by Lexi Reich
photographs by Daniel Nadelbach
a stunning home grew out of friendship and a partnership between homeowners and their builder
Nestled in Albuquerque’s North Valley, Pauline and Ralph Hansen’s striking contemporary home seamlessly blends California cool with New Mexican charm. The couple, who relocated from Beverly Hills in 2009, created a spacious yet warm oasis that suits their new chapter of life.
“We would drive through this area called Prado and say, ‘I’d love to live there someday,’” Pauline recalls. That dream became reality in late 2021 when a rare lot became available in the exclusive neighborhood.
Pauline started a career with Twilight Homes in 2014, eventually becoming a luxury homes specialist for Twilight Luxury Homes. The company has adopted an ethos around empowering its employees by crowning them with the title “The Builder,” ensuring they approach the work as if it has their own name on it. The Hansens are, of course, proud they partnered with Pauline’s team.
Two and a half years later, the result is a stunning U-shaped residence centered around indoor-outdoor living. The new home represents more than just a beautiful living space—it’s the culmination of putting down roots in their adopted hometown. Pauline credits their close friendship with Vinny Pizzonia—Twilight’s president and co-founder—and his wife Melanie with helping New Mexico truly feel like home.
The collaborative spirit between the homeowners and the builder created magic. Pauline drove the interior design and product selections with help from local designer Lenin Diaz to create a home that truly reflects the couple’s personalities and aesthetics, including a neutral palette punctuated with pops of rich color throughout.
Entering the home, a dramatic 6-foot-wide walnut pivot door surrounded by large windows opens to a foyer defined by a tambour ceiling treatment to reveal an expansive great room. Across the ample space, enormous accordion doors connect to the backyard oasis, complete with a sparkling pool. “I love to walk through the front door and see out the back—an extension of the house into the backyard,” Pauline says.
Dan Mallak, Twilight Luxury Homes division president, sees the great room’s design as revolutionary. “The kitchen island and the great room are the focal points for everyone,” he explains. “The way it’s designed, the person in the kitchen isn’t omitted from the activity and conversation.” In an oversized, multi-use space like this, it’s important to delineate the individual spaces while creating a through-line of design elements.
A unique island with an expansive cantilevered granite slab that appears to defy gravity anchors the showstopping kitchen. “I saw an island in a magazine with a drop-down piece that was made out of live-edge wood,” Pauline says. When that proved impractical for New Mexico’s dry climate, she worked with Vinny Pizzonia to create a sleek solution. Black cabinetry with inset doors seems to soar to the ceiling thanks to an oversized filler strip above the top cabinets. The granite from the kitchen island repeats across the room on the sophisticated fireplace design with a striking angled tambour overlay—the living space is grounded by a large, plush rug. The dining area echoes the black on the table, buffet and modern, abstract art.
The spacious primary suite is a serene retreat of white and gray that allows the backyard views to take center stage. The real treat is the spa-like bathroom with floor-to-ceiling marble including a chevron-patterned floor tile, large-format wall tiles and a feature wall behind the bathtub of reeded marble that mirrors the tambour treatments in the great room. Like the bedroom, this space also brings the outdoors in. “Our owner’s shower is all glass,” Pauline describes. “We have a six-by six-foot window that looks out to the courtyard.” Plans are in the works for a Zen garden to complete the indoor-outdoor feel.
The Hansens made sure to include plenty of space for visiting family, with guest rooms and an attached casita. “We wanted a very comfortable suite to encourage our adult children to visit,” Ralph says. The casita features a spacious living area with a statement fireplace clad in fluted marble tile with green and salmon-colored graphic elements. “I built the room around this tile because it is so unique,” Pauline says. Other guest spaces in this four-bedroom, five-bathroom home offered Pauline a place to stretch her design wings. “I always think powder baths are like their own little personalities,” she says. One powder room features dramatic black and orange wallpaper with whimsical bug motifs.
The outdoor spaces were equally considered, with a dining area, a living space with two full-sized outdoor sofas and a fully equipped kitchen for Ralph’s grilling passion. “I hate for him to saute in my kitchen, so I send him outside,” Pauline jokes. The setup includes a high-BTU side burner, a cooler and plans for a future pizza oven to expand their al fresco dining options.
The home’s livability particularly stands out to the builder. During the Parade of Homes, which Mallak says drew around 2,000 visitors, people were struck by how the residence balanced luxury with comfort. “People felt like it was somewhere they could live,” Mallak says. “You can build the nicest, most updated, outrageous-type house, but if it doesn’t feel like that’s a place where you can sit and share memories with your family and friends, then to me, I’ve failed.”
With 11 grandchildren between them, the Hansens have ensured their “upsize” will accommodate many joyful family gatherings in the years to come. The collective nature of the project—a testament to the power of friendship—helped the couple embrace new beginnings in the beautiful New Mexico landscape. “It’s a collaboration of everybody,” Pauline says, crediting the Pizzonias, designer Diaz and the entire Twilight Luxury Homes team for bringing their dream to life.
resources
Architecture
Adwelling Design LLC
Home Builder
Twilight Luxury Homes
twilightluxuryhomes.com
Interior Design/Floral Arrangements
Decorations by Lenin
decorationsbylenin.com
Appliances
Builders Source Appliance Gallery
builderssource.com
Audio/Visual System
Paradise Village
Bathroom/Kitchen Fixtures
Doc Savage Supply
Countertops/Kitchen Backsplash
Premier Granite
Custom Painting
High Desert Painting Co.
Fireplaces
Mountain West Sales
mountainwestsales.net
Flooring/Accent Tile
Stonewood Flooring LLC
Front Door
Stately Doors & Windows
Landscaping
Southwest Creations
Lighting
Bright Ideas, Inc.
shop.lightingfordesign.com
Pool
Polo Pools
Sliding Window Wall/Windows
Western Building Supply. Inc
westernbuildingsupply.com
Storefront Windows
Southwest Glass & Glazing
Windowcoverings
Window Fashions LLC
windowfashionsnm.com
