Su Casa Southwest Homes Winter 2011 Digital Edition by sucasaabqsf

step inside a timeless zen beauty

Southwestern homes

ÂŽ

inspiration ideas resources

feels like home remodel for the way you live

made from scratch a retro kitchen makeover

get organized and get happy living green in a modern adobe

Vol. 17 no. 1 WINTER 2011 SuCasaMagazine.com

Introducing the Electrolux French Door Refrigerator with Perfect Temp Drawer.TM Ready to serve when you are. The Electrolux French Door Refrigerator is loaded with features that make it perfect for entertaining at home. No wonder why Electrolux appliances have been used in European homes for over 80 years. The full line of premium appliances is designed with ingenious features to help you be even more amazing. Like the French Door Refrigerator.

Perfect Temp Drawer™

The Perfect Temp Drawer™ features 9 preset selections, including cheese, snacks and chilled beer, plus 3 customizable “My Favorite” settings, giving you choices to store or serve whatever you want at the ideal temperature. The Most Usable Capacity1 gives you the most usable space inside, same space outside, so you’ll have space for everything, including party platters. With Twice the Ice™ you get filtered, restaurant-quality ice in a new drink-friendly shape, twice the ice of any refrigerator ice maker.2

Drop into our virtual kitchen. Go to electroluxappliances.com.

LAS CRUCES 760 West Palms (575) 526-5200

ALBUQUERQUE 308 Menaul NE (505) 889-3001

SANTA FE 1608 Pacheco St (505) 982-5563

www.builderssource.com | email: info@builderssource.com As compared to other French Door Counter-Depth models. 2Up to 9 pounds in 24 hours, under normal conditions—0°F freezer, 37°F fresh food and based on bottom freezer models with exterior ice and water and a suggested MSRP greater than $2,700. 1

THE

EAGLE CST JOINS WITH

To Help You Go Green

We Are “The Eagle”

U.S. New Mexico is partnering with Consolidated Solar Technologies to make solar installations more accessible for homeowners. Take advantage of CST’s no money down program and pay less for your solar than you do to your power company. You may even get a monthly rebate check. Call CST at 505-792-6359 for your solar, and let The Eagle green light your green loan.

505-792-6359 gocstsolar.com 5225 Pino Ave NE Albuquerque, NM 87109

A green

home is a healthier choice for your family. Energy efficiency is a key component of green building. With high-efficiency lighting, appliances, and other features, ENERGY STAR® qualified homes are greener homes. Benefits of an ENERGY STAR qualified home include: • • • • •

Savings of up to 30% on monthly energy bills The latest in energy-efﬁcient technology Independently veriﬁed construction Improved health and comfort for your family Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

Learn how an ENERGY STAR home is a great investment and find a homebuilder today by visiting NMsaves.com

PNM and New Mexico Gas Company are proud to work in partnership to sponsor an ENERGY STAR Homes Program in our electric and gas service areas throughout New Mexico.

40 southwestern

homes

32 three-part harmony Seventeen years ago, Tonia Prestupa purchased a 930-square-foot adobe home for one. Today she shares the address with her husband and their son. Although the family has grown, this beautifully remodeled home has not—and that’s just the way they like it.

40 feels like home

Gimmick-free and trend-averse, this all-out adobe remodel stakes out modern territory for Southwest style.

48 adobe outside the box

A Santa Fe designer reinvents a 1930s adobe, creating a new-old house that’s part classic, part contemporary, and all green.

over: Luxurious bedding and thoughtful design elements turn this cozy bedroom C into an elegant retreat at the Santa Fe home of interior designer Tonia Prestupa. See “Three-part harmony,” on page 32. Photograph by Julie Dean

Su Casa (ISSN 1084-4562) is published four times a year (March, June, September, and December) by Bella Media LLC, 215 West San Francisco, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM 87501 for $9.95 for 4 issues, or $15.95 for 8 issues. Periodicals postage paid at Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Denver, Colorado. POSTMASTER: Please send changes to Su Casa Magazine, 4100 Wolcott Ave. NE, Suite B, Albuquerque, NM 87109. 5 SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Above: Kirk Gittings; below: Jack Parsons

in every issue 12 Inside Su Casa

This issue’s amazingly diverse all-adobe lineup takes you home to three dwellings whose owners have lifted a down-to- earth material to creative, modern, and green new heights.

14 Life Style Southwest

Make yourself at home with smart, eco-friendly ideas for living in style this season.

18 Finding Keepers

Snuggle in for the winter with an artful spread of blankets, sheets, and pillows designed to make your personal retreat even more appealing.

22 Design Studio

Kick off 2011 with a realistic plan for getting your home—your life—in order with expert advice for organizing your space.

27 Home at Last

Fresh off the original owner’s 70-year tenure, a first-time homeowner whips up a retro-classic kitchen in her outdated living room.

64 Su Libro

Ease into a sustainable lifestyle with a shelf load of books on solar energy, fancy fireplaces, green remodeling, and inventive ways to use cast-off treasures.

80 Dream On

Julie Dean

High above the hubbub of metropolitan Albuquerque, Harder Custom Builders turns a challenging location into a stunning homesite—and the views go on forever.

Visit SuCasaMagazine.com Above: Elegant details fill the Santa Fe home of interior designer Tonia Prestupa. Below: A new modern addition overlooking Frenchy’s Field and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains tops the 1930s adobe Michael Percy Grant remodeled with eco-conscious style.

Jack Parsons

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

Published by Bella Media LLC Publisher

Bruce Adams Editor

Charles C. Poling Senior Editor

Alicia Kellogg Creative Director

B. Y. Cooper Contributors

Elmo Baca, Emily Esterson, Gussie Fauntleroy, Joan Logghe, Jane Mahoney, Christine Mather, Marsha McEuen, Janice Myers, Carmella Padilla, Lesley Poling-Kempes, V. B. Price, Laura Sanchez Design Contributor

Sarah Friedland

Kitchens

Photography

Julie Dean, Kirk Gittings, Gabriella Marks, Jack Parsons Advertising Sales

Advertising Manager: Cheryl Mitchell Account Executive: Melissa Salazar Account Executive: Emilie McIntyre Newsstand Sales Consultant

Joe Luca Hacienda Press LLC Board of Trustees

Chairman: Karen Hall President: Jim Folkman Rick Davis Rich Gantner Steve Hale Steve Nakamura Bill Reynolds Ex Officio: Charles C. Poling

J Conrad Marquez

SuCasaMagazine.com

cabinetry

For subscriptions, call (800) 770-6326

appliances

Hanks House Llc. Wolf & Sub-Zero

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

www.hankshouse.net

Cook

that

design appliances cabinetry installation integration

Hanks House LLc.

Two time Winners of SubZero Great American Kitchen Contest

1800 4th street NW, Albuquerque New Mexico 87102

505-766-9896

Western Dermatology Consultants Life Is Beautiful without Bulges!

H o m e B u i lde rs As s oci ati on of C e n tral N e w Me x i co B o a rd of D i re ctors

President: Otley Smith, CGP First Vice President: Garret Price Second Vice President: Mike Cecchini Immediate Past President: Steve Nakamura Associate Vice President: Paul Wymer Secretary/Treasurer: Stephanie Peterson

It's a common complaint: People who are physically fit and at a stable weight still have bulges, rolls, and other small areas of fat they can't get rid of no matter how much they exercise or diet. Losing abdominal fat and back fat through diet and exercise is practically impossible for many of us.

Associate Member at Large: Jody Contreras Builder Member at Large: Lance Adams Custom Builders Council, Chair: Norm Schreifels Green Build Council, Chair: James Madueña Finance Committee, Chair: Betty Blea Home Builders Care, Chair: Robert Hughes, CGR, CGP, CAPS Membership Committee, Chair: Peggy Moeller Mead

BOARD CERTIFIED DERMATOLOGIST Barbara L. Einhorn, MD Leslie A. Glass, MD Sara A. Mills, MD, Ph.D

Men and women alike face the frustrating truth every day: A muffin top. A postpregnancy pooch. Love handles. Back fat— not much, but just enough to show through a snug-fitting t-shirt or blouse. These small areas of fat don't seem to warrant a surgical procedure. But they're tempted. What else can they do? Now you can attack these problem areas with the non-invasive CoolSculpting procedure. A team of scientists and physicians developed the CoolSculpting procedure to address these problems. CoolSculpting utilizes a precisely controlled cooling method called Cryolipolysis™ to target, cool, and eliminate fat cells without damage to other tissue.

Parade Committee, Chair: Diana Lucero, CGA, CGP, CAPS Production Builders Council, Chair: David Newell Remodelers Council, Chair: Robert Hughes, CGR, CGP, CAPS Advisory Members: Mike Knight, Ron Sisneros, CGP, CAPS H o m e B u ilde rs As s oci ati on of C e n tr a l N e w Me x i co Staf f

Executive Vice President: Jim Folkman Vice President of Operations: Lana Alderson Events Specialist: Kimberly Johnson Receptionist/Clerical Assistant: Briana Zapata Accounts Specialist: Charlene Pasqual

presidential award

After a one- to three-hour CoolSculpting procedure, the patient's body goes to work. Over the next two to four months, the crystallized fat cells break down and are naturally eliminated from the body. CoolSculpting has been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show and Dr. Oz. Call our office for a free consult and to discuss our exceptional prices. Remember…… Trust your skin to a Dermatologist.

10151 Montgomery NE, Bldg. 1, Ste. A Albuquerque | 505.855.9267 westerndermatology.com

Copyright © 2010 by Bella Media LLC. Printed in the U.S.A. Editorial queries: Please send queries to the editor at cpoling@sucasamagazine.com. Telephone: (505) 9831444. Website: www.sucasamagazine.com Su Casa’s cover and text are printed by American Web in Denver, Colorado, on SFI-certified paper. The papers used contain fiber from well-managed forests, meeting EPA guidelines that recommend a minimum 10% postconsumer 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.

Inside Su Casa

By Charles C. Poling

Photograph by Kirk Gittings

still alive and well

hile you could argue that all expressions of Southwest style architecture originally sprang forth from the mud that is adobe, we still consider it lucky to score an all-adobe lineup in Su Casa. So this issue, with its trio of homes spanning a wide range of adobe design, feels like an especially harmonious convergence of high style, forward-leaning sensibilities, green building, and well-planted roots. Die-hard mudheads preach that you can’t find a greener building material than adobe: dug straight from the ground, often from the very site where the home is to be built—at least in the old days—it boasts a small carbon footprint, low embodied energy, excellent thermal storage properties, and a reassuring coziness. Others, meanwhile, make the case for remodeling as an inherently green way to bring sustainability to housing. Reuse, repurpose, and recycle—that’s the essence of remodeling. Bring adobe and remodeling together, sketch it up with contemporary flair, incorporate green-building techniques and technologies, and you have designer-builder Michael Percy Grant’s modern adobe in Santa Fe, which he shares with his wife, Julia de Castro Grant. (See “Adobe outside the box,” page 48.) Michael transformed the once humble, huddling, and—OK, say it—“dumpy” old adobe they found several years ago into a sharp-lined, crisply dressed casa with an upstairs that feels like a big-city loft, but one that happens to feature unobstructed views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Across town, designer Tonia Prestupa has taken an older adobe in an entirely different direction. Without changing the home’s exterior face or footprint, Tonia form-fitted this 930-square-foot South Capitol bungalow to suit her evolving lifestyle as she went from single to married to one of a family of three. In “Three-part harmony” (page 32) Tonia shares with us her philosophy of living large in a small space made enchanting by exquisite interior design, putting an aesthetic emphasis on the second half of “lifestyle.” Outside Albuquerque in the friendly village of Corrales, homeowners Craig and Abigail Eaves worked with architect Michael Krupnick to strip a rambling, fundamentally appealing adobe of its 1980s anachronisms and awkward room layout. (See “Feels like home,” page 40.) The resulting form-follows-function beauty reveals a Zen essence at one with the grounding earthiness of adobe. These three lovely yet diverse adobe homes on our pages make it clear: Southwest style is alive and well in the 21st century. Less obvious is Su Casa’s change of ownership. In October, Bruce Adams, publisher of the Santa Fean Magazine, purchased Su Casa, bringing to the table his decades of publishing experience. We’re not planning drastic changes for Su Casa, just a continuing commitment to Southwestern homes, the people who make them homes instead of merely houses, and how they do it—in other words, your home.

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

An entry alcove in the Eaves home harmonizes the old and the new, as does the house itself. A painting by Joshua Willis hangs on the wall. See “Feels like home,” page 40.

green products to know LEED Accredited Professional Cathy Kumar, owner of Southwest Green Building Center, offers some of her picks for eco-friendly building and living. AFM Safecoat paint Geared toward the chemically sensitive, this premium-quality interior and exterior paint contains no VOCs, so it’s healthier for the user. LED lighting The initial investment is higher than a CFL, but you’ll definitely see savings over the life of the bulb, Cathy explains. LED bulbs contain no mercury and have better light quality than CFLs. She advises first replacing LED bulbs where you use lighting most often. ChicoBags This sturdy reusable bag fits into a small pouch when not in use, making it easy to take with you. Eco Procote concrete stain You can use this low-VOC product instead of acid-staining your concrete floors. “It’s much friendlier for the user and the environment,” Cathy says.

By Alicia Kellogg

at home this winter A little more than a year old now, Et Cetera Consignment Home & Gift has quickly become a destination in Corrales, New Mexico, for its distinctive assortment of consignment furnishings, accessories, art, lighting, and jewelry by local artists. Boutique-style vignettes labeled with hand-written price tags fill the store, which expanded this past March months after opening in November 2009. On this particular morning, owner Beth Salazar points out a set of floral-patterned dishware from Provence, a 1930s art nouveau mirror, an antique French sofa, a Chinese vase from the early 1900s, and a wooden WPA chair. “I think people are particularly enchanted by the variety of things,” Beth says. “I have people who come in two to three times a week because it changes so quickly.” The store is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and closed Sundays and Tuesdays. 4516 Corrales Road, Corrales, NM, 505/899-0287, et.cetera@comcast.net

Left: Et Cetera Consignment Home & Gift

Life Style Southwest

Low-water-use plumbing fixtures Inexpensive faucet aerators can limit flow to a half-gallon per minute. Rebates are available for features like low-flow showerheads. Cork flooring This environmentally friendly option is easy to install, easy to clean, and a good value. Softer underfoot than tile, cork is great for kitchens. NAUF (no added urea formaldehyde) wood flooring People are paying more attention to this now, Cathy notes, and avoiding formaldehyde to improve indoor air quality.

S U C A S A W inter 2011

AFM

Southwest Green Building Center offers an extensive selection of products for green building and living. 5620 Venice Avenue NE, Suite L, Albuquerque, NM, 505/821-6259, swgbc.com AFM Safecoat’s zero-VOC paint looks beautiful and promotes a healthy indoor environment.

GUHDP ELJ

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to dream,

Same goes for

SAVING.

Call 800 709 8323 or visit directbuyprices.com to find the DirectBuy Club near you. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

V28

Prepare to make this your garden’s best year yet with Santa Fe Greenhouses’ spring seminar series Plant With A Purpose: Create Beautiful, Healthy, Eco-Friendly Gardens. This series presents eight hour-long workshops featuring topics tailored to gardening in northern and central New Mexico. The series is held each Saturday from January 8 through February 26 at 2 p.m. at Santa Fe Greenhouses. 2904 Rufina Street, Santa Fe, NM. For tickets and additional information, visit santafegreenhouses.com, or call 505/473-2700 or 877/811-2700. Take a rarely seen glimpse into the Museum of International Folk Art’s extensive collection of textiles at Material World: Textiles & Dress from the Collection. This exhibition runs through August 7 and features everything from textiles for the home to elaborate ceremonial costumes. 706 Camino Lejo, on Museum Hill, Santa Fe, NM, 505/476-1200, internationalfolkart.org

“We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.”—Winston Churchill remodeling?

You can donate used building materials to your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore or shop there for your next project. The stores sell used and some new home improvement products, and proceeds help fund the construction of Habitat for Humanity homes. Visit habitatnewmexico.org/restore.php for New Mexico locations.

what’s next in color Sherwin-Williams’ 2011 color forecast highlights four creative palettes. Restrained neutrals make up the Purely Refined palette, featuring shades such as Queen Anne Lilac, Dutch Cocoa, and Light French Gray. The high-energy Bold Invention palette incorporates bright colors inspired by technology and avant-garde art. Colors include red Habanero Chile, aqua Synergy, and lime-green Parakeet. Eclectic and exotic hues define the Restless Nomad palette, which melds global influences with shades like golden-brown Hopsack, Exuberant Pink, and Indigo Batik. The Gentle Medley palette takes a modern interpretation of romantic nostalgic influences, incorporating soft shades like Supreme Green, Whole Wheat, and Chivalry Copper. Information provided by Sherwin-Williams’ New Mexico District Office. Sherwin-Williams’ Purely Refined color palette (right) is one of four diverse combinations in the company’s color outlook. 16

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

5 ways to live green this winter 1. Use a programmable thermostat to control your heat, advises Melissa Leymon, senior program developer for PNM’s Energy Efficiency Program. Turning down your thermostat by 10 degrees at night can reduce your heating bill by 10 to 20 percent. 2. PNM recommends adding moisture to the air in your home with a humidifier. Because moister air feels warmer, you’ll feel comfortable with your thermostat set at a lower temperature. 3. Open south-facing window coverings during the day in the winter, and close them at night to retain heat. Close doors and vents to rooms you aren’t using. 4. Be aware that many small electrical devices consume electricity even after they are turned off. Reduce these phantom loads by unplugging devices or using a power strip to power down several devices at once. “Wasted energy equals wasted money,” Melissa says. 5. Learn about the rebates available through PNM at pnm.com/rebates. For example, PNM will give you $30 to take an underused second refrigerator off your hands, which could save approximately $175 per year on your energy bill. Visit the My Home section at pnm.com for more energy-saving tips.

Q+A

How can we design our fireplaces to make a statement?

Consider placing a couple of large hassocks or ottomans near the fireplace— “something you can curl up on,” says Dee Leishman, co-owner of Leishman Interiors, which has been in business for 45 years as a source for home furnishings and interior design. Artwork, family photographs, and candlesticks are just a few options for adding decorative appeal. You can alternate the height of your accessories, placing them on either side of the mantel or grouping them in an asymmetrical arrangement. A fireplace screen is a safety feature and can turn your hearth into an attractive design element. The bottom line? “Keep it cozy,” Dee says. “It’s cold outside!” Leishman Interiors, 5809 Juan Tabo Boulevard NE, Suite D, Albuquerque, NM 505/298-6959

Left: nadelbachphoto.com; above: Museum of International Folk Art

playlist

WESTERN BUILDING SUPPLY Family Owned & Operated

Exceptional service & quality products since 1971 WEATHER SHIELD is a leading manufacturer of premium window and door system products for the residential and commercial building industry. Whether you are looking for Wood & AluminumClad, Fiberglass-Clad or Vinyl windows & doors, Weather Shield can provide you with the perfect solution.

STEELHOUSE carriage doors are made entirely of steel. The original Steelhouse door combines distinctive style and curb appeal with strength and rigidity unmatched by similar products. Because these doors are well insulated, they'll help keep your garage comfortable in the Winter and Summer.

HEAT & GLO gas fireplaces add energy-efficient ambiance and warmth to any room at the touch of a button. With one-of-a-kind details, unique shapes and imaginative sizes, Heat & Glo gas fireplaces will complement any style of architecture.

4201 Paseo del Norte NE Albuquerque, NM 87113

505.823.2500

westernbuildingsupply.com

Finding Keepers

Story and photography by Julie Dean

sweet dreams Snuggle in for the winter with an artful spread of blankets, sheets, and pillows designed to make your personal retreat even more appealing.

Right: One of three ACC of Santa Fe stores, Night and Day by ACC emphasizes bedrooms, including beds, linens, rugs, chairs, and tables. A service-oriented staff is ready to strip down beds and create an entire look for clients. Custom design and in-house seamstresses are available. From front to back: duvet cover in Sisco stripe, $525. Ivory pebble knit coverlet, $468. Dalia linen pillow, $255. Standard pillowcases in Sisco stripe, $58. Ivory pebble knit Euro pillow, $224. Whisper linen champagne Euro sham, $156. Night and Day Sanbusco Market Center, 500 Montezuma Avenue, Santa Fe, NM, 505/983-8227, accsantafe.com.

Left: Bamboo bedding from Pandora’s is a soft and luxurious choice made from a rapidly growing, highly sustainable fiber raised without the use of pesticides. The fabric is naturally hypoallergenic and antimicrobial. Think of sleeping on soft and silky 300-thread-count sheets, and you’ll feel you’ve made the right choice for a number of reasons. Four-piece bamboo queen sheet set in Sienna, $240. Bamboo undyed quilt in Natural, queen size, $295. Patchwork pillows and throw are created from salvaged vintage East Indian rallis, which are boldly patterned, intricately hand-stitched quilts. Throw, $450. 12 x 18 inch pillow, $60. 20 x 20 inch pillows, $85 each. Pandora’s offers customers the opportunity to create their own bedding using the vast array of fabrics in its collection and the assistance of inhouse seamstresses. Pandora’s Sanbusco Market Center, 500 Montezuma Avenue, Santa Fe, NM, 505/982-3298, pandorasantafe.com.

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

Above: We spend one-third of our lives sleeping, and Sachi Organics offers a start-to-finish solution for those seeking a healthy place to rest. This local company’s mattresses are manufactured in Albuquerque and sold in Santa Fe. Foreground top to bottom: 12 x 16 inch buckwheat hull pillows, $29 each; encased in bamboo, birch, and chrysanthemum-patterned organic cotton pillow shams, $35 each. Double/queen organic wool quilt, $470. In background, cylinder buckwheat hull neck pillows, $35 each. Standard sleeping pillows made of organic kapok, $65 each; encased in organic damask sateen cases, set of two, $38. Fitted, $92, and flat, $102, queen-sized organic damask sheets. Sachi Organics 523 West Cordova Road, Santa Fe, NM, 877/997-2244 or 505/982-3938, sachiorganics.com.

Above: Italians have a long history of producing and appreciating excellent textiles, and at Cielo Bed and Bath, you’ll find fine bedding made by family-owned mills in Italy. Cielo features many Italian and some domestic lines and can special order from its large collection. The Santa Fe store offers high-level personal service to guide you in creating your perfect sleeping environment. Clockwise from upper left: Greek Key Euro pillow, $104 each. Sedona flat sheet, $330; fitted sheet, $328; and standard pillowcase, $70 each. Chic Steel queen duvet cover, $880. Super Scroll pillow, $200. Mod pillow, $95. Chic Steel standard pillow sham, $180. Cielo 322 South Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM, 505/820-2151, cielohome.com.

Left: If you’ve always dreamed of sleeping beneath a quilt of your own creation, consider visiting Quilts Olé, a quilting shop in Corrales, New Mexico. The store offers classes and sells patterns and quilting materials. Quilts Olé’s high-quality all-cotton fabrics have a 200-plus thread count made specifically for quilting. Carpenter’s Star pattern twin-size quilt, approximately $85 in materials. Quilts Olé 3923 Corrales Road, Corrales, NM, 505/890-9416, quiltsole.com.

captivating Only GE Monogram offers the breadth and depth of design options to enhance any home. To learn more, visit monogram.com.

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

Builders Source Appliance Gallery 1608 Pacheco Street Santa Fe, NM 87505 Phone: 505.982.5563

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

organizing principles

Design Studio

Edited by Alicia Kellogg

Miriam Ortiz y Pino More than Organized

ertified professional organizer Miriam Ortiz y Pino of More than Organized arrives at Starbucks near Old Town Albuquerque carrying a pink travel cup. Friendly and quick to laugh, Miriam comes from a New Mexico political family and has an educational background in design, business, and popular culture. She identifies her longtime interest in organization as a fascination with how people live and interact with their space. Miriam worked in a variety of jobs requiring organizational thought, from bridal consultant to inventory control manager, before starting More than Organized in 2000. Today she offers workshops, coaching, and hands-on one-on-one sessions for homes and businesses, a process that involves developing systems and routines for time management and physical organization. Miriam’s own home is organized, “but it’s not pristine and perfect,” she says with a smile. “It’s functional and everything has a place and a plan. But I don’t like to dust.”

Everything has a place and a purpose in this functional and attractive closet and home office by California Closets. 22

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

How can organizing our homes help us simplify our lives? It helps to define what it is you want to be doing. If you don’t actually want to be into crafts, there’s no need to define a craft room. That might eliminate a bunch of materials and clubs and time, and that would be simpler. You can simplify by becoming aware of how many items you have that do the same thing. You might have a blender, food processor, chef’s knives, and another set of chef ’s knives you actually use. Maybe just one or two of those would suffice. Any time you add space— empty space—it allows creativity to flow in. When there are too many things in the way, there’s no room for the good stuff to land. How do you start the process of organizing a home? I have developed my own signature Streamlined System for approaching things. Basically what I do is help people define the space. Is this an office? Is it a craft room? Is it the kids’ playroom? What is the actual room, and what kinds of things do you do in that room? Then let’s put the things associated with that in that room, and take everything else out. Once we define the room and look at what belongs in that space, it’s easy to start grouping like things together and getting rid of the excess and the redundant.

5IF -FBEFS JO 0QFOJOH (MBTT 8BMMT

> >7> Ê ` }Ê-ÞÃÌi Ê7 ÈÇ

* i>ÃiÊÛ Ã ÌÊÌ iÊÃ ÜÀ Ê vÊ >ÌÌÊ/Õ` À ÀV ÌiVÌÕÀ> Ê-> iÃÊ vÊ À>` ÈnxxÊ- ÕÌ Ê >Û> >Ê-Ì°Ê-Õ ÌiÊxnä

i Ìi > ]Ê "Ênä££Ó ÎäÎ Ç£x äÓ{äÊÝ°ÊÓÓn ÌÕ` ÀJ>ÀV Ã> i°V

4IFMUFS 5SBOTGPSNBUJPO &YIJMBSBUJPO 0OMZ /BOB8BMM PíFST UPUBM EFTJHO GSFFEPN TVQQPSUFE CZ BXBSE XJOOJOH UFDIOPMPHZ BOE &OFSHZ 4UBS SBUFE TZTUFNT

OBOBXBMM DPN

(SBOE 5SBOTGPSNBUJPOT

How much does organization have to do with the physical objects in our homes? It’s all connected. I think there is a mental piece, an actual physical space and “stuff” piece, and a physical/muscle memory piece, and I try to tie all three of those together. Your stuff reflects back at you where you are at any given moment. If you’re working and living in a chaotic situation, you’re going to continue to feel that and continue to feed that. There are two solutions all the time: less stuff, more space. Everything you own requires maintenance, even if it’s just to dust. Why is it important to consider what we choose to live with in our homes? The question of how much you really need is the environmental impact, and you can think about how you can do things with less impact. That doesn’t interest everybody, but the stuff you have and use and buy should reflect your thoughts on this. I’m big on environmental issues, so I carry my cup [gesturing to her travel cup, which she refills at Starbucks]. I’m here three, four times a week. I carry the cup. Some people would say, “I’m running around town for 18 hours a day. It would get sour in the car.” They might want to do something else. But it’s surprising to me how many people say one

thing and do exactly the opposite. Like, “I care so much about the environment, so let me buy 37 reusable grocery bags and never use them and buy new ones every time.” Match up what you’re comfortable with at whatever level. I’m all about being aware of what you’re doing. Don’t just do things by rote without thinking it through. Think about whether it will really work for you. What emotional issues are involved? The emotional part is all the stuff you carry around. Maybe your grandma left it to you, but you don’t really like it. If you give it away, you’re not going to forget grandma. It’s not for you, get rid of it. Or every piece of artwork your kid ever made. You’re not going to forget that your child learned to draw with crayons. I usually ask people, will you forget the person associated, and what’s the worst that could happen if you get rid of this? Alternatively, what could happen for you if you get rid of it? It’s important to match whether something is actually special to you at this point in your life versus keeping it just because it’s associated with a person. Do you run into organizational challenges particular to Southwestern homes? One of the biggest calls I get is, “I just moved from the East Coast. You guys don’t have basements!” My reaction is, you have a basement? It’s just a place to store more stuff. What are you keeping in the basement that is so important that you need to take care of it? Usually it’s in the basement because you didn’t use it. Just because you owned it then doesn’t mean you have to own it now.

Your surroundings reflect how you live in your home. This craft room by California Closets encourages creativity by establishing a framework for organization.

I always turn it into a system or a routine that you can repeat. Now you have a plan for each of the pieces in that pile. The next time you take this out to work on it, you have a place to return it, and you know that returning it to that place is going to save you time later, too.

Do our personalities come into play during this process? I try to work with people and the way they think. Do you like to drop things into a file, or do you like binders? I’ll have clients who claim they love binders, but when you open the binders on their shelves, the papers are just stuck in there. This obviously isn’t something they like doing. Let’s change that. We want our homes to be organized, but we also want them to look good. How do you combine those two things? Form follows function. It should be functional first—if your kitchen doesn’t work, you’ll never cook. Once that functionality is in place, how do we make it attractive? That would be the containers. Now you’ve decided that the shampoos live on the lefthand side of the shelf. Do you need a bin for the shampoos, or do you just need to put a towel next to them to make it pretty? Or, here’s a file system. Would you like to get some green folders? One of the things I use a lot in continued on page 75

room by room kitchen Get rid of single-purpose items. One good set of chef’s knives will do the job of a number of specialized appliances. living room Create zones for each activity, and place all items for that zone in one place. A shelf is more flexible than a slotted media holder for items like DVDs. home office Resist the urge to save every piece of paper. Just like organizing a kitchen drawer, organizing papers involves getting rid of the excess and putting back just what you need. bedroom Only store items you use every night on your nightstand. Gather those items in a small basket or box. bathroom Bring beauty into your organizational process by using an attractive container like a piece of china to hold small items.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Got Ideas...

Meet the people who make them come true...

.. ..

All in One Place.

BEFORE

A few choice exhibitor spaces still available. 888-420-5050

FREE Park and Ride Shuttle Service from your car to the entrance. Admission $8 - Adults, $5 - Juniors (13-17) and Seniors (65+), Kids Free (12 and under) Visit: www.hbashowcase.com for discount on admission. 2

WIN a $20,000 Kitchen Makeover from

Details at www.hbashowcase.com

010 Joan Winner na of Alb Gallegos uque rque

AFTER

Sat. & Sun. March 19-20 The EXPO New Mexico

Hundreds of new home, home improvement, and lifestyle exhibitors under one roof.

Home at Last

made from scratch By Christine Mather Photography by Gabriella Marks

e are gathered at Santa Fe’s new party central, my daughter Amanda’s house. Over Frito pies the guests ogle her new kitchen—its over-the-top stove, cool retro vibe, and sweet color scheme of blues and yellow. This kitchen can’t be missed. It takes up one-half of the large living space as you enter the house, so all of the action—drinks, music, Wii games, Frito pie fixings, and gab—takes place front and center. My daughter is heading into the end of her first year as a homeowner. After missing out on a new-home program by the City of Santa Fe for low-income, first-time buyers, Amanda looked into the possibility of foreclosure properties before, as luck would have it, a house from an estate came on the market. Her Realtor, Jane, showed Amanda her future home, a place with a full and happy history awash in lives well spent. This cute little house was built in one of the town’s first developments across from the Indian School back in a time long before housing in Santa Fe had any sort of pretensions. This straightforward adobe box (with another box added on, a portal, bad windows, and quite an interesting array of carports) had been lived in by its original owner since it was built in 1939—do the math—a stag-

Fresh off the original owner’s 70-year tenure, a first-time homeowner whips up a retro-classic kitchen in her outdated living room. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

The renovation brought the kitchen to the center of the house, where salvaged—and brightly colored—cabinets, shiny new appliances, and chic hardware and fixtures create a fun new gathering space. The original hardwood floor had been protected by carpet for decades. Opposite: Amanda found the cafeteria sign at Mira in Santa Fe, the colorful bowls at Williams-Sonoma, and the zippy drawer pulls online at coolknobsandpulls.com. Christine gave her the still-functioning Zenith radio.

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

gering 70 years. Amanda made what might be called a lowball offer, which was for her reality, and lo and behold, her luck held steady. Offer accepted. Amanda owns a home. Let the renovations begin. The home has a major postwar addition from 1949, so it represents two long-ago decades and has survived more or less intact from those two periods. The kitchen was from the prewar period, a time when women slaved over a tiny hot stove tucked back in an equally tiny room. Like many in Amanda’s generation, her idea of a kitchen is a place at the center of the house, a sprawling open room where guests and hosts are together cooking, talking, drinking, and living—a far cry from the phone booth–sized room that was now hers. Fortunately, her home has an unusual layout and a raft of features that still bowl over her guests—attributes such as a completely intact 1949 bathroom with state-of-the-art chrome and fluorescent light fixtures that illuminate the bright yellow and green tile, or the horse trough–sized laundry sinks in the garage that seem to be formed from cast concrete, or the basement, or the strange cabin-like shed that looks like the Unabomber’s last digs. But the pièce de résistance of these strange and won-

Being frugal can provide a great stimulus to creativity and common sense.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Great Things Happen!

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

derful features was the living room. You enter directly from the front door onto this veritable bowling alley of a room; the 17-by-30-foot space seemed best suited for the lounge area of a group medical practice. It was decorated with four very sad vinyl lounge chairs, a Motorola (grandma-speak for a music system), much carpeting, and giant mirrors. Here was plenty of room to cook, eat, and live—the new heart of the house. Plus, no need to demo the old kitchen to build the new. Rather, the old would be gently abandoned as the renovation went forward. So lounge chairs moved out, floors were refinished—with blessings on the carpet for protecting the hardwood floors beneath—and the mirrors removed to go wherever old mirrors go to die. There was only one major hitch in the plans to build the new kitchen—money. (Oh, that!) As a new homeowner, Amanda had none, except the bit the government offered to provide as part of a stimulus program refund. She was very stimulated to get the heck out of the tiny back box and into a brand-new kitchen, but with a miniscule budget, she needed to summon clever ideas and sympathetic help. Amanda settled on creating a room that reflects the home’s vintage but meets her needs for an open and contemporary room—the way we live now. Being a daughter of the Internet, she let her fingers do the walking, often with a digit poised firmly on the zoom feature, to find the ideas and elements she needed to build a retro kitchen from scratch. Of course, she had her mother—the decorating Nazi—there to hover over every little decision, to be her magazine-clipping service, and to serve as an indispensable source of monetary units. Being frugal can provide a great stimulus to creativity and common sense, so we figured out inexpensive solutions like using good ol’ laminate countertops, accepting the gift of old cabinets from a renovated retirement home apartment, and buying hardware online for the newly painted cabinets. We chose a Jetsons style for the hardware—the drawer handles look like flying Vs, and the cabinet pulls have a design reminiscent of the Atomic Energy Commission logo. The new kitchen was built against a wall with water and drain lines easily accessible.

One big indulgence was purchasing a state-of-the-art stove made in New Zealand offered for sale on Craigslist. Obsessive searching on big-box store websites scored Amanda a bargain on a large stainless steel sink, and she impressively purchased a range hood for a song by visiting the equivalent of a range-hoods-for-nada website. Who knew such a thing existed? The aqua boomerang-pattern laminate was given a stainless steel edging to enhance the retro charm and match the new appliances as well as the totally kooky Dishmaster faucet—a faucet that looks for all the world like the dashboard of a 1956 Chrysler—an item manufactured unchanged since the 1950s. Her blue-flecked refrigerator is a testament to the love of color that is invading the appliance world, like a second coming from the days of wild-and-crazy appliance hues that first surfaced around the time Amanda’s home was built. Of course the path to a truly lovely renovation never runs smoothly. The laminate order stubbornly refused to get itself in the system—whatever that means—and the stove, despite its brand-spanking newness, needed various tweaks by a repairman who had “never seen one of these before.” Thanks to Charles the contractor—a sympathetic friend who spent 20 years as a museum preparatory, so he was all about the retro vibe—and despite those inevitable iffy moments, Amanda built a kitchen. The new kitchen is her pride, the place where everyone gathers to stir the chile, mix the margaritas, and shoot the breeze as they watch Wii contestants get pummeled boxing and keep an eye on the front yard to see who is arriving to the hysterical warning system of two insane dachshunds. Amanda’s goal now is to match the record of the previous owner—70 years—in staying put, which means she needs to age in place to the ripe age of 99. Meanwhile, the old kitchen screams for a makeover, this time as a bathroom. Let the renovations begin, again. And Amanda, welcome to the wonderful world of home ownership. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

three-par t harmony Seventeen years ago, Tonia Prestupa purchased a 930-square-foot adobe home for one. Today she shares the address with her husband and their son. Although the family has grown, this beautifully remodeled home has notâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the way they like it.

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

A small home need not be crowded, cluttered, or lacking in beauty and charm. In the Santa Fe home of Tonia Prestupa, Michael Umphrey, and their son, Nicholas Umphrey, furniture is large and comfortable, yet light colors help it blend with the walls. Right: Tonia sits near a Balinese shrine in the intimate garden, where bamboo and evergreens create a verdant outdoor living area that adds to the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usable space.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

The South Capitol home has been remodeled for the way the family lives.

“One thing that really saves relationships is eating together at a beautiful table. Even for everyday dinner, candles, good china, and a seasonal centerpiece create an atmosphere of care and appreciation.”—Tonia Prestupa 34

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

By Gussie Fauntleroy

Photography by Julie Dean

very evening when their son, Nick, was small, interior designer Tonia Prestupa and her husband, Michael Umphrey, would read him a book called I Am a Bunny, which begins: “I am a bunny. My name is Nicholas. I live in a hollow tree.” It’s a lyrical children’s story about a rabbit who spends the winter wrapped in a blanket, gazing dreamily out at the snow from his cozy little home. It was an appropriate tale for the family, and not only because the main character shared the little boy’s name. Over the years, the Santa Fe home Tonia bought for herself as a young single woman has been transformed to accommodate her husband and their son—and has become an elegant real-life equivalent of the bunny’s hollow tree. “That’s what it feels like living here,” Michael says, smiling as the couple sits before the fireplace in the intimate living room of their 930-square-foot home. “I’ve always said I can’t wait to come back to our little ‘rabbit home’—it’s such a wonderful place.” A few years ago the couple briefly flirted with the idea of a farmhouse—room for donkeys and a bigger dog than Oscar the pug—but when the sale of their house fell through, they realized it was perfect for them. Rather than adding on or trading up to a larger space, the family has modified and adapted to their home as their needs and circumstances have changed.

tea spirit

If the family’s residence is a cozy sanctuary, it also clearly borrows influences from a boutique hotel, a Parisian pied-à-terre, a sailing craft where every square inch of space is ingeniously put

An absence of upper cabinets makes the kitchen feel roomier, and adding large drawers in place of an oven provides storage. (The family finds that a toaster oven is all they need.) Hidden drawers in the baseboard under the stove hold flat items such as table linens. Right: A large mirror visually expands the dining area, where Nick, Michael, and Tonia share meals without the distraction of television.

to use, and even a Japanese teahouse. In fact, the six-room home tucked into a close-quartered neighborhood in Santa Fe’s South Capitol area includes one room whose sole function is Tonia’s longtime practice of Japanese tea ceremony. With a tatami (straw mat) floor covering, no furniture, and unadorned walls, the room embodies the serenity, simplicity, and intentional choices that symbolize both the tea ceremony itself and the family’s approach to living harmoniously in a small space. Through the years, they have come to embrace in daily living the essence of what Tonia calls the “tea spirit.” It involves mutual recognition and respect for those sharing a space, as well as intentionally selecting objects for both aesthetics and function. Nothing in the tearoom or the home is extraneous or carelessly placed. The family shares a deep appreciation for simplicity and beauty, a sense of ritual, and a keen awareness of nature and seasonality enhanced by the gracious flow between indoors and outdoors. In both the tea ceremony and their lives, Tonia and Michael aim for making their environment a place to slow down, relax, and leave the dust and fast pace of the busy modern world outside the door. As the 15th Grand 36

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

Living harmoniously means each family member has daily alone time and quiet space for reading and writing. Above left: An antique secretary beside the bed serves as a night table and writing desk. Tonia’s time is early morning in the master bedroom, while her husband has the living room and kitchen to himself and their son sleeps. Above right: Storage nichos replaced aging wall heaters when a new heating/cooling system was installed. Opposite: A European-style canopy and fabric-covered headboard create a sense of luxury in the master bedroom, where a full-glass door with a carved wooden inner door admits light and opens to a small private courtyard.

Home is a place to relax, slow down, and leave behind the dust of the busy world.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

35 Tea Master Sen Soshitsu notes in the introduction to his book, The Spirit of Tea, “The tea spirit is a spirit of peace, and the culture of tea is a culture of hospitality.”

intentional remodeling

“You just don’t collect things when you have a small home.” —Tonia Prestupa

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

When Tonia purchased this South Capitol home 17 years ago, she was looking for an affordable, safe neighborhood close to downtown. The yellowstuccoed adobe built in 1939 was “nothing special but had good bones,” she relates. She lived there alone for two years before marrying Michael, a Realtor with Prudential Santa Fe and a musician who spent many years as a member of the New Christy Minstrels, a popular folk group. Their son, Nicholas Umphrey, is now 14. As Tonia’s family has grown, the house has not, but it has been remodeled to reflect the way the family lives. Remodeling always presents challenges, but as an interior designer, Tonia had the background to take them on. Tonia operates Tonia Prestupa Interiors in Santa Fe and describes herself as an “environmental designer.” After working for so long with high-quality green-building products through her own remodels and those of her clients, Tonia has expanded her business to include consulting with builders, architects, homeowners, and other designers looking for the best eco-friendly, sustainable, nontoxic materials, flooring, paints, and finishes available. The first major remodel Tonia undertook after buying her house was to redo the front entrance. With a low overhang, it was dark and unwelcomcontinued on page 72

The tea spirit is a spirit of peace, and the culture of tea is a culture of hospitality.

Atelier

Opposite, left: The home’s single small bathroom is uncluttered—each family member has a separate space for keeping toiletries out of view. Tonia uses deep extension drawers in a well-organized hall closet across from the bath, while Michael’s “station,” as he calls it, is part of a laundry closet in Nick’s room. Above: One room is dedicated to Tonia’s practice of Japanese tea ceremony, whose qualities of mutual respect and serenity also apply to living in a small space. When she has guests for a tea ceremony, Tonia dresses in a kimono and moves in graceful, ritualized gestures, kneeling on the tatami to prepare a bowl of green tea. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

feels like home Gimmick-free and trend-averse, this all-out adobe remodel stakes out modern territory for Southwest style.

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

Architect: Michael Krupnick Builder: Adams Builders

the pool “My absolute favorite part of the house is the backyard area and the pool,” says Craig Eaves, shown opposite with his wife, Abigail, and their son, Aidan. “It’s so nice to hang out here on a warm summer evening with friends.” “Craig always had a vision of a space like this,” Abigail says, gesturing at the portal, the small yard beside it, and the pool, which was built by Hermanson Construction. “I love the portal. Aidan and I plopped down here all summer.” She goes on: “The backyard space used to be just so strange, with the carport and this big field. We spent a lot of time on this hot patio [which has since been torn down and replaced by the portal and addition]. We loved being outside, and we wanted our kids and their friends to be outside here, too, so we would know who the boys were with. We hoped it would be the place they all wanted to come.” And that strategy has worked.

Toddler Aidan races down the hallway in the bedroom wing. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

SuCasaMagazine.com

Wall plaster: Variance acrylic plaster in Obelisk applied in an Alto smooth finish (troweled with a rough finish) Windows & doors: Eagle Talon windows and Ascent doors in Chocolate Chip (exterior color) with whitewashed interiors, Emtek Durango sand-cast lever door hardware in a black finish Cabinets & island: Walnut cabinetry by Blue Sky Woodworks Backsplash tile: Neutra tiles in Bianco from the Casamood line by Casa Dolce Casa Island top: M. Teixeira Soapstone Seating at the island: Allegro bar stools in Chocolate from Design Within Reach Countertop: Stainless steel counter and built-in sink by Southwest Custom Stainless in Albuquerque Appliances: GE Monogram range hood, induction cooktop, and wall oven; Advantium hybrid convection/ microwave oven; and Sub-Zero refrigerator Faucet: Hansgrohe Axor Citterio pull-down faucet Lights over dining table: FontanaArte Flute 3 pendants Kitchen lighting: Tech Lighting Sprocket heads with MonoRail and FreeJack fixture mounts Dining table, chairs & buffet: Hand-carved wood and leather Works Progress Administration pieces made in the 1930s Painting (near the computer): Pears by Kim Ray Krupnick

kitchen

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

The blend of traditional adobe and modern tastes so well-achieved by Michael Krupnick is nowhere better represented than in the kitchen. Michael rearranged the layout, moving the sink and shuffling the location of appliances and island. The strict angularity of the slab-faced Danish modern cabinets against the undulating adobe walls required deft carpentry by Blue Sky Woodworks. They fit perfectly.

By Charles C. Poling

Photography by Kirk Gittings

ome really is a refuge,” Craig Eaves says. We’re sitting under the deep portal of the recently remodeled Corrales, New Mexico, residence he shares with his wife, Abigail, and three sons. We can see across the pool and over a low rock wall to a half-acre field bordered by trees. “It’s our sanctuary,” Abigail adds. “We’re homebodies. We love being home. We always complain that we don’t go do anything, but it’s because we love it here.” Spend a few minutes at their house and you’ll love it, too. Its sleek lines and contemporary minimalism overlaid on massive adobe walls, brick floors, and plank-and-viga ceilings create an airy, serene environment with room enough for Craig and Abigail, two teen sons—Jesse and Alex—and toddler Aidan. If you’re bored with Southwest style but still want to connect to your New Mexico roots, this is the place.

For a dining table and chairs, the family uses a set inherited from Craig’s grandfather, who had them on the Cerrillos ranch when Craig was growing up. They’re hand-carved Works Progress Administration pieces from the 1930s that contrast comfortably with the fresh-astoday black soapstone island.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

the look

As a committed aficionado of New Mexico vernacular architecture, Craig understands how the tradition involves continual updating of the style based on the availability of new construction materials and changing tastes. “It goes back to [John Gaw] Meem,” he notes, invoking the so-called godfather of Santa Fe style. Craig wanted to incorporate elements of European design—modern, industrial, spare—including renovations he’d seen in Italy. “I like how they marry the old and the new. I like the look at the Villa Borghese [in Rome] in the cellar, where they use stone and glass, sleek counters, high contrast. I wanted to re-create that contrast between rustic natural materials and more polished materials.” To that end, the home sparingly incorporates glass and chrome in the bathrooms, for instance, and stainless steel and black soapstone in the kitchen. “And I don’t like that Miami Vice thing that some people do with adobe,” Craig says, “using strong colors and hard materials in a really aggressive style.” “The goal was a timeless Zen beauty,” Michael says. “Before the remodel, it looked like the 1970s. Now you can’t tell when it was built.” In particular, they stayed away from trendy detailing. “The less we can add the better,” Michael says. “It’s like music. Sometimes the notes left out are what make it beautiful.”

“The goal was a timeless Zen beauty.”—Michael Krupnick 44

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

In one of the major changes to the old floor plan, a spacious master bathroom (and Abigailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nearby office) replaces a less functional former sunroom. Cabinets by Blue Sky Woodworks reinforce the modern theme yet still harmonize with the more rustic ceiling, while a deep soaking tub adds to the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s casual sophistication.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

local flavor in Corrales, New Mexico “Congested area ahead” warns one of my favorite road signs in New Mexico, planted along Corrales Road as it slithers past the ever-busy all-ages hangout Village Pizza and the Edward Gonzales Heritage Gallery. If you’d just driven the two miles up from the border with Albuquerque, the sign seems like a joke. Congestion in Corrales? Well, the road does pinch down here, feeling more like a paved country track than a state highway, laid out in centuries past by horse-drawn wagons weaving past adobe buildings and irrigated fields that remain today. You might find a car backing out from the shops at the Mercado de Maya, or a cyclist turning into Stevie’s Happy Bikes, or several cars stopped to let a horse and rider cross over to the Frontier Mart, which keeps a handy hitch post for equestrian parking. Admittedly, Wagner Farms does a brisk retail business in the fall, and the Sunday Corrales Grower’s Market brings in cars to line both sides Atelier season. But for maximal congesof the road during harvest tion, come during the annual Corrales Harvest Festival in late September—or during the Fourth of July Parade, or the Christmas Parade, or the Pet Parade . . . Though hardly a Mayberry—it’s too diverse, too bohemian, too Nuevo Mexicano—this village of just over 7,000 souls exudes small-town charisma: friendly, slow-paced, rural. People know their neighbors. Lost dogs get returned home. Kids walk to school. Long known as a haven for artists, writers, horse folks, iconoclasts of every stripe, and about a bazillion wild waterfowl in the winter, the village is a unique-to-New Mexico place to call home, blending as it does rural charm, cultural sophistication, gorgeous adobe architecture (and some modern design too), and easy access to the metropolitan offerings and job prospects of nearby Albuquerque. In the business district, you can shop for art, gifts, groceries, hardware, hay, produce, bikes, rugs, pottery, textiles, furniture. You can get a massage, a haircut, or a photo taken in a first-class studio. Take a Pilates class, have a guitar lesson, or learn to paint in oils. Want to hone your horseback-riding skills or learn equestrian vaulting? Corrales has that, too, as well as fine dining, alfresco dining, beer, coffee, and yeah, lots of chile on the menus of a half-dozen great restaurants and coffee shops. You can even taste the local wine at one of the village vineyards. And you won’t find a single chain restaurant. It’s all local. Corrales’ most alluring quality is that it remains genuinely rural. People farm here, and you’ll still see cattle grazing a lush pasture, mares with foals cantering through five acres of grass. The irrigation ditches keeping these farms alive wend their way through towering stands of cottonwood trees, making a fine network of walking, riding, and biking trails and providing ready access to the best part of all—the wild, mysterious, gorgeous Corrales Bosque Preserve, eight-plus miles of riverside woods and meadows closed to vehicles and laced with footpaths and mountain bike trails. For more information, visit corrales-mainstreet.org and corrales-nm.org. 46

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

It wasn’t always perfect.. A year before Craig and Abigail were married in 2004, he had found this 20-year-old country adobe down a short dirt road a stone’s throw from the shops and restaurants of “downtown” Corrales. He was drawn to its warm ambience. “I love adobes, having grown up in them. I feel privileged to live in one. It feels like home,” he says. But it had problems, in both function and aesthetics. Mazelike and claustrophobic, with large dark rooms, it seemed cut off from the spacious but ill-defined back lot. The house reminded him of his grandfather J. W. Eaves’ adobe home on the Eaves Movie Ranch, his spread outside Cerrillos, New Mexico. (That’s a whole ’nother story: J. W. built a Western-town movie set where dozens of films and TV series were shot since the early 1960s, including Silverado, The Cowboys, Billy Jack, and Red Sky at Morning.) Shaped by childhood visits there and his family’s adobe home in Albuquerque, Craig reveals a deeply personal appreciation for the local vernacular architecture. But his sensibility goes beyond the parochial. Since his days earning a bachelor of fine arts degree at the University of New Mexico 20 years ago, Craig has cultivated his design sense and passion for art, design, and architecture. (These days, he owns a business called OmniSleep, which treats sleep conditions like apnea, insomnia, and limb-movement disorders.) His continued on page 74

Speaking Swedish to the Chickens, a mixed-media painting by Maude Andrade, hangs over the fireplace. Maude is represented through Mariposa Gallery in Albuquerque.

Abigail’s office

Opposite: A certified nurse midwife, Abigail is executive director of the nonprofit Full Circle Midwifery Birth & Health Center in Albuquerque, which is finalizing plans for a comprehensive women’s health care and birthing care center. Her office at home sits just off the master bedroom and shares two walls with the master bathroom. In the home’s previous incarnation, this area was a sunroom that the family found little use for. “It’s my space,” she says. “When I moved in with Craig, I gave up all my furniture and came into his space, and I felt like I lost part of my identity. So having this space for me is really important. I can put up pictures, a cork board. It helps me define my creativity.”

palette and materials Variance, an acrylic plaster that offers the color range of paint with the surface treatment choices of plaster, covers the interior walls. For a color palette, Craig chose light earth tones to reinforce the sense of natural materials. Interior and exterior pine woodwork, including the ceilings, window frames, and hallway cabinetry, wears a whitewash finish. Kitchen cabinets are a contrasting dark walnut, which suits their crisp linearity and doesn’t compete with the pine in grain or texture. The same walnut graces the bathrooms and powder room. Black door hardware maintains the mostly low-gloss aesthetic, as do the muted brick and concrete floors. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

adobe outside the box

A Santa Fe designer reinvents a 1930s adobe, creating a new-old house thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part classic, part contemporary, and all green.

Designer & builder: Michael Percy Grant, Percy Home Design 48

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

A bold contemporary addition provides an unexpected complement to the 1930s adobe home Michael Percy Grant remodeled with eco-conscious style. Michael describes the aesthetic as â&#x20AC;&#x153;modern adobe.â&#x20AC;? Covered beds adjoining the blue-doored sunroom create a miniature greenhouse for growing vegetables year-round. Below: A seating area outside the sunroom overlooks the back courtyard. Right: Julia de Castro Grant reads as Michael studies home designs in the living room of the old adobe. During the remodel Michael exposed the previously covered ceiling beams.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

The big idea behind the home’s design was to pair the original adobe with a contemporary complement.

By Alicia Kellogg

Photography by Jack Parsons

tanding at the kitchen island in his remodeled 1930s adobe off Agua Fria in Santa Fe, Michael Percy Grant clicks through photos on his MacBook of the little old home that first caught his eye. The single-story white adobe with blue trim sat in an overgrown lot abutting Frenchy’s Field. The house, which Michael and his wife, Julia de Castro Grant, initially occupied as a rental, had almost no insulation and single-pane windows. They’d stand by the gas wall heater for warmth in the winter, and they’d cook in the summer. In spite of its shortcomings, though, Michael couldn’t resist what the little house had to offer. “The first time we pulled up to the rental property I thought to myself, ‘Well, despite being pretty run-down, it does have its own authentic charm—thick adobe walls, old plank flooring, right on the edge of a park with views to the mountains,’” he says. “There is some charm in there,” he remembers thinking. “It’s hidden, but it’s there.” The adobe was a tougher sell for Julia. “When I first saw this house we were hunting for rentals, and I literally told my husband to just turn around in the driveway because there was no need to go and check this dumpy adobe,” she says. “Michael said he did want to just give it a chance and stepped out of the car and looked through the kitchen window. He immediately said I should take a look because the kitchen was actually cute.” Since then, Michael has developed the potential he spotted

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

Opposite, above: The living room connects to this passive-solar-heated sunroom addition. In building this room, Michael removed insulation from the home’s exterior adobe wall so the adobe could provide thermal mass. He also beefed up the concrete mass in the floor and isolated the slab from the stem wall, creating a floating concrete pad. With overhangs calculated to admit the sun for heating, the room now serves as a comfortable multipurpose space. Opposite, below: A contemporary addition below the master suite functions as the home’s new front entrance, as well as an entry point to the upstairs master suite and the kitchen. This page, below: Michael gutted the adobe’s old kitchen and added new cabinets, Solatube skylights for daylighting, and a backsplash made of Mexican recycled aluminum tiles from Milestone in Santa Fe.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Floor: Carbonized bamboo from Carpet One in Santa Fe, installed by Guaranteed Flooring Walls: Diamond-finish hard-troweled plaster with integrated pigments from Rob Dean Inc., installed by Tino and José Camacho of Camacho Construction Wall behind bed: Cembonit concrete fiber panels cut to 2 x 2 feet and installed with exposed screws Built-in shelves: Birch plywood shelves designed and built by Michael Grant Ceiling: Peg board from Lowe’s Trusses: Top-mount ceiling trusses custom-engineered by Red Mountain Engineering and made on-site using local wood from Hansen Lumber Lighting: Purchased in Brazil Ceiling fan: Lapa ceiling fan by The Modern Fan Company purchased through Dahl Lighting Showroom in Santa Fe Bed: Cameleon bed by Normand Couture covered with a Pendleton wool blanket from Pendleton Woolen Mills Artwork near the bed: Made by Michael Grant and Tino Camacho using diamond-finish hard-troweled plaster mounted on sheetrock over a wooden frame

Avid bikers, Michael and Julia store their bicycles inside the home’s new front entry near the door leading to the master suite. Right: The couple’s joint office incorporates a wall covered with fence wood salvaged from the property. Michael’s construction drawings and 3-D renderings hang on the wall. 52

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

Rather than adding a faux adobe addition to an authentic adobe, Percy Home Design went to the opposite extreme.

The contemporary master suite addition offers a clear view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains—a factor that attracted Michael and Julia to the home in the first place. The couple created the “poor man’s frosted glass” by applying a self-adhesive vinyl product that provides privacy and looks like the real thing.

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

going green at the modern adobe For the structures Michael added to the home, he used advanced framing techniques with airtight sheathing and sealing. He increased the insulation levels in the home with blown-in cellulose insulation made from recycled newspaper, spray-on insulation, and rigid exterior insulation applied over the framing. Michael replaced the home’s existing single-pane windows with new models, including high-performance doublepane windows that have a suspended film in the center for increased insulation. A 95 percent efficient UltimateAir RecoupAerator heat recovery ventilator provides clean air quality for the house without the dust or energy loss from opening windows. It also provides radon mitigation—something the original 1930s house didn’t have. The home is prepiped for solar thermal panels to heat the home’s water. (Michael and Julia are planning to add the panels this year.) A passive solar sunroom with mechanical ventilation distributes heat to the home office. Solatube tubular skylights provide natural daylighting. A gravity-powered gray water system with a three-way turnoff valve directs water from the master tub and shower to landscaping outside. The valve allows the couple to send the water to the city septic system during the winter. A 1,750-gallon rainwater collection tank holds water harvested from the roof and supplies irrigation to plants. Cold-frame planters will allow Michael and Julia to grow vegetables year-round. An insulating material shields the beds.

Modern touches fill the home’s master suite. Incense-colored Oceanside Glasstile from Milestone covers a wall in the master bathroom. The tile is made with 70 percent recycled content.

in this fixer-upper into a unique blend of adobe aesthetics and modern style, classic remodel and innovative new construction, all assembled on a foundation of green design. In remodeling and adding onto the home, Michael concentrated on its shell, creating a new high-performance building envelope constructed with advanced framing techniques and airtight sheathing, blown-in cellulose insulation, and rigid insulation on the outside of the structure. A heat recovery ventilation system now supplies clean, healthy air, and the new sunroom provides passive solar heat. Unlike the adobe in its former life, this now approximately 2,700-square-foot remodel needs no air conditioner or swamp cooler. Confident and creative, with a homey atmosphere and a seemingly effortless sense of style, the house Michael and Julia occupy today has become quite an appealing place to call home.

outside the box

A contemporary entrance leads to the remodeled adobe and the home’s new master suite. 54

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

The big idea behind this home’s design was to pair the original house with an “authentic contemporary complement,” says Michael, who designed and built the remodel through his high-performance custom home design company, Percy Home Design. “The whole philosophy was we didn’t want to do a faux adobe addition to a real adobe, so we went to the opposite extreme and juxtaposed a modern contemporary style to the traditional,” Michael explains. This philosophy takes shape with the master suite addition atop

the original adobe. Clad in red siding, the clean-lined structure features aspects of contemporary architecture Michael loves. “I had some fear about doing something so bold, but it was also fun to just go for it,” Michael says. Over the course of the remodel the couple went through a design review process twice—once before building the addition on top of the adobe, and once before adding the addition’s red siding and the home’s detached guest studio. By the second time around, their neighborhood review committee had further developed its regulation process, and the decision was put to a vote. Michael and Julia met with neighbors door-to-door to discuss their plans, and they received the support they needed to move forward. Inside the new master suite, Michael warmed up the modernist design with a bamboo floor, plaster walls, and peg board ceiling. “Contemporary doesn’t have to be cold,” he says. This spacious new living space maximizes the home’s views and leads to a balcony overlooking the park and mountains. During the process of getting his design off the ground, Michael worked with his good friends Steve McCormick of McCormick Architects and Oskar Porter of Oskar Porter Construction. Steve was involved in preliminary brainstorming for the con-

A serene Japanese-inspired meditation deck makes use of the space above the stairs to the master suite addition, occupied here by Cleo. Before moving to Santa Fe, Michael spent time living in Kyoto and Tokyo. The scroll on the wall was a gift from friends in Japan. The black meditation cushion from Sachi Organics in Santa Fe is filled with pecan shells. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

cept of putting a modern addition over an existing adobe, and Oskar was Michael’s right-hand man through various phases of construction.

keeping it real

From the new contemporary front entrance, Michael leads the way through the home’s original point of entry into the kitchen. Here in the remodeled adobe, the style is traditional yet fresh. Michael gutted the old kitchen down to the adobes—along with the rest of the original house—and added more cabinets, a new lighter wood floor, Solatube tubular skylights, and Mexican recycled aluminum tiles for the backsplash. In the corner of the kitchen, Michael and Julia brought in pale-blue plush chairs to create a comfortable seating area. Michael continues through the kitchen to the living/dining spaces, where he exposed the home’s original ceiling beams. A former bedroom became an office he shares with Julia,

This is how Michael and Julia found the original adobe home in 2003, when they moved in as tenants.

who is working toward a degree in physical therapy. Michael customized the space with built-in shelving and a desk made for two. Because the couple spends a lot of time here, he designed a mechanical ventilation system regulated with temperature probes to allow passive solar heat from the sunroom to warm the office. The room the couple used as an office before the remodel is now a dedicated space for Julia to practice Pilates. Throughout the house Michael and Julia played with different colors of diamond-finish plaster, selecting an earthy green for the office and a crisp ice blue for the Pilates studio.

green is the new black

In the courtyard behind the home, Michael points out the new guest studio, a charming space containing a canopy bed and an apple-

The charming guest studio incorporates a canopy bed, contemporary apple-green bathroom, and a closet with built-in drawers. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Su Casa 1/2 page:Layout 1

green bathroom, as well as a cedar sauna and outdoor shower. Before developing this area, they used to have a campfire near the spot where the guest bed is now. Today bamboo grows amid the lush landscaping and carefully placed boulders within the shelter of a coyote fence– lined perimeter wall—a far cry from the old yard, which used to be “blasted by the sun,” Michael says. With the yellow wildflowers dotting Frenchy’s Field waving in the background, Michael shows off the home’s rainwater collection system. “It’s the size of a Grateful Dead VW bus,” he says, gesturing toward the dimensions of the 1,750-gallon underground cistern. An on-demand pump topped by a red faucet serves rainwater from the cistern for watering. Meanwhile, a gravity-powered gray water system with a three-way turnoff valve directs water from the upstairs master tub and shower to plantings. The valve allows Michael and Julia to send the water to the city septic system during the winter. Nearby, a wide gate swings open to the park, creating the sense of a backyard that goes on and on. Standing in the studio doorway

Home!

Michael warmed up the modernist master suite with plaster walls and a peg board ceiling. 8/2/10 12:01 PM Page 1

SCOTT PATRICK CUSTOM HOMES SKY VIEW PRE-DESIGNED HOMES

Whether it’s in the foothills of High Desert, along the Bosque trails in Andalucía, or the open mesa of Mariposa, Scott Patrick Family of Homes offers you a choice of planned communities to suit your lifestyle.

S c o t t Pa t r i c k Fa m i l y o f H o m e s

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

CALL

US AT

505.828.9900 OR VISIT

www.scottpatrickhomes.com

Building environmentally friendly, energy- ef ficient homes since 1995

Kayeman KIRK GITTINGS

Custom Homes

consult + design + build

P E L L A W I N DNMLS O W#254698 S

K O C H M E C H AN I C A L

P H O TO G R A P H Y:

Kayeman has more custom homes certified at the Gold and Emerald level than any other builder.

NMLS #254698

C ONSTRUCTION AND PERMANENT FINANCING

BUILDERS SOURCE APPLIANCE GALLERY

V ICTORIA L EYBA

MILLER’S I N S U L AT I O N

(505) 573-8322 &HUWLILHG (PHUDOG /HYHO

.D\HPDQ LQGG

(505) 857-9964 www.kayeman.com $0

Home, sweet home and the security it brings. Whether you’re buying your ﬁrst home or remodeling your existing one, Century Bank has a loan to ﬁt your needs. We’ve been helping New Mexicans with home loans for over 122 years because we believe in building strong, long-lasting relationships, and that will never change. To meet with a mortgage professional about a home loan or to discuss any other personal or commercial banking needs, call 505.995.1200.

877.424.2828

centurynetbank.com

Santa Fe X Española X Albuquerque X Las Cruces Offer of credit is subject to credit approval. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Southwestern homes step inside a timeless zen beauty

Southwestern homes

ÂŽ

urces inspiration ideas reso

feels like home

remodel for the way you live

" !

#$ %

made from scratch a retro kitchen makeover

! "#

% ' )

% "& '

)

( &%

get organized and get happy

adobe living green in a modern

! " '% &

! "# $

! ""

2011 VOL. 17 NO. 1 WINTER INE.COM SUCASAMAGAZ

inspiration ideas resources

Jack Parsons, KIRK GITTINGS

Subscribe today at SuCasaMagazine.com or phone (800) 770-6326

The detached guest studio features a cedar sauna and outdoor shower amid the landscaped courtyard.

now, Michael explains that he employed advanced framing techniques when he built this structure about a year ago, using minimal studs to limit thermal conduction through the wood and accommodate more insulation in the walls. It’s much easier to make new construction green, Michael notes, though enabling an older home to live on involves its own measure of ecoconsciousness. “Remodels are twice the work, twice the money, and twice the feelgood factor,” he says. “I do really contemplate energy consumption, pollution, population growth, and wiping out resources.” The way Michael sees it, green building is something he can do to make a difference. After discovering his passion for design in his late 20s, Michael apprenticed with designer/builder Michael Sandrin in Santa Fe while studying architecture, solar technologies, drafting, and computer-aided design. He has been involved with building and designing homes ever since, going on more than 15 years. Michael now enjoys creating safe, cozy residential spaces that nurture the people who live there. Since he started Percy Home Design in 2006, Michael has noticed some clients

Accurate Financial Services, LLC dba Accurate Mortgage

NMLS #254698

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

A piece of equipment called the Reformer furnishes Julia’s Pilates studio.

are more open to green design ideas. There is greenwashing, he acknowledges, “but it’s also exciting because people are more aware.” As a designer, Michael finds himself in a position to share with clients the green options available to them. “I’m doing the drawings, so I’m holding the football,” he says.

life in a modern adobe

Granite Countertop Starts at $40/sq ft Installed Cabinets, Porcelain & Ceramic Tile, Wood, Laminate, Carpet Visit our locations: 4406-A Menaul Blvd NE

505-830-1952

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

5640 Venice Ave. NE

505-858-2599

Back in 2003, after a bit of convincing, Julia said yes to the little old adobe off Frenchy’s Field. “Now it is our home, and a beautiful home to me,” Julia says. “I love what Michael did, and I very much appreciate his attention to detail and wonderful vision for design. He worked very hard, and it shows.” “I didn’t think we’d be buying it two years later,” Michael confesses of that initial encounter with the house. “It was just a place to park while we looked for another home to buy. We didn’t find one. So we stayed! And we’re happy we did.” Michael Percy Grant of Percy Home Design can be reached for design services at 505/438-2699, by email at percygrant@comcast.net, or by visiting percyhomedesign.com.

' / , $ % . $ ! 7 . ' ! , , % 2 9

SMART PHONE

$PQZSJHIU $SBEPD #BHTIBX

GALLERY LINK

Helen Hardin (1943 - 1984)

Margarete Bagshaw “Ancestral Procession”- Oil on Linen - 80” X 110”

$PQZSJHIU .BSHBSFUF #BHTIBX

Pablita Velarde (1918 - 2006)

$PQZSJHIU .BSHBSFUF #BHTIBX

Your Art Should Say Something

3 Generations Of Talking Art.

*Exclusive Estate Representative for Helen Hardin and Pablita Velarde

201 Galisteo St., Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 - 505-988-2024 - www.goldendawngallery.com SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Su Libro

By Charles C. Poling

cheap, smart, green,

and on fire

Ease into a sustainable lifestyle with a shelf load of books on solar energy, fancy fireplaces, green remodeling, and inventive ways to use cast-off treasures. The Revolutionary Yardscape: Ideas for Repurposing Local Materials to Create Containers, Pathways, Lighting, and More, by Matthew Levesque, Timber Press, paperback, $22.95.

After finishing Matthew Levesqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stimulating book, The Revolutionary Yardscape, I went straight to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;free stuffâ&#x20AC;? listings on the Craigslist website for Albuquerque. In the spirit of reusing and repurposing materials, I scanned the ads for things I could use to add some zest or utility to my own yard. The enticing advertised items that caught my eye, each offered free for the taking, included wood crates, pallets, a trampoline, beer bottles, satellite dishes, doors, a truck load of river rock, broken concrete slabs, books of fabric samples, and a hot tub. Sure, that list sounds like it came from the cleanup following a fraternity party, but after seeing Levesqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clever

backyard projectsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; things like creating a patio surface by filling salvaged four-inch glass-block lighting fixtures with black granite and tumbled glass and laying them like bricksâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I had a few ideas of my own. Bear with me. The trampoline could be installed as a sunshade, like those fancy triangular sails you see tethered to homes and posts. Beer bottlesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy, mortar them into an adobe wall as decorative elements. The river rock: fill wire mesh gabions as a low yard-dividing wall, like at Flying Stars. Broken concrete: lay them like flagstone. The crates could easily become seats and low tables. Doors can be hung in a sturdy frame as a privacy screen. Pallets on cinder block become the substructure for a deck. I could stitch

Hard water?

A CulliganÂŽ Water Softener removes the damaging minerals from hard water, helping transform the birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nest on your head into a soft and silky wonderland. To get yours, call Southwest Water Conditioning at 505-299-9581. Or visit us at southwesth2o.com.

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

Job #: 101906 Su Casa Magazine comb ad Trim size: 1/2 pg Horizontal - Trim: 8â&#x20AC;? x 4.8125â&#x20AC;? Live: 7.5â&#x20AC;? x 4.3125â&#x20AC;? Colors: 4C process Bleed: No Ins Date: 2010 Winter issue Pub: SuCasa Magazine 0DWHULDOV 3') ÂżOH YLD )73 DW IWS VXFDVDPDJD]LQH FRP _ 8VHUQDPH VXFDVDIWS _ 3DVVZRUG NS UH &5$0(5 .5$66(/7 Â&#x2021; 1257+ &(175$/ $9(18( 68,7( Â&#x2021; 3+2(1,; $5,=21$ Â&#x2021;

Knowledge Teamwork Reliability We welcome you to contact one of us today for all of your Real Estate needs.

Missy Ashcraft (505) 362-6823 missyashcraft@comcast.net

Barbie Brennan (505) 228-2876 justbarbie@comcast.net

Jo Cook (505) 379-6099 jo@jocook.net

Jeannine DiLorenzo (505) 235-5840 jeanninedilorenzo@msn.com

Deanna Dopslaf (505) 750-8138 deanna@redtruckrealtor.com

Janie Gilmore-Daniels (505) 259-0502 janiegil@aol.com

Veronica Gonzales (505) 440-8956 abqdreamhomes.com

Connie Johnson (505) 948-0001 conniejohnsonnm.com

Katie McCabe (505) 440-9780 mccabekt@aol.com

Annie O'Connell (505) 263-4141 annie@annieoconnell.com

Gary R. Peterson, CRS (505) 280-1952 grpete@nobhillhomesabq.com

Eve Price (505) 321-4004 eveprice@swcp.com

Sandi Reeder (505) 269-9498 sandireeder.com

Stephanie Walter (505) 385-4283 stephwalter@msn.com

Monica Youngblood (505) 350-7870 monicayoungblood.com

Keller Williams Realty Eastside

Keller Williams Realty North Valley

Keller Williams Realty Westside

9201 Montgomery Blvd NE Suite 101 Albuquerque, NM 87111 505-271-8200

901 Rio Grande Blvd NW Suite C-172 Albuquerque, NM 87104 505-271-8200

6240 Riverside Plaza NW, Suite 100 Albuquerque, NM 87120 505-897-1100

Thompson:Layout 1

8/4/09

11:35 AM

Page 1

Family Owned since 1963

Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. Lic. #9473

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

Specializing in the design and installation of high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems as well as high efficiency radiant heat and solar systems.

3418 Girard NE, Albuquerque NM • 505.884.2675 w w w. t h o m p s o n h e a t i n g c o o l i n g . n e t 66

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

the fabric samples into cushions, which might be useful around the—here it comes—free hot tub, which I’d rig to a solar hot-water collector. I’m still working on what to do with the satellite dishes (I have one of my own to add). Maybe a shallow planter, a birdbath, or a target for suction-cup arrows. Or fill them with Quikrete to make stepping stones. Therein lies the provocative call to action of The Revolutionary Yardscape. The major stumbling block is our own imaginations. Levesque dedicates the early pages to a manifesto of creative improvisation as he invites the reader “to an ongoing exploration of the design options offered by reusing locally available building materials in the garden.” With the motto “adaptation is the rule of the day,” Levesque talks about letting your creative mind slip a few gears to cultivate new ways of looking at objects whose use would otherwise be dictated by conditioned thinking. The art of repurposing depends on seeing “new analogies,” as he suggests, substitutions of purpose from this to that. Here’s one: drill holes in the bottom of an old metal tool box, prop open the lid, fill it with friendly soil, and plant flowers in it— instant rural/industrial design. Reader beware. A particular aesthetic results from these kinds of materials. Whether it suits your place, you decide. Levesque focuses the book on how to approach materials and design through reuse, where and how to find useful materials, and the tools you’ll need to transform them. He also shows you what he’s done on his small lot in California, with photos illustrating the cool results. Covering the yard or garden from top to bottom, The Revolutionary Yardscape is organized into chapters about the garden as room; floors, walls, overhead structures, and furnishings; and lighting. I know from experience that part of the fun in using recycled materials is the scavenging, the art of the hunt. Sometimes I go out intentionally, prowling around places like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore (they’re all around), Albuquerque’s Coronado Wrecking & Salvage, or construction sites (with permission). Or I’ll browse the classified ads and online boards like Craigslist. Levesque calls this the “art of downstream shopping,” and he’s got

Purist® Kitchen Faucet and 8 Degree™ Kitchen Sink

a more refined method. For instance, businesses like tile installers often have broken or mismatched tiles that can be used for mosaics. Metalworkers have “skeletons” left over after they’ve cut out shapes from plate steel—this negative of the cutouts has its own beauty and can work as a decorative screen, as Levesque did at his place. So go to metal shops. Prowl around industrial businesses. Keep an eye on Dumpsters. In any case, “what you find,” he warns, “is rarely what you thought you were looking for.” Be alert for serendipity and hoard things that you know you might use later but today can’t think how. I found The Revolutionary Yardscape most valuable for its inspiration. Levesque shows so many examples of cool ideas that you can’t imitate, but you can analogize. And the general suggestions provide a hundred ideas: making a coffee table stand from an old crate, a garden bench from the end cutting of laminated beam (hey, I’ve got one in the garage!), shelving from stacked metal boxes, a candle holder from a large colander, a fence from shovels planted heads up, and on and on. In the quiet hours of winter, as you’re thinking about your projects and plantings for spring, you might want to start perusing Craigslist, taking a little walkabout at the salvage yard, or even picking through the junk in your garage. You can’t get much greener than reusing, repurposing, and rethinking.

Let us ORCHESTRATE your dream. For the perfect products for your kitchen or bath, stop by a Ferguson showroom. It’s where you’ll find the largest range of quality brands, a symphony of ideas, and trained consultants to help orchestrate your dream. Come see why Ferguson is recommended by professional contractors and designers everywhere.

APPLIANCES

PLUMBING

PASSIONATE PEOPLE

LIGHTING

CABINETS

(505) 345-9001 (505) 474-8300

FERGUSON.COM

Practical Green Remodeling: Down-to-Earth Solutions for Everyday Homes, by Barry Katz,

Design by W. Robert Kreger, AIA

www.kregerdesignbuild.com K

K REGER DESIGN/BUILD,

LLC

Custom Interpretations of Santa Fe Style Integrated with Sustainable Practices

The Taunton Press, paperback, $24.95. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

��_�� _�� _�� .�� xx �.�� x �.�� C �C �C

Starting from the assertion that remodeling is inherently green, Barry Katz takes readers on a words-and-pictures survey of green remodeling, calling his book not a “how-to” but a “what-to.” As he says, “After all, before you get to the how-to stage, you need a vision of what you want to do.” Practical Green Remodeling intends to help you strap on the green goggles and get busy visioning by explaining what can be done in the major areas of energy efficiency, resource conservation, and healthy living environments, then showing what has been done in a handful of home projects around the country. The book lays out the concepts and techniques of green remodeling, alternating breezy explanations of everything from geothermal heating systems to sourcing sustainable materials with short chapters profiling particular green homes, all of which are photogenic and thought provoking—just right for that visioning process. Aimed at the green newbie who thinks he or she might like it but needs the final persuasive or inspirational nudge, Practical Green Remodeling makes a fine guidebook for the green-building landscape.

Searching for for commercial commercial Searching real estate estate solutions? solutions? real

We have have easy easy and and aff affordable ordable fifinancing nancing options options We We have easy and affordable financing options Whether you you want want to to save save money money on on your your current current commercial commercial Whether Whether you want to save money on your current commercial property payments or need to fi nance your real estate property payments or need to finance your real estate property or needrate, to fiwe nance purchasepayments at aa competitive competitive rate, we canyour help.real estate purchase at can help. purchase at a competitive rate, we can help. Contact us us today today and and let let us us help help you you reach reach Contact Contact us today and let us help you reach your goals for fi nancial success. your goals for financial success. your goals for financial success. Pat Sanchez • ��-��-�� Sanchez • ��-��-�� Pat Pat Sanchez • ��-��-�� Steve Karman • ��-��-�� Steve Karman • ��-��-�� Steve Karman • ��-��-�� Michael Mulliniks • ��-��-�� Mulliniks • ��-��-�� Michael Michael Mulliniks • ��-��-��

Subjectto toWells WellsFargo Fargocredit creditapproval. approval.Wells WellsFargo Fargobankers bankersare arenot notrealtors, realtors,and andWells WellsFargo Fargois is Subject notaffi affiliated liated with anyrealtor realtor or realty realty agency. agency. For property property values up to to �� million. million. Restrictions not with any or For Restrictions Subject to Wells Fargo credit approval. Wells Fargo bankers values are not up realtors, and Wells Fargo is apply. Appraisals mayrealtor still be beorrequired required in some some cases. Contact Wells Fargo for details. details. apply. may still in cases. Contact Wells not affiAppraisals liated with any realty agency. For property values upFargo to �� for million. Restrictions apply. Appraisals may still N.A. be required in some cases. Contact Wells(��_��) Fargo for details. � �� Wells Fargo Bank, All rights reserved. Member FDIC. � �� Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (��_��) � �� Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (��_��)

126950_15265 5.25x7.3125 4c 1 126950_15265 5.25x7.3125 4c 1 126950_15265 5.25x7.3125 4c 1

2/3/10 10:01 AM 2/3/10 10:01 AM 2/3/10 10:01 AM

A Solar Buyer’s Guide for the Home and Office: Navigating the Maze of Solar Options, Incentives, and Installers, by Stephen and Rebekah Hren, Chelsea Green, paperback, $14.95. 68

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

“I think Mom will like it too.”

Natural

Granite Countertops

rmstone.com 505.345.8518 70

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

Authors Stephen and Rebekah Hren support the theme of this helpful guide—“It’s time to take the plunge”— with facts, figures, and advice on every aspect of using solar energy to heat and power your home (and office). They’re not kidding when they talk about the “maze of solar options.” Few people keep up with all the developments of this rapidly inflating field, from the technology and hardware to the government incentives. Homeowners, -buyers, and -builders alike will want to keep this reference handy when undertaking any project with a solar dimension. Which, in the Hrens’ worldview, means every project. Not a how-to book, A Solar Buyer’s Guide gives a high-altitude view of the territory, summarizing the big issues a homeowner faces. Those include a survey of the types of solar energy systems, advice on how to evaluate the solar potential of your place, guidance on calculating what you can afford, and wise words about working with installers and contractors. The Hrens go into considerable detail about the three main uses of solar energy—generating electricity, heating water, and heating spaces—explaining how they work, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, delving into their costs and affordability, and comparing alternatives. A discussion of costs, federal and local tax incentives, renewable energy credits, investment-payback schedules, and financing options helps make the case for installing solar systems. The writing necessarily goes a bit vague here. Each state has its own approach to tax credits. Likewise, various electric utility companies have varied policies about buying your excess sun-generated electricity or your renewable energy credits. The short version of the story goes like this: with the various tax incentives and the electricity you sell back to the utility from your grid-tied system, you could get your kilowatt-hour cost down to parity with conventional power. You’ll want to check this out for yourself—there are so many variables—but investing in a solar photovoltaic system has become financially appealing. And if you don’t have the $15,000 to $40,000 for a PV system, you still might be able to afford solar hot water. The

cost is lower, ranging from $3,000 to $9,000, according to the Hrens, and the payback is quicker. A Solar Buyer’s Guide also considers passive solar space heating and active hot-air and hydronic installations. As in the other major sections of the book, the Hrens provide a high-level conceptual explanation, complete with charts, graphs, photos, and sidebars—lots of entry points for casual reading and quick access to key information. If you’re thinking about adding solar capability to your home, A Solar Buyer’s Guide will get you pointed on your way, helping you evaluate the options and frame questions for the professionals who can help make it happen.

505.508.2562 Commercial & Residential Water Feature Specialists Demolition & Remodeling Service & Repair

Fireplaces: Modern Designs—Traditional Forms, by Holger Reiners, Schiffer Publishing,

If you’ve decided you don’t want the signature New Mexican kiva fireplace in your new or remodeled home—and there aren’t any in this volume—then this book will serve up a boatload of alternative ideas cutting across a wide range of architectural genres. Fireplaces is basically a compilation of architectural photos, a flip book of visual ideas. Apparently all the designs came from German architects—not sure why—so the Euro-style flavor predominates. No matter. Many of these shapes, many of the materials, and much of the color could work just as well in New Mexico.

hardcover, $34.99.

www.nmwaterfallsandmore.com -JDFOTFE t #POEFE t *OTVSFE SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

continued from page 38

ing, and a short driveway wedged between her house and the next meant a car could pull right up to the front door. Next she closed off the driveway with a steel filigree privacy gate, creating an enclosed courtyard entrance for her home. She also replaced the front door with a full-light door, bringing more sunlight into the living area. She added a wall of angled, south-facing windows in what was the dining room, which now serves dual roles as an elegantly minimal Asian-inspired common area during the day and Nick’s bedroom at night. When asked if he would prefer the overtly teen decor of posters, a TV, and clothes scattered about, Nick gives a quiet smile and says no, he likes his room the way it is. He plays video games on his laptop with earphones and spends much of his time outdoors, using his bike to get around. When he really needs time alone he climbs a fence and pipe up to the roof.

grounding beauty

In a second remodel after the couple was married, they removed the tongue-andgroove ceiling to install an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly heating and cooling system. The process exposed the original vigas and added more than a foot to the ceiling height. Installing recessed lights and painting the beams, ceiling, and walls white further expanded the home’s sense of space. Staining the original hardwood floors ebony gave them a rich, grounding beauty. Over the years the home continued to change. A pocket-sized grassy backyard and Nick’s sandbox gave way to an intimate Japanese garden containing stands of tall bamboo, evergreens, an outdoor dining area, and a Balinese shrine with a palmthatched roof. In place of a window in the couple’s bedroom, a glass door now opens into a tiny enclosed courtyard surrounding a single apricot tree. The home epitomizes organization and beautifully camouflaged storage space. A Chinese cabinet by the front door, for example, holds the family’s footwear, which they remove upon entering the house. Tonia’s longtime personal rule has been that when one new thing comes in, two things go out. “You just don’t collect things when you have a small home,” she says. Lic. #56784

care and appreciation

The key to living well with others in a small 72

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

Tonia Prestupa of Tonia Prestupa Interiors in Santa Fe can be reached at 505/919-9277 or santafetonia@ gmail.com.

We Know New Mexico Reverse Mortgages, New Purchases and Reﬁnancing

(505) 275-3040 (800) 375-9101 8421 Osuna Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111 www.ameriplexmortgage.com

We create spaces – not just fill them

LANDSCAPES OF DISTINCTION

YLHZVODQGVFDSLQJ FRP

space involves more than good storage. “The biggest concerns are quietness and privacy, so we have designated private spaces for each person,” Tonia notes. Michael rises early, makes breakfast, and takes Tonia’s to her in bed. While she enjoys time alone meditating or sitting at her writing desk, Michael has the living area to himself. He reads, sometimes plays guitar, and gets ready for the day. As soon as Michael leaves for his office, just before 6:30, Tonia is “up and running.” “We’re like dominos,” she laughs, describing how she wakes up Nick and helps him get ready for school. Because the washer and dryer are in the large closet in her son’s room, she does laundry while he’s gone. Rituals add meaning to other parts of the daily routine as well, smoothing out potential rough edges where the family members’ lives so closely touch. “One thing that really saves relationships is eating together at a beautiful table,” Tonia maintains. Even for everyday dinner, candles, good china, and a seasonal centerpiece create an atmosphere of care and appreciation, she explains. The family also has a habit of taking turns reading to one another over dinner. (A 48-inch television in the china cabinet remains off during meals and is used only for movies.) Among the discussion-starting books they might flip open, The Mom & Dad Conversation Piece poses questions such as, “When you woke up this morning, what were you most looking forward to doing today?” In the process of creating an extraordinarily beautiful small space and learning to live together comfortably in it, Tonia says she and Michael have learned some lessons about what really contributes to genuine happiness. “Instant gratification didn’t make us happy,” Tonia observes, noting that she and her husband don’t use credit cards anymore and avoid buying things they don’t need. “Now we’re more deliberate in our choices. We take our time. In the ’80s boom, everyone wanted more, but we’ve learned to be happy, accept what we have and make the best of it, and it’s enough. It’s really a state of mind.”

SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

continued from page 46

tastes range from contemporary graffiti artists to classic Italian architecture to the Victorianflavored low-tech futurism of steampunk. No wonder, then, that this massively remodeled home has a style all its own. In its current incarnation, the Eaves residence works way inside the stylistic excesses of kitschy Southwestern clichés. Abigail, who says the vision for the design came from Craig, not her, thinks he and architect Michael Krupnick of Krupnick Studio did a wonderful job. “It’s not Southwest overkill. Craig had a vision of the house he wanted, and it evolved as we remodeled.” Boy, did it evolve. But hold on—we’ll get to that.

not pickled in the past

When Craig bought the place, which was built in 1989, he knew something had to be done with its arches, exposed adobe interior walls and bond beams, and excess of kiva fireplaces. Interested in updating the look of the house without sacrificing its of-the-place authenticity, Craig brought in his old friend Michael Krupnick, an architect known for blending modernism with New Mexico vernacular, whose office is literally steps away on Cor-

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

rales Road. (See “True to form” in Su Casa’s Autumn 2008 issue.) Michael cut his teeth restoring historic adobe churches around New Mexico with the New Mexico Community Foundation. Though he has designed large restaurants and downtown high-rise buildings as far away as Florida, Michael displays an intuitive feel for a style of Zen adobe that suits younger homeowners looking for new ways to express and appreciate adobe charm. Often sitting side by side, with Craig describing what he wanted and Michael sketching it out by hand, the two developed a design makeover that would be neither slavishly traditional nor tackily trendy. “I didn’t want it to be pickled in the past,” Michael says, and he refused to “add details just because they’re cool.” Seeking to “clarify the design intent,” he focused on the family’s lifestyle—he calls it “choreographing the space”—before considering aesthetics. “As we design around people, the home becomes beautiful in its own way.”

scope creep

What began as an addition plus some work on the kitchen broadened once the demolition and reconstruction by Adams Builders

was under way. First Adams Builders knocked down the existing carport on the east side, ripped out a driveway, tore out the east-side patio, and demolished a wall to make room for the new multipurpose flex room, interior dog kennel, storage rooms, pump room, and carport. Mick Harper, owner of Blue Sky Woodworks in Corrales, had worked up a design for kitchen cabinetry, but after looking over the project he suggested it wouldn’t be that much more to go ahead and do a whole new kitchen, Craig recalls. And clearly each of the two bathrooms and powder room would benefit from the same kind of sleek Danish modern woodwork, particularly the small master bath, which adjoined a neither useful nor attractive sunroom. “The project kept expanding and the scope unfolding until we ended up gutting everything,” Craig says. “We wanted to make the house cohesive.” Michael ended up drawing comprehensive plans for a full-gut remodel, adding 2,300 square feet (for a total of 4,800 heated and unheated square feet) and dramatically redefining the vocabulary of design. The living room, dining area, and kitchen share one large space. In the living room, they removed a corner kiva fireplace and a broad bank of south windows, then built a dramatic new fireplace flanked by smaller windows of more historically apt proportions. These changes gave the room a focal point and accommodated a wall-mounted media center. The kitchen was redrawn from scratch for a more useful flow, with the island placed toward the dining area, which would be furnished with the WPA carved table and chairs from J. W. Eaves’ ranch. When you look north from the living room, the dining table, island, and kitchen counter on the far wall create a rhythmic repetition of horizontal planes that draws the eye deeper into the room. Wide glass doors opposite the tall wall of new cabinetry added free-flowing access to the portal and backyard. The deep, wide portal connects through more glass doors to the kitchen, flex room, and kennel on three sides, respectively. When all the doors are opened to that flex room, the flow is nearly uninterrupted. New roof, new windows, new interior and exterior plaster, and new skylights round out the package. Michael also designed a lovely pool, with Hermanson Construction contributing to the design and building it several steps across the newly defined backyard, near the house

but not dominating the outdoor spaces. An exquisite dry-stacked field stone half-wall by Joe Pecos separates the yard and outdoor living space from the open space out back— what Abigail describes as having been “a half acre of nothingness” is now a grassy irrigated field. Today this one-time period piece feels like a new house with an old spirit. That must be the adobe, which Michael calls “such a great material for soul reasons.” Michael Krupnick of Krupnick Studio can be reached at 505/898-7054 or krupnickstudio.com.

continued from page 25

bathrooms is pieces of china in the drawers or on the shelves to hold little catchall items. Maybe you have your grandma’s china and you never use it, but seeing that one patterned cup every day brings a smile to your face. The finishing touches help you maintain organization because it’s enjoyable to maintain. What is the key to staying organized? It’s never to think you’re done. It’s a constant editing process. Our lives change, our interests change, our living situations change and new things come and go, and you’ve got to accommodate that. You have to create space for the new stuff and get rid of the old stuff all the time. It’s not a one-time thing. It’s ongoing, so it’s more of a state of mind than it is a project. I think that overwhelms a lot of people because they’ve always tried to just get it done. There is no such thing, so they don’t finish, and they think they can’t do it. And it’s like, well, you are doing it! There’s just no “done.” How can we find the time to organize our homes? The bottom line is the only way it’s going to happen is if you establish regularly scheduled intervals. It can be 10 minutes a day; it can be two hours a day. It can be two hours a week—whatever it is you can find time for, but do it regularly and at that consistent interval. What happens is you do six hours this weekend and then you’re so fried you don’t do it again for 18 months— that won’t get it done. It’s a little bit—one shelf, one bin, one basket, one drawer, one square foot of floor space—at a time. More than Organized, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 505/243-4356, morethanorganized.net. SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Statement of Ownership

Join us for our first annual Spring Parade of Homes

April 29, 30 and May 1 and May 6, 7 and 8

Homes of Enchantment Parade is Now Twice a Year Ho m e s O f E n c h a n t m e n t Pa r a d e . c o m

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

1.Publication Title: Su Casa, 2.Publication No.: 23618 3.Filing Date: 10/04/10, 4.Issue Frequency: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn., 5.No. of Issues Published Annually: 4 6.Annual Subscription Price: $9.95, 7.Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not Printer): 215 W. San Francisco, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM, 87501. Contact Person: Bruce Adams, 505-983-1444, 8.Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not Printer): 215 W. San Francisco, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM, 87501. 9.Full Names and Complete Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Bruce Adams, 215 W. San Francisco, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM, 87501. Editor: Charles Poling, 4100 Wolcott Ave. NE, Suite B, Albuquerque, NM 87109. Managing Editor: Charles Poling 4100 Wolcott Ave. NE, Suite B, Albuquerque, NM 87109., 10.Owner: Bella Media, 215 W. San Francisco, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM, 87501., 11.Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None., 12.Tax Status: For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months., 13.Publication Title: Su Casa, 14.Issue Date for circulation data below: 09/01/2010, 15.Extent and nature of circulation: A.Total no. copies (Net Press Run): Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 20,336. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 21,282. B.Paid and/or requested circulation: 1.Paid/ requested outside-county mail subscriptions stated on Form 3541 (Include advertiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proof and exchange copies): Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 7,035. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 6,679. 2.Paid in-county subscriptions stated on Form 3541 (Include advertiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proof and exchange copies): Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 0. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 0. 3.Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other Non-USPS Paid Distribution: Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 5,097. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 5,574., 4.Other classes mailed through the USPS: Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 86. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 20., C.Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)): Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 12,218. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 12,273. D. Free Distribution by Mail (Samples, complimentary, and other free): 1.Outside County as stated on Form 3541: Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 0. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 0. 2.In-County as stated on form 3541: Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 0. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 0. 3.Other classes mailed through the USPS: Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 0. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 0. 4.Free distribution outside the mail (carriers or other means): Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 3,275. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 5,736. E.Total free distribution (Sum of 15D): Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 3,275. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 5,736. F.Total distribution (Sum of 15C and 15E): Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 15,493. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 18,009. G.Copies not distributed: Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 4,843. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 3,273., H.Total (Sum of 15F and 15G): Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 20,336. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 21,282. I.Percent paid and/or requested circulation (15C divided by 15F, times 100): Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 78.86%. Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 68.15%., 16.This statement of ownership will be printed in the Winter 2011 (December 2010) issue of this publication., 17.I certify that all information stated above is true and complete: Bruce Adams, Publisher, November 1, 2010.

sta Ho $4 rti me 95 ng s ,0 at 00

8IBU NBLFT B 4IPXQMBDF

Simplify your life. We have the ideal solution for those who are wanting to entertain and travel. Spacious single story floor plans with beautifully designed elevations. Plenty of walking trails and 10 acres of open space. Live in the Plazas at Pecos Trail and simplify your life today! 505-983-8100

chapmanhomes.com

In Santa Fe on Old Pecos Trail and St. Michaels Drive just north of Zia Road.

*T JU UIF BMM XPPE RVBMJUZ UIF FYQSFTTJWF EFUBJM PS UIF SJDI HMB[FE GJOJTI $PVME JU CF UIF WFSTBUJMF DVTUPN PQUJPOT PS UIF TNBSU BDDFTTPSJFT %PFT UIF IPOFTU .JEXFTUFSO DSBGUTNBOTIJQ CBDLFE CZ B MJNJUFE MJGFUJNF XBSSBOUZ QMBZ B QBSU *T JU B 4IPXQMBDF CFDBVTF JU PGGFST UIBU KVTU SJHIU CBMBODF PG WBMVF RVBMJUZ BOE WFSTBUJMJUZ 1FSIBQT UIF BOTXFS JT TJNQMZ Â²"MM PG UIF BCPWF Â³ "MCVRVFSRVF "MCVRVFSRVF $BCJOFUT )BXLJOT /& 3VJEPTP 1SFTUJHF $BCJOFUT .FDIFN %S .FDIFN % SUCASAMAGAZINE.COM

Winter 2011 Advertisers Accurate Mortgage....................................................61

Marie Enterprises, Inc. .............inside front cover

Ameriplex Mortgage.................................................73

NanaWall......................................................................23

Annex General Contracting...................................71

New Haven Homes..................................................62

Architectural Surfaces, Inc. ....................................72

New Mexico Bank & Trust....................................30

Blue Sky Traditions, LLC.......................................79

New Mexico Select....................................................73

Blue Sky Woodworks...............................................68

Paa-Ko Communities...............................................13

Blueher Abodes..........................................................77

Panorama Homes.........................inside back cover

BGNM/GBC..............................................................31

Pella Windows & Doors..........................back cover

Builders Source Appliance Gallery.........................1

Piñon Window & Door...........................................75

BW Earp Lath & Plaster.........................................79

PNM & NMGC Energy Star Homes Program....4

Centinela Traditional Arts.....................................79

Quilts Olé....................................................................79

Century Bank..............................................................59

Ray’s Flooring.................................................................3

Chapman Homes/Chapman Realty...................77

Restaurant Week.......................................................69

Culligan SW Water Conditioning.....................64

RMH General Contracting, Inc. ........................72

Del Sol Builders, Inc. ...............................................79

Rocky Mountain Stone...........................................70

DESIGN.......................................................................11

Scott Patrick Homes.................................................58

Diamond Tail Ranch................................................19

Showplace Wood Products....................................77

Direct Buy.....................................................................15

Sierra Pacific Windows..............................................7

ElRey/ParexUSA......................................................70

St. Price Design Studio.............................................74

Ernest Thompson Furniture & Custom Cabinets...24

Su Casa Subscriptions.............................................60

Fabu-Wall-ous Solutions LLC.............................78

Sun Mountain Construction Inc. ......................66

Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery....67

Sunshine Plumbing and Heating, Inc. ..............76

Foxwood Cabinets....................................................79

Supple Homes............................................................70

General Electric..........................................................21

The Firebird.................................................................78

Golden Dawn Gallery..............................................63

The Spa @ WDC.......................................................10

Granite Transformations.........................................56

Thompson Heating & Air Conditioning..........66

Hanks House............................................................8, 9

Tile Mart.......................................................................62

Hermanson Construction......................................25

Ultimate Home Showcase.....................................26

Homes by New Vistas..............................................77

U.S. New Mexico Federal Credit Union.............2

Homes of Enchantment Parade...........................76

Union Savings Bank..................................................55

Infrared Diagnostics.................................................79

Variance Acrylic Finishes........................................79

Jade Enterprises..........................................................75

Views Landscapes of Distinction.........................73

Kayeman Custom Homes......................................59

Waterfalls and More..................................................71

Keller Williams Realty.............................................65

Wells Fargo Bank......................................................68

Kreger Design Build LLC......................................67

Western Building Supply Co., Inc. .....................17

La Tienda......................................................................79

Wholesale Timber & Viga......................................74

Some are Dreamers…Some are Dream makers AWARD WINNING BUILDER

Fabulous Solutions for all your Building Needs Commercial • Residential License #9175

1925 Rosina Street Santa Fe, NM 87505

Manifest your dreams with

If you are thinking of Remodeling, Renovating, Building New

505.982.9699 fabuwallous.com

Insulation can help you select the Restucco Now. perfect energy-saving solution for your home. • Restucco • Synthetic Stucco Restoration • Re-Insulation • New Stucco • New Construction • Parapet Repair • Waterproofing • Interior Plaster Serving New Mexico since 1985 License #060971 Free Estimates 505-924-2214 505-344-2111 or 800-871-3392 www.millersinsulation.com www.bwearp.com

Del Sol Builders, Inc.

La Tienda

La Tienda Tienda La

Variance Smart Consignment Smart Consignment Decor Decor

Pride in craftsmanship

Add to your home’s insulation NOW & get a 30% tax credit up to $1500. Now is the perfect time to give your home a freshexperts look. at Miller’s The certified

Residential Construction & Remodel

Acrylic Finish Systems

We We accept accept on on consignment: consignment: can furniture beautifully transform ••Variance upholstered upholstered furniture wall space. Limitless color and ••any case case goods goods possibilities. ••texture lamps lamps •• rugs rugs ••Interior wall wall decor decor and exterior •• vintage vintage jewelry jewelry Consigning Consigning fine fine art art as as well. well.

Specializing in presenting you with a high-quality, on-time renovation that meets your expectations & budget. From beginning to end, “We've Got Your Back.”

8510 8510 Montgomery Montgomery NE, NE, Suite Suite A6 A6 4509 Alameda Blvd. NE S-A Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM NM 505-823-6404 Target Shopping Center Target Shopping Center Toll Free: 888-323-6404 between between Wyoming Wyoming and and Eubank Eubank www.variancefinishes.com Call Call 505-298-7680 505-298-7680 for for hours hours

Since 1997 505-450-9392 www.delsolbuilds.com

Infrared Infrared Diagnostics Diagnostics

One Stop Shop Quilts Olé

Conserve Conserve Energy! Energy! Save Save Money! Money!

From Art to Xeriscaping... and everything in between. Quilts Olé, with over 3,000 bolts of 19 local businesses in one fabulous 100% cotton quilting convenient location. fabric. Classes for all levels of quilters. New Kits. Notions.

How How efficient efficient is is your your home? home? Let Let us us show show you. you. Energy Energy Audits Audits Thermal •Thermal EnergyImaging Audits Imaging Door Testing •Blower Thermal Imaging Blower Door Testing Certified Building Analyst •BPI Blower Door Testing BPI Certified Building Analyst

• BPI Certified Building Analyst

3923Alameda Corrales Road 4801 NE 505-890-9416 NM Albuquerque, www.quiltsole.com www.nmdesigncenter.net

505-463-3614 505-463-3614 www.irdiagnostics.net www.irdiagnostics.net

Centinela Centinela Traditional Arts Traditional Arts Rio Grande Textiles

Blue Blue Sky Sky Traditions, Traditions, LLC LLC Custom Custom Homes Homes & & Structures Structures

Maintaining Maintaining our our standard standard for for excellence excellence in in Residential Residential Construction, Construction, Architectural Architectural Planning, Planning, Design/Builds Design/Builds and and Consulting. Consulting. Blue Blue Sky Sky Traditions Traditions –A –A leader leader in in the the construction construction industry industry throughout throughout Northern New Mexico. Northern New Mexico. License License No. No. 355566 355566 613 613 Bond Bond Street, Street, Suite Suite A A Española, NM 87532 Española, NM 87532 505-753-0175 505-753-0175 www.blueskybuilders-inc.com www.blueskybuilders-inc.com

Rio Grande Textiles

Fine Art Tapestry • Custom Rugs •Upholstery Fine Art Tapestry • Custom Rugs • Upholstery

505-351-2180 505-351-2180 On the the High High Road Road to to Taos Taos On www.chimayoweavers.com www.chimayoweavers.com

to advertise 505-344-1783

hh aa hat hat

Free 1208 Mercantile Free Estimates Estimates Road, Santa Fe, NM 505-344-2111 505-424-7312 505-344-2111 www.bwearp.com www.foxwoodcabinets.com www.bwearp.com

Miller’s Insulation B.W. Earp Lath & Plaster

SuCasaMagazine.com

odel odel

Fall perfect time give Fall is is the theit’s perfect time of of year year to to Whether construction or give your home aa new fresh look. your home fresh look. remodel, we produce exquisite cabinetryNow. with attention to your Restucco Restuccoand Now. budget design aesthetic. •• Restucco Restucco only FSC-Certified cabinet shop •The • Synthetic Synthetic Stucco Stucco Restoration Restoration NM for your LEED® or Green Build •in New Stucco • New Stucco •project. • Parapet Parapet Repair Repair •• Waterproofing Waterproofing •SCS-COC-002598 • Interior Interior Plaster Plaster

toadvertise advertise 505-344-1783 505-344-1783 to

85 85

Pride in Fine Cabinetry PrideCustom in craftsmanship craftsmanship

SuCasaMagazine.com SuCasaMagazine.com

W W& &

B.W. Foxwood, Inc. & B.W. Earp Earp Lath Lath & Plaster Plaster

Dream On

Photograph by Kirk Gittings

slope side High above the hubbub of metropolitan Albuquerque, Harder Custom Builders turns a challenging location into a stunning homesite—and the views go on forever. Location: The steep foothills directly below Sandia Crest in Albuquerque. Challenge: Robin Harder of Harder Custom Builders says the project took a full year to build, partly because of the extensive dirt work required to carve out a building site. “The lot looked unbuildable,” Robin says. “The challenge was to work with the existing terrain.” Mike Cabber and Rob Hepker designed the home, working collaboratively with the homeowners and Robin and her husband, Kyle, the builders. When they finally scraped away a buildable site, it was two pads: one up, one down. Looking ahead, Cabber & Hepker designed it for aging in place—the homeowners can live exclusively on the upper level, while the lower level has an additional bedroom, bath, and living area, plus a two-car garage and workshop. Result: Today the home treats its owners to truly panoramic views of the city, the Rio Grande valley, and a handful of near and distant mountain ranges. At 6,600 square feet under roof plus a 600-square-foot heated basement, there’s plenty of room to enjoy the views.

S U C A S A W i n t e r 2011

10 EnchaHomes o ntmen f “GO t Parade

LD” “Be “Bestst Kitchen ” Ba ENER throom” GY S TA fied R

Quali

Photos: ABQ Home Pics

CUSTOM HOME BUILDER

COMING SPRING 2011 CIELO ESTATES Located in Albuquerque’s far Northeast Heights at Paseo del Norte and Holbrook | Custom Homes starting in the $400’s

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

www.panoramahomes.com

SAVE UP TO SAVE UP TO

1,500

1 1

SAVE NOW. SAY WOW. SAVE NOW. SAY WOW.

It‘s one of Pella‘s most amazing sales ever. onetime, of Pella‘s most amazing sales ever. For It‘s a limited save on the purchase of professionally installed

ON ON

SALE SALE NOW NOW

For a® replacement limited time, windows save on the andpurchase doors. Pella of professionally products will wow installed you Pella replacementenergy windows and doors. Pella products will wow youcosts with Pella their® exceptional efﬁciency. They‘ll help lower your energy r. costs with their— exceptional energy efﬁciency. They‘ll help lower youryea energy saving you even more month after month, year after — saving you even more month after month, year after year.

SAVE UP TO SAVE UP TO

1500OFF OFF

$ $ ,,

Pella Window and Door Replacement Pella Window and Door Replacement

NO INTEREST INTEREST IFNO PAID IN FULL IF PAID FULL WITHIN 36IN MONTHS Interest WITHIN will be charged 36 toMONTHS your account from the purchase if the to purchase balance is Interest will bedate charged your account from not paid in full within the promotional period the purchase date if the purchase balance is orin if full youwithin make the a late payment.2period not paid promotional or if you make a late payment.2

Contact Pella NOW for a free, no-pressure in-home consultation, Contact for aafree, no-pressure in-home consultation, and startPella yourNOW year with WOW. and start your year with a WOW.

866-854-4749 866-854-4749 pellainnovations.com/SUCASA pellainnovations.com/SUCASA your local Pella Showroom

your local Pella Showroom

Albuquerque, NM 4801 Alameda Street Northeast Las Cruces, NMNM 3961 EastAlameda Lohman,Street SuiteNortheast 14 Albuquerque, 4801 Santa Fe, NM 706 St. Michaels Drive Las Cruces, NM 3961 East Lohman, Suite 14 El Paso, 6703 Mesa Drive Santa Fe,TXNM 706North St. Michaels El Paso, TX 6703 North Mesa

window & door replacement window & door replacement 1 Discount equates to 20% off each window and/or door (excluding installation) up to $1,500. Minimum purchase of four windows and/or doors. Discount applies to retail list price. $1,500 savings based on $7,500

purchase for replacement projects only andupmust be installed by Pella professionals. Only valid on select Pella® products. Nottovalid other offersavings or promotion. Prior sales 1product Discount equates(excluding to 20% offinstallation). each windowValid and/or door (excluding installation) to $1,500. Minimum purchase of four windows and/or doors. Discount applies retailwith list any price. $1,500 based on $7,500 excluded. Other restrictions may apply. See store for details. Offer ends 02/28/11. 2 The Pella Windows & Doors Visa® credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Financial National Bank. Special terms apply to purchases charged

product purchase (excluding installation). Valid for replacement projects only and must be installed by Pella professionals. Only valid on select Pella® products. Not valid with any other offer or promotion. Prior sales with approved at participating merchants. minimum monthly payment will the amount will pay for credit the purchase in full in duringNational the promotional period. Interest be chargedcharged to your 2 ThebePella excluded. Othercredit restrictions may apply. See storeThe for details. Offer ends 02/28/11. Windowsthat & Doors Visa® card is issued byequal Wells payments Fargo Financial Bank. Special terms applywill to purchases account from the purchase date at the regular APR if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period or if you make a late payment. For newly opened accounts, the regular APR is 27.99%. The with approved credit at participating merchants. The minimum monthly payment will be the amount that will pay for the purchase in full in equal payments during the promotional period. Interest will be charged toAPR your may vary.from The the APRpurchase is given as of 10/01/10. If you interest in anyisbilling cycle, thewithin minimum interest charge will or beif$1.00. If you use payment. the card forForcash advances, cash advance fee isAPR 5% is of 27.99%. the amount the account date at the regular APRareif charged the purchase balance not paid in full the promotional period you make a late newly openedthe accounts, the regular The of APR cash advance, but not less than $10.00. Offer expires 02/28/11. © 2010 Pella Corporation may vary. The APR is given as of 10/01/10. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. If you use the card for cash advances, the cash advance fee is 5% of the amount of the cash advance, but not less than $10.00. Offer expires 02/28/11. © 2010 Pella Corporation