Santa Fe New Mexican Article:

By: Dennis J. Carroll

Four historic homes associated with the city’s artistic and creative past will highlight Sunday’s annual Mother’s Day Historic House Tour.

One was once occupied by a Santa Fe Trail merchant, another by an architect and preservation activist, another by one of the founding members of city’s vibrant arts community, and the fourth was the home of a master wood-print artist and marionette maker.

All the homes have been through various incarnations depending upon the vocations and idiosyncrasies of the owners or renters at a particular time, said Elaine Bergman, director of the Historic Santa Fe Foundation, which is conducting the tours.

Another reason the four particular homes were selected, Bergman said, is because, “the artists who lived there maybe 70 years ago could walk through the front door today and still recognize the building as their home” because of the special care given to their preservation.

The organization has been conducting the tours on a Sunday in May for more than 40 years. In 2003, the group initiated the event as a Mother’s Day tradition. “There were generations of mothers, daughters and granddaughters who were coming through the homes, so we thought it would be a fitting Mother’s Day event,” Bergman said.

Sunday’s tour homes include: the James L. Johnson house, also known as El Zaguan, a collection of artists’ apartments and studios at 545 Canyon Road; the Gustave and Jane Baumann house and studio at 409 Camino de Las Animas; the Irene von Horvath house and studio at 728 Canyon Road; and the Sheldon Parsons House and studio at 3 and 5 Cerro Gordo Road.

Bergman said the Parsons home is of particular interest because the public has not been allowed inside for at least 20 years.

Sheldon Parsons was a successful New York portrait painter whose work included studies of President William McKinley and suffragette Susan B. Anthony.

According to the Historic Santa Fe Foundation, he moved to Santa Fe seeking relief from tuberculosis in 1913 after the death of his wife, photographer Caroline Reed Harris. In New Mexico, his creative endeavors turned toward landscapes.

He was a founding participant in the creation of Santa Fe as an artist community, and his presence drew other artists to Northern New Mexico.

When Parsons and his daughter, Sara Parsons Higgins, bought the property in the mid-1920s, the site consisted of three adobe buildings on three parcels, Bergman said.

Parsons connected the buildings and built a second story where his studio was located. The property is in the Pueblo-Revival style, identified by its thick adobe walls, narrow, roughly hewed vigas, long portals and narrow interior doors.

The 3,000-square-foot home, which has an adjacent guest house, was most recently purchased in 2000 by John and Linda Dressman, owners of the Santa Fe Indian Trading Co. and Dressman’s Gifts on the Santa Fe Plaza.

The James Johnson home is named after the Santa Fe Trail merchant who bought the Canyon Road property, which included a house and a corral, in the mid-1850s.

The house at 729 Canyon Road, built between 1839 and 1856, was home to Irene von Horvath, an architect and water colorist who purchased the property in 1954 and lived there for 30 years.

Von Horvath is credited with conceiving the idea of the “ring road” that became Paseo de Peralta.

As did the other artists, Von Horvath did much of the carpentry and brickwork for additions to the home.

Gustave Baumann designed his home in 1923 to serve as his studio, home and gallery, according to the foundation. He was known to entertain other artists and family friends at the house with plays he produced for his delicately crafted marionettes.

The foundation acquired the Baumann home in 2008 and has been restoring it for the past year.

Foundation docents will conduct tours of the four homes from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at any of the houses for $5.

Link to Original Article Here

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Sited on over a half acre, this 2168 square foot home built in 1954 has all of the classic features expected in a quality Stamm home. Modern touches can be seen throughout as well, providing contemporary luxuries without sacrificing the original feel of the home.

As you enter through the beautiful stained wood front door you are greated by an entry foyer that leads to either the bedroom wing, the living room, or a laundry room/breezeway that leads to the kitchen. The living area is graced with a large fireplace with a natural wood mantle and a spacious dining space.  This room is perfect for entertaining and enjoying magnificient sunset views over the Jemez Mountains.    

The kitchen has been upgraded with modern amenities and expanded to fit today’s chef’s needs. Off the kitchen is a large family room with vigas, a powder room, and a storage area that accesses the one car garage and studio space.  The studio space would function perfectly for woodworking, an art studio, or a project space.  It could also easily be converted into a seperate bedroom with a private entry.

The bedroom wing offers a master bedroom with a 3/4 bath, and two other bedrooms and a full bath.  This wing is nicely separated from the living spaces of the home, and could be easily expanded if needed.

There are three distinct outdoor patio spaces that are fenced for privacy. One is located on the front side of the house and catches great morning sun. Another is located off the family room and has views of Sun and Moon Mountain. The third off the dining room is surrounded by fruit trees and  has amazing sunset and Jemez Mountain views.

This nicely located home would be a great fit for families seeking the Santa Fe lifestyle, or artists wanting a classic home with studio space.  Price at $575,000, this home is a great buy in Santa Fe.

See below for a video tour of the home.

Link To Full Listing Details Here

If you have questions or comments about this or any other home in Santa Fe, please contact us!

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Made of all adobe, quality construction is evident throughout this home. As you enter through the front door you are greeted by a kiva fireplace and warm plaster walls.  To the right is a very well equipped kitchen with a large pantry and nice finishes. To the left is the spacious bedroom wing with a full bathroom and ample closet space. Off the bedroom is a private courtyard area, perfect for morning tea/coffee, or an afternoon drink.

What really makes this place special is the location.  Located on classic Alto street, the Plaza is a 5 minute stroll away, the Railyard is just around the corner, and the DeVargas Mall is only a hop, skip and jump away.  This is truly a centrally located condo where many of Santa Fe’s amenities are at your fingertips.

548 Alto Street: Unit B, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Listing Description:

Located in the Guadalupe Historic District, this beautifully remodeled condo is only a couple blocks from the Plaza, Railyard District and Sanbusco Center. An upgraded kitchen, large master bedroom, and private patio area add to the charm of this warm and inviting home. The unit will make a great Santa Fe escape and can also be rented short term. A furniture package is available.

The warm and inviting living room with Kiva fireplace:

Click Here for More Information on 548 Alto Street

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Bigger Projects

1) Re-stucco your home: Nearly every home in Santa Fe has a stucco exterior, and ALL stucco exteriors need routine maintenance.  Parapets need re-stuccoing often, and cracks all around the house should be repaired when needed.  For a larger project you can re-stucco your entire home. This will certainly add value to your and keep pesky leaks and drafts out.

2) Remodel your kitchen: O.K., this isn’t the easiest task, but it will increase the value of your home significantly.  It will take a bit of a budget, and it will take a bit of time, but if needed, it is well worth it. If you do enter into a kitchen renovation project upgrade as much as you can.  Home buyers don’t like to see a brand new kitchen will all new appliances, except for the beige fridge from the 1980s.

3) Remodel your bathroom(s): See kitchen (above).  Another good “bang for your buck” project.

4) Install new windows: Green is in, and even if you’re not into that, saving money is! Windows continue to get more and more efficient, saving significant amounts of energy and money in the winter and summer time.  If your budget is low, consider doing this one room at a time.

Smaller Projects

1) Landscape: It is incredible what improvements to the outdoor spaces can do for a home.  Often times just adding a few plants, a few pots, and a tree can make a huge difference.  This is a great way to add significant value and curb appeal without breaking the bank.

2) Maintain your roof and canales: At 7000 feet the sun really can take a toll on your roof. Every year clean debrit off the roof of debris and unclog canales. Repairs on both of these items should be addressed immediately as well.

3) Install a water catchment system: This can be easier than you think.  All around Santa Fe you can buy water catchment cisterns at reasonable prices.  Full blown water catchment projects require burying cisterns and installing pumps, but it is also possible to find portable ones that a hose can be hooked up to.  This is a great way to conserve water, provide irrigation, and add value.

Happy Spring!

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1) A new heating system was installed throughout the house. The old in-ceiling radiant heat was ill-conceived and fairly nonfunctional. Therefore, we installed 7 new Myson radiant heaters throughout the home.  This entailed ripping up some flooring, troweling into some of the adobe, and adding a brand new boiler and hot water heater. With three new digital thermostats, the house is now warm and cozy.

2) Additional electrical outlets and cable lines were trowled into the adobe walls and then plastered over.  This brought the house up to date and created a great media room.

3) The bedroom was completely renovated.  A Murphy bed was taken out, and a cove for a real bed was created. The washer and dryer and an armoire were also moved out to create more space.

4) New cabinets were built in the kitchen, and a space was created for the washer and dryer. A concrete countertop was custom made to accommodate the cabinets.

5) The entire interior of the house was painted. The paint certainly needed updating as some of the previous colors really detracted from the homes character.

6) All of the floors were refinished and stained. The same stain was used throughout the house to create continuity between rooms.

7) Little clean up projects happened in nearly every room.  Ceilings and Vigas were oiled, dampers were put on all three fireplaces, and touch ups were performed all over the place.

Check out the video below.

To watch the progress of the entire project, click on any of the links below.  It’s amazing how much has changed in such a short amount of time!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Worried that you will now go through withdrawal from a lack of updates on the house?  Don’t despair, we are planning on continuing posts that follow the furnishing and decorating of the house.  Currently, drapes are being made, a bed is being fabricated, chairs and a sofa are on order, and all of our eyes and ears around Santa Fe are looking for some great vintage pieces to fill the space. Updates may be a bit less frequent, but we’ll keep you in the loop.  Until then, Cheers!

Contact Matt Desmond and Ryan Bolton

This adobe home features an upgraded kitchen with stainless steel appliances,  a large master bedroom, a warm and inviting living area with a kiva fireplace, and a beautifully detailed bathroom. Coved ceilings with skylights, plaster walls, and a enclosed outdoor courtyard add to this wonderfully appointed home.  The unit will make a great Santa Fe escape and can be rented short term. Exquisitely furnished, this home is  available fully turnkey.

For a detailed tour of the home, check out the video below.

If you or anyone you know is interested in seeing this home, don’t hesitate to email or call.

Contact Matt Desmond and Ryan Bolton

Contact us for THE Highest Level of Service

Another six days has passed since we last checked in on the Palace Avenue renovation. As always, steady progress is being made.  The following items have been the focus of the past week.

1) The cove for the bed is finished! The guys installed recessed reading lights and added light switches on each side of the cove. This entailed trenching into the adobe, running electrical wires, filling the trenched lines, and re-plastering.  It looks great, and we’re now looking forward to configuring the headboard for the bed.

2) Wide plank flooring has been installed in the the Office/Den.  The floor initially had to be completely pulled up to accommodate the new heating lines. The  floor has yet to be sanded, finished, and stained, but that will be done when the rest of the floors are refurbished.

3) Paint, Paint, Paint!  After the walls were primed last week, the guys have started painting almost all of the rooms.  The walls will most likely need at least two coats of paint, and some of the previously “colorful” rooms may need a full three coats.  The white paint really highlights the patina of the old plaster, the details in the vigas, and the character of the floors.

4) The cabinets for the kitchen have  been painted and are now sprawled throughout the house to drying. These should all be installed by the end of the week.

Check back early next week for the 5th installment of our renovation series. 

Contact Ryan Bolton and Matt Desmond

1) The plaster work has been finished in most of the rooms. The cove in the bedroom for the bed has yet to be done, and the kitchen is getting final finishing touches. Before the bed cove can be plastered the contractors need to install two recessed reading lights. They’ll plaster it once the electrical is finished.

2) The entire house except the kitchen has been prepped, primed, and is now ready for paint. The colors in the house were various shades of yellows, pinks, and oranges. The white primer certainly gives it a different look, and we look forward to see how new coats of white paint brighten and add character to the space.

3) The floor that was completely torn up in the office is now ready to be replaced. According to the contractor, this will happen tomorrow!

4) The boiler for the new heaters is almost finished. A couple tweeks here and there and we’re in business. The Myson heaters have arrived and will be installed after the paint and floors are well under way.

Check back in with us later this week for Part 4.

Contact Ryan Bolton and Matt Desmond

1) All of the new lines for electrical outlets and cable were trowelled into the adobe walls, threaded, and then re-plastered. The guys are now in the process of sanding the plaster to make it flush and smooth. The walls will then be ready for paint , although we won’t be painting until work in other areas is done.

2) The plumbing for the washer and drier has been completely installed, and the old plumbing for the bathroom has been buried and plastered over.  We also added a 220 line for the drier in the kitchen. I can’t believe how much more spacious the bedroom feels without the washer, drier, and associated plumbing.  This is going to be a great room.

3) The “mechanical room” is now completely re-walled, insulated, and stuccoed. Additionally, all of the lines for the new boiler and hot water heater are set up.  The installation of these items should take place over the next two days, which means we may have heat by late next week (depending on when the actual heat units come in)!

4) Minor prep work has been done on some of the floors, getting them ready to be either be reinstalled, refinished, or both.

Check in early next week for the latest on the house.

Contact Ryan Bolton and Matt Desmond