AUTHENTIC
SANTA FE STYLE

Johnson home reflects owners’ passion for Southwestern art
and architecture

By ELLEN GRAY
Photography LINDA HANSELMAN

The Santa Fe-style home of Katie and Bart Johnson reflects the couple’s abiding passion for
Southwestern art and architecture. Built 18 years ago, the stucco home strongly proclaims its identity among its neighbors in the beautiful Polo Field area of central Denver.

Every inch of the home’s 4,500 square feet is reminiscent of an era gone by, conjuring up images of trading
posts and arduous journeys into a wild, untamed frontier. From the beautiful artwork that covers the walls to
the timeless hand-woven rugs scattered throughout the home, this truly is a dwelling that reflects a respect and love of our nation’s ancestry.

The concept for the home was developed 18 years ago, when Katie Johnson was working as a broker for Fulenwider and Company. A project was in the works to develop a parcel of land in Central Denver that was previously home to polo fields. Fulenwider was marketing the project. A local developer had purchased three adjoining lots, and ultimately the Johnsons acquired one of the lots to build their own dream home.

Immediately after purchasing the lot, Katie and her husband hit the road, traveling to the heart of the Southwest — Tucson and Phoenix, Ariz. They looked at several Southwestern-style dwellings, and soon knew exactly what they envisioned for their own traditional Southwestern home.

With the help of local builder Greg Zimmerman, they turned the vision into a reality. In keeping with the concept of a conventional Southwestern abode, the home’s entire design was planned and implemented to incorporate a feeling of living outdoors. In the Johnsons’ case, this theme is uniquely integrated, because huge sprawling trees and shrubbery ensconce the home in a private, serene setting that belies its urban presence.

Highlighting the feeling are an astounding number of windows, which bring exposure and sunlight from the east, south and west. The home’s architecture is very informal, typical of homes of this ilk. Wall niches, known as nichos, and benches, known as bancos, are found in various areas of the home and are used mainly for decorative or display purposes. Large cupboards, called trasteros, are built into the walls and hold wonderful displays of small pots and other Southwestern paraphernalia. All doors in the home are custom made; look carefully and there are hand-carved squash blossom patterns etched into the woodwork.

The home’s four fireplaces include a traditional kiva fireplace, typically situated in the corner of a room. Three of the indoor fireplaces are a beehive style, which replicates the unique and eyecatching style of Old Mexico. Outside, a real wood-burning fireplace is used yearround to ward off the chill and create a cozy, intimate atmosphere for relaxing and entertaining.

In the living room, the main room used for entertaining, a large bleached European mounted elk skull stares regally from atop the impressive fireplace. The skull bears uncanny resemblance to the style of Georgia O’Keeffe, one of the Southwest’s most renowned artists.

This theme cleverly carries over into the breakfast nook, where a large antler light fixture draws attention from every direction. The fixture actually is an assemblage of materials accumulated by the home’s owner and painstakingly crafted by an artisan in Westcliffe, Colo. The bleached skulls on these pieces are all natural, having been aged and whitened by harsh desert elements.

Floors and countertops add to the ambience and charm of the home. Above, a wood-burning fireplace is used to ward off the chill and create a cozy mood for relaxing and entertaining year-round. The Teec Nos Pos rug that hangs in the family room was purchased by Bart's parents while on their honeymoon in Santa Fe. Paying homage to the Southwestern preference for natural building materials, the home is paved with baked clay tiles made in Saltillo, Mexico, along with wooden flooring offset by an abundance of pine and brick.

On the countertops, Talavera tiles adorn the kitchen. These tiles are highly recognizable and are typified by their colorful motifs of birds, flowers and nature. The tile is named for its birthplace in the pottery town of Talavera de la Reina in Spain but is actually made in Puebla, Mexico.

It’s not just the floor and counters that lend such a strong feeling of authenticity. In the living room, handpeeled, whitewashed beams known as vigas cover the ceiling. Latillas, or stripped saplings, are artfully placed atop the vigas in a chevron pattern that typifies the look. Decorative beams known as corbels act as support additions to the larger beams and vigas and are beautifully incorporated into the common area, where dining room and family room connect.

Another tribute to the style and architecture of the Southwest can be found in a small sitting room off the home’s main entrance. Many decades ago, settlers in the area would often build a portion of a house and add to it when it became affordable. The sitting room in the Johnson home reflects this style and has a charm and flavor all its own. A white plaster fireplace, pine flooring and textured, whitewashed walls conjure up a time when life was simple and needs were few.

The room’s spare furnishings are punctuated by rich terra-cotta and blue tones. The room’s incredible rug was acquired from the Hubbell Trading Post, one of a handful of trading posts established to help the Indians in the early days. A vaulted barrel ceiling and the shiny hue on the walls are similar in essence to decorative elements in the Inn at the Anasazi, a charming hotel in Santa Fe, N.M. To achieve the effect on the walls, a dark color was applied, wiped with a wet rag, and covered with a clear coat, lending a slight patina to the room.

In the family room, a huge rug covers one wall. The rug, known as Teec Nos Pos, was once owned by Bart’s parents, who purchased it on their honeymoon in Santa Fe more than 65 years ago. When Bart’s father saw the Johnsons’ new home, he was left with no doubt that the rug had found its rightful owners. Another beautiful rug, lying in a sitting area in the family room, was hand-woven by Navajo artist Ason Yellowhair, whose work also hangs in the Denver Art Museum. This particular rug, which measures 8 feet by 10 feet, is extremely rare because works of this type are no longer made.

The Navajo weavers used to raise their own sheep and dye the wool, and large rugs of these proportions often took three or more years to complete. Interestingly, a variety of rugs that exude a more Persian look are also part of the home’s décor. Many patterns found within rugs woven by Indians are actually replicas of Persian rugs, which were seen in samples and photos brought over from the East Coast and displayed at trading posts in the Old West.

Walking through the home is like taking a tour of someone’s private museum. Soothing tones of beiges and turquoises provide a breathtaking backdrop to a collection of artwork that would do any curator proud. Several pieces were discovered at the Nedra Matteuci Gallery in Santa Fe, but the home’s owners also make frequent trips to Indian markets and other venues where authentic pieces may be found.

A remarkable highlight of the home is found in a most unlikely setting — the powder room. Here, the owners commissioned Kiowa sculptor Parker Boyiddle to paint the walls. The result is an indescribable mural of Monument Valley from sunrise to sunset. The entire project took nearly a month to complete and is a soothing and beautiful tribute to the serenity of the day’s beginning and end.

Another show-stopping piece of art, which hangs in a hallway, is an oil painting by Gerard Curtis Delano, a former illustrator for the Rocky Mountain News. Delano painted the picture, titled The Counsel, in Kremmling, Colo., and its stunning depiction of the Southwest and bright, vivid colors draw the attention of all who pass by.

The flavor, spirit and tenacity of the Southwest come alive within the walls of this home, in lasting tribute to the owners who painstakingly and lovingly brought it to fruition.