BEHIND ADOBE WALLS The Hidden Homes and Gardens of Santa Fe and Taos [SOLD]

BEHIND ADOBE WALLS - The Hidden Homes and Gardens of Santa Fe and Taos

By Lisl Dennis and Landt Dennis

Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco

“All roads lead to Santa Fe and Taos.  Once rough-and-tumble settlements inhabited by pioneers, drifters, and dreamers, where merchants and Pueblo Indians hawked their wares and traded horses, Santa Fe and Taos have been a cultural rendezvous since their humble beginnings in the seventeenth century.  Early houses were built out of adobe, using a building technique that Spanish conquistadors brought to the New World.  At first, gardening was a luxury few could afford, but soon the vibrantly hued native flowers of the Southwest were growing side by side with imported hollyhocks, grapevines, even fruit trees.  Anglo settlers embellished their houses with Indian drums, rugs, traditional crafts, and Hispanic religious icons they found at the local markets.  This eclectic mélange is the essence of the Santa Fe and Taos style.  Today, this borderless design continues to evolve, reinterpreted by each newcomer who falls in love with northern New Mexico and decides to stay.

“Behind Adobe Walls offers a fascinating glimpse into this style revolution and evolution, with intimate portraits of eighteen Santa Fe and Taos homeowners’ impressive personal versions of the local esthetic.  Photographer Lisl Dennis and her husband, writer Landt Dennis, have documented the most unusual and awe-inspiring homes and gardens of the Santa Fe and Taos area.  Meet the owners and designers, read their stories, and witness the grand vision and loving detail they have devoted to their living spaces.  With over 150 gorgeous full-color photographs, Behind Adobe Walls is an essential keepsake for the Southwestern native or visitor, and a visual inspiration for anyone who would like to create their own Santa Fe, wherever they may find themselves.”