Southwest By Design
The Alamogordo Home of Ann and Will Beacht

Many years ago, beds were not typical beds and fireplaces served as more than pretty spaces carved out in the home. Space was a necessity and needed to be utilized while meeting the needs of everyday comforts like warmth. Men and women on Spanish Colonial ranches learned how to sleep on Shepherd’s Beds, or shelves above or to the side of fireplaces made with two wood slabs set as a mantel. It is typical Southwest-style additions like this that make homes so unique in our area.

These days, people like Will and Ann Beacht don’t need to sleep above the fireplace to stay warm, but they have captured the historic novelty in their modern Southwest style home.

Will and Ann met when they were kids growing up in Brunswick, Maryland, a long way from New Mexico with many cultural differences. The two lived a few blocks apart and grew to love each other. They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in July. They raised their daughter, Amy (now married to Paul Duray and mother of their only grandchild, Caroline) while Will served in the Air Force. The Beachts first arrived in Alamogordo in the late 70s when Will was assigned to Holloman. After seven years in Alamogordo, Will received his next assignment to Colorado Springs, where Will and Ann lived for the next 18 years. As both were nearing retirement, they began thinking about building a home in a place that was warmer with beautiful topography. They decided that Alamogordo was that place.

“We would often get away to Santa Fe and Taos, and really liked the look,” Ann says. “We wanted to keep that Southwest-style and an interior Southwest style focus.”

Over the years, while visiting Santa Fe and Taos, Ann – who admits her main hobby is shopping – bought items that would work well in their dream home. Then the couple began working on the design of the home, referring back to magazine clippings and photos of places they liked.

“We had a basic floor plan, and ideas for the home,” Will says. “We knew we wanted the open space and the uniformity of the wood to be the same throughout the home.”

Will and Ann worked closely with Debbie and Ernest Martinez of Bar M Construction Inc. on the home, and came up with a cultural replica of an old Southwest style home with a gorgeous modern build.

“We were actively involved with Debbie and Ernest,” Ann says. “They are highly personal with their clients.”

While the home is beautifully built, the interior decorating adds an enormous amount of splendor – all of which was done by Ann herself. With character, authentic and imperfect, with peeled vigas and latillas, the home shows that together, Ernest, Debbie, Ann and Will have built a “Southwest by design” home to be proud of.