Bill and Nancy Anderson, from upstate New York, purchased their home when it was nearly complete from Wayne and Kiki Suggs of Classic New Mexico Homes. Their purchase allowed them to own a home that architecturally embraced the area.

Wayne and Kiki built their first adobe home in 1988, then continued building as a hobby for themselves, friends and family. It wasn’t until 2005 that the couple opened their home-building business, Classic New Mexico Homes, which focuses on the pueblo style they are now known for. “This is what we love to do,” Kiki says. “We feel like we are creating a work of art when we build our homes.”

With 3,150 square feet, three bedrooms and three bathrooms, the Anderson home shows the passion the builders share, and details within the home show their dedication to the art. When entering, the feature that attracts attention first is a round Kiva adobe fireplace sitting below a wood mantle, carved then beaten and distressed by Wayne to match the aged look of the home. Nearby is a wood box featuring a decorative piece of wood, originally 10 by 18 inches, carved down by hand to a size 10 by 14 inches with creative curves.

“We like to do a lot of the wood arches. I carve them by hand to add the extra detail to the home,” Wayne says. The ceilings also hold cedar planks, and pine and spruce vigas are around every corner. Wood in their pueblo-style homes is always prominent, and, in the Anderson home, much of the wood is aged, including the kitchen island countertop and the wood floors of the library. “My cousin found this 150-year-old wood from a barn floor in Oregon, originally from Tennessee,” Wayne says. “The wood fits in this home.”

Along with the 150-year-old wood countertop, the kitchen houses a large mercantile hutch. Like the hutch and the barn wood, many items the couple brings into the home are things they find during their travels or on shopping trips. Falling in love with an item, oftentimes they store it until they find the perfect home for it – using the items for inspiration. “We designed the kitchen around the hutch,” Wayne says. Other details in the home include stained glass light fixtures – reminiscent of the Pueblo Revival from 1900 to 1920, when Easterners arrived in the Southwest, bringing their Victorian furniture and light fixtures.

The Anderson home is also environmentally friendly, featuring double wall construction. Eighteen inch thick walls achieve a very high R value, which is the measurement of thermal resistance. The wall appearance duplicates authentic adobe style, and with built-in nichos and bookshelves – a signature feature of Classic New Mexico Homes – the thick walls achieve the essence of pueblo living. The landscapes of their homes are always protected, the builders priding themselves on preserving the natural environment. “The desert took 1,000 years to evolve, and we can come in here and ruin it in one day,” Kiki says. “You just need to plan ahead a little to protect it, so we do.”

In order to make sure their homes are built with the same thoughtfulness they desire, the couple stays involved in each house they build, doing everything from start to finish. “Every house we build, we build like we are building it for ourselves,” Kiki says.

They also focus on important aspects, like the view. “Every home we do is unique, and with this home, the views are unique,” Wayne says. “We came and sat on the lot, trying to find the best way to use all the views.”

Above all, the builders stay true to the authenticity of the pueblo style. “As New Mexicans, we should embrace our heritage and our culture,” Wayne says of the Anderson home. “You can’t tell if this home was built in the 1800s or yesterday. This home will never go out of style.”