Introduce
TURQUOISE
INLAY INTO YOUR HOME Photos by Caitlin Elizabeth
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ocated on the plaza in a historic building, Cowboys and Indians is well-known for its array of home furnishings, women’s apparel, ladies’ shoes, boots, jewelry and accessories. Names like Jan Barboglio, Jeff Smith and Andy Sanchez adorn the products on display. And on the third floor is a beautiful arrangement of furniture with turquoise, silver and copper inlay. “We make coffee tables, end tables, office desks, dining room tables, wooden bowls, bedroom furniture…basically anything the customer wants. We even do fireplace mantels,” says owner Freddie Amini. “It can either be a custom design or something already in-shop that the customer likes but wants to change.” For example, if you envision your mantel inlayed with turquoise, Freddie and his team will go to your house or, if you live out of state, take the measurements you send and build accordingly. The customer picks out the kind of wood they want and how much turquoise inlay they envision. If necessary, the carpenters at Cowboys and Indians are willing to travel to states in the vicinity of New Mexico to install your new piece of furniture. Or, if it involves interaction with a contractor, they’ll make the piece exactly to the specs on the blueprint. “We have clients all around the world,” Freddie recounts. “We just shipped a client in Australia 10 pieces of furniture.” When Freddie first bought Cowboys and Indians seven years ago, there was a gentleman they bought furniture from who specialized in turquoise inlay. The man retired a year later, at which point Freddie decided to start producing inlay, albeit at the next level. “The wood is all reclaimed and kiln-dried, which causes it to crack in small places. Where the cracks form is where the inlay goes,” he describes. “We don’t create nooks for the inlay; it’s a natural process. Everything we do is by hand the old-fashioned way.” He continues: “We love it when people come into our showroom and find a piece they like. But if the size is a little off, we can adjust it or make a brand new custom piece based on the design. Or we can take someone’s old furniture and refurbish it with inlay.” In addition to turquoise, copper and silver is also available.
Imagine: a beautiful coffee table or bureau made of handsanded, kiln-dried and reclaimed wood. But look closely, because filling the natural cracks and crevices of the wood are turquoise specs, creating a surface reminiscent of a river with its sparkle and flow. What you’re seeing is the turquoise inlay furniture of Cowboys and Indians.
About 40 percent of Cowboys and Indian’s customers are in-state, with the other 60 percent being tourists. Most are repeat business. “We have a client who started with one coffee table, and now we’re working on the 9th piece for her house,” Freddie says. Looking for that perfect piece of furniture that sings of the Southwest? A hand-made turquoise inlay table might be just the thing. Cowboys and Indians 72 E. San Francisco St. 505.982.8280 candisantafe.com