Margie hails from Lufkin, Texas, a small east Texas town just outside of Nacadoches. After leaving her hometown, she embarked on a career in the airline business, holding positions flight attendant to manager of flight attendants in Dallas. This Texas girl was no stranger to New Mexico: she and her husband spent holidays and summers in a Ruidoso cabin that they owned since 1980. Two summers ago, Margie was faced with the decision to sell or rent her cabin. She decided to sell, and moved into another area of Ruidoso and realized that it was precisely where she wanted to be. She briefly returned to Dallas, sold her home there and moved to Ruidoso within six months.
It didn’t take long to find the type of traditional adobe home that Margie always found appealing; she had her eye on a colonial Mexican styled house, and when it came up for sale, Margie went for it. All she needed to do was make it look and feel like her home. Her bold color preferences, design style and art collections combined to breathe new life into the house-life that is without doubt an extension of Margie.
She started from the floor up-the original tiles throughout the house were refinished in a warm terra cotta color. When it came to color scheme, Margie said, “I was a little hesitant to use so many different bold colors at first, but I turned my friend and interior designer Theresa Haddock loose, and I loved the result.” Theresa, who has been designing home interiors professionally for 25 years, said she integrated Margie’s personality and varied art collections with the Mexican style of the house to create a bold design full of vibrant colors and textures.
The entryway of Margie’s home is a warm, inviting foyer with dark-stained wooden ceilings that suspend large glass pendant lamps, illuminating the walls painted in Red Miso. The living room, guest room and kitchen are painted another spicy hue, which creates an ambiance strongly influenced by the color, yet not overwhelmed by it.
The sunflower yellow of the kitchen cabinets sets the room apart from the other deep colors in the house, while still complementing the overall scheme. The striking wooden ceilings are a constant throughout the home, bringing an element of a mountain cabin feel while maintaining the style of a traditional adobe home. Hanging pendant lights and small lamps tucked into cozy corners create a warm glow that extends out to the patio. Outside, a chiminea sits amongst chaise lounges and wicker chairs upholstered in a fiery tone reminiscent of the interior wall colors. A small table creates a quaint dining area that allows guests to enjoy a meal and a view of the tall pines of Ruidoso. Color, pattern and texture schemes are distributed through the interior and exterior of the home, creating a cohesive and attractive style that flows seamlessly inside and out.
The artwork and collections displayed throughout the cabin express Margie’s personality by showcasing her personal interests and history. In the early sixties, Margie began collecting primitive pre-Columbian artifacts that over the years have come together to create an extensive collection. She has also been collecting folk art, molas and other regionally influenced prints for over 30 years. Bonnie Liebowitz and Carlos Hall created paintings that adorn the walls of the living room, along with a couple of pieces that Margie created herself. The various pieces of artwork in combination with her unique collections come together to create a unique and eclectic style that lends a very personal element to the adobe home.
By combining personal elements with daring color and appealing texture, Margie has finally seen years of preparation come to fruition in her vibrant mountain adobe. Margie sits in her living room, surrounded by the combination of personal elements that make her house her own and says, “I think I have been preparing for this house my whole life.”
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