805 Pocono Road SE

Volterra

5

4 bedrooms 3 baths 1,920 sq. ft. $239,101 Tammy Grady Thornton (505) 917-1677 tgradythornton@rayleehomes.com rayleehomes.com

After viewing the detached casita showcasing a radius of windows, an impressive entry awaits leading into a grand living room with vaulted ceilings and a kiva fireplace. Designed to balance

functionality and luxurious amenities, this home is perfect for any style of living. A kitchen with an expansive breakfast bar and dining area make this home perfect for cooking and entertaining.

going

Southwestern homes

Southwestern homes

green ÂŽ

Take I-40 east and exit south on Juan Tabo Boulevard. Take Juan Tabo south past Central Avenue. Continue south on Juan Tabo over the bridge and into the Volterra subdivision. Turn left on Pocono Road.

in ABQ

inspiration ideas resources

this old Santa Fe house

ÂŽ

inspiration ideas resources

Steve Thomas remodels an eastside adobe

rammed earth

takes on the elements in Taos

two households,

one goal:

sustainability Vol. 19 no. 1 WINTER 2013

SuCaSaMagazine.CoM

Subscribe today at SuCasaMagazine.com or call 1-800-770-6326 56

SU C A S A S P R I N G 2013

6

Pulte Homes

Heights

5727 University Boulevard SE

Mesa del Sol

3 bedrooms 2½ baths 1,943 sq. ft. $256,885 Sales Department (505) 221-5514 mesadelsol@pulte.com pulte.com/nm

This home sells at a base price of $205,490.

The optional features included in this home are solid-surface countertops in the kitchen, upgraded appliances, a deck off the master

bedroom, oversized sliding glass doors, a home entertainment system, a water catchment system, upgraded tile and carpet flooring, and a solar package.

From the Big I, take I-25 south to the Rio Bravo Boulevard exit. Turn left (east) onto Rio Bravo. Turn right onto University Boulevard, go about 3 miles, and continue to Mesa del Sol.

Let’s get a LittLe cLoser.

A new kind of community is taking shape just 15 minutes (and no bridges) from downtown. It’s a place that not only brings you closer to work but to the other parts of your life as well. With a good school for the kids. Parks and trails.

Even a little café. All just steps from your colorful front door.

Five original home collections priced from the mid $100s to $300+

A new community on the east side.

I-25 to rio bravo, east to university, turn right and follow the signs.

MesadelSolNM.com

MES 130463 SuCasa MagLocationAd_M.indd 1

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Valley

7

Vineyard Homes

514 Paseo del Bosque NW 5 bedrooms 3½ baths 2,950 sq. ft. $375,000 Deborah Short (505) 235-5225 vineyardhomes@yahoo.com vineyardhomesnm.com

A must-see, this North Valley home is perfect for a growing family. The children have private bathrooms. The kitchen is huge, with a walk-in pantry and butler’s kitchen with freezer! The

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home has two back patios: for barbecuing and an enclosed game room. The four-car garage is huge, with room for a fitness area. The home alone is built for $300,000!

Take I-25 north to the Alameda Boulevard exit. Proceed west on Alameda to 4th Street. Turn right (north) on 4th Street to Paseo del Bosque. Turn left (west) on Paseo del Bosque. Proceed to 514 Paseo del Bosque.

8

Paul Kenderdine Inc.

Valley

600 Calle de los Hijos NW

4 bedrooms 3½ baths 3,200 sq. ft. $615,000 Paul Kenderdine (505) 249-2495 paulbrendak@aol.com pwki.com

This custom home, set in Albuquerque’s North Valley, is a blend of traditional Southwestern and modern contemporary design. Satisfying artful tastes, the home is built around a dramatic

sun-filled gallery with bright, open spaces, elegant lines, and organic colors and textures.

From the Big I, take I-25 north and exit at Alameda Boulevard. Turn left on Alameda to 4th Street. Turn right on 4th Street and continue .25 mile to Calle de los Hijos (immediately after self-storage unit). Turn left on Los Hijos, continue to the end of road, and the home is on the left.

ArCHiTeCT: jon AnDerSon

True Custom Homebuilding

ArCHiTeCT: bArry lAnGforD

©KirK GiTTinGS

Commercial Construction • Design Services

PAUL W. KENDERDINE INC. 505 249 2495 • pwki.com

9

Patriot Homes

Valley

6001 El Prado NW

Rob Lee Meadows

2 bedrooms 3 baths 2,131 sq. ft. $525,000 Jimmy Porter (505) 974-5300 jimmy@patriothomesnm.com patriothomesnm.com

This Northern Territorial–style home is accented with warm and inviting features. The living room’s stone fireplace rises to the 16-foot cathedral ceiling with naturally stained beams and tongue

and groove. The gourmet kitchen features a 60-square-foot island that complements the wormy maple cabinets. Cook and entertain with the outdoor kitchen and covered patio.

From the Big I, travel west on I-40 to Rio Grande Boulevard. Travel north for approximately 4 miles. Go west on El Prado (the first street after the stop sign at Chavez Road). Turn right on El Prado and follow to the end of the cul-de-sac.

Hard water?

Are your pipes trying to tell you something? A Culligan® Water Softener removes the damaging minerals from hard water, before they can cause buildup in your pipes and reduce the flow of water.

To get yours, call Southwest Water Conditioning at 505-299-9581. Or visit southwesth2o.com.

121050_Culligan_Pipes_SuCasa.indd 1 60 SU C A S A S P R I N G 2013

7/30/12 3:46 PM

10

Lowe-Bo Homes

Valley

1339 Valle Lane NW

Candelaria Village

3 bedrooms 2 baths 1,862 sq. ft. $300,000 Ted Lowe (505) 991-2555 tedlowe@q.com lowe-bohomes.com

This beautiful contemporary Southwest-style home with stone accents is in the exclusive gated North Valley community of Candelaria Village. The home’s interior shows off a rich, warm modern design and

numerous custom features, including custom alder cabinets and a unique stainless steel fireplace. The home has quartz countertops, polished concrete floors, and exquisitely tiled bathrooms.

Take I-40 west to 12th Street (Exit 158). Merge onto the frontage road.

Turn right onto 12th Street. Turn left onto Candelaria Road. Turn left into the Candelaria Village community.

Turn right onto Valle Lane.

Value and Quality through Generations of experience.

LOWE-BO Homes Call Ted Lowe at 505-991-2555 www.lowe-bohomes.com

Let us create your dream home!

505-888-4464 • www.mountainwestsales.net

505-883-1967 • www.raysflooring.com

505- 821-7625 • unitedstoneworks.net

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

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westside

Tiara Homes

4805 Valle Rio Trail NW

El Bosque at Andalucia

11

4 bedrooms 3 baths 2,879 sq. ft. $574,900 Rich Gantner (505) 797-6650 richgantner@lobo.net tiarahomes.net

This spectacular custom home on a one-third-acre lot is just steps from the Rio Grande bosque. Amenities include hickory floors, an outdoor kitchen with kiva fireplace, secure courtyard entry behind

Westside

a stone tower, a spacious open floor plan ideal for entertaining, separate bedroom wings, tandem three-car garage, and a well-appointed kitchen with granite countertops and Bosch appliances.

Drive west on I-40 to Coors Boulevard.

Turn right on Coors, then turn right on Sevilla. Turn left on Tres Gracias and proceed through the gate into the El Bosque subdivision. Keep right on Camino Valle Trail, which runs into Valle Rio Trail.

Scott Patrick Homes 5012 Camino Valle Trail NW

El Bosque at Andalucia

12

4 bedrooms 2½ baths 2,708 sq. ft. $478,500 Meryl Manning Segel (505) 250-5988 (cell) or 828-9900 meryl@scottpatrickhomes.com scottpatrickhomes.com

A relaxed North Valley feel awaits you in this open-concept home featuring large window walls highlighting the surrounding bosque and Sandia mountain views. The gleaming stainless steel and

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SU C A S A S P R I N G 2013

granite kitchen is open to the main living areas accented by contemporary architectural finishes and a separated master suite for added privacy.

Take I-40 west to Coors Boulevard northbound (Exit 155). Turn right onto Coors and continue 1.5 miles. Turn right onto Sevilla into Andalucia. Continue to Tres Gracias, turn left, and follow into El Bosque, a gated community.

Westside

13

Silverton Custom Homes 5016 Camino Valle Trail NW

El Bosque

4 bedrooms 3 baths 2,827 sq. ft. $500,300 Gerald S. Maestas (505) 220-7508 silvertoninc@aol.com silvertonhomesnm.com

This beautiful Tuscan-style home is equipped with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an extra room for entertaining adjoining a wine storage area. The home is decorated with

Westside

warm-colored plaster, barrel ceilings, and lots of stonework. As you are entertaining in the great room, you can take a glimpse of the gorgeous Manzano Mountains.

Take I-40 west to Coors Boulevard northbound (Exit 155). Turn right onto Coors and continue 1.5 miles. Turn right onto Sevilla into Andalucia. Continue to Tres Gracias, turn left, and follow into El Bosque, a gated community.

14

Twilight Homes 6456 Hops Court NW

La Cuentista

3–4 bedrooms 2½ baths 2,010 sq. ft. $283,000 Jose Andreu (505) 450-2861 jandreu@twilighthomesnm.com twilighthomesnm.com

No need to settle for less in this vibrant home.

Amazing views await you in this three-bedroom, two-bath, three-car-garage stunner. Huge living areas, granite countertops throughout, a large

back patio, stone fireplace, wood floors, tile, and custom lighting are just some of the beautiful features in this gorgeous home.

Take I-25 north to Paseo del Norte.

Go west on Paseo del Norte to Unser Boulevard. Turn left on Unser (south). Take the second left onto Kimmick Drive. Take the second left onto Cayenne Drive. Take the first left onto Hops Court, and the model is directly in front of you.

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Westside

15

Stillbrooke Homes

5868 Ermemin Avenue NW

Paradise View

3 bedrooms 2 baths 1,922 sq. ft. $259,975 Scott Henry (505) 858-1800 scotth@stillbrooke.com stillbrooke.com

This new model home features a first-floor master suite, a loft overlooking the family room, a fireplace (with stone), a chef’s kitchen with custom cabinets, upgraded stainless steel appliances, a home

Westside

automation package, upgraded carpet and tile, full landscaping with timer, GreenSmart energy-saving systems, and much more. Stillbrooke Homes will make structural changes!

Drive north on I-25 to Paseo del Norte. Turn left onto Paseo del Norte and continue to Unser Boulevard.

Turn right on Unser and continue to Paradise Boulevard, then turn left to Paradise View (on the left side).

Patriot Homes

6212 Wild Onion Avenue NW

Chamisa Ridge Estates

16

4 bedrooms 2½ baths 3,107 sq. ft. $652,000 Jimmy Porter (505) 974-5300 jimmy@patriothomesnm.com patriothomesnm.com

This Southwest modern beauty was designed with two concepts in mind: functionality and entertaining. No detail was overlooked, from the travertine and quartzite entry ceiling to the

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glass vessel sink from Florence, Italy, and the gourmet outdoor kitchen. This is a must-see, one-of-a-kind home.

From the Big I, travel north to Paseo del Norte. Go west past Coors Boulevard and Golf Course Road to Unser Boulevard. Turn north to Paradise Boulevard. Travel west to the first street after the middle school (Coneflower Drive). The home is on the back side of the Chamisa Ridge subdivision.

“If you can dream it,

W e can bui ld it.”

A s a B u i l d e r o f t h e A m e r i c a n D re a m p a r t o f o u r c o m p a ny ’s p o l i c y i s t o s u p p o r t o u r t ro o p s b y d o n a t i n g p a r t o f t h e p u rc h a s e p r i c e o f o u r h o m e s t o v a r i o u s ve t e r a n’s fo u n d a t i o n s.

2012 Spring Parade of Homes Award

(505)974-5300

w w w. p a t r i o t h o m e s n m . c o m

rio rancho

D.R. Horton

1901 Vista de Colinas Drive SE

Arbolera del Este at Cabezon

17

4 bedrooms 2½ baths 2,732 sq. ft. $435,310 Paul Rodriguez (505) 797-4245 prrodriguez@drhorton.com www.drhorton.com/nm

The newly designed Franklin II plan is a highly functional, stylish home built for the way homeowners want to live. From its oversized garage

Rio Rancho

to its rear covered patio, the Franklin II is an exceptional value and a must-see.

Drive north on I-25, then turn left off of Paseo del Norte (Exit 232). Turn right on Golf Course Road. Turn left on Cabezon Boulevard. Turn right on Vista de Colinas Drive. Arrive at 1901 Vista de Colinas Drive SE.

18

Abrazo Homes

1621 Western Hills Drive SE

Cabezon

4 bedrooms 3 baths 2,717 sq. ft. $335,000 Paul Chappell (214) 641-1213 paul@abrazohomes.com abrazohomes.com

This Abrazo custom home showcases transitional Tuscan architecture, iPad automated lighting and temperature controls, high ceilings, and Build Green New Mexico Silver-rated green construc-

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tion. Interior details include cherry cabinetry, skip trowel texture, LED and high-efficiency lighting, and hand-crafted wood detailing. Dream smart with Abrazo custom homes.

From the Big I, take I-25 north to Paseo del Norte. Turn left on Paseo del Norte, then turn right on Coors Boulevard. Proceed up the hill to Rio Rancho. Turn left on Westside, then turn right on Unser Boulevard. Turn right on Cabezon, then turn right on Western Hills Drive.

SPECtACULAR COMMUNItIES IN ALBUQUERQUE & RIO RANCHO

HOMES FROM LOW $100s tO LOW $300s

All from New Mexico’s #1 Home Builder…D.R. Horton

VISIT OUR STUNNING PARADE MODEL 2732 sq ft | 4 BR | 2.5 Bath | 3 Car from

289,990

$

1901 Vista de Colinas Drive Arbolera del Este at CABEZON in Rio Rancho 505.892.3404 You’ll love our spacious, award-winning homes at Arbolera del Este in Cabezon! Floor plans range from approximately 2152–3497 sq ft, with tile roofs, refrigerated air, energy-efficient GE appliances and so much more. Plus, every home is Build Green New Mexico Silver-Level Certified! Experience an incomparable lifestyle in your beautiful new D.R. Horton home at Cabezon, where convenience and outdoor activities are a way of life. Homes from the $230s.

TOUR OUR BEAUTIFUL MODELS Single & 2-story homes from 1722– 3039 sq ft starting from

180s

$

10 fabulous floor plans to choose from!

9627 Stormcloud Albuquerque 505.831.0042 Conveniently located with easy access to I-40 and Paseo del Norte, Stormcloud is a wonderful place to call home. Enjoy nature trails, community parks, children’s splash area and dog park…all part of the amazing lifestyle offered at this exceptional master planned community!

drhorton.com

Prices, availability, and incentives are subject to change without notice and will vary by subdivision. Square footages are approximate. D•R•Horton is an Equal Housing Opportunity Builder. Build Green New Mexico is a voluntary statewide program for certifying green technologies, products and practices. D•R•Horton makes no representations as to actual energy cost savings or performance. Builder retains rights to any applicable energy tax credits. For more information, visit www.buildgreennm.com.

Rio Rancho

19

Pulte Homes

3852 Puenta Alto Drive NE

Loma Colorado

4 bedrooms 3½ baths 2,734 sq. ft. $290,000 Sales Department (505) 891-2995 pulte.com/lomacolorado

This spacious two-story home features a downstairs master suite and walk-in closets in all bedrooms. The first floor features an open kitchen, two living areas, and vaulted ceilings in

ŠLuis Molina

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S U C A S A S P R I N G 2013

the great room. Home highlights include a loft space, an integrated patio, and a two-and-ahalf-car garage.

Take I-25 north to Paseo del Norte and turn left. Turn right on Coors Boulevard and continue right on Coors Bypass/NM 528. Turn left on High Resort Boulevard. Turn right on Loma Vista Boulevard. Turn right on Terraza Boulevard. Turn left onto Puenta Alta.

The model is on the left.

Rio Rancho

MorningStar Homes by Twilight Homes 1710 Lark Drive NE

High Range

20

3–4 bedrooms 2 baths 1,610 sq. ft. $175,000 Bridgett Jaramillo (505) 273-0264 bjaramillo@morningstarnm.com morningstarhomesnm.com

This captivating home has a unique, fresh look. The home pushes the envelope for style in the affordable market. Sophisticated with

a modern feel, it manages to deliver it all— flexibility, interest, and warmth—all in 1,610 square feet.

From I-25 north, take Paseo del Norte west to Unser Boulevard. Go right on Unser to Northern Boulevard. Go right on Northern to Idalia Road. Go left on Idalia to Loma Colorado Boulevard.

Turn left on Loma Colorado. Take the first left onto Inca Road. Take the third right onto Lark Drive.

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Corrales

Home Construction and Consulting Services 109 Stella Lane

21

3 bedrooms 3 baths 3,197 sq. ft. $669,000 David K. Langham (505) 238-7678 david@abqbuilder.com abqbuilder.com

This beautiful Southwestern Pueblo home has an open floor plan with a cozy and comfortable outdoor living area viewing the Sandia Mountains.

The must-see home has custom alder cabinetry,

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granite countertops, porcelain and wood floors, two master suites, an attached greenhouse, three fireplaces, and beautiful rough-sawn beams, vigas, and wooden ceiling treatments.

Take I-25 north to Alameda Boulevard. Turn left on Alameda to Corrales Road. Turn right on Corrales Road.

Travel about 1 mile past the village of Corrales, and Stella Lane will be on the left. Turn left on Stella Lane, and 109 Stella Lane is the first house on the left.

PLACITAS

22

Hartenberger Construction 15 Dreamcatcher Trail

Anasazi Trail

4 bedrooms 3½ baths 3,835 sq. ft. $1,091,000 Jonathan Hartenberger (505) 867-4657 jhartenb@gmail.com oldworldhomes.com

This Southwest contemporary home has been designed and built to fit the owner’s aesthetics on an extraordinary view lot in Placitas. It has a spacious floor plan with well-chosen granite

and tile surfaces and cabinetry by Hanks House.

This home has a HERS rating of 24, saving 76 percent in energy costs and making the home comfortable throughout the year.

Take I-25 north 15 miles to Exit 242 (Highway 165). Proceed east on Highway 165 1.6 miles. Turn left onto Trails Road East. Proceed forward onto Anasazi Trails Road .7 mile. Turn left onto Dreamcatcher Trail .2 mile to the end of the cul-de-sac.

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East Mountains

Lee Michael Homes 32 Tablazon Valley Drive

Tablazon Meadow Estates

23

3 bedrooms 2½ baths 2,000 sq. ft. $350,000 Alexa Knight (505) 681-9447 knight.alexa@gmail.com leemichaelhomes.com

This is a true mountain getaway tucked into the tall piĂąons with a Craftsman-inspired design. Strong stacked rock and stone details give this home a cozy feel. Designed to capture all the views, this

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one-level design with an oversized garage has no wasted space. Some of the details include rustic slate tile and slab granite counters.

Drive east on I-40 to Zuzax (Exit 178), just past Tijeras. Turn left on the frontage road past the gas station to Tablazon Road. Turn right and follow to the Y in the road. Take a left at the Y and follow up to Tablazon Valley Drive. Turn left to the home at the end of the cul-de-sac.

East Mountains

24

Infinity Homes

72 Nature Pointe Drive

Nature Pointe

3 bedrooms 2 baths 2,562 sq. ft. $440,000 Carl Sanchez (505) 459-0621 gknkidz@yahoo.com infinityhomesofnm.com

This gorgeous ranch-style home offers a spacious floor plan with details throughout. The home has exquisite tile, cabinetry, a full solar package, customdesigned ceilings, plant shelves, granite countertops,

and stainless steel appliances. Featuring breathtaking views, this home offers spectacular outdoor and indoor living at its best, nestled in Nature Pointe subdivision—resort living right at home.

From Albuquerque, take I-40 east to Zuzax, Exit 178. Drive east on Old Highway 66 (Highway 333) for 2 miles.

Turn right (south) on Five Hills Road.

Turn right (west) on Sedillo Road.

Turn left (south) on Avenida Allegra and enter the gate to Nature Pointe on the left. Continue on Nature Pointe Drive to number 72.

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mountain retreat

Nature is more than just a backdrop to a home in Tijeras

J. C. Anderson Construction, 505-830-0313, jcandersonconstruction.com 76

S U C A S A S P R I N G 2013

by Ben Ikenson Photographs by Amadeus Leitner

M

ornings are never less than spectacular for the owners of this Tijeras home. Just after dawn, a soft pink light illuminates the backsides of the Sandia Mountains in the distance, incrementally intensifying until the slopes are bathed in fiery gold. In the foreground, hawks may be circling overhead scouring the high desert grasses below, or a coyote may be bounding between windswept juniper looking for his own breakfast. And inside, Karen and Mark, the retired couple who live here, can observe it all without obstruction through an enormous window off the dining area while they sip coffee.

“I can’t think of a better way to start the day,” says Karen. “It’s like camping, but from the comfort of our own home.”

The 2,800-square-foot, three-bedroom soft contemporary Southwestern home is located in the aptly named development of Nature Pointe, where each property sits on two pristine acres.

Reflecting the grandeur of its surroundings, the home’s passivesolar design features an open, flowing floor plan with a large central great room-kitchen-dining area with multiple accesses to a spacious patio and the magnificent views beyond. Notable

The portal, under which a well-appointed outdoor kitchen and kiva are protected by a rusty metal roof, offers an unobstructed view of the Sandia Mountains. For their indoor kitchen (below), the owners opted for Thermador appliances from Ferguson Gallery, including the new duel-fuel Pro Grand Steam Range with convection and steam ovens and warming drawer.

A deep connection with the outdoors was the very basis for this Southwestern-style home in Nature Pointe. In the living room (opposite), natural light provided by soaring clerestory windows brightens the large space, while solar tubes in the kitchen (below) minimize the need for extensive indoor lighting.

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The magnificent cross that hangs in a hallway nicho was made by Navajo artists George and Grace Nakai.

Semco windows from Reule Sun Corporation provide a breathtaking view (above). Much of the owners’ décor reflects their mutual fondness for motorcycles, especially Harley-Davidsons (right).

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“We were very adamant that we wanted a no-maintenance house—steel, concrete, and stucco. No exposed wood at all.”

—Karen, owner

interior features include knotty alder doors, a clay plaster barrel arched ceiling in the entry, clay plaster walls by Solamente Clay, porcelain tile floors from Flooring Direct Wholesale, and many nichos adorned with Southwestern art that the homeowners have collected over the years.

The couple didn’t plan on building to begin with. In fact, Mark and Karen, both originally from the Midwest, were already comfortably settled in rural southwest Colorado after retiring from accomplished professional lives. Mark was an engineer for Harley-Davidson Motor Company in Milwaukee; Karen, who met Mark when she too worked for Harley-Davidson, moved on and eventually retired as a VP for a federal credit union. With kids and grandchildren in Albuquerque, the benefits of living closer to the amenities of a larger city were becoming increasingly evident to the couple, but they were loath to give up the rural mountain environs they had come to love so much.

After working for nearly a year with a broker in New Mexico and checking real estate alerts set to specified parameters (single-story, low-maintenance, open layout, and plenty of garage space), their search for the perfect home was still falling short, so they began to rethink their strategy. “We were reluctantly becoming more open to the idea of building our own home,” says Mark.

Around this time, the couple were introduced to Nature Pointe, where the beauty surrounding each undeveloped homesite became an unparalleled appeal for both. With his engineering mind, Mark began sketching out ideas for what their home here might look like, borrowing from existing designs to come up with a rough floor plan—although he and Karen

Every room of the house was carefully sited for maximum enjoyment of views of the outdoors. The master bath (above) faces the Sandias.

A hand-plastered kiva warms one corner of the living room; its placement allows simultaneous enjoyment of the fireplace and the breathtaking outdoor views.

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were admittedly still daunted by the idea of designing and building from scratch. Their reservations quickly began to fade after meeting custom homebuilder J. C. Anderson and architect Sara Rain Stewart of Avocet Design and Consulting.

“The clients had a rough plan worked out, which we finessed into their graceful home,” says Stewart, who specializes in sustainable residential design. “With the primary view toward the west, the design balances light throughout the home and brings in southern light where possible.” Stewart used 3-D modeling software to walk Karen and Mark through various design modifications.

The great room serves to separate and enhance privacy for the home’s two wings. At the south side of the spacious and beautifully appointed kitchen, a four-foot-wide custom pocket door leads to the guest wing, which includes a bedroom, a bathroom, and an office containing a well-concealed Murphy bed to accommodate additional overnight visitors. Both the kitchen and the guest bedroom access an enclosed patio where the couple and their guests can enjoy outdoor living throughout the year, even during the notorious windy season. The master wing, accessed by a front hallway, contains the master bedroom and bathroom. From both the master suite and the great room, the slightly angled layout at the back emphasizes the panoramic mountain views. Outside, a long patio covered by a rusted metal portal hugs the arching perimeter of the house and features a fully operational outdoor kitchen at one end and a large kiva fireplace at the other.

“What we love most is that we are constantly reminded of the natural beauty that drew us here in the first place, and we get to enjoy it year-round,” says Karen. “The design of the house really respects that.”

The home’s energy efficiency features are almost as impressive as the design aesthetics. On the roof of the garage, for example, a series of hydronic solar panels utilize heat exchangers to transfer heat into a 1,700-gallon water tank submerged beneath the surface of the garage floor, thereby conserving space while insulating the tank.

“The system we installed transforms the sun’s energy into preA Murphy bed is cleverly hidden behind motorcycle décor in an office. The rusty metal roof over the portal (right, top) was a specific request from the owners, who loved the rich, soft color (“almost like tanned leather,” says Karen).

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The powder room, with its rich mosaic backsplash and Victorian-style fixtures, is the first thing guests see upon entering the home.

SunMntSuSpring2012_SunMntSuWinter2011 2/20/12 1:17 PM Page 1

A handmade katsina doll graces one of the home’s many nichos and reflects the owners’ love of Native American art.

heated hot water that supplies the in-floor radiant heating as well as the domestic hot water,” says Jeff Parks, J. C. Anderson Construction’s project manager, who worked with Thompson Heating and Air Conditioning to develop the system. “The high-efficiency boiler only heats the water with propane a small amount to meet demand beyond the solar heat. This significantly reduces wintertime heating and hot water heating costs.”

As the home’s main heat source, the in-floor radiant heating system represents yet another innovative feature. The builder incorporated a crawl space to keep the heat source separated from the ground—a departure from typical slab-on-grade radiant heat systems. It requires less energy and time since the heat is not being drawn down to the ground around it.

Other efficiency features include blown-in fiberglass insulation, a TPO roof with a light reflective quality and an additional R-5 insulation value, and a refrigerated air system with forced air heat back-up in addition to the high-efficiency boiler. The high-performing windows, clerestories, and solar tubes reduce the homeowners’ dependence on electricity by inundating the home with natural light.

“We love it,” says Karen. “During the day, it seems like we never have to flip a light switch on when we go from room to room.”

That their home was represented in the 2012 Fall Homes of Enchantment Parade is an understandable point of pride for Karen and Mark. It’s the first place they had custom built, and while they’ve only been living in it for less than a year, they seem certain—and certainly content—that it will be the last place they call home.

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bathroom bliss

by Amy Gross

Innovative details and personal touches turn four master baths into intimate retreats

Patriot Homes, 505-974-5300, patriothomesnm.com 82

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When Casey and Nanette Martinez were building their new home in Rio Rancho, they knew they wanted a tub with a natural stone surround in the master bathroom.

But working in collaboration with Jimmy Porter of Patriot Homes, the Martinezes watched their natureinspired bath take shape and develop other earthy features. One might even say the process was organic.

“Nanette came up with the idea of a natural stone surround for the tub,” says Casey. Once that idea was established, others sprouted up. “We thought we wanted a faucet that filled the tub from the ceiling, but that changed to having a waterfall,” he says. “Then it was: What about flagstone for the floors? That’s really natural looking. Okay, then, while we’re doing that, let’s add flagstone corners on the walls.”

The large walk-in shower was inspired by one in another Porter home; neutral but carefully placed riverbed pebbles mirror the warm and natural feel of the tub and rock wall. The goal in designing the entire master bathroom, says Casey, was always to bring the outdoors indoors. The waterfall that cascades down the rock wall directly into the tub certainly does the trick.

“The waterfall is wonderful,” says Nanette. “Just filling up the tub is an awesome feeling.” Hidden fixtures that operate the waterfall are worked into the cornerstone.

Casey adds that in addition to truly sounding like a natural waterfall and adding an outdoor ambience to the bathroom, the waterfall is functional as well, acting like a shower if someone, for example, needs to rinse their hair. Multiple skylights in the ceiling let in natural light that adds to the outdoorsy vibe.

For their countertops, the Martinezes chose a volcanic satin Brazilian granite from Arizona Tile in Albuquerque; not surprisingly, the gold band and specks weaving through the granite also reminded them of outdoor elements. The old vessel sinks and fountain faucets were entirely Casey and Nanette’s idea. But they listened to Porter when, to continue the outdoors-inside theme, he suggested a mirror with a water-cut finish, in which the top edges are jagged-cut to resemble waves.

The result is a bathroom that is truly unlike any other—and that, the homeowners admit, was the real goal. “Casey and Nanette always had an open mind to my out-of-the-box ideas,” says Porter. “Together, in the end, we came up with what I believe is a beautiful, relaxing home, coupled with a one-of-a-kind master bath.”

Amadeus Leitner

all natural

“The waterfall is wonderful. Just filling up the tub is an awesome feeling.”

—Nanette Martinez

A waterfall fills the soaking tub in this stone-clad master bath in Rio Rancho. Neutral tile and river pebble, artfully teased into a flowing water pattern in the large walk-in shower (opposite), subtly echoes the more bold use of natural rock around the tub.

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“It was a terrific color scheme; very natural in terms of this region.

We were inspired.”—George Duncan

The earthy red wall color from the master bath is carried through to the other two guest bathrooms.

This wheelchair-accessible bath looks like a powder room but actually contains a shower head; cruise ship–style, the shower area is not separated from the rest of the bath.

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artistically inclined Santa Fe residents George Duncan and Sherry Kelsey have two artists—a painter and a sculptor—to thank for the unique look of their contemporary-style master bathroom. “We found a postcard with a Georgia O’Keeffe painting on it,” Kelsey recalls, “and the colors were exactly what we were looking for.” The painting in question, Purple Hills Ghost Ranch (1934), is a dreamlike swirl of deep reds, turquoise blues, and sandy yellows—colorful yet neutral hues—that really spoke to the couple.

“It was a terrific color scheme; very natural in terms of this region,” says Duncan. “The colors worked for us. We were inspired.” Duncan understands the value of an artistic muse; a retired statistics professor, he is now a professional artist whose abstract acrylic works can be found at ViVO Contemporary on Canyon Road. Kelsey is semi-retired and teaches part-time as a professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Working with architect A. Christopher Purvis, Santa Fe builders Denman & Associates, and their architect son Greg Duncan, Duncan and Kelsey were going for what they call “textured minimalism,” a concept clearly fulfilled in the master bathroom. The eye is immediately drawn to the unusual, red earth–toned wall and the dramatic curve which almost surrounds the walk-in shower. The

wall, and indeed the entire bathroom, has a gallery feel to it, no doubt due to architect Purvis’s educational background in sculpting.

Made of a waterproof plaster, the dyed red wall sits in thoughtful contrast to an enormous, 700-pound, sage green ramp sink that is cantilevered out of the wall. If the wall is about curves, the six-foot sink is about sharp angles, and yet somehow the two pieces are a perfect complement to one another. The Sonoma Cast Stone sink, shipped from California through Santa Fe By Design, has no bottom support or cabinetry; it is entirely supported with specially reinforced floor-to-ceiling steel located within the wall itself.

A sunken Japanese-style soaking tub, also from Santa Fe By Design, a toilet cleverly hidden behind an almost invisible frosted wall, sand-colored concrete floors, and sleek, contemporary fixtures complete the layout in the master bathroom, while huge picture windows overlooking the Jemez Mountains provide natural light and a stunning panorama. “The entire house was designed to have an indoor-outdoor feel,” says Duncan. “That window brings the outside in.”

Kelsey agrees. “My day gets off to a good start when I stand in front of that window,” she says with a chuckle. “It’s just me, my electric toothbrush, and that view.”

Courtesy of Denman & Associates

A Georgia O’Keeffe painting inspired the red, sage green, and sandy yellow color scheme of this contemporary home and bath in Santa Fe. Carefully placed skylights and a large picture window bring the outdoors in.

Denman & Associates, 505-983-6014, denmansantafe.com; A. Christopher Purvis Architects, 505-982-5461, acp-aia.com SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

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old world elegance

The his-and-hers shower in this Spanishinspired bath features exquisite marble tile and a mosaic on the floor. The sunken tub (right), also marble tile, is a commanding focal point to the room.

Paschich Design Group, 505-898-0312, paschichdesigngroup.com

The master bath is a stunning private sanctuary that melds Moorish and European architecture with modern conveniences.

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“The inspiration for the bathroom was the Andalucia region of southern Spain,” Paschich says. Drawing on Mediterranean influences, the eye-catching tile work in the massive walk-in shower and the circular sunken tub transports you to another place.

Albuquerque artisan William Eash used onyx, glass, travertine, marble, and Balinese limestone in creating the mosaic designs; the result is a stunning private sanctuary that melds Moorish and European architecture with modern conveniences.

The marble tile soaking tub is the literal centerpiece of the bathroom; regal and roomy, it invites leisurely enjoyment. Oilrubbed bronze fixtures by Danze are found throughout the bathroom, and the mirrors are reclaimed vintage pieces. Chandeliers, marble countertops, Spanish décor, Saltillo tile floors, and rich solid cherry cabinetry add to the old-world feel.

But Paschich’s favorite element of the bathroom is the shower. “You descend three steps into the shower to discover rounded walls,” he says. “It is a very spa-like experience.” Equipped with a steam unit, the shower features two points of entry, while a rain head and shower wand adorn the his-andhers shower areas. Marble tile, glass features, and a stunning floor mosaic are just a few of the exquisite details that make this master bath a feast for the eyes and a thoughtfully designed, sensual retreat.

Wristen Paschich

Designer Wristen Paschich of Paschich Design Group is well known for his streamlined and uncluttered modern and contemporary architectural creations. But in this opulent, Spanish-inspired home in Albuquerque’s North Valley, Paschich proves he has the ability to switch gears entirely. From the sumptuous master bath to the perfectly landscaped and manicured courtyard, it is clear this home is all about the details.

Kate Russell

fabulous facelift Sometimes you make the big decision to remodel your home. Sometimes the decision is made for you. In 2011, ASID interior designer Jennifer Day and her husband, competitive professional cyclist Jimmy Day, were faced with flood damage and a severe mold issue in their Santa Fe home following a long-undiscovered pipe break. Upon realizing the extent of the mold issue and visiting with Will Prull of Prull Custom Builders, the Days embarked on a comprehensive, six-month, whole-house remodel. One of the most dramatic transformations was the couple’s master bath.

Although no doubt fashionable in 1991 when the home was built, the master bath—which sported an aqua tub, aqua cabinets, and beige everything else—had become sorely dated. Not surprisingly, the color scheme was the first thing to change.

“The green is so peaceful,” says Jennifer, who is also renowned both nationally and internationally as a quilter. “In a room like a bathroom or kitchen, you want to be super comfortable.

The large windows all around the house are an opportunity to bring trees into the home for a cohesive feeling.”

Although most of the home was completely redesigned, the footprint of the master bath barely changed, with the exception of a sumptuous walkin closet leading into the master bath that was carved out of one of the extra bedrooms. Original to the house, the scalloped, adobe-style wall surrounding the walk-in shower is now a soothing sage green, while 18" porcelain tiles with a metallic patina finish on the interior shower walls, and brick-colored paver tiles on the shower floor add pops of color visible from across the room.

The floating his-and-hers vanities feature walnut cabinetry and wood countertops custom-made by Wood Design, while the distinctive vessel sinks made by Linkasink are accented with oil-rubbed faucets from Santa Fe By Design. Warm, handscraped hickory wood floors now cover the bathroom and every living space in the house.

But it’s the spectacular Japanese-style soaking tub that provides the bathroom’s real wow factor.

In true Japanese style, the massive, custom-made copper Diamond Spa tub sits on a bed of smooth river rocks. Jetted to create a true spa experience, the tub is ideal for daydreaming or soothing the aching muscles of a certain cyclist.

Will Prull credits the room’s transformation to owner and designer Jennifer Day. “Nothing about this new bathroom is run-of-the mill or standard,” says Prull. “It’s strikingly unique.”

“In a room like a bathroom or kitchen, you want to be super comfortable.”

—Jennifer Day Defying the room’s rich, dark accents, 12-foot ceilings and a well-placed skylight add a feeling of openness to this Santa Fe master bath.

Prull Custom Builders, 505-438-8005, prull.com Jennifer Day Design, 505-660-8656, jdaydesign.com SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

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With a few indulgent accent pieces, you’ll be well on your way to creating that special bath sanctuary you’ve always dreamed of.

Add pops of color to a neutral bath or accent a Southwestern space with Target’s collection of sculptural, patterned Blue Jars—brand new for the spring season. $7–$18, Target, target.com

From relaxing spa music to get-you-going-in-themorning tunes, Kohler SoundTile speakers deliver high-performance sound with a subtle, almost invisible, design. SoundTile speakers can be installed after a wall is complete, and they come in multiple finishes, including brushed chrome and oil-rubbed bronze. $407–$590 (pair), Doc Savage, docsavagealbuquerque.com

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Courtesy of Target; Courtesy of Kohler; Opposite: Courtesy of Brizo; Courtesy of Sandia Soap

finishing touches

Spoil yourself with Brizo’s RSVP Ceiling Mount Touch-Clean showerhead—an oversized showerhead that provides an invigorating, rain-like stream. $211, Dahl Plumbing, dahlplumbing.com

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Su Libro

from the outside in Three new books celebrate the simple act of enjoying beauty, no matter where in your home it may appear

A

llegedly there are people who actually enjoy caring for their lawns—or at least that’s what TV ads for lawn products would have us think. The reality is that for most of us, lawn care is time-consuming (one might say “never-ending”), expensive, and takes away from the enjoyment of our home rather than adding to it.

The solution, says Evelyn J. Hadden, founder of LessLawn.com, is to turn those lawns into beautiful, functional spaces that require little or no maintenance. In Beautiful No-Mow Yards, she shows us 50 such spaces, most of which defy the assumption that “no-mow” means a preponderance of gravel. Most of these spaces are lush and green.

Beautiful No-Mow Yards, by Evelyn J. Hadden, They’re also examples of responTimber Press, paperback, $24.95 sible stewardship. And in Northern New Mexico, where water is precious and farm-to-table is a source of pride, it just makes sense to utilize our yards for more practical reasons.

Hadden urges homeowners to rethink why they insist on hanging onto their lawns.

“Often these valuable spaces go unused,” she points out. “Fitted with a pristine green carpet, they remain as empty as a formal dining room that gathers dust while the family crowds around a too-small kitchen table. Meanwhile, the real living happens in backyards that are crowded with play areas, seating areas, flowerbeds, and vegetable patches, all in less-than-ideal sizes and locations.”

When Hadden talks about alternatives to lawns, she is not necessarily talking about xeriscaping—though xeric planting is certainly a major theme in the book. “Alternative yards” in Hadden’s vernacular means spaces that once were green lawns but are no longer. How does a lawn become not a lawn?

Through the use of paving stones; turning lawn space into vegetable plots; creating water features (which, Hadden makes clear, can work in harmony with xeric sensibilities); careful placement of cacti and drought-hardy indigenous plants; and the artful use of landscaping rocks—to name a very few examples.

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Dry-adapted verbenas, salvias, and penstemons bloom on the slope above a courtyard, while hand-sculpted adobe paving stones (below) are interlaced with woolly thyme.

In Northern New Mexico, where water is precious and farm-to-table is a source of pride, it just makes sense to utilize our yards for more practical reasons.

It’s clear that some of the spaces showcased in the book were professionally landscaped, but it’s just as apparent many were designed by home gardening enthusiasts who simply exercised a little creativity in reimagining their spaces. As the reader pores over hundreds of photographs of delightful yards and gets into the spirit of Hadden’s cheerleading, it becomes clear: “Hey, I can do this!”

Hadden very kindly includes common names of plants along with the harder-to-remember horticulturist’s terminology in parentheses. Even more helpful: She includes both within captions of actual photos of the plants. The visual makes all the difference—once again, that gentle reminder that you, too, can do this. That you should do this.

“No matter how hard you work and how much money you spend, your garden will never be perfect,” Hadden admits. “But you will love it anyway. You will love it like you never loved a lawn.”—Amy Gross

design inspiration can happen anytime.

“Look at the desert blooms, and see all this great premium placed upon individuality by nature.”—Frank Lloyd Wright

I

n the Southwest, our homes are more than just places to seek shelter from life’s natural elements. They are sanctuaries that honor our region’s cultural heritage while also respecting its geography and climate. From the building materials used to the decorations in place, our homes are constant reminders of the Southwest’s history and legacy—and that’s exactly how we like it.

Throughout Essential Southwest—via striking photographs and colorful descriptions of 22 residences—the editors of Phoenix Home & Garden provide a comprehensive exploration of the features that define Southwestern living. From a Mexican home’s cantera stone fountain, sculpted plaster arches, and brick boveda ceiling to a Santa Fe adobe’s buried vigas, wide portal, and antique wooden doors with decorative iron grilles, this coffee table book covers Essential Southwest, by Linda J. Barkman and all of the bases. The second part of the the editors of Phoenix Home & Garden, Cities book, which focuses on outdoor living, is West Publishing, hardcover with jacket, $49.95 also packed with beautiful imagery. Think trough-style fountains, fragrant and colorful plants, Saltillo tile, custom-made iron gates, and stacked-stone walls. For the Southwestern style novice, Essential Southwest is a trove of ideas and visual how-tos. For those of us lucky enough to have lived in this region for some time, it’s a stunning visual reminder of all of those wonderful style elements that set our hearts aflutter back when we were newbies.

“This celebration of the Southwest represents a kind of living love affair between the exotic nature of the desert and the provisions and patterns of daily life,” writes renowned Arizona architect Vernon D. Swaback. “It is by way of these creative relationships that we are enabled and encouraged to treat indoor/outdoor space as one. And it is in the collaboration between the individual owners and their designers that the ways and means of daily life are raised to the art form they deserve to be.”

If you’re a newcomer, Essential Southwest provides a helpful glossary of terms. Though it’s located toward the end of the book, you can skip to it at any point to learn what a nicho is or refresh your memory (“What’s a latilla again?”). A resource list devoted to the involved architects, builders, interior designers, and landscaping professionals is also a helpful feature at the book’s end. Armed with some great ideas and accessible resources, any reader of Essential Southwest will be well on their way to becoming a master of Southwestern design and décor.—Samantha Schwirck The bedroom of an 800-square-foot Santa Fe casita (right) features a whitewashed plank-and-viga ceiling, white walls, white fabrics, gold-leafed tin ceiling tiles, and an 18th-century hand-carved door.

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Su Libro

The Japanese Bath, by Bruce Smith and Yoshiko Yamamoto, Gibbs Smith, Publisher, paperback, $16.99

I

t’s hard not to envy the people who grace the photographs in The Japanese Bath. Every face looks serene; every setting is exquisite; every inch of fresh-scrubbed human skin seems to glow from within. It is with that same languidness, infused with a sense of purpose, that the authors, Yoshiko Yamamoto (who grew up in Tokyo) and Bruce Smith (who lived and worked in Japan for four years), present to Americans the concept of the Japanese bath. Or to be more correct, the concept of Japanese bathing.

In the words of the authors, “In the West, a bath is a place where one goes to cleanse the body; in Japan, it is where one goes to cleanse the soul.”

Part architectural how-to book and part spiritual guide, The Japanese Bath discusses, with a quiet and studied grace, the art of actually creating a proper bathing area, Japanese-style. Separate wet and dry areas—the furo and datsuiba, respectively—allow the bather to savor the abundance of water in one frame of mind and the ritual of drying off and donning a traditional cotton yukata in another. Baths can be indoor or outdoor. During soaking, the bather’s forward-facing view from the tub should be peaceful and uncluttered, enhanced perhaps by scenery “borrowed” just for the bath (shakkei) or by pleasing soft sounds such as buzzing insects or water bubbling over carefully placed rocks.

Leaving judgment behind, the authors delicately and kindly share the differences between American and Japanese bathing. “When one bathes in Japan, it is about much more than cleanliness, though cleanliness is important,” they say. “It is about family and community, the washing of each other’s backs before bathing; about time to be alone and contemplative—time to

watch the moon rise above the garden.” Speed is the enemy of the Japanese bath ritual, and the idea of conserving bath water is almost silly to the Japanese; when one steps into the furo, the sound of water sloshing over the top of the filled tub to the floor is pure joy.

Yamamoto’s fondest childhood memories are about bathing: scrubbing battles with her mother, quiet baths shared with her father, and time spent in a nearby sento (public bath) as

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JosephCustomHomes.com . 505.890.5000 With skylights above and a porch opening to the outside, nature becomes part of the bathing experience at Ten Thousand Waves in Santa Fe. A sunken Japanese bath (opposite) in a California residence showcases the simple beauties of wood, tile, and water.

a young adult. Communal bathing, although a time-honored tradition in Japan, is slow in coming to the States. The American head has a difficult time grasping the idea of public baths, where wooden stools placed sideby-side are meant to be filled with complete (and completely naked) strangers, rinsing and scrubbing, chatting, and yes, even helping you to scrub.

But the act of bathing, we learn, is meant to be shared. It is a time to reflect upon the day, an opportunity to rapport with family members and even strangers, and most importantly, say the authors, it is a ritual of “a prescribed order of rinsing, washing, and soaking that is passed down from one generation to the next.”

Be forewarned: Reading this book may cause a yearning for a new bathroom. One that probably contains little more than a soaking tub, a few simple mats, a low shower, a wooden stool, and a wooden bucket.

But really, what more does one need?—AG SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

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su casa nueva Inverness NE Missy Ashcraft Keller Williams Realty Office: (505) 271-8200 Cell: (505) 362-6823 www.missyashcraft.com

Crafted with no detail overlooked, this distinctive property boasts a masterful blend of timeless French Renaissance architecture with impeccable design. Distinguished by its uncompromising quality, this home features a premier location in a gated golf course community with stunning views of the Sandia Mountains. Old World charm combines modern technology with unmatched, elegantly appointed finishes. Call to arrange your private tour. invernessluxuryestate.com

11700 Beringer NE Missy Ashcraft

on the market

hidden jewels Step inside the antique Indian doors of this magnificent fivebedroom, three-bath Bernalillo estate and revel in the intriguing layout and sumptuous amenities that make this property truly extraordinary. Cozy nichos and sturdy wooden vigas are a nod to its traditional Southwestern style, but several features—such as plentiful open living space and a top-notch chef ’s kitchen—make this home a jaw-dropper.

The master suite with large walk-in closet is a real gem; a gas fireplace in the closet opens to the distinctive master bathroom on the other side. The master bath features a two-person, solid copper Japanese soaking tub that fills from a ceiling waterfall, as well as a custom-built, two-person shower clad in flagstone.

Look for unique adornments such as hand-wrought wall sconces and freestanding marble vessel sinks throughout the rest of the home. Outside, a lovely courtyard with mature landscaping and an outdoor kitchen are perfect for entertaining, and guests will appreciate the sweeping mountain views from the 600-square-foot detached casita, complete with wood-burning kiva fireplace.

List price: $1.225 million Contact: Jill Levin & Joan Wagner, Coldwell Banker Legacy, 505-385-7714 coldwellbankerlegacy.com/500plazalaluna

Keller Williams Realty Office: (505) 271-8200 Cell: (505) 362-6823 www.missyashcraft.com

Perched on an elevated lot in one of the most distinctive luxury communities in Albuquerque, this 6,400-squarefoot residence was built by Ultima Homes in 2009.

Meticulous attention was given to creating a floor plan for the way people live. The residence achieves a sense of grandeur while remaining comfortable, and the classic finishes create a sense of timeless style. Something for everyone. 11700Beringer.com

11611 Paganica NE Missy Ashcraft

This gorgeous property located on one of the most desirable streets in Tanoan East has everything you had ever hoped for. With beautiful custom finishes, generous windows, and stunning mountain views from every part of the house, you will not find a better blend of location and amenities.

Boasting three stories with a media/game room in the basement, formal living and dining spaces, open kitchen to family room, and oversized three-car garage, this house has something for everyone. 11611Paganica.com 94

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Photos by Douglas Aurand

Keller Williams Realty Office: (505) 271-8200 Cell: (505) 362-6823 www.missyashcraft.com

Los Ranchos

landmark Subtle yet distinctive curves define both the interior and exterior of The Lizard House, an eclectic home located in Los Ranchos, adjacent to Albuquerque’s North Valley. The arcs and bends throughout the spacious four-bedroom, four-and-a-halfbathroom house are reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs, while exciting colors, textures, and building materials offset the organic look. You’ll find mosaics in the bathroom, stone flooring in the kitchen, and exposed wooden beams in the dining area. Radiant heating, an upper loft, and diamond plaster walls boost the luxury factor, while a funky, giant lizard sculpture that “crawls” on one of the home’s outside walls makes the property one of the most memorable in town.

Jonathan Tercero, t3media.co

List Price: $925,000 Contact: Christopher Harris, Barker Realty 505-455-8701, barkerrealestatesantafe.com

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rain chains

Your Dream Home. Our Expertise.

Pretty, practical, and plant-friendly

by Eve Tolpa

H Finally a mortgage lender that works for You Our local mortgage professionals combine lending expertise with a highly personal approach to every client relationship.

Kathy Breneman

Marita DeVargas

889-1923

992-2343

6501 Americas Pkwy Albuquerque

62 Lincoln Ave Santa Fe

NMLS #5881

NMLS #458776 mdevargas@1stnationalbanknm.com

kbreneman@1stnationalbanknm.com

Steven Dougherty

Becky Farnham

889-1926

992-2244

6501 Americas Pkwy Albuquerque

Los Alamos Santa Fe

ere in the high desert where water is precious, rain chains are an appealing alternative to closed gutter downspouts for diverting water into barrels, trenches, or perforated pipes.

Who would have thought that an idea so simple—stretching a single chain to channel rainwater from a roof to a water catchment system—would work so well and be fun to watch, too? Most houses in New Mexico—single-story, flat-roofed types with parapets and canales—are ideal candidates for rain chains, but there are a few issues to keep in mind.

Doug Pushard, an irrigation consultant and founder of Harvest H2O, the first website dedicated to rainwater harvesting, advises against installing rain chains on any side of a house that gets hard freezes. The dam installed on the canal

NMLS #189228

NMLS #458360

sdougherty@1stnationalbanknm.com

bfarnham@1stnationalbanknm.com

We specialize in Portfolio Loan Products with flexible terms for self employed and jumbo loan borrowers. We also offer construction/permanent and conventional financing.

Call, stop by or go online to find out how quickly our local lenders will get you into your dream home.

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Garm Beall/RainChains.com

Get more of the city you love.

FOR YOUR MODERN RENOVATION

A cup-style rain chain (above) directs water from a rooftop canal while a simple link chain (opposite) gets the same job done with fewer frills. Whether your rain chain is decorative or strictly functional, avoid placing it on any side of your home that gets hard freezes.

to direct the water down the chain will cause water to back up onto the roof, resulting in an ice sheet.

Then, too, there’s the potential pitfall of monsoon season. During heavy downpours, excess water will overshoot the canal, missing the chain entirely. However, in terms of loss, wind trumps rain, and a fair amount of water can be blown off the chain by springtime’s high winds.

Obviously these are minor issues when you consider the benefits of rain chains, which, in addition to being practical, can also be beautiful. At one end of the spectrum sits bulk hardware store chain, cut to specification. Functional, but admittedly not frilly. At the other is a dazzling array of rain chain options that incorporate design elements like lotuses, hummingbirds, and bells, or that combine links with cups.

“If the canales on are on the side of your house and you’re never going to see them, there’s not much point in installing one with tulips,” says Gary SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

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Who would have thought that an idea so simple—stretching a single chain to channel rainwater from a roof to a water catchment system—would work so well and be fun to watch, too?

Kason Group’s contemporary Canale Cover + Rain Chain Waterfall™ is designed to retrofit already existing wooden canales, bringing eco-friendliness and sculptural elegance to your home. kasongroup.com

Moran, a member of the Santa Fe Master Gardener Association. On the other hand, “If you’ve got rain coming off your portal where you sit and entertain, you might want some rain chains with a little more aesthetic value to them.”

The more ornate varieties are often made of copper, a concern for some people who worry about its effects on their plants. According to Pushard, “Copper itself in high concentrations is actually harmful for plants, but the amount of copper that comes off a rain chain is minuscule.” However, it’s best not to use rain chains to feed a fish pond, he says, “because the copper in that case could be harmful to aquatic life.”

No water harvesting system is 100 percent effective; rain chains catch about 50–60 percent of rainwater, as opposed to 80–90 percent for downspouts. But, as Moran points out, “Anything you can do to collect water in this part of the country is a savings to you—and to the plants you are trying to maintain.”

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Spring 2013 Advertisers Action Security Iron, Inc.................................100 Adobe Bungalow..................................................99 Albuquerque Cabinet Brokers/ACB...............93 Albuquerque Home & Garden Show..............74–75 American Country Collection.........................35 Ameriplex Mortgage...........................................12 Annex General Contracting & Design................99 Architectural Surfaces, Inc...............................81 Arizona Tile...............................................gatefold Associa Canyon Gate.............................................102 Build Green New Mexico/GBC.........................9 Builders Source Appliance Gallery....................23 California Closets.............................................103 Centinela Traditional Arts..............................103 Constellation Home Electronics.....................35 Contemporary Southwest Furniture..................102 Culligan SW Water Conditioning.....................60 Custom Builders Council..................................46 Decorating Den / Robin O’Hara.....................99 Diamond Tail Ranch.........................................101 Diego Handcrafted Homes..............................95 D.R . Horton..........................................................67 Ernest Thompson..................................back cover Fabu-WALL-ous................................................89 Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery.......54 First National Bank of Santa Fe.......................96 General Electric....................................................11 Golden Eagle Design........................................4–5 Groff Lumber Company, Inc.........................103 Habitat for Humanity.........................................73 Hermanson Construction, Inc........................14 Home Construction & Consulting Services......70 Hopkins Concrete..............................................99 J. C. Anderson Construction.............................19 JCH/Joseph Custom Homes..........................93 Jubilee Los Lunas.................................................89 Keller Williams Realty.......................................49 Keystone Homes..................................................15 Koinonia Architects & Builders.......................55 Lee Michael Homes.............................................72 Lilly Barrack.......................................................6–7

Listen Up...............................................................88 Lowe-Bo Homes..................................................61 Marc Coan Designs..........................................102 Marie Enterprises, Inc...........inside front cover Mesa del Sol..........................................................57 Mexican Tile Designs..........................................95 Missy Ashcraft/Keller Williams Realty............94 Modulus Design..................................................97 MorningStar Homes, Inc.................................69 Mountain West Sales........................................103 Nash Patio & Garden..........................................21 New Haven Homes.............................................27 New Mexico Bank & Trust.................................48 OGB Architectural Millwork..........................45 Osuna Nursery.....................................................98 Panorama Homes.....................inside back cover Patriot Homes......................................................65 Paul W. Kenderdine, Inc....................................59 Pella Window and Door.....................................13 Picasso Builders....................................................53 Piñon Window & Door, Inc..............................97 Plumbsquare Construction..............................47 Pro Source Wholesale Flooring........................91 Raby Co./Flooring Direct...................................30 Renewal by Andersen...........................................1 Santa Fe Granite..................................................68 Sierra Pacific Windows.......................................17 Sol Luna Solar.....................................................101 Southwest Green Building Center...............101 Statements in Tile/Lighting/Kitchen/Flooring...71 Stonewood Flooring, LLC..............................102 Strahle Tile & Granite, Inc...............................101 Sun Mountain Construction............................81 Thompson Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.....47 Twilight Homes............. ........................................51 U.S. New Mexico Federal Credit Union.........2 Union Savings Bank............................................31 Vineyard Homes, LLC.......................................58 Wagner Mechanical............................................92 Western Building Supply.....................................3 Wholesale Timber & Viga.................................98

NEW !

Su Casa magazine Online Resource comprehensive guide Guide Aforfree, consumers who want to tap into design, architecture, and building communities.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Is your floor toxic?

Most flooring today contains formaldehyde. It is in the glues & treatments of carpet as well as in adhesives and finishes in wood or laminate flooring.

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By Purchasing a Solar System from Sol Luna Solar you ensure that your energy comes from a local source; your home.

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Your Home Source COMMUNITY

Associa Canyon Gate

FURNITURE

Contemporary Southwest by Grazier Ltd.

Associa Canyon Gate is the premier community management company in New Mexico and west Texas.

Since 2001, our sole focus has been delivering unsurpassed management and lifestyle services to our communities.

For 24 years Ron and June Grazier, with our team of skilled Artisans, have been commissioned to create and hand-build premium solid wood furniture for life’s lasting needs and savored rewards.

8500 Jefferson St NE, Ste. B, Albuquerque, NM 87113 505-342-2797 CGRES.com

2027 Yale Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 505-243-8044 ContemporarySouthwest.com

KITCHEN DESIGN

Marc Coan Designs

Love Your Home – Hate Your Kitchen – We Can Help For more than 20 years we have been creating amazing spaces that our clients love to live in. Let us help you make your home everything that you want it to be.

3301 Menaul Blvd NE, S-28, Albuquerque, NM 87107 505-837-8888 MarcCoanDesigns.com

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FLOORING

Stonewood Flooring, LLC

Exquisite surface selections and sensational new products to inspire your imagination! We collaborate with you to create a beautiful custom design for your home, meeting your budget and needs.

Porcelain • Ceramic • Stone • Variance • Wood • Carpet 3700 Rutledge Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107 505-938-3125 StoneWoodFlooringLLC.com

Special Advertising Section

FIREPLACES

Mountain West Sales

We offer the very finest gas, wood, and pellet fireplaces and stoves from Heat n’ Glo, Heatilator, and Town and Country Fireplaces.

Please visit our showroom.

2718 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107 505-888-4464 MountainWestSales.net

CLOSETS

California Closets

ART

Centinela Traditional Arts

Traditional Woven Arts Centinela Traditional Arts is a tapestry gallery located in Chimayo, New Mexico, specializing in hand woven tapestry wool products using natural dyes, custom-dyed yarns, handspun yarns, and the traditional Chimayo/Rio Grande weaving styles.

HCR 64 Box 4, Chimayo, NM 505-351-2180 ChimayoWeavers.com

L U M B E R YA R D

Groff Lumber Company

Custom Storage Solutions Serving the entire state of New Mexico, California Closets creates custom designs for every room in the home, utilizing only the finest materials and suppliers available. Find out what California Closets can do for you. Call us today.

A lumber yard like no other! For over 50 years, Groff Lumber has helped build Southwestern design.

Let us provide you with design ideas, material and installation to create your own unique living areas.

Timber • Vigas • Latillas • Custom Gates • Shade Structures

4801 Alameda Blvd NE, Ste. 63, Albuquerque, NM 505-858-1100 CaliforniaClosets.com/Albuquerque

7902 4th St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114 505-898-0464 GroffLumber.com

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Dream On

This stunning Taos backyard is what happens when a little girl with a secret garden fantasy grows up. Designed by the homeowner herself, the lush, elaborate landscaping, Japanese-style pathway, and gurgling stone waterfall conjure feelings of being worlds away, while a custom Southwesternstyle bench, complete with colorful throw pillows, is all about leisurely lolling. Sprawling beds of orange poppies provide the magic touch. Whether entertaining guests, sipping wine or tea, or cozying up with a new book, this garden—extravagant yet homey—is the perfect spring retreat.

Designer: Susan Blevins

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Charles Mann

the secret garden

Don't Our P Miss arade Entry!

Photo: ABQ Home pics

CUSTOM HOME BUILDER

AWARD-WINNING CUSTOM HOMES – EVERY PRICE RANGE, EVERY STYLE! No Cost, No Obligation Design Model Home at 9700 Sand Verbena Trail NE (Paseo del Norte & Holbrook) | 505.688.6834

Cielo Estates - our Exclusive, Green-Certified Subdivision Affordable Luxury. Cost-Saving Engineering. Healthy Indoor Environments. Quiet Comfort.

www.panoramahomes.com

Joining four Iconic New Mexico brands with over 200 years of combined talent ... The Ernest Cupboard Company

ErnestThompson.com We make New Mexico’s Handcrafted furnishings.

Albuquerque & Santa Fe Showrooms

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Kitchen designs by Chris Hanks

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