Su Casa Southwest Homes Summer 2014 Digital Edition by sucasaabqsf

walls at work:

kitchen

Southwestern homes

backsplashes ÂŽ

inspiration ideas resources

nothing beats a great kitchen

beaming with pride Santa Fe historic remodel

living it up in an ABQ contemporary Vol. 20 no. 3 SUMMER 2014

SuCasaMagazine.com

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The kitchen is essential...

Golden Eagle Design

w w w. G ol d e n - E ag l e - D e s i g n . c om

Golden Eagle Design Golden Eagle Design is New Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier luxury kitchen and bath showroom. Our expert staff will help you design the kitchen or bathroom of your dreams. With three locations to serve you, Golden Eagle Design is your best choice for your kitchen and bath needs. ALBUQUERQUE, NM 505.888.9457 2601 Vassar DR NE Albuquerque, NM 87107

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Southwestern homes

inspiration ideas resources

southwestern

homes

32 living it up

A lively entertaining schedule demanded that a Westside couple’s contemporary home be ready for action—indoors and out—12 months of the year.

beaming with pride

Talented craftsmen and artisans honor tradition and give a historic Santa Fe home a royal makeover.

50 lofty aspirations

Embellishing on regional architecture gives a New Mexico home a touch of Manhattan style.

a path to Zen A midcentury modern makeover in Santa Fe includes a Zen-like backyard with Japanese touches.

KITCHENS

now you’re cookin’ Working around tight budgets, existing home styles, and difficult floorplans, four fabulous kitchens are triumphs of inspired design.

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Powder rooms, like this one by Vineyard Homes, embrace the use of upscale and even exotic materials in their small spaces. Above: A reflection pool in an Asian-inspired backyard is quite literally part of the homeowner’s path to Zen.

Top: Kate Russell; Bottom: Amy Gross

OUTDOOR LIVING

MADE TO ORDER

Robust handles. Impressive power. Generous capacities. GE Cafe Series delivers restaurant-grade performance and style that takes food further and kitchens from everyday to gourmet. To learn more, contact your dealer or visit geappliances.com

See our great line of GE appliances at: Builders Source Appliance Gallery 308 Menaul NE. Albuquerque, NM 87107 Phone: 505.889.3001 www.builderssource.com

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Builders Source Appliance Gallery 760 West Palms Las Cruces, NM 88007 Phone: 575.526.5200

Builders Source Appliance Gallery 6560 Montana Ave El Paso, TX 79925 Phone: 915.775.1000

A New Haven Homes contemporary was designed around the owners’ love of year-round, indoor-outdoor entertaining.

in every issue 14 Inside Su Casa

16 Life + Style Southwest Kitchen backsplashes work while they beautify; Steve Thomas thinks beyond the barbecue; powder rooms and half baths are small spaces with big personalities; hummingbirds make their return to New Mexico; Moll Anderson takes her decadent details outdoors; the Corrales Home Tour opens doors to six beautiful homes; and a round-up of grilling must-haves for the summer.

28 Design Studio

Water features are surprisingly eco-friendly landscaping options in the Southwest. Stone artist Joshua Gannon shares his passion for carving hornfels stone into fountains.

71 Su Cocina

Restaurateur and gardening pro Erin Wade of Vinaigrette discusses her passion for sustainable foods. Chama River Brewing Company and Luminaria at the Inn and Spa at Loretto share their recipes for signature dishes.

79 Su Libro

When you think outside the box—whether it’s a small bathroom or an undefined outdoor space—great things happen. Two new books explain how to tap into your inner designer.

88 Dream On

Douglas Merriam

It’s a lawn ornament today, but once it was an important cooking instrument. See how it fits in our cover home, on page 42.

Cover: All of the ceilings in this old Santa Fe home, which has been lovingly renovated and restored over the past three years, are simply magnificent. In the kitchen, rafters take the place of beams to give the space a loft-like feel. Read all about this amazing home on page 42. Cover photograph by Chris Corrie.

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The appearance of hummingbirds, like this juvenile male broad-tailed, heralds the arrival of summer in Northern New Mexico. 8

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Sam Thomas Photography

Photo: Kate Russell

111 N. Saint Francis Drive Santa Fe | 505.988.3170 | DavidNaylorInteriors.com

Southwestern homes

inspiration ideas resources

Published by Bella Media, LLC

Publisher

Bruce Adams

Associate Publisher B.Y. Cooper

Editor Amy Gross

Associate Editor Phil Parker

Contributing Editor Amy Hegarty

Contributors Moll Anderson, Dianna Delling, Rodney Gross Ben Ikenson, Jessica Muncrief, Donna Schillinger Tom Smylie, Steve Thomas, John Vollertsen

Lead Graphic Designer Sybil Watson

Designer & Media Specialist Michelle Odom

Photography Chris Corrie, Amadeus Leitner Douglas Merriam

Advertising Manager Cheryl Mitchell

Advertising Sales Executives Melissa Salazar, David Wilkinson For advertising information contact: 505-344-1783

Operations Manager Ginny Stewart-Jaramillo

SuCasaMagazine.com For subscriptions, call 818-286-3162 Su Casa Northern New Mexico (ISSN 1094-4562 & USPS # 2-3618) Volume 20, Number 3, Summer 2014. Su Casa Northern New Mexico is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by Bella Media, LLC at 215 W. San Francisco Street, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA, Phone (505) 983-1444. ÂŠ Copyright 2014 by Bella Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. Basic annual subscription rate is $9.95, Canada & Mexico is $23.95, Other international countries is $27.95. U.S. single-copy price is $5.95. Back issues are $6.95 each. Periodicals postage paid at Albuquerque, NM, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Su Casa Northern New Mexico P.O. Box 16925, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6925 Subscription Customer Service: Su Casa Northern New Mexico P.O. Box 16925, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6925 Phone (818) 286-3162, Fax (800) 869-0040, ssacs@magserv.com, sucasamagazine.com

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H o m e Bu i l d e rs Asso c ia tio n o f C e nt r a l Ne w M e xic o Bo a r d o f D ire c to rs

President: David Newell First Vice President: Bret Bailey Second Vice President: Brian McCarthy Immediate Past President: Rob Hughes Associate Vice President: Carla Wersonick Secretary/Treasurer: Diana Lucero Associate-at-Large: Lora Vassar Custom Builders Council, Chair: Bill Reynolds Green Build Council, Chair: Jeff Polk Home Builders Care, Chair: Bain Cochran Membership Committee, Chair: Ron Sisneros Parade Committee, Chair: Diana Lucero Production Builders Council, Chair: Mike Fietz Remodelers Council, Chair: Jamie Baxter Builder-at-Large: Tammy Grady-Thornton Advisory Members: Mike Cecchini, Michael Richards, Norm Schreifels Honorary Members: Bruce Adams, Mark Russell H o m e Bu i l d e rs Asso c ia tio n o f C e nt r a l N e w M e xic o S ta f f

Executive Vice President: John Garcia Vice President of Operations: Lana McClure Events Specialist: Kimberly Johnson Receptionist/Clerical Assistant: Mercedes Morton

presidential award

Copyright ÂŠ 2014 by Bella Media, LLC. Bella Media, LLC 215 W San Francisco, Suite 300 Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-983-1444 sucasamagazine.com Please direct editorial queries to editor@sucasamagazine.com. Su Casaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cover and text are printed by Publication Printers in Denver, Colorado, on SFI-certified paper. The papers used contain fiber from well-managed forests, meeting EPA guidelines that recommend a minimum 10% post-consumer recovered fiber for coated papers. Inks used contain a percentage of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) standards and is a certified member of the Forest Stewardship Council.

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Inside Su Casa

indoors and out

Publisher

In the summertime, the real living happens in our kitchens (indoor and outdoor varieties) and outdoor spaces like this Asian-inspired backyard (right). Read more on page 60.

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Kate Russell

Bruce Adams

David Robin

hen the season changes, we project ahead for the coming months, considering what fun activities and events we want to pursue, and setting some home project goals as well. Nearly every homeowner has something that needs redoing before the next season arrives. Summer may be the most perfect time to launch into a major remodel project. And what’s great is, if your remodel is an interior project, you can take full advantage of outdoor living options while your home’s interiors are “transitioning.” So perhaps your first project should be making your outdoor living areas as comfortable as possible. The good news for this year is that it’s going to be a wonderful summer. Our backyard gardens got a great head start to becoming beautiful and lush thanks to the late May rains. If you need backyard inspiration, be sure to check the beautiful and serene gardens presented in this issue—an Asian-inspired Zen space created by a Santa Fe interior designer, plus amazing water gardens and waterfalls that sound as lovely as they look. Gardens are like a child’s sandbox: Within them we can create our own little worlds, unimpeded by permanent walls. While you’re lounging in your lush garden, a fine remodeling expert (there are many in this issue to choose from) can be installing your new kitchen. The correct expertise can help you find affordable solutions to tricky floor plans. And finally, you’ll have the perfect kitchen for your version of cooking. You will thank yourself in the fall, winter, and holidays for making this effort now. (While you’re at it, a redo of your powder room can make a bold statement while making guests feel comfortable. Lots of ideas in this issue for that as well.) None of this has to be inconvenient. Remodelers today are sensitive to disruption and will work with you to minimize the impact on your daily life. But why should you even care? You’ll be sitting back on your patio, entertaining with loved ones, savoring the New Mexico evenings and the smell of desert rain, and feeling the gratitude for your lovely home, indoors and out.

Life+Style Southwest

calming the chaos

Treveston Elliott Architect, tearchitect.com Second Generation Construction, 2ndgc.com 16 16 S U C A SCAAW RM 2013 SU S AI NT S UEM E R 2014

Patrick Coulie

They liked its function and layout, but there was something bothersome about their North Valley home the owners couldn’t put their finger on. Architect Treveston Elliott figured it out. “Every surface was reflective,” he says. “The light was bouncing around, making a very chaotic environment.” Working with Gary Smith of Second Generation Construction, Elliott revamped the living room, the dining/ sitting area, and the kitchen, where reflective materials were replaced with a calming base of chocolate tile and plaster—“in essence, to bring the space out of the clouds and ground it,” says the architect. Stainless accents in the cabinet fronts, stove surround, and backsplash now bridge the reflective nature of the existing house and the new, earth tone–grounded kitchen.

Life+Style Southwest

by Donna Lee Schillinger

pompand powder Courtesy of Stone Forest

Royal treatments for the guest bath

Efficient use of space is the key to functionality in your powder room, but a smaller footprint also means you can use your imagination.

Amadeus Leitner

This stainless steel, bronze, and steel vanity was designed by Lisa Samuel of Samuel Design Group Interiors and handcrafted by Prosser Forge in Santa Fe. Above, right: Stone Forest’s Veneto barrel-shaped vessels, carved from single blocks of multicolored onyx, are available through Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. 18

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

ou’ve gone all-out with an elegant entry, divine dining area, and lavish living room. Why stop there? Complete your home with a plush powder room. Often the smallest and most neglected rooms in the house, powder rooms, also called “half baths,” are perfect spaces for exercising creative design and décor. By virtue of its smaller size as well as its convenience for guests, a half bath is the one room, more than any other, which requires forethought of the guest experience. “As someone who loves to entertain, I love providing a room that is separate and special for guests,” says Lisa Samuel, ASID, IIDA, CAPS, designer and owner-president of Samuel Design Group Interiors + Home Boutique in Santa Fe. According to Samuel, choices of lighting, fixtures, and even architectural design and materials are important considerations to enhance your guests’ experience. Lighting can set a welcoming mood in a powder room, but must also be flexibly functional. “I recommend levels of light,” says Samuel. A lamp or

Anthony Esquibel

pendant is inviting, but make brighter, task-oriented lighting available at the flip of a switch. Samuel suggests a chandelier with dimming capabilities as an ideal lighting choice to convey an imperial air. Derick Holman of Albuquerque’s Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery remembers a client’s powder room with a stunning contemporary effect created by an illuminated resin vanity. “The lights were under the vanity, and they turned on automatically when the door opened,” recalls Holman, who adds, “A thinner onyx countertop, lit from underneath, is also striking.” Vessel sinks, which remain popular with homeowners despite their limited usefulness in a family bathroom, are well-placed in a showcase powder room. “Vessels made of stone, bamboo, and other unusual materials can make the room really pop,” says Loreen Perry of Golden Eagle Design, located in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos. “One of the most impressive powder rooms I have seen had a glass vessel with a glass faucet. Glass River Design [formerly Coyote Glass Design] makes a whole countertop plus basin made of glass, and I love Stone Forest out of Santa Fe. They just keep coming out with new ideas.” Alternately, new designs in wall-mounted sinks create a dramatic effect while conserving what is often precious space in a powder room. A rounded rather than elongated toilet is another way to economize on inches. For a modern effect in particularly tight spaces, a wall-hung toilet is the perfect solution. With the tank concealed within the wall, these toilets can recoup up to 12 inches of prime real estate. Kohler and Toto also manufacture electric toilets that are completely tankless and flush using electricity. Finally, new sleek designs in one-piece toilets (in which tank and bowl meet seamlessly) offer creative contemporary design choices. For an extraordinary experience for guests, Holman suggests a toilet with bidet functionality and a blow-drying wand. Some high-end toilets even blow warm air on your feet while in use. Ooh la la!

Horizontal backsplash tile, vertical lighting, and eye-catching, framed-in shelving present intriguing geometric contrasts in a powder room by Lowe-Bo Homes.

Courtesy of Glass River Design

“Vessels made of stone, bamboo, and other unusual materials can make the room really pop.” —Loreen Perry, Golden Eagle Design

A Glass River Design hand-cast granite textured countertop and pedestal leg vanity is topped with a clear carved glass vessel sink. Available through Golden Eagle Design.

While there are any number of dazzling fixtures to “pomp” a powder room, some of the most interesting rooms rely more on their architectural features. Ted Lowe, owner of Lowe-Bo Homes in Albuquerque, regards design and building materials as on par with fixtures for creating a powder room with pizzazz. “Use of natural light with a skylight or windows gives a nice effect,” says Lowe. “Tile flooring is always preferred in any bathroom, and as an alternative to painted walls, I recommend a product called Variance, a decorative yet durable finish with the look of natural plaster.” Lowe also suggests designing built-in decorative features and framed-in shelves because they offer versatility and space for additional décor. “Sometimes interior design of smaller spaces is more difficult than that of large spaces,” remarks Samuel. It’s certainly true that limited real estate encourages more economical use of typical bathroom amenities; after all, efficient use of space is the key to a powder room’s functionality. But on the other hand, a smaller footprint means you can use your imagination. Hundreds of exciting new materials, from vanities and fixtures to sinks and, yes, even commodes, can help give your home’s tiniest spaces big personalities. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Life+Style Southwest

by Phil Parker

summer sizzles Good grilling demands the right tools The best kitchen-and-dining-room combo this time of year is a backyard. Remind your senses what they’ve been missing—the chirp of birds, a warm breeze, the sizzle of heat meeting seasoned meat, and the smell. Ah, that glorious smell. To cook outside for family and friends is to know your happiest self. Here are items that will help heed the call of summer.

Lynx Professional Grill Series L36ASR Lynx’s all-infrared grill features patented technology capable of delivering almost 1,000 degrees of heat for superior searing. If you’re looking for a gentler cook, the burner can drop to as low as 250 degrees. This is how backyard barbecue becomes legendary. $5,099, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery ferguson.com

Fabric Building Specialties Santa Fe Shade Sails You want the food cooked, not your guests. A unique combination of beautiful and functional, these shades stretch between posts, buildings, or columns and block 90 percent of UV rays. Custom-designed with durable components, and available in meshes or solid reinforced fabrics. $10–$15 per square foot, Santa Fe Awning santafeawning.com 20

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Outset Leather Grill Apron No frilly edges or pastel colors here; the grill master deserves a worthy uniform. With a brownsuede exterior and flameretardant lining, this apron looks the part while protecting clothes from spatters and hot grease. $57, Las Cosas Kitchen Shoppe lascosascooking.com

AlbuKirky Seasonings Kirk Muncrief is a meat maestro of the highest order, and his powerful concoctions can help the rest of us achieve similar grill greatness. Duke City Sweet BBQ Sauce, green and red chile rubs, and Red Chile BBQ Sauce are among his distinct, local flavor kicks—the ultimate secret ingredients. $6, AlbuKirky Seasonings albukirkyseasonings.com

Andy Husbands, Chris Hart, and Andrea Pyenson Grill to Perfection Veteran barbecue champions pass along important how-to tips, like attaining the perfect sear to your steak or flavoring grilled chicken just so. Recipes like tamari-glazed steak with sweet-and-spicy rice will turn your kitchen stove into a forgotten relic (at least until it gets cold again). $22, Bookworks, bkwrks.com

Alfresco ARFG-42FB Under-Grill Refrigeration Unit Your outdoor kitchen should be as functional as your indoor space, and that means easy access to the refrigerator while youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re managing the grill. Alfresco pioneered under-grill, all-weather refrigeration, and remains the Cadillac in the industry. A side-open fridge plus two chilling drawers offer 7.5 cubic feet of cold storage spaceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;right where you need it most. $6,078, Builders Source Appliance Gallery builderssource.com

more on page 86

by Steve Thomas

beyond the barbecue Like a good martini, a great outdoor kitchen keeps the party going

Since it’s virtually impossible to get people out of the kitchen during fun gatherings, it makes sense to move the kitchen out of the house.

Steve Thomas

hat do you get when you combine a big pile of rocks, a Kubota tractor, and a mound of pea gravel left over from a landscaping project? Steve’s Grill Patio & Martini Bar! This was one of those “simple” little projects on my bucket list that I decided needed to get done sooner than later. So I scraped off the grass and soil, graded the base, installed landscape fabric, built the stone wall, and finally spread the pea stone. Admittedly, a huge amount of labor for, what? A place to put the barbie? Nah, it’s more complicated than that. We have a summer camp on a Maine island. It started out as a shack, but I renovated it, and now it’s become a real gathering spot for all our friends. Now, thanks to Steve’s Grill Patio & Martini Bar, the generally raucous behavior that takes place when the boys get together (the, ahem, martini element) has moved out of the kitchen and into the yard,

The kitchen is the natural gathering place for the home. But summer cooking, whether it’s lobsters in Maine or green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico, is much different than winter cooking. Good weather encourages informal gatherings with plenty of kids, grownups, dogs, celebratory beverages, and good times. And since it’s virtually impossible to get people out of the kitchen during fun gatherings, it makes sense to move the kitchen out of the house. The Southwest is the perfect climate for an outdoor kitchen. Generally dry and clement weather (and hardly any insects!) means you can design an outdoor kitchen as both an integral architectural feature and a part of your daily lifestyle. You could easily replicate the typical elements of an indoor kitchen outside, but if you’re consider-

ing an outdoor kitchen, this is your chance to really think outside the box. I use the “GP&MB” to grill, of course; I also quick-cook lobsters (20 at a time) in a big Louisiana crawfish cooker that shoots flames a foot high. Can’t do that inside. Outside, however, you can indulge outdoor cooking fantasies with a wood-fired bread oven, the mother of all Southern barbecue pits, or a monster grill for roasting your own chiles. The taste of food and wine is as much about where it’s cooked and with whom we cook it as it is about the food itself. The ritual of cooking is part of the experience. I think back to some of the best meals I’ve had, and they’ve been prepared outside: roast chicken on a wood fire overlooking the countryside in southern France; spitroasted Thanksgiving turkey on a snowcovered island near Boston; steaks grilled in a fire pit next to a running acequia in Santa Fe. If you’re thinking of an outdoor kitchen, go for it. My next project? A stone oyster bar. Stay tuned!

Phase One of Steve’s Grill Patio & Martini Bar: firing up the Kubota and breaking ground.

Steve Thomas is a home renovation expert and the spokesperson for Habitat for Humanity International. 22

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Evy Blum

which certainly makes my wife happy. The bonus: Cooking chores are now assigned to the boys, leaving her responsible for salad and maybe one of her famous fresh fruit tarts.

Editor’s Pick

M.O.C. Woodworks Magnetic Board

heart knife boards. As a chef in a former life, I loved the easy access to my knives offered by a magnetic knife strip. No longer banging against one another in a disorganized drawer, knives stay sharp longer. Plus there’s the added bonus of not accidentally cutting off a fingertip rooting around in said drawer. M.O.C. Woodworks in San Rafael, California, has developed a line of gorgeous wood magnetic boards against which your knives will look crazy cool—a little industrial flair for your home kitchen. They work with any décor, from contemporary to traditional, and are available in cherry, maple, walnut, mahogany, lacewood, zebrawood, and wenge. Easy to mount and with a powerful magnet, your M.O.C. board can also keep other things—small tools, keys, scissors—within arm’s reach. And nobody loses a finger.—Amy Gross $45–55, M.O.C. Woodworks mocwoodworks.com

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Life+Style Southwest

by Jessica Muncrief

put that wall to work! Kitchen backsplashes protect and serve—and do it with style

Dragonfly 360 Imaging

any consider it the icing on the cake—a purely decorative design element with no discernible effect on the overall functionality of the kitchen. So why is the backsplash just about as common as the refrigerator or stove in the modern kitchen? Ask anyone in the construction or design industry how popular kitchen backsplashes are and the words very and extremely invariably arise. As it turns out, backsplashes are often as practical as they are eye-catching.

balancing act

A backsplash can serve as the balancing point between too much and not enough. Is this a stand-out feature, or is something else meant to steal the show? That’s the first question Above: A Corrales Otley Smith, owner of O.L. Smith Contracting in Albuquerkitchen backsplash que, asks when creating a backsplash. “If the countertop buddesigned by O.L. get is very small, I may focus on a spectacular backsplash to Smith Contracting uses Jerusalem gold draw the attention there,” Smith explains. “But the reverse is limestone and glass also true. If a client spends a lot of money on an extraordinary piece of granite for the counters, the backsplash should be a accent tiles.

Stainless steel in a home by David C. Peterson Construction is used as a backsplash for a quasi-industrial feel.

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Mark William Photography

Kirk Gittings

A clear glass backsplash snakes around horizontal-grained white oak cabinetry in a kitchen by Marc Sowers Bespoke Woodwork.

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“The backsplash is the jewelry that completes the ensemble.” —Kim D. White, Statements in Tile In a kitchen by Marc Coan Designs, glossy 12 x 12" glass tiles in the backsplash echo similar translucence in the cabinetry.

background player so the granite can be the star.” The backsplash is usually the last element incorporated into a kitchen, but that doesn’t mean it’s an afterthought. Everything from cabinetry to textiles plays a significant role in determining its design. “The backsplash is the jewelry that completes the ensemble,” says Kim D. White of Santa Fe’s Statements In Tile/Lighting/ Kitchens/Flooring. “It either draws all the colors together, or it provides the needed contrast of color, texture, or pattern.” The role of the kitchen backsplash does in fact go beyond just aesthetics. Many homes, particularly in New Mexico, have plaster wall finishes that are susceptible to damage from the moisture, fumes, and spatters involved with cooking. “The backsplash was originally devised as an easy-to-clean, sanitary surface in the area of the home used for food preparation,” White points out. “In parts of the world where tile was abundant, such as Portugal, Spain, and Southern France, the walls of the kitchens were tiled to the ceiling.” Susan Chiasson, sales manager and lead designer at Architectural Surfaces, Inc. (ASI) in Albuquerque, says gaining an understanding of a client’s lifestyle is important when styling a tile or stone backsplash: “Are they active cooks? Do they want to take the time for the upkeep and special care that some materials require?” Care must also be taken in selecting proper materials. Some tiles made with metal and some painted ceram26

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

AKDO’s polished Basket Weave Calacatta tile with pistachio green dots, available through Architectural Surfaces, Inc.

Painted tiles are arranged in a diamond pattern in a Taos kitchen backsplash designed by Statements in Tile.

From top: Mark E. Owen, AKDO, Richard White/Courtesy of Statements in Tile

form meets function

ics are heat-sensitive and may change color or appearance over time. Some stones require sealing to protect from oils and moisture. “The style and design of the backsplash should complement décor elements and choices throughout the room to create a cohesive and pleasing aesthetic,” Chiasson adds.

personality portrait

Ultimately, backsplashes are about showcasing personal style, and the designs can be as simple or eye-catching as the homeowner desires. White says she has used cast aluminum and handmade glass in her backsplash creations. “Backsplashes aren’t just about creating a picture of a bowl of fruit above the stove or sink,” says kitchen designer Marc Coan of Marc Coan Designs in Albuquerque. “Behind any run of base cabinets or above any countertop, we usually include some form of a backsplash. We work on creating patterns or adding color more often than creating a mosaic or picture.” Smith points out that the smaller format of a backsplash offers an opportunity to splurge on expensive materials that might overshoot a budget when used as countertops or flooring. Translation: Use your imagination, and give that wall some “wow”.

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Apply today at www.sandia.org or call 505-292-6343 ext. 5 Open for free membership to the entire community

A kitchen by Harder Custom Builders uses a custom blend of warm autumn colors in a glass tile backsplash to pick up the granite.

Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing and Equal Opportunity Lender. All loans subject to qualification and require Sandia Area membership. You are eligible for membership if you (or your immediate family) live, work, worship, volunteer, or go to school in Bernalillo, Cibola, Torrance, or Valencia Counties or in Rio Rancho. 1 Rate of 3.75% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for Home Equity Line of Credit used in payment example accurate as of 2/28/14 and is subject to change without notice. Home Equity Line of Credit is a variable APR based on the value of an index plus a margin and is subject to increase. The index is the NY Prime Rate published in the Money Rates column of the Wall Street Journal and is 3.25% as of 12/17/08. When a range of rates has been published, the highest rate will be used. The current margin is 0.50% and is subject to change. The APR cannot increase by more than 6.0 percentage points above the initial rate. NY Prime Rate plus margin for 90% LTV for 180 months and $150,000; NY Prime Rate plus margin for 80% LTV for 180 months and $200,000. Term of 180 months consists of 5-year draw period followed by 10-year repayment only period. Annual maintenance fee of $35 and an application fee of $35 may apply. Your home determines your maximum loan amount and is used to secure your home equity loan (or second mortgage). 2 Closing costs associated with this product are waived for loans up to $150,000 in Greater Albuquerque and surrounding area on their primary residences with clean title history. Loans over $150,000 or outside of Greater Albuquerque and surrounding area are subject to 1.00% origination cost plus cost of property appraisal, flood certification, recording fees, and title insurance, which generally range from $1,467 to $1,600. Borrower is responsible for homeowners insurance and, if required, flood insurance. 3 Consult your tax advisor about deducting the interest you pay from your taxes. Property insurance required. Your home determines your maximum loan amount and is used to secure your home equity loan (or second mortgage). Annual maintenance fee of $35 and an application fee of $35 may apply for Home Equity Line of Credit. 4 $75 Visa gift card available upon closing of home equity lines of credit or loans of $5,000 or more.

by Jessica Muncrief

Design Studio

tranquility base Three ways to bring a little water to your patch of desert

eed a place to relax and tune out? It could be your own backyard. Check out these three innovative—and surprisingly eco-friendly—water features.

the aquatic garden

Where to find it: Albuquerque Water Gardens Who to talk to: John Niwa and Mary Solt-Niwa, owners

Aquatic gardens, as the name suggests, are all about the plants. At Albuquerque Water Gardens, more than 150 aquatic plants are grown on-site, and they’re particularly known for their tropical water lilies. “With a water garden, you can’t use harsh chemicals or algaecides because they will build up and eventually poison your plants,” says SoltNiwa, noting that avoiding these chemicals has another upside: “It allows your water to be open to other types of wildlife, such as frogs, dragonflies, or fish.” For customers with conservation concerns, Solt-Niwa recommends focusing less on the size of the water feature and more on how quickly the water moves. “If the water is trickling into your pond, you’re going to lose a lot less to evaporation than from a gushing stream of water. That’s how we lose water, especially during the windy season,” she says. If space is an issue, try a glazed water bowl. Ranging in size from 24 to 32 inches, these portable aquatic gardens house a few small aquatic plants and can even be home to a fish or two. No construction required.

biofiltration systems as often as we can, and we always make an effort to work with the natural slope of the land,” he says. “I’ve noticed a lot of yards where they’ve created this unnatural volcano-shaped mound for water features. When you work with the plot’s natural gradient, it works better visually and mechanically.” As an added eco-bonus, Santa Fe Water Gardens recently partnered with local business The Water Boyz to capture and store water that would typically go down the drain. The water has additional minerals and is ideal for irrigating and filling ponds and fountains.

the sustainable waterscape

Where to find it: Santa Fe Water Gardens Who to talk to: Dion D’Angelico, owner

“The human body is largely made up of water, so we don’t really have to sell water to people—the attraction to it is very natural,” says D’Angelico, who specializes in building low-maintenance, sustainable water features by creating ecosystems that are largely self-maintaining. “In all our landscape designs, we try to incorporate native plants and 28

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Blue glass balls and broad-leafed aquatic plants create different focal points in a water garden.

Courtesy of Albuquerque Water Gardens

Aquatic gardens (here and below) by Albuquerque Water Gardens use no algaecides or chemicals, which ensures a safe environment for birds and other wildlife.

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Q &A

According to Waterfalls and More owner Doug Brown, how your waterfall sounds is as important as how it looks.

when water meets rock Stone artist Joshua Gannon

Mark William Photography

Joshua Gannon at Range West Gallery in Madrid

Where to find it: Waterfalls and More Who to talk to: Doug Brown, owner

To really bring the great outdoors home, you can’t go wrong with a waterfall. “People who want something formal will probably go with a fountain or a concrete pond,” explains Brown, “but if they want to look out their window and see what they would see hiking through a national park, a waterfall is a great option. Waterfalls really draw people in, and usually require less water than a patch of grass of the same size.” Location, views, and drainage options are all important design considerations, but Brown says one of the most important elements he discusses with clients is sound. “It all depends on the homeowners and what they’re after,” he explains. “If they’re hoping to create a spot for peace and tranquility, a dribbling or trickling water feature that doesn’t drown out conversation is probably best. But if they want to be able to hear it from inside the house or they’re hoping to drown out traffic noise, we’ll go for something with a higher flow.” If you’re not up for the maintenance, Brown recommends an infinity or pondless waterfall, which will require significantly less upkeep. The benefits, he adds, are twofold: “It’s like adding a deck or a spa to your home. Not only are you getting an area for relaxation, but it can also increase the value of the property.” 30

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If there’s one thing Joshua Gannon is passionate about, it’s stone. On any given day he can be found at Range West, the gallery he co-owns and works out of in Madrid, New Mexico, carving fountains out of hornfels stone from the Ortiz Mountains. He opened up to Su Casa about why water is such an important element in his works. You’ve had no formal art training. When did you realize you were meant to be a stone artist? I’ve always liked to make things with my hands. I whittled sticks as a child, and I had a pocket knife collection when I was 7 or 8, so I’ve kind of latched onto the idea that my work now is an extension of that. I thought for a while I would be a woodworker until I realized I didn’t like following plans, so that’s where the stone came in. Even when I’m doing a custom order and the customer has seen my other works and has an idea of what they want, I’m still not hemmed in. There’s no way, working with stone, that I can exactly replicate a vision or a previous work. And I’m not building cabinets where things have to be exact, so I still have a tremendous amount of freedom. If I didn’t have that, I think I would go a little bonkers. When I first moved to Santa Fe, I was working for a company that imported stone from China. That’s when I started getting interested in the tools and techniques. I started playing around with it on the weekends, having fun and making a little extra money. That was sort of the incubator for the business I have now. I just kept developing my eye for it and, after a while, realized it just made sense to start doing it on my own. The gallery evolved pretty

Cracks and mineral deposits give each piece of hornfels stone its distinctive character.

naturally, and I think it’s because Kathleen Casey (co-owner of Range West) and I both have tastes that click with many other people. How do you choose your stones? Typically, I’ll select a stone based on its features. The shape, texture, or color can make me grab a stone, but it all depends. I just got back this morning from picking up several stones, and I ended up grabbing one little guy at the last moment. It has an okay shape, but it was the large quartz vein running through it that pulled me in. Do you have a final vision in mind when you select a stone? Stones are unpredictable when you start working with them. Sometimes I’ll take a small sledgehammer to it, or I’ll just tap a loose edge and it will give me a whole new tonality. Or maybe I’ll chisel off a piece and find some newly revealed facet. I always

Amy Gross

the waterfall

try to redirect a rock to make sure it’s sound and solid, and every now and then I’ll lose a stone completely, but usually I just kind of go with it and let it be. How does water enhance your work? Water allows you to really see the true stone. When my three kids were a bit younger, we would walk the arroyo and pick up rocks. I would always tell them to get them wet first. When you look at the patina on the exterior of a stone, the crack deposits, the minerals—you are seeing millions of years of history in that stone. Running water over it really wakes up the color and brings those elements alive. What is it about water that intrigues people so much? Out here, we are very cognizant of water because of the drought. I’ve noticed that a lot of people in New Mexico are, like me, originally from somewhere else. In California or anywhere on the East Coast, water is just there; you don’t really think about it much until you live in an area where it’s a precious resource. A lot of the people who buy my artwork are missing that element they took for granted back home. They want to sit next to it and just listen to it run and be soothed.—JM Joshua Gannon’s work can be found at Range West Gallery and Indigo Gallery in Madrid, and The Carole LaRoche Gallery in Santa Fe.

living it up A Westside home built for high-powered, year-round entertaining

by Ben Ikenson

Photographs by Douglas Merriam

tiny gnome holding a mug of ale sits on a shelf behind the bar in the covered patio where Linn and Beau Irwin enjoy much of their downtime. Beneath this talisman of good cheer, a small plaque proclaims: “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Indeed, with a fully operational outdoor kitchen that includes a built-in grill, a “kegerator,” and a large flat-screen TV that rises from behind a counter near the concrete bar via hydraulic lift, the Irwins built their home with the idea of entertaining guests on a regular basis. They may have succeeded a little too well. “We really wanted a space we could share and enjoy with the people we care about,” says Beau. “The only problem is, it can be hard getting people to go home.” Located on Albuquerque’s West Mesa, the Irwin’s 3,300-square-foot home is an architectural masterpiece of comfortable living and contemporary aesthetics. It’s a home designed to be enjoyed year-round, and if the Irwins’ busy—almost weekly— entertaining schedule can be believed, it’s enjoyed by a whole lot of lucky people.

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kindred spirits

Beau is originally from Northern California. Linn is a self-described military brat who has called Albuquerque home for more than three decades. They met after previous marriages, while both were working in the commercial insurance industry. When they married in 2004, Beau became stepfather to Linn’s three daughters, now all grown and “out of the nest,” as Linn says. Free of dependents, the couple built their own nest with their mutual tastes—and love of entertaining—as the predominant forces. “We spent about three years looking at open houses and going to the Albuquerque Homes of Enchantment Parade before deciding to build,” says Linn. “I remember

Pueblo-style, meet contemporary. Crisp, clean lines and sharp angles on the exterior hint at the modern aesthetic within.

Beau and Linn Irwin

A few well-placed translucents keep the kitchen cabinets from feeling too heavy. The breakfast bar and countertops boast interesting angles, adding to the overall geometric feel suggested by the European-style exhaust hood.

New Haven Homes, mynewhaven.com

Stacked and clerestory windows, coupled with skylights and thoughtfully placed recessed lighting, bring ample light into the living areas, which reflects beautifully off the gleaming polished concrete floors.

Linear and angular touches, such as the oversized, scored door and drop lintel in the foyer, sleek gas fireplace from Mountain West Sales, and framed TV nicho, are Southwestern accents executed with clever contemporary twists.

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one of the first houses I looked at; I was impressed by the indoor/outdoor transition. When we finally chose a builder, he took us on a tour of some of the houses he’d built, and it turned out that the first house that inspired our idea for an outdoor living area was one of his.” That builder was Bill Reynolds, of custom design-build firm New Haven Homes. As he has with clients for more than 30 years, Reynolds worked closely with the Irwins throughout the process, which, as he says, “always starts with the lot. We evaluate the views, the impact surrounding properties might have on the lot, the impact our lot might have on surrounding properties, the solar orientation in order to determine heat gain and afternoon shade for outdoor living, and the direction of prevailing winds.” With the Irwins being big entertainers, outdoor living conditions were factored in from the start. Building on the West Mesa can present challenges, however. Volcanic rock runs beneath the Irwins’ lot, and Reynolds was concerned about the cost and effort it would have required to remove it. Instead, his team moved the existing soils on the lot and imported engineered fill to raise the house pad, which coincidentally improved the home’s commanding views.

A floating ceiling panel and a modern, beach sand–textured chandelier are interesting visuals in the dining room, whose angles are softened by fluid, circular sculptures and pieces of art.

home sweet contemporary

Infused with natural light thanks to lofty ceilings (18 feet high in the great room) and plenty of geometrically arrayed windows, the three-bedroom, threeand-a-half bath modern home features clean, planar lines, pop-out wall panels, polished concrete floors, and clay-plastered walls painted four shades of tan. Two wings intersect at the great room and kitchen, and those two rooms are closely mirrored against their outdoor counterparts—the full outdoor kitchen and expansive outdoor living spaces— through a huge, sliding glass wall. The contemporary indoor kitchen is sleek yet warm, with custom espresso cabinetry by Davis Kitchens and sooth-

The couple built their nest with their mutual tastes and love of entertaining as the predominant forces. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

The indoor kitchen and living spaces are closely mirrored against their outdoor counterparts through a huge, sliding glass wall.

Above: A guest suite is designed with nifty, efficient built-ins—a desk, a bay window, and shelving—along one wall. rd

ing green glass tile backsplashes, crisp stainless appliances, and a host of useful gadgets, like a pot filler over the range and a coffee maker artfully embedded into the wall. Elegant and sculptural, with a drop ceiling feature and modern art, the formal dining room is right off the kitchen. One wing contains the master suite with double walk-in steam shower. A backlit wall houses one of several European-style, flush-mounted gas fireplaces from Mountain West Sales found throughout the house; a pair of cherryred leather sitting chairs add kick to the otherwise neutral palette. The master bath, adorned with gorgeous tile from Architectural Surfaces, Inc., won the Best Bath award in its category in the 2010 Homes of Enchantment Parade. (The home also earned the Silver Award in its price point.) Also in this part of the home are a workout room and a shared office, which serves as the home’s data center—what Beau calls “the Bat Cave”—where all the home’s electronic devices, from landscape lighting and stereo equipment to the security system, can be programmed and automated. A whole-house vacuum system from Albuquerque Sound & Vac makes housekeeping a snap. The smaller wing of the home features two en-suite bedrooms with access to a shared compact outdoor courtyard. Throughout the home are scores of simple, built-in shelves showcasing an assortment of modern sculpture, art, and photography—the finishing touches to the Irwins’ dream home.

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Always the gracious hostess, Linn Irwin (foreground, far right) entertains a book club meeting on a beautiful evening. With the glass wall recessed, living spaces both inside and outside the home are essentially one and the same.

In the master suite (right and opposite), red accents from pillows, furniture, and wall art provide arresting pops of color in the mostly neutral spaces. Turn On Lighting provided the ceiling fan and lighting in the bedroom (right), as well as accent lighting throughout the home.

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“We wanted a space we could share and enjoy with the people we care about.”—Beau Irwin

The outdoor kitchen features a custom concrete countertop with hematite beads, bits of sea glass, and stainless steel tiles mixed into the polished surface.

living it up

Guests mingle before dinner is served. Chris Rath (in black) lives around the corner from the Irwins; both she and her home graced the Autumn 2013 cover of Su Casa.

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Working with Tony Wegrzynek of Watermelon Mountain Design Works, Reynolds came through for his clients in blurring the distinction between the indoor and outdoor living areas. By means of an enormous 12 x 8–foot sliding pocket door, the great room opens seamlessly onto a covered L-shaped outdoor living room, which, in addition to a full bar and kitchen, includes a lounge area, a doublesided gas fireplace, and a striking stone water feature. A finished exposed concrete floor that extends to the outdoor area also helped accomplish the indoor-to-outdoor flow, Reynolds notes. Extending beyond the covered area, the patio gives way to a small yard, hot tub, fire pit, and gorgeous views of the Sandia Mountains. Altogether, there’s an almost Japanese spa–like serenity to the place— except on NFL nights when the vibe is decidedly more raucous. The flow between indoor and outdoor living spaces hardly compromises the efficiency of the home, which includes an airtight building envelope and ventilation system, thick insulating walls, Energy Star appliances, and recycled and locally produced materials. And with the solar gain and inundation of natural light from the many windows, “we never seem to have to flip a single light switch during the day,” says Linn. Come evening, as the sun sets, that’s just one more reason to kick back, tap the kegerator, and raise a glass to a job well done. Cheers!

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As the sun sets, the party continues. The Irwinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; comfortable backyard features a hot tub and fire pit.

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beaming with pride Talented Santa Fe artisans and craftsmen honor tradition in a historic remodel

Building Adventures Unlimited, buildingadventuresunlimited.com 42

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by Amy Gross

Photographs by Chris Corrie

he story is they came from an old church in Taos. Franklin Knight Lane, President Woodrow Wilson’s first Secretary of the Interior, allegedly discovered and then painstakingly transported the massive, hand-painted beams to his house near Santa Fe’s Canyon Road in the early 1900s. Lane was probably a part-time resident of New Mexico, coming to warm, dry Santa Fe, as many did at the time, for health reasons. Were the beams brought here by truck or train? How many trips might it have taken? Who installed them in the Santa Fe house, and how?

The compact front yard, tucked neatly behind a stucco privacy wall, offers several quiet spots for birdwatching.

a colorful history

History remains unclear about the origin of the Eastside home, which is now considered part of the Camino del Monte Sol Historic District, as well as its ornately corbeled beams. Even naming Lane as the first owner of the home is hard to confirm. What is clear, however, is that the beams, which grace the home’s living area, have impressed a whole bunch of people over the years; in fact, both the current homeowners and the previous owners bought the house because of them. Boni Armijo, owner of Building Adventures Unlimited, who recently renovated parts of the historic home, was just as smitten.

Left: Boni Armijo, owner of Building Adventures Unlimited, renovated this grand old home in the Camino del Monte Sol Historic District. Above: A pair of antique double-hung doors are the gateway to the compound.

In the foyer, an intricately carved Mexican piece rests below commanding corbeled and hand-painted beams that are said to have been brought to Santa Fe from Taos by the home’s first owner.

The eye is naturally drawn upward toward the delicately painted 14-foot dining room ceiling, whose seafoam green color is echoed in the painted wainscoting.

“I was blown away when I saw these beams.”—Boni Armijo, Building Adventures Unlimited

Strategically placed windows provide a virtually panoramic view of the backyard from the kitchen.

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Special touches, such as a custom tin chandelier from Casa Rosina, Peruvian hats from The Ann Lawrence Collection (also below), and a family heirloom quilt made in 1886 warm the master bedroom. Artist Mary McIntyre replastered the walls.

“I was blown away when I saw these beams,” Armijo marvels. “I’d never seen anything like them in all of the old houses I’ve worked on.” And he’s worked on many. Armijo grew up on the Eastside when the now-tony Canyon Road area was a series of working-class neighborhoods. His father, John “Johnnie” O. Armijo, runs Johnnie’s Cash Store, the last remaining cash store in that community; Armijo was raised in the house attached to the store. His family’s roots run deep in the area, and Armijo works almost exclusively on the Eastside, renovating historic homes based on referrals from previous clients. “I love the challenges of the Eastside,” Armijo says. “Adobe, pentile, rock, rastra—there are so many different building materials you could be working with.” And this home came with its own set of challenges. During the bathroom renovation, for example, the team discovered the master bathroom was built slap-up against the garage of the neighboring home; the two spaces actually share a wall. (How many people can say their bathroom was once a horse stall?) For Eastside homes of this age, where new rooms were built out from smaller original buildings, notes Armijo, such idiosyncrasies are fairly common. Not that this home’s age is easy to pinpoint. Despite Santa Fe’s active historic preservation institutions, most sources merely guess at the original structure’s build date. Lane died in 1921, so it’s likely the original parts of the home, which include the beamed living area, were built in the 1910s. Lane’s daughter Nancy married modernist painter Andrew Dasburg in 1928, and SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

In “her” dressing room, cabinets hand-carved by Leonel Capparelli of Hands of America flank a massive carved armoire from Nedra Matteucci Gallery. The sink area’s blue-and-white Talavera tile came from Statements in Tile/Lighting/ Kitchens/Flooring and was installed by Anthony Tapia of ATC Construction.

the couple lived in Santa Fe for the duration of their marriage. They may have even lived in Lane’s home, though the more likely scenario puts them in a house around the Pamela Platt handpainted the windows corner, with Dasburg of the commode room painting here, for at door (see above). least some of the time, in a studio that was eventually converted into what is now a library. Though their marriage was short-lived, the couple took advantage of their proximity to bohemian Canyon Road—in the late ’20s, arguably the liveliest area of Santa Fe—among other painters, artists, playwrights, and actors. Following their divorce, Dasburg made his permanent move to Taos in 1933.

the adventure unfolds “His” dressing room features salt cedar screens made by Ed Armijo of Santa Fe Charm and custom cabinetry by David Samora of Samora Woodworking. 46

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Following Dasburg’s departure from Santa Fe, Lane’s home passed through many hands—including members of Dasburg’s family—before being purchased in the fall of 2011 by a Texas couple. “We’d been going to Santa Fe for over 40 years,” says the homeowner. “When we were younger we loved to ski, and we wanted a place in the mountains.”

All it really took was one look at the beams in the living room, and she and her husband were hooked. They moved in, but right off the bat, a few changes were in order. “The bathroom and dressing area were hard to accept,” she says, noting that a bathtub they would have no use for took up much of the space in that room. Local art gallery owner Nedra Matteucci recommended Armijo to the new owners for what everyone believed would be a few relatively minor renovations—a new footprint for the master bath and perhaps new kitchen counters. But as such things tend to do, the renovations expanded in scope. Big time. “It wasn’t as if we had a plan; the whole thing evolved!” the owner laughs. Three years later, the list of successful renovations through Building Adventures Unlimited includes not only the master bath and kitchen counters, but a complete kitchen remodel; extensive renovations to the sunroom and library; his-and-hers dressing areas; a new wet bar; new windows; replacement of old coyote fence with stone walls; renovations and upgrades to the home’s two guest suites; plaster, plumbing, and electrical work, and new, expansive outdoor living spaces showcasing a waterfall and freestanding stone fireplace. As a member of the Santa Fe Historical Design Review Board (among other planning and preservation societies), Armijo was acutely aware of the difficulties involved with renovating a historic home. “It’s tough,” he admits. “I like challenges, but you need to be careful what you wish for.” Fortunately, both the old windows and coyote fencing were given the board’s blessing for replacement. Given the home’s age and historical significance, the entire team—Armijo, the homeowners, and the interior designer, Gloria Devan of Wiseman & Gale & Duncan Interiors—had to remain cognizant of any potential issues within the creative purviews of their jobs. “Everyone’s respectful of the architecture,” Armijo says of the Review Board. “It’s about creating a balance between what people want to do in their own homes versus what’s historically sensitive.”

“People who work for Boni Armijo have grown up in Santa Fe,” says the homeowner. “They are local Santa Feans.”

The sun room, which also serves as an informal dining area, features window boxes designed by Gloria Devan of Wiseman & Gale & Duncan Interiors and fabricated by Hands of America. Embroidered pillows covering the bancos are from The Ann Lawrence Collection.

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To accommodate visiting family, one of the two comfortable guest suites includes a full kitchen. Ironworker RenĂŠ Zamora crafted the cabinet hardware and shelving supports.

The sunny upstairs guest suite makes use of skylights and traditional Southwestern design elements, religious art, and textiles. A hand-carved wall cabinet cleverly houses the TV.

The part-time homeowners are eager to escape the Texas summer heat and enjoy their updated outdoor spaces for the first time. Above: At the center of the completely renovated backyard is a pergola/ trellis—the only part of the original yard to remain. Freestanding fireplace by Arnoldo Carrillo; waterfall and landscaping by McCumber Fine Gardens; stone table set by New Mexico Stone; flagstone, stairs, stone walls, and other design features by Building Adventures Unlimited.

best of the best

Sconces from a John Gaw Meem–designed house inspired the wrought iron exterior lighting fixtures, which were custom made by Casa Rosina.

Armijo’s knowledge of Santa Fe building codes, coupled with some 40 years of working with talented area artisans and craftsmen, put him in an excellent position to call on the best of the best, like ironworker René Zamora and woodworkers Leonel Capparelli of Hands of America and David Samora of Samora Woodworking. This appealed to the homeowner. “People who work for Boni have grown up in Santa Fe,” she says. “They are local Santa Feans.” Some of them are even family. Armijo’s four children—Ed, Keith, Jovan, and Michelle—and brother Charlie support his building endeavors. Ed, who owns Santa Fe Charm, did some of the cabinetry work. Keith was a supervisor on this project while Jovan kept other company projects rolling. It has taken almost three years to bring the home up to snuff. The part-time homeowners are especially eager to escape the Texas heat and enjoy, for the first time, their completely updated outdoor spaces. Indoors, they’ll be able to appreciate the beautiful tile work, one-of-akind carved wood armoires, and painted windows created by artesanos who call the City Different home. “Santa Fe is fortunate to have such a huge resource in craftsmen who can do these things,” says the homeowner. “Not everyone can.” SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

loftyaspirations Embellishing on regional architecture gives a New Mexico home a touch of Manhattan style

by Dianna Delling

Photographs by Amadeus Leitner

enturing west from Manhattan to build a second home here five years ago, Raymond and Deborah had no problems selecting the right property: 12.5 piñon-and-juniper-covered acres just northwest of Santa Fe. “Coming to New Mexico was about the big skies and wide open spaces,” says Raymond, a New York City native. While there was certainly no shortage of either space or sky on their new property, the couple realized the bigger challenge would be building a place that stayed true to their urban aesthetic. “I wanted a house that captured the feeling of the New Mexico vernacular, but with everything sharp and crisp,” says Raymond, whose love for clean lines and precision had previously led him to career success designing interior finishes for high-end retailers in New York; today, he’s an entrepreneur. A small house existed on the property, but it was much too small for the couple and their two children. Tucked among the trees in a lower portion of the steep hillside spread, it failed to take advantage of the spectacular vistas found up top—views that encompass mountains as far north as Colorado when the weather is clear. Archaeo Architects, archaeoarchitects.com 50

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

In Jon Dick, of Santa Fe–based Archaeo Architects, Raymond found a kindred, less-is-more spirit, and an architect up to the task of building on steep, high terrain. “Simpler is not easier; it’s quite the opposite,” says Dick, whose work is inspired as much by modernist sensibility as by traditional Southwestern design. He authored a Northern New Mexico–style home with a contemporary, Manhattan-loft-like interior; Raymond took charge of the finishes.

tradition, with a twist Perched high on the stunning property, at the end of a steep and winding driveway, Raymond and Deborah’s new house incorporates the elements that define our regional architecture: a pitched metal roof, a stucco exterior, and even a hacienda-style courtyard. “Some of the earliest houses excavated in this region had courtyards,” notes Dick, who regards this one as an interior focal point that counterbalances the commanding exterior views.

The largely white living room naturally calls for furniture in the same palette. The off-white leather set from Kroll International fits the bill, as does the white coffee table designed and fabricated by the homeowner; its highly polished lacquered wood and painted starfire glass top are clever foils to the room’s matte finishes.

Cool whites and grays extend from floor to ceiling in the expansive formal living room. Opposite, top: With a storm looming, pitched metal roofs on the main home and its “twin towers” stand ready to take on the elements.

“The weight of the doors gives the room power. It feels real from the moment you walk in.”—Raymond, homeowner

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“I love my kitchen,” says Raymond. Clean and virtually unadorned save for the figuring in the flat-front American walnut cabinetry, the kitchen gleams with pristine, custom glass countertops.

The interior courtyard is “a work in progress,” says Raymond, noting that while the space currently serves as a bird nesting area and sanctuary, he is considering sculpting a piece to display in the center.

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Admiring the massing of the rectangular towers common on old adobe churches, Dick gave the house two of them, one on each side of the courtyard entrance, and added pitched roofs. (Inside, one tower works as a bedroom and the other as cozy sitting room.) Thick walls throughout the house look like adobe, but beneath the fawn-colored stucco lie blocks of E-Crete, an eco-friendly, highly insulating alternative. And then there’s the courtyard portal, constructed not of wood but of clear glass and steel for a contemporary spin. “It echoes the feeling of latillas and posts,” says Raymond, who came up with the design of the portal and had it fabricated. In fact, while Dick designed the 5,000-square-foot home, Raymond was responsible for its interior details. The two collaborated in a way rarely seen between

homeowner and architect, but it worked—in part, perhaps, because of their shared belief that detail is everything. The living room, designed by Dick, connects the home’s two long, perpendicular wings and turns the home into an H shape. Sliding doors open to the back portal and showcase panoramic views of the distant Sangre de Cristo Mountains. “With our Northern New Mexico weather, I always try to blur the distinction between the indoor and the outdoor,” Dick explains. His client took that concept and ran with it. Inspired by things he’d seen back East, in SoHo’s Cast Iron District, Raymond designed a set of immense—18 feet long and 8 feet high—glass and steel doors for the space and had them made by his industry contacts. “The weight of the doors gives the room power,” he says. “It feels real from the moment you walk in. You don’t know why, but you’re feeling the strength of the materials.” He selected strong but understated materials throughout the home, from the concrete floors to the whitewashed wood beams and American Clay– plastered walls (which veer to the contemporary with sharply angled, rather than rounded, corners). Even the color palette is cool and subdued: offwhites and grays, accented only occasionally with a lamp or vase in yellow, red, or teal. Deviating from the whites and grays, the kitchen utilizes brown; clean-lined cabinets (no pulls or carved details) were built in figured American walnut by Santa Fe’s Wood Design Custom Cabinetry & Millwork. “The figuring has a little phosphorescence going on, like a zebra stipe,” says Raymond, “so the color has a modern feel.” It also provides dramatic contrast to the white glass countertops, which Raymond had custom-made in Italy.

Architect George Nelson designed his iconic bubble lamps in 1947 using an innovative, self-webbing plastic. For her dining room, Deborah picked out an array of shapes and left it to Raymond to lay them out in their intriguing pattern.

The collaboration between homeowner and architect worked because of their shared belief that detail is everything.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Concrete floors, American Clay walls, and clean metallics give a hallway an ethereal feel.

Huge sliding glass and steel doors open the living room to the east portal, offering an almost seamless transition between indoors and outdoors.

playrooms for all

While the homeowners take interior design seriously, they also wanted a residence with that encouraged fun. To that end, a home theater room is equipped with a 10-foot-tall screen that descends from the ceiling at the touch of a button, along with a 1950s Brunswick billiards table Raymond restored. Bedrooms for the children, who are now in college, include white spiral staircases that lead to toy-and-game-friendly loft spaces, though perhaps the biggest “playroom” is Raymond’s 2,000-square-foot garage. Sited slightly below the main house, the two-story building serves as a garage, an office, and a hobby space. The first floor holds three classic cars and is equipped with an automotive lift. Upstairs is an office, a full bathroom, and a workshop, where Ray54

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On the east-facing portal, a rack of antlers is an Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keeffe-style nod to the Northern New Mexico influences of the home. Views of the Sangre de Cristos are jaw-dropping from the portal and the master bedroom (below).

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From the second floor of his garage (aka grown-up playroom), Raymond takes in the spectacular view of the Sangres. The building, separate from the main home, houses a collection of classic cars and includes an office and a workshop.

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

mond builds intricately designed model trains and radio-controlled airplanes that he sometimes flies on the property. He now has plenty of big sky and space to exercise his hobbies, whereas space was always at a premium in New York. Even in Palm Springs, where the couple has another home, the densely populated neighborhood imposes limits. “I don’t think I could start my sports car there without causing trouble,” Raymond says. “It’s loud!” Since finishing the new house almost two years ago, Raymond’s been renovating the original structure—it now serves as a guest house—and spending more time than ever enjoying the peacefulness of the retreat he’s created. “It’s so quiet here, you can hear your brain working,” he jokes. “We’re only seven minutes from downtown, but it feels like the middle of nowhere.”

Raymond builds (and, thanks to open skies on his property, flies) radio-controlled helicopters and planes (here and below, left).

Raymond now has plenty of big sky and space to exercise his hobbies.

Above: “Zorro” and other figures on horseback are part of the homeowner’s large collection of detailed miniatures.

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Albuquerque Home Remodeling & Recreation Show: More than just a home show. Home shows in New Mexico have shown marked improvement over the last several years in attracting unique vendors and creating fascinating seminars. Together, these elements have attracted and engaged vibrant attendees who are eager to invest in their home and their lives. Now in it's 22nd year, Albuquerque Home Remodeling & Recreation Show has demonstrated leadership and innovative ideas as it grows to stimulate, entertain and generate ideas for generations of home owners. With the addition of recreational products and services, and weekend long seminars, the show is both fun and informative. This show realizes that homeowners crave not just products, but also

information and know-how. Homeowners will find almost anything needed for the home now, plus plenty of new ways to have fun in the home -- and outside too! From the front door to the backyard, the Albuquerque Home Remodeling & Recreation Show is a terrific fun weekend for the entire family. As Publisher of Su Casa, a homeowner, and a guy who likes to have fun, the Albuquerque Home Remodeling & Recreation Show has so much to offer. We will be there in Albuquerque, this October 18 & 19, 2014 and hope to see you there as well. - Bruce Adams Publisher, Su Casa Magazine

Outdoor Living

by Rodney Gross

Photographs by Kate Russell

a path to Zen Less is more in an Asian-inspired backyard

Homeowner Mary Ann Salomone’s midcentury modern interiors informed the clean, geometric lines of her Zen-like backyard.

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

ucked away in an older neighborhood south of downtown Santa Fe, the home of interior designer Mary Ann Salomone reflects a striking similarity to the California modern aesthetic of Joseph Eichler. Salomone, owner of Santa Fe–based Centsible Decorating, grew up in a similar house in New York, and was delighted to find a little of that same magic in New Mexico in a midcentury Stamm. Years of neglect had taken their toll on the home, however, and it took years for Salomone to fully realize her vision for the interior. “I put as many Japanese influences in as I could,” she says. “Asian design works very well with midcentury modern architecture. The simplicity, the linear alignment of parallel lines in repetition, the geometry of angles—all come from the Asian influence.”

A concrete bench offers the perfect spot for meditating on the simple beauty of a rain chain suspended over smooth stones.

The careful placement of three pedestals in the pool gives the feeling of actually walking on the water.

Right and above, right: A bamboo privacy fence framed in redwood encircles the backyard for an authentically Asian feel.

Interiors complete, there was still the backyard to address. A dense tangle of fallen needles and leaves from piñon and spruce trees—and one majestic Ponderosa pine—carpeted the ground so heavily that Salomone despaired of getting anything else to grow there. She also hated to remove the trees, some of which she believes are more than a century old. A landscape designer friend suggested Salomone start by simply trimming the trees from the ground upwards until there was just enough room to walk beneath the resulting canopy. She did, and was at last able to envision the possibilities for her once unruly outdoor spaces. Assuming the ground was probably too acidic from years of pine needle accumulation, Salomone was wary about planting new growth, so she went in a completely opposite direction: planting virtually nothing. Taking a cue from some of the more Asian-themed decorative elements inside her home, she landed on the idea of a backyard Zen garden. “Being forced to focus on hardscape rather than landscape, the sparse and minimal design of Zen was really a natural solution,” she notes. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

the art of sitting

Salomone teamed up with Michael Nelson of Santa Fe’s EcoScapes, and together they began to transform the area into an urban oasis, landscaping with gravel and building a new seating area that essentially extended the house to the outdoors, where it is now comfortably nestled among the pines. The deck, which is itself made of pine, hovers mere inches off the ground. At night, soft recessed rope lighting beneath the deck creates a feeling of floating. Beams beneath the overhang, which are extensions of the home’s interior beams, informed the style of the roof, which is half pergola and half solid. The resulting effect is one of being at once apart from and connected to the main structure. In the evening, looking up through the pergola with her canine companion Angel on her lap, Salomone has a clear view to open, starry skies. A comparatively sunny spot on the side of the main house provides another sitting area. Here the relative lack of pine canopy allows a golden bamboo garden to thrive—a lovely counterpoint to the cut bamboo fence running the perimeter of the backyard, composed of panels shipped in from Cali Bamboo in San Diego and framed in redwood by Nelson’s carpenter.

A copse of live bamboo appears to thrive in the backyard where other plants once struggled in the acidic soil.

“Being forced to focus on hardscape rather than landscape, the sparse and minimal design of Zen was really a natural solution.” —Mary Ann Salomone

The pine deck, suspended mere inches from the ground, is softly illuminated from underneath by rope lighting. “I put as many Japanese influences in as I could,” says Salomone of her renovated Stamm. 62

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Amid the greenery, a low concrete meditation bench designed by the homeowner, and formed and poured by EcoScapes, invites resting and purposeful meditation. A surprise rain shower at the time the concrete was setting provided Salomone an opportunity to customize the bench. “I took advantage of the situation, as artists tend to do,” she says. “I started carving little fan shapes in the concrete with twigs, then went into the kitchen and got a glass and made some circle shapes as well. It turned out quite wonderfully. Happy accidents!“

quiet reflection

The rock garden features simple 12 x 12" pavers that mark a meandering route around the backyard and—surprisingly— directly through a small concrete pool lined with blue glass tiles. Three pedestals in the pool (which glows at night to spectacular effect) are designed to match the yard pavers; their careful placement gives the feeling of actually walking on the water. It is a singular sensation, one which reinforces the idea of seamless flow between natural and manmade elements. For Salomone, the office—aka reality—is inside the house, merely a few steps away. Beyond are the busy streets of bustling Santa Fe. But in her personal Zen garden Salomone is far removed from both, literally and in spirit. Strolling the paths, taking a moment to rest on a bench, or relaxing in a comfortable chair beneath a canopy of pines, she is able to contemplate the simple beauty of living bamboo while listening to its leaves gently rustle in the breeze.

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onsidered one of the most sustainable building materials out there, bamboo has recently taken its place alongside oak, walnut, and pine as a major player in the construction of furniture, flooring, decking, and fencing. What makes this skinny, woody plant the go-to material for ecoconscious homeowners?

Did you know . . . ? • Bamboos (the correct plural form of the word) are some of the fastestgrowing plants in the world. According to the American Bamboo Society, bamboos are capable of growing an astonishing 60 centimeters per day in optimal soil (moderately acidic loam) and climate conditions. Bamboo matures quickly, too—3 to 5 years is a typical growth cycle, versus 20 to 120 years for a typical hardwood—which makes it very attractive as a naturally sustainable building material. • Bamboo is actually a woody perennial grass. Giant (timber) bamboo is the largest member of the grass family, reaching from 30 to 50 feet in height and up to 6 inches in diameter. • In addition to its recent popularity as an eco-friendly building material, bamboo is used for making everything from paper and surfboards to helmets and bicycle frames. Its shoots are also edible, enjoyed by humans and pandas alike. • Some bamboos spread quickly and can become invasive—and they’re hard to remove once rooted. Before planting that privacy fence, do your homework, and find out if bamboo is the right plant for your yard. Source: American Bamboo Society, bamboo.org

the art of outdoor living

Enchanted Spaces

Moll Anderson’s decadent details turn everyday places into magical spaces

Moll Anderson

Mark DeLong Photography

Now add in some seating. You can always repurpose furniture from inside your home and bring it outdoors to create a vibe. Grab your dining room chairs! That’s right, don’t be afraid to carry out your fabulous furniture for the evening. Having fun with this idea is the key to making it work. When you think beyond old plastic lawn chairs, you’ll begin to set a romantic vibe.

ummer in Santa Fe has officially set in, and I’m so excited to be able to spend quality time outdoors in the sunshine, sipping a jalapeño margarita and watching our magical sunsets, or curling up with my husband Charlie beneath a cozy portal in the evening. You can create an enchanted space in your own backyard, so let’s look at a few of my favorite “seductive” tips and apply them to the beautiful outdoors. Whether it’s just you, you and your partner, or a couple of friends coming over for a meal, all the elements remain the same! Think of it as sensory-scaping an outdoor living area.

Never underestimate the beautiful scene you can create in your very own backyard. set the table, set the mood If you’re setting a table for a meal outside, use the same types of things you would if you were indoors—for example, cloth napkins and real silverware instead of paper napkins and plastics. If you’re worried about breakage, head to your local home store where you can find gorgeous shatterproof acrylic or melamine wineglasses and plates. Flowers are one of my five must-haves for seductive tablescaping. Incorporate flowers from the yard

by Moll Anderson

or make a stop at your local grocer or farmers market to pick up a bouquet of big, colorful blooms. (Sunflowers are always a fabulous choice, and they don’t get lost in the background of the outdoors.) Use silver or iron candelabras to illuminate your tablescape, and don’t be afraid to mix and match!

the decadent details Never underestimate the beautiful scene you can create in your very own backyard. Strategically placed votives and lamps are a great way to add soft, warm lighting. Place little white lights in your bushes, flowers, potted plants, etc.—just make sure everything is safe. The unexpected sensual effect of this ambient lighting will amaze you—and your guests, too. If you don’t have a built-in sound system, just bring out your iPod and pocket speakers to provide the musical ambience required to make your gathering a complete experience. Putting all your attention to what I call the “decadent details” will bring the entire happening together. And now it’s time for you: Throw on a breezy spring skirt, invite your partner or friends, and you’ll be throwing a seductive Santa Fe outdoor soiree in no time flat.

Moll Anderson establishes intimacy beneath the portal of her Santa Fe home with her trademark flowers, color, and decadent details.

define the perfect space

John Hall Photography

Start by identifying where you want to be—perhaps on your porch, in the yard, or under a portal? If you have an umbrella, even if it’s not sunny, go ahead and use it; it will allow you to frame exactly where you want your area to be. If it’s dark, grab some white twinkle lights and drape them inside the umbrella—it will add a whimsical touch to the table. Moll Anderson is a television radio host, interior designer, life stylist, and author of three books, including Seductive Tables for Two. She and her husband are part-time residents of Santa Fe. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

now you’re cookin’

by Amy Gross once more, with feeling

by Amy Gross

Everyone was all smiles when HGTV’s cameras were rolling in the Northeast Heights community of Bear Canyon, but inwardly, the designers—Steve Appolloni of Appolloni Remodeling by Design/Euro Fe Kitchens, and Lora Vassar of Arch Design—were sweating. “It was so stressful,” Appolloni recalls with a laugh. “It was fun, but we got so little sleep.” After writing to HGTV in 2005, homeowners Nadine and Kerry Clark were chosen to participate in HGTV’s Design Challenge, which at the time was the popular home design channel’s most-watched show. The parameters for their challenge: a kitchen remodel with a maximum budget of $60,000. Interior designer Deborah Smith encouraged Appolloni to enter the design-and-build challenge, which he did—and won. But Appolloni immediately got creative with respect to that rather limited budget. Reaching out to local and national suppliers and manufacturers, he was able to secure almost $100,000 worth of donated materials, including floor and backsplash tile, windows by Pella Windows & Doors, under-counter refrigeration units from Perlick, roofing by EX-EL, and much more. “We kinda struck gold there,” Appolloni says, noting that most of the labor for the project was also donated in consideration for exposure on HGTV. A key element of the design of the new kitchen was making it functional for the family. The Clarks, parents of young triplets, spent

There’s nothing like a great kitchen

A soaring, copper-lined sky vault helped this impressive kitchen win HGTV’s Design Challenge for Appolloni Remodeling by Design.

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Marble Street Studio

Homeowner Nadine Clark and designer Steve Appolloni discuss Clark’s kitchen remodel while cameras roll.

a lot of time in their backyard, grilling and using the pool, so Appolloni and his team relocated the kitchen from the front of the house to the back, nearer to the family action—leaving the old kitchen intact so that the family could use it throughout the remodel. “Moving the kitchen created a central location,” says Nadine. “Now it’s the heart of the home.” The kids, she notes, do their homework at the island while she cooks dinner, and guests tend to circle the area during parties. The centerpiece of the renovated space: a gorgeous, copper-lined sky vault rising some 14 feet in the center of the kitchen—a design element Appolloni had used before, with great success. The eye naturally follows this soaring feature, which lets in sunlight through windows that run around the sides of the frame, reflecting warmly off the copper. Thoughtfully designed and creatively financed, the Clarks’ kitchen certainly earned its place among HGTV’s best home remodeling projects. But what Nadine likes best about her kitchen, outside of the obvious aesthetic improvements, is the fact that it allows her to keep everybody together. “We’re a family, and I always have access to the kids,” she says. “It’s been wonderful.”

In this galley kitchen, vibrant red Italian cabinetry, gleaming stainless steel appliances, and a highly patterned tile floor are right at home in a traditional Santa Fe–style residence.

Appolloni Remodeling by Design / Euro Fe Kitchens remod.com

It would have been so easy to allow this old Santa Fe adobe’s classic style to inform the design of its new kitchen, but its design team looked outside the Southwestern vernacular to reimagine the space with a thoroughly contemporary eye. “When you’re doing something to an old adobe, it’s fun to do something unexpected,” says Jeanné Sei, owner of Kitchens by Jeanné, who has been designing kitchens for 32 years for clients in the Santa Fe area. When Marfa, Texas–based architect (and part-time Santa Fean) Kristin Bonkemeyer approached Sei about inserting a sleek, modern kitchen into her client’s traditional adobe, all parties were excited about the challenge. Bonkemeyer and the homeowner had known each other for more than three decades, and although the two had been talking about a renovation of the Santa Fe galley kitchen for years, the owner confesses, “The idea of actually doing it was overwhelming.” Finally, with a list of starting points that included two sinks, lots of counter space, efficient cabinets, and two hidden garbage areas—all to facilitate easy entertaining—the construction project, spearheaded by Toby Anderson of Anderson & Associates, Inc., began. The 26-foot-long kitchen was gutted, and a second entry to the dining room closed off, providing needed wall space for cabinets and the new Sub-Zero refrigerator. For the flooring, Bonkemeyer opted for striking ivory-andblack concrete tiles from Statements in Tile/Lighting/Kitchens/ Flooring. Made in Nicaragua, the tiles are reminiscent of flooring found in Mexico and Central America in the 1800s—perfect for an old Eastside Santa Fe home. “The floor really integrates with the beams [in the kitchen] and the rustic palette of the rest of the house,” Bonkemeyer says. When it was time to choose the cabinetry that would make her kitchen hyper-functional, the owner turned to Sei, who recommended horizontal grain pine doors from Italian cabinetmaker Berloni. The deep red color infuses happiness to the space, says Bonkemeyer, and also “speaks to an ethnic color array that really makes sense in the Santa Fe environ-

Dianne Stromberg

fitting right in

ment.” The metal-framed upper cabinets are translucent but not entirely see-through; the owner loves how they fold in or flip up and out of the way of even her taller husband’s head. Matte-finish soapstone countertops from Sherpa Stone, coupled with gleaming Wolf, Thermador, and Gaggenau appliances from Sierra West Sales, complete the kitchen’s clean and contemporary look. Overhead, rounded vigas protrude from the plaster walls, and the homeowner’s Native American baskets sit atop the shiny upper cabinets, looking perfectly at home. Clearly, some elements of Santa Fe style will never change. Kristin Bonkemeyer, Architect, kristinbonkemeyer.com Kitchens by Jeanné, kitchensbyjeanne.com SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Aaron and Sara Zahm’s vintage Nob Hill home was built around 1950—a true midcentury bungalow. The kitchen and cabinets were original, and in good shape despite their age; however, as might be expected for a kitchen more than half a century old, the space was sorely dated. Aaron and Sara were eager to change out the cabinets, replace the countertops (made of an odd, linoleum-like material) with something solid-surface, and update electrical work and lighting. When they were ready to tackle their kitchen, master bath, and home office, the Zahms, both landscape architects, enlisted the help of Kevin Evans of Annex General Contracting + Design. Annex, which has been in the design and general contracting business since 1992, primarily handles remodels; Evans and his clients collaborated on the redesign of the kitchen. Fortunately, since the actual layout of the kitchen was quite functional, the footprint needed no changing. But to open up the space, Annex removed a wall dividing the kitchen and dining room, effectively eliminating any trace of an era when, as Aaron says, “your wife would be locked in the kitchen all day.” A narrow, pass-through island, framed in steel and topped with granite, is functional as a casual sitting space and entertaining locale, but it’s so airy that one can almost overlook it when gazing into the kitchen. Skylights were added, and recessed can lighting (on dedicated circuits—one of Aaron’s favorite features) replaced the single light fixture that had previously been the kitchen’s sole light source. Evans and his crew pulled up two layers of linoleum to discover the same lovely red oak hardwood floors found throughout the rest of the home. “That was a nice surprise,” Aaron recalls, “and it really helped to carry the two spaces [kitchen and dining room] without an obvious break.” With a budget firmly in mind, Aaron and Sara turned to IKEA for cabinetry, a farmhouse sink, and some of the appliances. Aaron took all his own measurements and used IKEA’s online planning tool to work out a kitchen design, and with Evans’s blessing, made the long and rather nerve-racking drive to Phoenix to pick up the IKEA materials. “We really only had one chance to get it right,” Aaron says. His attention to detail paid off: The Annex crew assembled the slow-close IKEA cabinets and drawers, in a clean, light birch, with nary a hitch. Glass mosaic tile from Flooring Direct became the backsplash, and the Zahms finally got to replace their plasticky countertops with chic black granite. The finished kitchen is warm, comfortable, and modern. Though it reflects the homeowners’ contemporary aesthetic, the charming Nob Hill vibe still resonates. A fresh look and efficient design were just what this atomic-era bungalow needed to make it relevant for the next generation. Annex General Contracting + Design annexgeneralcontracting.com 68

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Caitlyn Ottinger

a new era in design

Where once a single light fixture illuminated the entire kitchen, today skylights and recessed can lighting help brighten the space. On separate, dedicated circuits, the lighting “lets us play with the mood,” says the homeowner.

Even though it’s brand new, the Zahms’ kitchen retains the bungalow charm of the rest of their Nob Hill home.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

daily inspiration ings-turned-hip lofts, the Tribeca area of New York City is arguably the most vibrant and happening part of downtown Manhattan. In the masterplanned community of Mesa del Sol, Twilight Homes of New Mexico has captured that hip New York vibe in its Tribeca series of homes—loft-like, energy-efficient residences that fit right in with the forward-thinking community. “Mesa del Sol was the perfect place to showcase an idea home,” says certified interior decorator Melanie Pizzonia of Exquisite Design, who designs the interiors of Twilight’s model homes. “The builder wanted to do something completely out of the box.” Pizzonia believes one’s home should be inspirational: “Something every day should catch your eye and make you say ‘Oh, I just love that!’” The eye-catching element for this kitchen is clearly its vibrant, lemon-lime hue. A Kwal paint shade called “Norse,” the color works well with the kitchen’s grays and coffees, and even with the eggplant purple of the adjoining dining and living areas. These “comfort colors,” as Pizzonia calls them, translate well to young homebuyers; indeed, single professionals, along with empty nesters, make up the majority of Twilight Builders’ demographic in Mesa del Sol. Right: Tall ceilings and a hood reaching to the ceiling give this kitchen vertical lift. Espresso cabinetry, gray-toned granite, and a glass tile backsplash tone down the kicky green paint.

A Thousand Words Photography

With its celebrity residents and industrial build-

Pizzonia created visual impact in the compact, efficient space with a gleaming whiteand-green glass tile backsplash, courtesy of Flooring Concepts; visually striking polished granite countertops (“Blizzard” from Arizona Tile); and flat-panel cabinets in a deep coffee that keep the lemon-lime walls in check. Clear, retro pendant lights make the stainless appliances from Builders Source Appliance Gallery gleam, and Pizzonia loves the way the glass canopy of the wall-mounted hood allows visual access to the brilliant white tile behind it. During the Spring 2013 Homes of Enchantment Parade, Twilight Homes entertained hundreds of visitors who toured the Mesa del Sol model, nibbled on New York– style street food, and lounged (sometimes for several hours!) on chairs in the backyard, imagining how their own style might be imparted into a new home. It’s all about what inspires you, Pizzonia says. “You shouldn’t have anything in your home that you don’t love.” An open-concept layout allows for a surprisingly seamless flow from lime green kitchen to purple dining area. 70

Exquisite Design, exquisitedesignbym.com Twilight Homes of New Mexico, twilighthomesnm.com

green goddess Su Cocina

by John Vollertsen

Erin Wade delivers garden-fresh ingredients straight from her farm to the tables at Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette’s good, oldfashioned concept—great ingredients, harvested from local fields and creatively prepared—is still a successful and winning combination. It was a delight, then, to join Vinaigrette’s Erin Wade in her restaurant’s Santa Fe location over a simple yet luscious bowl of steaming gumbo. While the rest of the world may be going culinarily crazy, Wade’s good, old-fashioned concept— great ingredients, harvested from local fields and creatively prepared—is still a successful and winning combination. (I’m all for creativity, but I guess when it comes right down to it, I prefer to be intrigued without palate abuse.) Wade grew up in gardens, a passion that started in Bellingham, Washington. “My mother was a bit of a tree-hugger; I was raised reading the likes of Wendell Berry [the American novelist, poet, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer],” she says. “I developed an early interest in the earth.” Wade headed off to Harvard thinking pre-med with a focus on environmental science and English, but interests in fashion and design also had her considering a career in that field. A disappointing apprenticeship at Harper’s Bazaar in New York City and subsequent study abroad in Milan quickly doused that notion. “The job at Harper’s was exactly like that movie The Devil Wears Prada,” she says. “I basically ran around delivering clothing to different locations. It was very unglamorous.”

Douglas Merriam

hile reading a feature in a major magazine earlier this year describing dishes we could expect to enjoy in 2014, I was somewhat shocked (and slightly appalled) at some of the food trends predicted by the popular writer: skate wing cooked in vinegar, deboned pig’s trotters with apples, scallop ceviche with chopped beef heart, vodka made from milk! As the yum-to-yuck ratio rose in my mind (and stomach), I pondered whether the City Different might be left behind in the foodie’s quest for new and provocative eating options.

Erin Wade considered careers in several different fields, including medicine and fashion, before eventually finding her calling on 10 acres in Nambe. Today she grows many of the ingredients used in her Vinaigrette restaurants. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Kitty Leaken

Douglas Merriam

There was an upside to the stint in Italy, however. “When I got to Italy, I was amazed at their wonderful attitude toward food; you don’t have to know the language to enjoy the cuisine,” she explains. “There is such a food culture there—I loved the two-hour lunches. There’s a pizzeria in Milan called Pizza OK that does the most incredible creative ingredient pairing, and it really got me to start thinking differently about flavor combinations. The Italians don’t have all that baggage around enjoying food like we Americans do. I found that very freeing.” A summer in Santa Fe during college lured Wade back to Northern New Mexico after graduation. “I wasn’t planning on coming back, but Santa Fe snags you,” she says. “I missed the air and the space and nature, and felt like I needed to get my hands in the dirt. My family had property here: 10 acres in Nambe with a 300-year-old house on the land. While figuring out what I wanted to do with my life I started reading about farming like crazy. I already understood a lot about soil science, and my math degree helped. I consider myself a soil health geek.

Above, top: Erin Wade has opened two Vinaigrette restaurants— in Santa Fe and Albuquerque—and has plans to expand. Bottom: Diners enjoy the patio at the Santa Fe location. 72

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

“We compost at both restaurants, and it all goes back to the farm. We are truly sustainable.” —Erin Wade, Vinaigrette “I considered turning the farm into a vacation rental with an agricultural aspect similar to the agriturismo concept in Italy, where tourists stay on a working farm and sometimes help out with the chores,” Wade says. But hearing about restaurant space in town rerouted her path. “I was growing all this wonderful produce at the farm, so it seemed a natural thing to use the ingredients in a business.” Working with restaurant consultants and chefs, Wade opened Vinaigrette in Santa Fe in November 2008. “It was tough the first year because we missed the summer season, and opening with a salad concept in winter is a challenge,” she says. “But I think folks understood what we were trying to do.” Indeed they did. Wade’s concept has proven so popular and successful that she opened a second location, on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, a year ago. “One thing friends reminded me of was that when you go from one restaurant to two it’s considered a 100 percent growth; after that it gets easier,” Wade says. “It’s interesting how different our clientele is between the two locations. For instance, we sell more sandwiches in Albuquerque.” The charming Wade, whose sparkling smile and personality seem more suited to the hospitality trade than the life of a loner farmer, acknowledges she has been on the cutting edge of Farm to Table with her salad-centric menu. “I love that it’s such a huge trend now,” she says. “I’m able to grow almost all of our greens, and all of our arugula, kale, heirloom tomatoes, scallions, herbs, cucumbers, beets, and potatoes. We compost at both restaurants, and it all goes back to the farm. We are truly sustainable. We employ one full-time person at the farm and harvest about 300 pounds of greens a week.” The energetic, visionary restaurateur plans on opening another food-related business later this year, in a building that fronts the Santa Fe location. “I’m going to call it Modern General, and it will have fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, coffee, and tea, as well as kitchen items,” Wade says. “We’ll be making homemade breads made from flour milled in-house—and sold in bulk—and wonderful Czech pastries called kolache, which are filled with fruits and spreads.” To quote Wendell Berry, “The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.” Happily and luckily for Northern New Mexicans, Ms. Wade agrees that care of the earth is a pleasing responsibility. Her passion and dedication play out deliciously on the plate. Vinaigrette, in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, vinaigretteonline.com

Vinaigrette’s popular All Kale Caesar! Salad. Rich in vitamins C (from the kale) and D (from the anchovies in the dressing), this dark green salad packs a nutritious punch.

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LIVING

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Sergio Salvador

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All Kale Caesar! Salad “Kale is a superfood, packed with vitamin C and other antioxidants,” says Erin Wade. “And because it’s such a tough, cruciferous green, you need an unusually strong vinaigrette to soften it.”

Serves 4–6 Salad: 2 bunches curly kale (or darker and even more nutritious Tuscan kale) 2 cups Marcona almonds, chopped 2–3 cups grated Parmesan cheese Anchovies, to taste

Los Ranchos de Albuquerque

Zingy Lemon Anchovy Vinaigrette: Juice of 2–3 lemons 12 anchovy fillets packed in oil, plus a little of the oil 2 tablespoons champagne or white vinegar 1 tablespoon creamy Dijon mustard About 1/2 cup olive oil (start with less and add more if needed) 1 tablespoon water 1 small shallot Salt and pepper to taste To make the dressing, put all ingredients except the shallot in a blender and emulsify. Chop the shallot and mix it in. Prepare the salad by stripping each leaf off the main stem of the kale and finely chop. Because kale is on the tougher side, chop the leaves fairly fine, more like coleslaw, in order to expose a lot of surface area where the dressing can absorb and soften. Add the almonds, a generous handful of grated Parmesan cheese, and vinaigrette, to taste. Toss with more rough-chopped anchovies, depending on how much you love their briny punch, and enjoy. Unlike most salads that need to be served immediately, this salad actually improves for a while after being dressed, as the vinaigrette works its magic.

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Su Cocina

get cookinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Phil Parker

Jicama Crab Salsa with Beet Chips from Chama River Brewing Company (recipe page 76)

Jeff Trollinger

An out-of-the-box appetizer and New Mexican soup staple, from top local chefs

Luminaria Tortilla Soup From Luminaria Restaurant and Patio at the Inn and Spa at Loretto comes this sublime tortilla soup recipe, “developed over the past 30-plus years by one of my cooks, Randy Montoya, who has been a cook here for 37 years,” says Luminaria Executive Chef Brett Sparman.

Serves 6–8 4 cups diced onion 2 cups diced carrots 2 cups chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped garlic 2 cups chopped Anaheim chiles 1 tablespoon red chile powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 3 quarts chicken stock 1 bunch chopped cilantro

1/2 cup tomato paste Salt and pepper to taste Lime juice to taste 2 cups grilled corn kernels (grill on the cob, then cut away from cob) 2 cups roasted chicken meat, picked and free of bones or cartilage 2 cups diced corn tortillas, fried Fresh cilantro sprigs as garnish Lime wedges as garnish

Sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and Anaheim chiles over medium heat until soft. Add tomato paste and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add red chile powder and cumin and sauté for just a minute more. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half. Add the cilantro and let steep for 2 or 3 minutes. Carefully transfer soup to a blender and process until smooth, then run through a course strainer. Add salt and pepper to taste, then lime juice to taste. Cool quickly and refrigerate until chilled. When ready to serve, add the grilled corn kernels and roasted chicken meat to the soup base. Heat until boiling and allow to boil/simmer for at least 1 minute. Pour the hot soup into a bowl and add diced tortillas. Garnish with a sprig of fresh cilantro and a lime wedge on the side. Luminaria Restaurant and Patio, Santa Fe 211 Old Santa Fe Trail, innatloretto.com/new-mexico-dining

Jicama Crab Salsa with Beet Chips Wow your guests with something they’ve likely never seen before. This beautiful and tasty dish comes from Chama River Brewing Company, which makes much more than its famously great beer. “This dish is my version of surf and turf,” says Chama River Executive Chef Jeff Trollinger, “the surf being the crab, the turf being the root vegetables.”

Serves 6 Salsa: 1 pound crab claw lump meat (canned is fine) 2 cups jicama root, diced very small 1/2 cup minced red bell pepper 1/2 cup minced red onion 1 or 2 minced jalapeños with seeds and veins 2 tablespoons chiffonade of cilantro Juice from 2 or 3 limes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce Salt and pepper to taste 1 avocado, cubed, for garnish Beet chips: 2 or 3 peeled beets, sliced about 1/16" thin on a mandoline

Jennifer Hobson-Hinsley

To make the salsa, combine all ingredients except crab. Once mixed, add the crab and toss lightly to avoid breaking the lumps of crab too small. To make the beet chips, brush slices with canola oil and lightly salt. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper on top, and then add another baking sheet to keep them flat. Bake at 275 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until crisp. Pull them out right before they are brown, as they will continue to cook and dry out with the residual heat from the pan. They will get crisper as they cool. Serve the salsa in individual small bowls, garnished with the avocado cubes and beet chips. Chama River Brewing Company 4939 Pan American Freeway, Albuquerque chamariverbrewery.com 76

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

on the market

art in

Brian D. Arnold

the details A 200-year-old imported carved wooden Spanish front door, travertine panel floors, and exquisite alligator juniper wood accents are just the beginning for this two-story Pueblo Revival stunner. Sitting on more than three acres in Placitas, the three-bedroom, three-bath mountain sanctuary includes one-of-akind details like a Western mural above the master bedroom kiva fireplace and a custom wrought-iron spiral staircase. In the expansive great room, floor-toceiling windows frame a panoramic view of the Sandia Mountains across the lush backyard. A gourmet kitchen with custom cherry wood cabinets and a fireplace with hand-painted tile inserts round out the main property. The guest house is a fun home-away-from-home that will have your friends begging to stay over. List price: $995,000 Contact: Remington Properties, 505-916-1295 remingtonpropertiesnm.com

Carole Newsom

Designer/Owner 505.259.6650 Carole@Mostly-Home.com

Mostly-Home.com

Contemporary Elegance . Vintage . Urban Chic SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

beautiful

all over

Encanto DOORS + FURNITURE

and Crafted” “H + Showroom by appointment 505.690.9574

Doug Aurand

WWW.CRAFTEDINSANTAFE.COM

This luxurious North Valley spread is high living inside and out. The gazebo, fire pit, hot tub, mountain views, and vast portal with ceiling fans make stepping into the backyard like going on vacation. Inside is even more luxurious. Custom ceilings in the living and dining rooms are striking visuals, as is the Italian marble throughout. The master suite, with its parlor and gorgeous custom mantel, is fit for royalty: French doors open to a rear patio, and in the master bathroom, a chandelier perfectly complements the spa bath and marble detailing. Top-of-the-line custom cabinetry and a bar highlight the chef ’s kitchen, which opens to a casual family room. There’s even space for horses on this magnificent two-acre property. List price: $1.65 million Contact: Cheryl Marlow, Keller Williams Realty 505-264-1528, cherylmarlow.com

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Su Libro

outside this box

Two new books encourage reimagining challenging spaces

ON TOP OF THE WORLD VIEWS

Gardens Are for Living: Design Inspiration for Outdoor Spaces, by Judy Kameon, Rizzoli New York, 2014, hardcover, $50.

David Tsay at Kate Ryan, Inc.

hose of us whose thumbs are more black than green marvel at people with the ability to grow things, to create lushness and greenness where there was once overgrowth and weeds, or even concrete. Californian Judy Kameon is one of those hyper-creative and utterly fearless gardeners. Her new book Gardens Are for Living: Design Inspiration for Outdoor Spaces is 224 pages of mouthwatering photos of purposefully created garden areas that truly embrace the concept of extending living to the outdoors. “Many years ago, when I moved into my tiny bungalow, I realized that the biggest room I had wasn’t in my house but outside it—my rambling backyard,” says Kameon. “Not that there was anything in it, except a bunch of weeds and an enormous pepper tree, but I saw the potential.” The author proceeded to create what she calls “a multitude of inviting spaces that could be used for all sorts of gatherings.” Full disclosure: Most of the gorgeous, green spaces in Gardens Are for Living are located in California. With the benefit of regular rainfall, they look like virtual jungles compared to our backyards in Northern New Mexico. Regardless of your locale, Kameon’s advice is the same: Create a beautiful space, and place yourself in it. One family takes movie night outdoors, tossing a comfy lounge mattress on the ground of a small patio adorned with greenery and agave. An exterior house wall serves as the movie screen. Other homeowners capitalized on a flaw. Needing to stabilize their hillside property, they built rows of concrete terraces into the A huge stone fire pit, candles, grassy embankment. The unexpected result: a de and small fire bowls add drama facto amphitheater in their own backyard. to an outdoor sitting space Then there’s cooking outdoors, one of the when the sun goes down. joys of summer in any region. In the chapter “Cooking in the Garden,” Kameon (who once opened an impromptu “restaurant” in her own backyard, only to close it one week later), shares some of her favorite culinary tricks, tips, recipes, and gifts. Naturally, she grows a lot of what she eats—herbs, lemons, beans—but once again, her message is to create beautiful, and in this case, useful spaces, and just get out there. Entertaining is a breeze—and a joy—when naturally occurring décor is utilized: an old shade tree, a bed of fragrant lavender, or bright flowers that draw buzzing hummingbirds to your party. Gather, entertain, and relax, says the author— and consider doing all of those things outside the walls of your home. When you embrace the outdoors, you make gardens part of where you live.—Amy Gross

81 Overlook Drive Placitas, New Mexico

JUANITA CHANEY

505.220.2494 juanitachaney@icloud.com

Conveniently located between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, this magnificent 8,000 sq. ft. masterpiece on a full acre features: Wrap-around pool and spa on a private deck, separate shower, stone fireplace, sauna/steam, and Wolf grill. Upgraded amenities throughout with 4/6 bedrooms, 2 offices, 6 fireplaces, Gourmet Kitchen with granite countertops, cherry cabinets, designer appliances and separate guest quarters. Energy efficient solar application included. Breathtaking views from every room located in one of Placitas’ prestigious neighborhoods — The Overlook. List price: $1.69 million. More information on zillow.com

Better Homes and Gardens Small Bath Solutions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, paperback, $20.

f necessity is the mother of invention, then a cramped bathroom might just be the mother of creativity. Better Homes and Gardens Small Bath Solutions is the answer to the age-old homeowner question: “What in the heck can we do with this [insert mild expletive] tiny bathroom?”

A mattress and an exterior wall turn a rarely used garden patio into an outdoor theater.

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Erik Otsea

If necessity is the mother of invention, then a cramped bathroom might just be the mother of creativity. The answer, of course, is to think outside the box—especially if it’s a small one. Using hundreds of color photos culled from their most popular issues, the editors of Better Homes and Gardens examine every element of the small bath and offer advice regarding storage, cabinetry, fixtures, and even color schemes that create the illusion of space. They answer the tough bathroom questions: To tub or not to tub? Vessel sink or undermount? Remodel or redecorate? Store-bought vs. salvaged? Every bathroom in Small Bath Solutions offers a clean, creative alternative to the typical over-the-top, grand bathroom of a custom home. Glass mosaic tiles, sleek fixtures, and artful sinks take the place of wall-to-wall granite, huge tubs, and miles of his-andhers counter space. Each bathroom is brilliant in its thoughtful and ingenious use of limited space. A sink slides in flush to the wall of a closet-turned-bath. Frameless showers give the illusion of floor-to-ceiling openness. Floating cabinetry offers “breathing room” in cramped quarters. Wondering how small that

Right: An open, geometric vanity and matching shelves give this small bathroom some breathing room.

bathroom in the photo really is? An easy-to-read floor plan with dimensions accompanies many of the baths. It’s a relief to discover that a bath renovation doesn’t have to involve expensive custom elements. Many of the baths in Small Bath Solutions utilize prefab cabinets—including open varieties that artfully display towels and soaps—direct from home stores and online retailers, at a fraction of the cost of custom. Reclaimed materials are hailed: Old, weathered shutters serve as decorative doors to a recessed medicine cabinet, while salvaged fencing makes a beautiful vanity base. Obviously, sometimes it’s hard to make a small bathroom work. (Four kids, one bath? Oy.) But if there’s an upside to a tinier footprint, it’s not having to fill space with often costly materials. Plus it’s license to get Above: An actual closet-turned-tiny powder room utilizes a creative. Turn that random slab drawer-like sink that slides into the wall to conserve space. of reclaimed wood found at a yard sale into a rustic countertop. Create an elaborate, custom finish on a small accent wall using shells. Go wild with color and fixtures in a small powder room designed for effect, not efficiency. Embrace the challenges of your smaller spaces, says Small Bath Solutions. Inspired bathroom design will happen once you accept that good things can indeed come in small packages.—AG

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the boys

of summer Hummingbirds make their annual return to Northern New Mexico

othing heralds the arrival of warmer weather more than the iridescent flash and buzz of New Mexico’s smallest birds, the hummingbirds. The arrival of these tiny, colorful charmers from the wintering grounds south of our borders means summer is truly here. Hummingbirds are only found in the Western Hemisphere, where over 300 species are recorded. Around 20 species are found in the United States, with the ruby-throated hummingbird the primary species found east of the Mississippi River. Here in New Mexico, about a dozen species of hummingbird are recorded. Of these, four types are commonly seen: the buzzing broad-tailed; the country’s smallest bird, the calliope; the gold, aggressive midsummer arrival from the north, the rufous; and the highly adaptable black-chinned. The hummingbird’s unique flying abilities allow it to hover in place and even fly backwards in its pursuit of nectar and tiny insects found in flowers. The hummer’s long bill and tube-like tongue enables it to reach deep into flowers for sugary sustenance. Hummers are not vocal, only emitting a squeaking note; the humming comes from the

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Hummingbirds, like this female broad-tailed, are attracted to colorful flowers and feeders.

Sam Thomas Photography

by Tom Smylie

vibrating of their wings, which beat an astonishing 50 times or more per second. The females and firstyear males are relatively bland in color, while the adult males are spectacular in their iridescent hues. You can easily attract hummers to your home and garden with feeders and flowers—it’s like rolling out a welcome mat. Your yard will really be a hit if you have red and orange flowers; hummers are especially attracted to canna lilies, columbine, and hibiscus. There’s an abundance of hummingbird feeders available, which you can fill by mixing one part white sugar to four parts water. Boiling removes impurities, but it’s not necessary. It’s more important to avoid using honey, red dye, or other additives and to keep the feeders clean. Moldy, cloudy feeders can be dangerous to the birds, so thoroughly clean them every three or four days, and keep them filled, or your guests will lose interest in your area. Hummingbirds are beautiful, fascinating, and a joy to watch. With nectar-filled feeders and abundant, colorful flowers around your home, you’ll enjoy a summer filled with these social and acrobatic visitors. Tom Smylie, from Edgewood, New Mexico, is a retired wildlife biologist affiliated with the World Center for Birds of Prey.

visit the Village The first annual Corrales Home Tour showcases six distinctive residences

ucked away from the hustle and bustle of greater Albuquerque, immediately west of the Rio Grande River, is the historic farming village of Corrales. If you’ve ever wanted to explore this charming town, the Corrales Home Tour, on Sunday, September 14, is the perfect opportunity. “We have included a terrific assortment of homes that are very representative of the unique character of Corrales—historic adobes as well as contemporary homes,” says Nancy Renner, promotions chairperson for the Corrales Home Tour. Six homes are on the tour, including two that were featured in Su Casa (see Spring 2013, “What Would Frank Do?” and Autumn 2013, “Another Time, Maybe”). Other homes on the tour include an authentic Pueblo-style home that started as a storage shed but expanded over the years into a sprawling estate, a contemporary situated high on the sandhills with 180-degree views of the Sandias, and others.

“We have included a terrific assortment

of homes that are very representative of the unique character of Corrales.”—Nancy Renner Tickets to the self-guided tour are $20 if purchased in advance or $25 if purchased the day of the tour at tents along Corrales Road. Advance tickets may be purchased online at corralesfuturefund.org/home-tour or at several local businesses, and proceeds benefit the Corrales Future Fund, a not-for-profit organization formed in 2008 to build an endowment for the benefit of the Village of Corrales. Homes on the tour will be open from 10 AM–4 PM on Sunday the 14th, but visitors are also encouraged to experience one of Corrales’ charming B&Bs, the Corrales Wine Loop, or a locally owned restaurant. “Make a weekend of it!” Renner suggests. “Once you’ve visited our art galleries, great shops, and wonderful walking paths along the historic acequias, you’ll see why people love living in Corrales—some of them so much that they’re graciously opening their homes for everyone to enjoy on the Corrales Home Tour.”

MORE HOUSE FOR LESS MONEY CUSTOM HOMES MORE HOUSE FOR LESS MONEY!

Six Southwestern homes will be open to the public during the Corrales Home Tour.

505.771.1100

HOUSEMAXNM.COM, 501 NORTH HILL RD. BERNALILLO, NM 87004 SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

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S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

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Life+Style Southwest

continued from page 21

Your Home Source CLOSETS

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

Cookina Barbecue Reusable Grilling Sheet Revolutionize your grilling with these sheets that look like plastic but are heat-resistant and won’t burn. The nonstick surface allows for perfect cooking without oils or sprays. Simply wash with soapy water and it’s ready to use again. Your grill stays clean, and your food tastes great.

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Southwestern homes

inspiration ideas resources

For inspiration ideas, and Ideas, connect with us on Facebook 86

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

For over 25 years Albuquerque Sound & Vac has been your low voltage contractor for Central Vacuum Systems, DIRECTV, Home Theater Solutions, Intercom Systems, Network and Structured Wiring and Security & Surveillance Systems. We offer many of the premier brands including Beam, Yamaha, SpeakerCraft and many others. Our professional experienced team is ready to work with you on your home or business. 5701 Carmel Ave NE, Suite A Albuquerque, NM 87113 505-883-6136 AlbuquerqueSoundandVac.com

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Adios

The owners of this renovated home in Santa Feâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Camino del Monte Sol Historic District are enjoying the summer weather in their lovely backyard, recently updated by McCumber Fine Gardens and Building Adventures Unlimited. A pergola-shaded patio, serene walking paths, and several comfortable sitting areas provide the perfect vantage points to enjoy the freestanding stone fireplace and beautiful landscaping, and to ponder an intriguing feature rising from one corner of the yard: a primitive, antique cheese press. Designed to accommodate extra large wheels of cheese, its threads stand more than three feet high and measure almost five inches in diameter. Long retired from duty, the press somehow looks perfect as a lawn ornament, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just one of many unusual details that make this beautiful old home so extraordinary. Tour the entire home on page 42. McCumber Fine Gardens , santafegardening.com Building Adventures Unlimited, buildingadventuresunlimited.com 88

S U C A S A S U M M E R 2014

Chris Corrie

pressing matters

U.S. New Mexico, The Eagle. We’ll be there with you at the closing. Dream

Prequalify

Build

Finance

Whether you are buying, refinancing, or building, we can help turn your dreams into reality.

Calculate a comforatble payment that stays within the maximum that guidelines allow.

Start your new home project with a construction loan that can be refinanced to a conventional loan when you move in.

Same-day approval, low rates and fees, local underwriting and funding, and a no-cost application.

We Can Make It Happen Call 342-8957 Visit usnmfcu.org

We are “The Eagle”

Celebr ating 2

0 Year s!

Photography ABQ Home Pics

CUSTOM HOME BUILDER

AWARD-WINNING CUSTOM HOMES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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.

Certified Green Professional