When Kim Sheffield met the designers of Violante & Rochford Interiors to discuss the design of her new home, the Alexander McQueen scarf she was donning became more than a sartorial statement. So taken was she with the lush aubergine, camel and blue-grey hues of the apparel that it was decided that it would serve as her house’s colour scheme.
Set in the historic district of New Mexico’s capital city, the completed building is a magnificent one-storey, three-bedroom adobe spanning 8,000sqf, with sweeping vistas of Santa Fe’s natural landscape. As the homeowner is fond of throwing parties for extended family and friends, which see up to 100 guests at a time, one requirement was to make the outdoor space an extension of the interiors, so that guests can move around freely on the grounds.
Apart from the McQueen inspiration, the home bears design elements rooted in the locale, namely the Spanish colonial history of Santa Fe. Besides the number of Spanish antiques that dot the place, the walls have been treated with hand-trowel plaster finishing, a hands-on artisanal method of applying plaster that is native to the old city. Michael and Paul call the style of the home “transitional”, where there’s juxtaposition of the old, in colonial and Hispanic accessories, within a rather contemporary setting.
The kitchen, in particular, is special to husband Scott, a geologist with a passion for stones, as the countertops are made from a rare stone.
Textural details give a definite three- dimensionality to the different areas of the home.
The interior designers say: “The Sheffields are very hands-on and, because we have worked together so many times, there is an understanding of what works and what doesn’t. We are all very detail-oriented, and it was a true partnership in every way.”
Photos by WENDY EARHERN PHOTOGRAPHY.