the Best Laid Plans

by Jessa Cast
photographs by Amadeus Leitner

A traveling duo trades life on the road for a more permanent home in the Land of Enchantment.

The phrase “best laid plans,” with tongue firmly in cheek, aptly describes Renee and Lisa Baird’s journey to becoming residents of New Mexico—because it wasn’t their plan at all. It’s all the more ironic given that they both hail from highly organizational professions in their former home of Northern California—Renee, a director of operations, and Lisa, a project management professional, are in fact expert planners. The unexpected part of their journey begs another popular phrase—the one about how life happens when we’re busy making plans.

In 2011, self-described workaholics Lisa and Renee experienced the rapid loss of some loved ones, including Renee’s mother, which spawned a serious conversation about how to get the best out of their lives. “We had several friends in their 50s who were diagnosed with cancer and subsequently passed away,” Lisa recalls. “Life is too short. You just don’t know what’s going to happen.” Working nonstop wasn’t filling their souls or creating worthwhile life memories. What, they wondered, would?

Their discourse uncovered a mutual dream of visiting all the national parks. Not ones to do anything slapdash, Renee and Lisa decided the best way to achieve their dream was to sell everything, quit their high-end jobs, and travel the country in an RV. As one might imagine, when two professional planners plot out a lengthy (in their case, five-year) journey, it’s comprehensive, carefully prepared, and hyper-detailed. “It wasn’t a fear-based move,” says Renee. “It was very methodical.”

Both gave their companies two years’ notice, sold or donated all their belongings, and bought an RV. Before embarking on their odyssey, they sold their home and moved into the RV for a year, as a test. They loved it, so in June 2015 they hit the road.

On their list of stops was the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Four months into their journey, and, naturally, right on schedule, Lisa and Renee arrived in Albuquerque—where their beautifully constructed plans promptly took the proverbial hard left. The sharp rise of the Sandia Mountains captivated them, the Land of Enchantment doing its job.

They picked up a Su Casa magazine, saw the Parade of Homes was on, and decided to check out a few houses. At their first stop, a home in Rio Rancho’s Mariposa subdivision, Mike Cecchini and Kaye Marshall-Cecchini of ECOterra Design/Build, a firm focused on environmentally mindful custom homes, greeted them, and the two couples gelled. A “what if” conversation quickly turned serious when they found a Mariposa lot with unstoppable views for sale. “The lot overlooks 2,200 acres of untouched preserve,” says Cecchini. “It’s a destination resort home location.” It took a mere 10 days for the Bairds to go from tourists to landowners, and to halt their epic RV tour.

Having such great synergy, the Bairds had ECOterra design for them an eco-friendly, 2,265-square-foot, three-bedroom home with smart features, a detached casita, an RV garage, and a pool. On such a stunning lot, their task was a pleasure. “The design was relatively easy,” says Marshall-Cecchini. After all, she notes, “The views weren’t hard to hit!” Fresh, rectilinear spaces open to grand vistas in all directions. Placid ocean hues atop neutral tones reflect Renee and Lisa’s wedding colors, a daily celebration of their life together.

“We wanted that resort feel,” Renee says of the home’s ambience. “If we’re going to live here for the rest of our lives . . .,” and Lisa finishes the thought, “. . . we want to always feel like we’re on vacation.” Indeed, upon entering the front door, guests have a straight view through the living area, across the pool, and far into the desert distance. It’s quiet but for the lulling sound of a water feature, and it certainly feels like a peaceful retreat.

“We wanted that resort feel.  If we’re going to live here for the rest  of our lives, we want to always feel  like we’re on vacation.” —Renee and Lisa Baird

ECOterra gave the home distinct features. A hallway recalls a slot canyon, with stepped ceilings and angled walls. “It creates surprises around corners,” says Marshall-Cecchini. “You can’t see into rooms from a distance, so it doesn’t feel institutional.” In the same vein, the casita is craftily situated so neither the homeowners nor their guests can see into one another’s spaces. Appliance garages blend seamlessly into the kitchen cabinetry with plenty of counter space. Intended for aging in place, features such as side-hinged oven doors and extra wide showers ensure ease of living for many years to come. Even the Baird’s diminutive dog, Kai, got a personal space, a coyote-proofed dog run where she can safely enjoy a sunny day.

An RV garage allows traveling friends or family to not only visit, but park their RV in a fully plumbed space, protected from the elements. Should they not come to visit on a massive set of wheels, guests board in the charming casita, which opens to a full-length view of the bright teal swimming pool. In offering such a pleasant sanctuary, the Bairds’ biggest problem may be getting guests to head back home.

ECOterra’s finest aspects may be their commitment to a quality product. “One of the things that really offsets us from other custom builders is the degree of energy and guts of the home that we pay attention to. It’s not just aesthetics,” says Marshall-Cecchini. “This house looks nice, but it also operates at a high level.”

In a fun twist of events, Renee and Lisa, who found their builder on the Parade of Homes, opened their own home to visitors on the Spring 2019 Parade. Gratifying for both ECOterra and the homeowners was the slew of awards it earned in its category: Best Kitchen, Best Bath, Most Innovative, Best Outdoor Living Space, Premier, and Premier Green.

Their home complete, and finally with some breathing room, Lisa and Renee plan to resume their tour of the national parks in their new, smaller RV, knowing they have their final dream house to come home to in the desert Southwest. Sometimes, even when plans change, they work out pretty well.

resources

Design/Build
ECOterra Design/Build
ecoterrallc.com

A/V System & Control4 Smart Home System
Connected Home Source

Appliances
Builder Source Appliance Gallery
builderssource.com

Bath & Kitchen Cabinetry
Albuquerque Cabinet Brokers

Bath & Kitchen Countertop
United Stoneworks
unitedstoneworks.net

Bath & Kitchen Sink, Tubs, Fixtures
Doc Savage

Closets
California Closets

Fireplaces
Mountain West Sales
mountainwestsales.net

Gates and Metal Fabrication
Say Ironworks

Interior Doors
Pat’s Doors

Landscaping & Entry Water Feature
Serquis + Associates

Lighting
Turn On Lighting

Pool
Hermanson Construction
hermansonpools.com

Porcelain Tile, Porcelain Tile Flooring & Kitchen Backsplash
Architectural Surfaces, Inc

Window Coverings
All about Blinds & Shutters

Windows & Sliding Window Walls
Pella Windows & Doors
pellasw.com