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Enchanted Homes: 2018 Taos Style Issue
Stories from this issue
Enchanted Homes
Historic compound renovated in harmony with natural surroundings
Since 1995 it has been owned and lovingly renovated by Chef René Mettler and his wife Kimberly Armstrong, owners of the highly popular Italian restaurant, Trading Post Café.
Enchanted Homes
Carmen Velarde, age 90, and one of the last traditional enjarradoras
Up until she was 88 in 2016, Velarde still helped with the enjarre/mudding of San Francisco de Asís Church in Ranchos de Taos.
Enchanted Homes
9 questions with Bob Bishop, Tierra Wood Stoves
People are thinking about keeping warm with wood stoves. They help reduce the heating costs and after about two years, people find they will likely pay for themselves.
Enchanted Homes
Realtor profile: John Johnston
When John Johnston retired from a long career in business development, sales and marketing, he and his wife spent several years looking for the perfect place to relocate. Taos was their top choice.
Enchanted Homes
Restored grandeur, modern splendor
In 2009 Peggy and John Hamilton bought the property, gutted it and restored the single-family home to its stately grandeur.
Enchanted Homes
Thinking about kitchens and baths
In today's world the range on cost to create a kitchen can be dramatic.
Enchanted Homes
9 questions: Amos Barwick
Today there are so many accessories you can put inside your cabinets, more than shelves and drawers.
Enchanted Homes
Realtor profile: Christine Valvano, Salsa Realty
With 35 years of experience in real estate, Valvano has the knowledge and perseverance to serve her clients.
Golfing at high altitude
Taos Country Club sits at 7,000 feet in elevation, Valle Escondido Golf Club at 8,500 feet and Angel Fire Country Club at 8,400. Most visitors come to Northern New Mexico from much lower elevations …
9 Questions: TurnKey Vacation Rentals
What brought you to New Mexico? My husband and I sold everything we owned -- home, martini & multi-media businesses, including the real estate and a coffee cart -- in the span of one week. We …
Expansive yet private ranch
The Village of Angel Fire is an active, year-found resort town. As a popular destination, the Angel Fire Airport has a jet-capable runway for private aircraft. To the south, about 20 minutes away, …
Joy Junction: Farmers Markets deliver fresh and fun on a weekly basis
We all know how even a moment of pure joy can turn our whole world around, and I suspect that’s one of the main reasons we flock to our Farmers Markets – for the sheer fun of it!Where …
Realtor Profile: Alicia Bomhoff of Taos Sage Real Estate
When Alicia Bomhoff founded Taos Sage Real Estate, she was thinking of the green color and also the wisdom associated with the name sage. Taos Sage symbolizes her dedication to sustainable housing …
New edition of Enchanted Homes this week
In this month’s Mountain Living edition of Enchanted Homes, you will be inspired by an expansive, yet private ranch nestled in beautiful Black Lake. The stunning 11.23-acre horse property has …
Thinking about design
What is design? If you look at any number of sources it boils down to a plan or drawing that shows the look and function …
Taos in five glimpses
There is no image of Taos as characteristic and unmistakable as the summits of Pueblo, Kachina and Wheeler …
Realtor profile: Meet Rachel Singer
A glimpse of a starry sky during a visit to Taos convinced Rachel Singer that this was her true home. She had read about a …
The light is everywhere
"The light here is so incredible. It’s like you’re outside when you’re inside," said homeowner Judith Kendall.
Send your home to school
Imagine driving to your home, the serpentine pathway lights twinkle as you arrive. The garage door opens, and the surrounding …
9 questions for Dan’s Carpet, Tile and Window Coverings
“Old, sad homes … run down and beat up. We beautified the soul of the house, we made someone’s day and bettered their life.” These are the words of Daniel Gonzales who said he fell in love with the flooring business as a young man.
Sustainability: thy name is Taos
Or its nickname, anyway. The way I see it, this isolated part of northern New Mexico has always been a pioneer on the cutting edge of sustainability even if it didn’t know it.
Solar – explained
Enchanted Homes posed the question, “So, you wanna go solar?” to two solar energy companies in Taos County and came away with a primer on the who-what-where-when and how of delivering energy from the sun into your home.
Here’s what Charlie McGarity of PPC Solar and Mark Jackson of Sol Luna had to say about how homeowners can get into solar energy.
Realtor Profile: Amanda Tafoya
Working with Realtor Amanda Tafoya is like having the home field advantage. She was born and raised in Taos and her kids have grown up here, too. She is familiar with the unique aspects of Taos.
9 questions
Nick & Oliver Collignon of Collignon Roofing
Collignon Roofing has been around since 1975. How did it come to be established?
A life experience
An earthship is a passive solar house made of natural and recycled materials. Many of these sustainable homes dot the Taos area.
Planning your home
It wasn’t that many years ago that folks here didn’t give a thought to home planning.
Home planner 2018
Making improvements to your home can add comfort and satisfaction to your life. “If you plan to live in your home for another five or ten years, then it is worth it to make major …
Petree Nursery: making Taos more beautiful for 30 years
A feeling of possibility pervades the greenhouses at Petree Nursery. While it is cold outside, the greenhouses are warm and humid. In the front greenhouse, where the garden supplies are found, …
9 questions with Jim Pollard
I am a design engineer by background. When I first came to Taos I worked in real estate and started Taos Properties. I wanted to be a builder and did …
A haven for explorers
A beautiful, welcoming home brings out the best in people. One such home is available in the Weimer area of Taos.
Roadrunner Sleigh Rides
Clearly, one of the most recognizable sounds of Christmas are the “jingle bells” on the harness of a horse-drawn sleigh.
Beginners get a boost at Taos Ski Valley
At Taos Ski Valley, beginner skiers (and now snowboarders) have learned the ropes on the two hills...
9 questions with Francis Córdova of Taos Feeds Taos
Your family has deep roots in Taos. How long has your family been here? I trace my family back to 1660 and Antonio de Córdova on my father’s side...
Feature home
At home in Red River
Red River is a picturesque mountain valley. Located at 8,671 feet above sea level, the town is home to an eponymous river and ski area...
Realtor Profile: Pavel Lukes, Dreamcatcher Real Estate Co.
Fate reaches down and taps us all on the shoulder at one time or another during our lives. It gives us a hint, shows us the way, offers options for change.
For Taos real estate broker …
Enchanted Homes available in this week's issue
This month’s Homes theme is “Home for the Holidays." Inside we preview the huge improvements at TSV. The beginners hill gets a boost with a radical facelift, plus new European-style …
Tiny living: a necessity for some
Small homes are becoming a rage in many parts of our country – some of it out of economic necessity, some of it due to life choices.
SpiriTaos: In harmony with Mother Nature
The entry courtyard soothes the senses with a trickling channel of water surrounded by blooming flowers in a myriad of colors. The flowing water comes from captured rainwater. There is a sense of harmony and peace here. The courtyard leads to gardens, greenhouses and a small, extremely energy-efficient and beautiful home.
Jaysen Clark of Tradesmen Builders
When did you get into construction? I’m from Seattle and, in the early 1990s, I worked as a laborer, roofer and flooring installer.
Enchanted Homes Small Home Issue 2017
Alhambra de Taos: Unity of design
A mosaic of color and texture floods the senses as you enter Alhambra de Taos. Rugs, antique tables, cabinets and mirrors in rich reds and golds fill the store, which is located just south of Taos …
Enchanted Homes Small Homes Issue 2017
Realtor profile: Kristine Wood, associate broker in Taos
Since the early boom days of the ‘70s, Taos always had its fair share of agents for real estate. Each one had their first day on the job, their first listing and their first closing – and …
Enchanted Homes Small Homes Issue 2017
Smaller and super comfortable homes
Architect Joaquin Karcher is the owner of Zero E Design (http://zeroedesign.com/). He specializes in the design and build of “net zero energy” homes. The total amount of energy used …
Collaborating to create home
Walking into the home of Angie and Steve Spady, you are welcomed into their lives. The home holds a collection of their life experiences, including furniture, fabric and art collected from around the …
The Bontke home
Most of the high-end homes in Angel Fire are still owned by the people who built them, so they haven’t come on the market yet. According to Montee Sue Miller, a resort and second home property specialist with REMAX Mountain Realty, the “sweet spot” in sales in the area ranges between $300,000 and $400,000. But from time to time, a gem of a luxury house comes along. That is the case of the Bontke home, a mountain chateau perched on 17 groomed acres of Angel Fire’s Aspens subdivision, adjoining the Carson National Forest.
Navigating through appraisals and mortgage lending
Residential mortgage lending is a collateral-based business. When a borrower applies for a mortgage, whether to purchase or refinance a house, the lender – or investor – evaluates the borrower’s ability to pay back the loan by reviewing income and credit.
Brigid Meier on permaculture: revolution disguised as gardening
Brigid Meier on permaculture: revolution disguised as gardening
Mountain living is sweet living
Our society tends to label folks and put them in boxes. It also tries to place our tastes and preferences into handy compartments. So we hear about city folks and country folks, beach people and mountain men and women. Most of us have clear preferences, whether they are built into us genetically or come about from the environment in which we live and grow as humans.
9 Questions for Franchesca Zoppe of CFT Décor & Gifts
Franchesca Zoppe took over ownership of Country Furnishingsof Taos on July 1, 2016. She has changed the name to CFT Décor& Gifts and, since then, has put her personal imprint onto a store …
Realtor profile: Martin Molz of Engel & Völkers
Martin Molz first came to Taos when he was invited to ski with his wife’s family 24 years ago. He says, “Growing up in the mid-Atlantic area of the East Coast, I found Taos to be unlike any place I had been before. The open spaces felt odd to me at first, but over time, I came to really appreciate being in such spaces – alone, but out in the open.” Molz has lived and worked all over the world, but was drawn to Taos.
Enchanted Homes: The Mountain Living Issue 2017
In this Mountain Living issue, we feature an alpine chateau in Angel Fire, talk 'permaculture' with Brigid Meier, and ask 9 questions to Franchesca Zoppe of CFT Décor & Gifts. Look for the …
Designing through the ages
The simple truth about design is it takes a certain amount
of prosperity for it to be an issue in one’s life. Absent enough
money to have choice, a home is more about function. Our …
One-time close construction and renovation loans
Designing a home for oneself allows a person to fully express their
creativity in the most important place in their lives: their home.
In this design issue of Enchanted Homes, Dimond …
Nine Questions: Aaron Magee
You were born and raised in Taos, and your father was a builder.
My dad (Vishu Magee) was building houses while I grew up. About the age of 10, he put me and my brother, Jeb, to work on the job …
Realtor profile: Catherine Moon
At RE/MAX Mountain Realty in Angel Fire, everything qualifying broker Cathe Moon brings to the table is geared toward matching a property with the people who will live in …
Artist, gallery owner, woodworker
David Mapes
David Mapes: Capturing the spirit of wood
David Mapes has made a name for himself through his craftsmanship and commitment to art.
Most people are familiar with his gallery, …
Enchanted Homes: The Design Issue 2017
In our annual Design issue, you'll find profiles of landscaper Angelika Heikaus and woodworker David Mapes, as well as our feature of the rustic, modern mountain home of Ron and Sylvia Wood in Angel Fire. You can read the full issue at: http://www.taosnews.com/enchantedhomes.
Enchanted Homes: The Design Issue 2017
In our annual Design issue, you'll find profiles of landscaper Angelika Heikaus and woodworker David Mapes, as well as our feature of the rustic, modern mountain home of Ron and Sylvia Wood …
Feature Home
Rustic modernism in the mountains
The allure of this Angel Fire home comes from its innovative combination of modern and mountain styles. While the overall design recalls the sleek homes of the mid-20th century, there are rustic …
Enchanted Homes: The Design Issue
The beauty of spring is upon Taos. In our annual Design issue, we feature growing gardens and relationships, rustic modernism in the mountains, and capturing the spirit of wood, among other design …
How to Finance Going Green
Green homes and alternative lifestyles take center stage for many people who live in Northern New Mexico. The sunlight offers outstanding opportunity to invest in solar …
Striving to go green in Taos
One would think that living in what 101.9 KTAO-FM calls “the solar capital of the world,” Taos would be quick to adapt to new technologies in the green construction arena, but …
Taos Ski Valley reaches new heights in sustainability
Taos Ski Valley is the first ski resort in the world to become a
“Certified B Corporation.” The sustainability recognition attests
to the company’s commitment to its community, …
Realtor Profile
Angelina Romero: Caring and respect in real estate
Angelina Romero helps people find the home they need to make agood life possible. She does so with care and respect, regardless ofthe size of the purchase or sale.Romero says, “One of the best …
Justin Simpson: The Quest for Autonomous Homes
Some people find their true calling later in life and after much soul searching. But Justin Simpson, owner of Natural Building and Design, became interested in sustainable practices at a very young …
There’s a Crack in Everything
Vigas, nichos, canales, parapets, plaster walls. These elements make Taos’ houses unique in the United States. Yet the soft and mottled appearance of plaster that provides so much atmosphere is …
9 Questions
Earthship architect Mike Reynolds
Tell us about your upbringing.I grew up in Kentucky. I was the middle kid of four. My father was a milkman, and my mother stayed at home to take care of us. I first went to college in southern …
Enchanted Homes: Sustainability Issue 2017
As the snow melts from our mountains to refresh our acequias, our spirits are renewed to the possibilities of the coming months. We welcome the new season with our 2017 Taos Home & Garden Expo on …
Enchanted Homes: Sustainability Issue 2017
Picuris Earthship
For the first time, we're presenting a special preview article to read online –– about the inimitable Michael Reynolds. Look for the full story and more photos in the Enchanted Homes: Sustainability Issue in the March 23 issue of the Taos News.
Brokers with community passion
Coldwell Banker Lota Realty
Brokers David and Judy Buck are the owners of Coldwell Banker Lota Realty, Inc. (204-A Paseo del Pueblo Norte). They came to Taos in the early 1970s from back East with their two young daughters. …
Feature home
At home with Kellie Harris
When you buy a house, sometimes everything is in place and the way you want it. Just sign the papers and move in. Other times, you call the contractor and get to work.
For Kellie Harris, it was …
9 Questions
Nine Questions for Christine and Viviana Vargas
1. How did Vargas Tile come to be established?
Vargas Tile Company was founded by our parents, Roberts and Martha Vargas, in 1961. Our dad was a woodworker and opened up a cabinet shop at the …
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