The marketing materials call this home "quintessential Santa Fe Style," and it is a beauty. The house boasts a very nice layout and rich detailing. There is nothing too grand (read "ostentatious") here, despite the hefty square-footage figure of 7,400. "I think it really works well, simply stated elegance on the model of [the archetypal Santa Fe architect] John Gaw Meem," said listing agent Christopher Webster. "The original owners and Bill Lumpkins designed a house on this property; that no longer remains, but the original guest house, the casita, is still here."

The remodeled guest house and the main house were built by Doug McDowell three years ago. The residence features Rastra-block walls, hard-plastered on the interior. Energy-efficient Rastra gives a sense of mass and quiet similar to adobe. Most floors are hardwood, with large, finished flagstone tiles in the public areas. The ceilings are planks on vigas and in the bedrooms they're coved plaster.

The entry courtyard was configured around a big spruce tree. The associated landscaping includes dwarf blue spruce and aspens, punctuated by boulders. There is a covered portal here, the first of several — there are, in fact, over 3,000 square feet in portales, all offering great views of the surrounding mountains.

The kitchen is outfitted with granite countertops, including on a large island, and with a Wolf range and ovens. A handy pot-filler faucet sprouts from the high, tile backsplash behind the range. Upper cabinets in the kitchen sport antiqued-glass doors.

Off the kitchen are a pantry, office nook, a large laundry room, then the fully finished, 3-car garage.

The living room has a broad fireplace under a hidden skylight the width of the room. This fireplace is one of a total of 11 at the residence.

A hallway leads to the media room and office. In the built-in bookcase, there is a secret door leading to the the master suite. In the master bath are his-and-hers walk-in closets and bathrooms separated by a large, glass shower. The two-bedroom guest suite has a private entrance so can function independently.

Equipment includes three, separate sound systems; an evaporative-cooling system and multi-zone radiant heating system; and hard-wired security and smoke-detecton systems.

Out back there is a pool with an automatic cover and a portaled cabana, hot tub, sauna, and fireplace, all surrounded by roses, giant poppies, and other plantings.

The residence on 13.5 acres is located at 954 Cerro de la Paz, off of Gonzales Road and just a few minutes from the Santa Fe Plaza. The property is listed for $4.5 million by Chris Webster and Alan and Anne Vorenberg of Sotheby's International Realty.



Contact Paul Weideman at 986-3043 or pweideman@sfnewmexican.com.