Under a cozy and intimate arbor built by

Clemens & Associates, guests can relax 

by a kiva fireplace with adjacent seating

and coffee table for enjoying after-dinner

 drinks and dessert on a cool evening.

 Handmade tiles adorn the fireplace and

wall nicho, while an antique Turkish

 lantern projects candlelight at dusk.

 

        Su Casa     

 

inside

outdoor

rooms

 

By nurturing your body, mind, and soul while providing a place to entertain, outdoor rooms help you experience New Mexico at its natural best.

 

By Linda Applewhite

Photography by Kirk Gittings

Excerpted from Su Casa, July 2008 

 

Northern New Mexico lends itself so completely to living outdoors, with its beautiful colors, textures, and smells of the high desert—brilliant days, cool nights, lack of insects and humidity, and light, the exquisite light that takes your breath away.

I strive to live outside in comfort and beauty as much as possible when I’m in New Mexico during the summer, and to do so I’ve created several exterior rooms that extend my indoor space and enhance my outdoor space. I have three distinct rooms that I occupy alone or with a few friends at different times of the day, each providing a destination and functionality all its own. These three spaces also combine to create a cohesive whole where I can entertain 100 people or more in an area that feels expansive and intimate at the same time. 

 

Casita Alegria

When I bought my 1930s adobe on Santa Fe’s eastside, it had very little connection to the outdoors, with only a stark and unwelcoming patio and limited access from the house. When planning the home’s renovation, I looked at the footprint of both the interior floor plan and the bordering garden to determine how I would connect the two, as well as what outdoor rooms I would create to beckon my family and friends to enjoy the dazzling beauty of northern New Mexico’s high desert landscape.

Connect indoor and outdoor rooms through ample passageways with even floor surfaces that relate visually in color or texture. Here wide-plank white oak floors blend well with concrete pavers of a similar color. The garden seating serves as a focal point that beckons you out.
Casita Alegria outdoor banco
Lush cushions and pillows on the banco
furnish a place to sip coffee and read
the morning paper under the shade of
an apricot tree or sit with guests to enjoy
a glass of wine before an evening meal.
consider the connection
When planning your outdoor rooms, first consider how you will connect the indoors and out. Openings from the kitchen or in close proximity to it are always a good idea, as they provide convenient access to food supplies and preparation. If you can, consider creating multiple expansive openings that provide easy accessibility through the home’s living areas, as well. A wide-open pair of French doors certainly proves more inviting than a small single opening obscured by a screen door. Floor height and floor coverings also work as important factors when joining indoor and outdoor spaces. Flooring of a similar material installed at the same height is ideal for the transition but not always possible. Keep these two factors in mind when selecting materials, and make the progression as seamless as you can by using surfaces with similar colors or textures. Connecting indoor and outdoor rooms serves as a great way to expand your home’s living space and make your property feel larger while providing additional areas that can enhance your lifestyle.

To read the entire article and see before and after photos of the dramatic renovation, visit SuCasaMagazine.com. Copies of this issue of Su Casa will be on newstands this month.

Linda Applewhite is an architectural designer, artist, and writer who divides her time between northern New Mexico and Northern California. She recently published her first design book, Linda Applewhite's Architectural Interiors , has appeared in over 20 episodes of HGTV's Sensible Chic, and teaches seminars in Santa Fe and California on the topic of living in beauty. Her upcoming seminar will include a tour of Casita Alegria, the historic adobe featured in this series.

Step inside the cover of Su Casa magazine for a private tour of Linda Applewhite's Casita Alegria!

Su Casa Spring 2008

Join Linda for three days of art-filled fun and design this fall in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In addition to Linda's full-day workshop of architectural and interior/exterior design principles, we will visit art galleries and antiques shops, enjoy local foods, tour the Santa Fe Design Center, and have exclusive tours of two homes that have been featured on the cover of Su Casa magazine - all in one weekend!

 


 

  
Design in the Desert

September 26, 27 & 28, 2008

 

Waxlander garden

JUST ADDED: Waxlander Gallery's garden

displays life-sized bronze sculpture and

kinetic art.

                       

Friday, Sept. 26

Linda joins with Waxlander Gallery and Sculpture Garden to host an evening welcome reception in the gallery's 150-year-old adobe on Santa Fe's famous Canyon Road. Founded by watercolorist Phyllis Kapp 24 years ago, Waxlander has been exhibiting an energetic and unpredictable arrray of contemporary works in a range of media, including watercolor, oil, acrylic, mixed media, kinetic outdoor and bronze sculpture.

 

Saturday, Sept. 27

We will tour the Grande Dame, the 1930s compound of artist Kirby Kendrick (cover of Su Casa's Fall 2007 issue), visit some of Linda's favorite shops at the Santa Fe Design Center, and end the day with wine and Southwestern treats at Linda's historic adobe, Casita Alegria (cover of Su Casa's Spring 2008 issue).

 

Sunday, Sept. 28

Linda's full-day presentation at La Posada de Santa Fe illustrates her principles of good design and the application of these principles to a range of styles including contemporary, traditional, Mediterranean and European Country, among others. Using photos of her design projects, she will discuss color, furnishings, architectural elements, accessorizing, indoor/outdoor living and more.

 

Please visit our seminar page for the complete agenda, registration information & list of accommodations. Just click here to visit the Seminar page.

 

Planning your trip to New Mexico? Santa Fe's 18th Annual Wine and Chile Fiesta takes place September 24-28, so you may want to arrive early and enjoy both events.

 

 

 

We look forward to seeing you in Santa Fe in September!