southwestern design q&a

welcome home

Create your perfect homecoming with inviting exteriors that work for your neighborhood, smart eco-conscious flooring, and interior adobe plaster.
Edited by Marsha McEuen
Photograph by Charles Mann

This article first appeared in Autunm 2008 Su Casa

open invitation
Q:To catch the view, our house is oriented perpendicular to the driveway. How do we indicate which way to the front door? We have slate steps, but that does not seem to do the trick.
—Judith Ann, Las Cruces, New Mexico

A: The entry to your home is like a personal introduction. It should be warm, welcoming, and individual. “It says the first thing about who you are,” says Bill Sabatini, design principal at Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, an Albuquerque planning and design firm. If the approach to the home is confusing or obscure, visitors will feel uncomfortable.

Fortunately, there are many ways to design great approaches, even when the main door to your home is on the side. “The home should be oriented for views and to utilize passive solar,” Sabatini says. “It doesn’t matter so much where the door is when you use design to make the approach clear and inviting.” His own home is sited in a way that is similar to the one described in this question. “I built an entry courtyard with a stucco wall and a gate,” he explains. “Courtyards are traditional in New Mexico. They draw the eye in a pleasing way through the gate and along the path to the main door.”

Sabatini advises creating an entry visitors will see when they step onto the property. It could be an arbor, an arch, a gate, or columns flanking the path to the door. Even colorful containers with tall plants would work. “Something that people pass through will clearly mark the way and make it special,” he says. Add attractive lighting, such as lanterns, that accentuate the path in the day and illuminate it at night.

Another way to set off an entry is with contrast, Sabatini suggests. This could be the soft green of plantings along a stone walkway or the use of a contrasting color. Slate steps, for example, may not be obvious if they blend with the surrounding landscape. Black or red stone around or leading to the steps could add drama and make them more visible.

“Approaches are very important and it is fun to create a sense of place with them,” Sabatini says. “We live in an area where there are many brown houses with brown doors, but these can actually be distinctive. Lighting, color, texture, and plantings are the key ingredients.” He says to think first about what is on the ground. Pavers, stone, even concrete are the home’s welcome mat. Then consider the space overhead. Could you add an arch, a trellis, or even a tree canopy for ambience?

Let color inspire you. New Mexico has a tradition of brightly painted gates and doors. A simple paint job can add a world of charm. Plants, even those in containers, prove another simple solution to a bland entry as elements that can frame a doorway or border a path. Also consider texture and the rich contrasts that result from the use of rock, glass, and patterns. Choose lighting for both form and function, keeping in mind that soft pools of light are more interesting than a single bright flood.

Transparency is a quality Sabatini particularly enjoys in approaches. “I like to design so that a bit of the house can be seen without compromising privacy,” he explains. “A window can expose an interior courtyard or a brightly colored wall. At night with the lights on, it literally draws people to the home.” Ultimately, the approach to a home is what connects public and private worlds. It is like a warm greeting to each homecoming and well worth the investment in creativity.

at home with desert flooring
Q:We live in a lovely home in the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque. The house is 17 years old and we are ready to do something different with the flooring. We were thinking about either bamboo or possibly cork and perhaps leaving carpeting only in the smaller bedrooms. My husband would like wood in the master bedroom because of our allergies. Do you know how well these woods will do in our dry climate? We have hot water baseboard heating and swamp coolers for air conditioning. Last but not least, we have a medium-sized dog.
—Michele Wilkie, Albuquerque, New Mexico

A:You are wise to ask these questions early in the process. The simple answer is that all of these types of flooring are possible, but bamboo is more problematic than others. All are in a similar price range, and removing your carpet, which harbors dust and allergens, may improve your allergy problems.

“All the surfaces in a house are in a constant state of response to changes in heat and humidity,” says Toni Fuge, owner and vice president of sales of Plaza Hardwood in Santa Fe. Her 20 years’ experience as a manufacturer and dealer of wood flooring plus her keen interest in the technical details mean that she is often called upon as a consultant for problem floors. “The real comfort zone for wood is 30 to 50 percent humidity and 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit,” she says. “People wonder how on earth it’s even possible to have wood in our dry climate. It’s because we live in our homes. We shower and cook, and so most houses have higher humidity than the outdoors. So wood will generally perform well here.”

Starting at the top, solid hardwood plank flooring gives the best performance. Fuge especially recommends planks that are near four inches in width. You need only look at the wood floors in century-old buildings to see how beautiful and durable this classic material is. If the floors become worn, they can be resanded and refinished. But solid hardwoods are also usually the most expensive choice. And, if they are installed over a concrete slab, a subfloor is needed. This makes the finished floor about one and a half inches thick, which may be thicker than other floors in the house.

In this case, engineered hardwood is an option. Engineered wood consists of layers of wood bonded together with prefinished wood on top. “Many engineered products have worthwhile wear layers,” Fuge says. “Some can be sanded, and they can be put down directly over the slab.” Installation is easy, and the finished floor could be only about nine-sixteenths of an inch thick.

Cork floors do not expand or contract, and the material is resilient—dent it and it will spring back. Anyone who has owned a pair of shoes with cork insoles knows how comfortable it is to walk on. And because of nonporous finishes, cork floors do not stain. But Fuge warns against new veneers that add color to cork. “These new veneers are often thin and can show signs of wear quite quickly,” she explains. There are numerous choices in cork flooring that are comparable in price to the least expensive hardwood.

Bamboo floors have a look that many people love. “But it is important to remember that bamboo is a grass, not a tree,” Fuge says. “It is relatively new and is widely distributed.” While there is some domestic bamboo, most is imported from Asia’s steamy climates. It is generally impossible for dealers to know exactly how it was manufactured. This may account to some extent for the frustrating and unpredictable problems that Fuge and other dealers have encountered with bamboo floors. There are many different finishes, and the floors can shrink at random and crack with no apparent reason. “Bamboo probably does better in more humid climates,” Fuge says.

Does this mean you can’t have bamboo floors? Not at all. Many New Mexicans have them and are happy with them. Fuge recommends first that you be aware of the possible problems. Second, see a local dealer with experience installing bamboo floors in this area and choose a brand of flooring that has given consistently good results. Bamboo prices are comparable to cork.

As we all try to live more gently on the planet, it is important to understand that there are many shades of green, a word often used for its marketing value. Bamboo, for example, is a quick-growing, sustainable resource. However, how the bamboo was farmed and manufactured and how workers were treated are usually open questions. Moreover, once the material is shipped halfway around the world, its carbon footprint, the amount of greenhouse gases produced in its manufacture and transportation, is roughly equivalent to a size 12 work boot.

Cork flooring is made from the bark of the cork oak tree. It is harvested without killing the tree, which can live as long as 200 years. Cork comes mostly from Mediterranean countries.

Fuge carries woods that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as sustainably harvested. A wide variety, including cherry and maple, is available. She also sells kiln-dried pine from Mexico, which is highly suited to our climate and has a low carbon footprint. Reclaimed wood is an excellent environmental choice but typically is more expensive.

Whatever your final selection, keeping the dog’s claws neatly trimmed will help protect your new floors.

perfect harmony
Q:I have built a Pueblo style home and have yet to finish the attached garage. Would it be a sin to finish walls in stone or even to put in a hip-type roof with tile? The rest of the house has a flat roof.
—Greg Rubio, Peyton, Colorado

A:“There are no sins,” says Gayla Bechtol of Santa Fe, a certified historic architect, but there are many variations on Pueblo style. Authentic Pueblo was the style used by Native Americans and early Spanish settlers. These homes are characteristically low to the ground, usually single story with prominent vigas, small windows, and rounded edges. If your home is this authentic, it might be best to stick with the style.

“Over time, the styles blurred,” Bechtol says. There is Adobe Vernacular, a simplified style; Pueblo Revival, a Santa Fe style; and Contemporary style loosely inspired by its adobe predecessors. “The tile roof and stone walls are more in keeping with Mission Revival style,” she says. “It is another Spanish style that is more typical in California. It is possible to mix the styles if it is done with sensitivity.”

“Homeowner-built houses can be lovely,” Bechtol continues. She points to historic Santa Fe neighborhoods with their charming jumble of styles. “You should do what you think will look good, but make sure it is balanced and harmonious with the surroundings.”

Bechtol suggests first considering the size and siting of the garage. “How big is it?” she asks. “Is it in front of the house or receded? How does it balance the house? Will the addition of a tile roof make the garage taller than the rest of the house and possibly overpower it?”

Next, look at your surroundings. Are you in a neighborhood with a mix of styles, or does every house look alike? “You should think about how the house will fit in the context of the neighborhood and the site,” Bechtol advises. “The house needs to fit in, not necessarily be the same.”

Done the right way, your house could be Pueblo style with Spanish flair. “What is harmonious is ultimately a judgment,” Bechtol says. “It should be harmonious with your neighborhood and community. The many variants of Pueblo style from Native American to Contemporary attest to its suitability to the desert Southwest. It’s fascinating to see how the styles morph, and it is entirely appropriate to morph them.”

inside adobe plaster
Q:I have exposed adobe walls inside my home and would like to stucco or plaster them. Can I do it myself, or should I hire someone to do this?
—Anita Hamm, Prescott, Arizona

A:Plastering is a job only the bravest of do-it-yourselfers would tackle, and plastering adobe is especially tricky. Donna Earp, vice president of B.W. Earp Lath & Plaster recommends that you hire someone who is experienced plastering interior adobe walls. “Plastering interior walls is completely different from exterior walls,” she says. “It takes patience, pride in your work, and skill.”

Earp says that you will probably find interior plaster much more attractive for your walls than stucco. “You could use stucco in an interior courtyard or where there’s a waterfall,” she says. “But it’s cement-based and has a very rough texture, where interior plasters are softer and have beautiful finishes.”
First, the adobe must be covered with lath, or metal mesh. It may look like chicken wire, but it also comes in other shapes. These are hard to work with. “You have to be very careful nailing the lath to the adobe,” Earp explains. “If it is too tight, for example, it will cause cracks. It also takes a skilled worker to know what type of lath works best in particular situations.”

Gypsum plaster requires three coats, all of which have to be mixed to specific consistencies. “Moreover,” Earp adds, “most homeowners just don’t have access to the specialized equipment that is needed—scaffolds, large commercial mixers, and the rods that are used to ensure an even thickness on the walls.” Experienced workers know by feel when the consistency is right and how to get the right thickness. It is not something that is developed overnight, and plastering is hard, messy labor. The price of doing any of the steps incorrectly is plaster that will simply fall off—or worse, damage your adobe.

Even products like American Clay, which are less complicated to apply, are not so easy over adobe. Again, the adobe must be prepped properly to create a smooth surface and also to safeguard the material. “Adobe still breathes even when it has stucco on the outside and plaster on the inside,” Earp says. “You don’t want moisture to be able to get into it and become trapped.”

Adobe is the treasured building material of the Southwest. Historic adobe buildings have stood for 400 years. You’ll want to protect yours by hiring someone who knows all of its quirks.

expert contact info:
open invitation: Bill Sabatini, AIA, design principal, Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 505/761-9700, dpsdesign.org.
at home with desert flooring: Toni Fuge, owner and vice president of sales, Plaza Hardwood, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 505/992-3260 or 800/662-6306, plzfloor.com.
perfect harmony: Gayla Bechtol, AIA, certified historic architect, Gayla Bechtol Architects, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 505/988-3315, gbasantafe.com.
inside adobe plaster: Donna Earp, vice president, B.W. Earp Lath & Plaster, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 505/344-2111, bwearp.com.