From House To Home

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When Robert and NaShai Carson built their 2,140-square-foot home in The Pueblos at Alameda Ranch in 2006, they wanted light and more light. Four skylights add to the scores of windows and glass doors to bring in the beauty of the desert’s steady sun.

With an exterior done entirely in earthen stucco and a flat, partially clay, tiled roof, the Southwest is absolutely part of the feel of the entire home. The strikingly tall arched gate acts as a passage between the flagstone path and the rock-and-grass front yard and the portico, which leads inside.

Prominent double wooden doors open into an entryway where the large 18-by-18-inch tile that runs through much of the house is immediately evident. A built-in niche, one of several scattered throughout the home, holds some of the beautiful art that Robert and NaShai have accumulated. A beautiful faux finish inside the niche adds some depth and connects the entry to other areas of the house.

Walking through a large arched entryway, which has columns designed, again, in that very Southwest style, leads to the living room where a large fireplace with cultured stone and more of the stained faux painting takes up residence. The entertainment center is built into the walls and provides nice continuity to the space.

Done entirely in earthen tones, this home is warm and relaxing. Because of the fairly open floor plan, it is also conducive to entertaining. Walking through the living room, the dining area and kitchen appear. An ornate, gold-framed mirror takes up much of one wall in the dining room. Large windows and glass French doors, which lead to a backyard porch, flood this space with light. Another skylight adds to the kitchen ambiance, as well.

Granite countertops, a two-tiered eating bar, custom-made cabinets, and GE Profile appliances fit nicely into this extremely usable kitchen. Hints of turquoise continue the Southwest feel, and a large walk-in pantry completes the space.

Down a smaller arched hallway is the laundry room and a powder bath, which is also accessible from the entryway. Another niche at the end of the hall adds more architectural interest. Robert says, “They are just good places to hang pictures—they break up a flat wall.”

Robert, who is the owner of Carson Construction Company, designed the house. With a split floor plan, the master suite is on one side of the house, and the extra bedrooms are on the other.

The master bedroom has French-door access to the patio and also leads into the master bath. A sunken spa tub is surrounded by columns and cream-colored angels. Tile, slightly different from the rest of the house, surrounds the tub and lines the shower, as well. Granite countertops set off the his-and-her vanity area. An extremely large closet, one of the many closets throughout the home, is also in this space.

Robert’s favorite part of the house is the kitchen. He says, “It’s pretty big; it’s easy to work in. It’s an open floor plan, so it’s not like you’re cut off from one part of the house.”

The natural beauty of the New Mexico landscape is central to many aspects of this beautiful home, and the light, which is so central to the design, showcases it all perfectly.