Trends in entertaining

We live in glorious Northern New Mexico! Let’s bring the outside in all four seasons of the year! This takes us naturally to OUTDOOR ROOMS and to a big salute to the Tierra Concepts design/ builder team for 8 Picacho Peak Drive – awarded the Grand Hacienda prize in this year’s Haciendas— A Parade of Homes. The kitchen-dining area flowed seamlessly into to a huge entertaining portal and patio, anchored by immense sliding glass doors that retract into the walls.

The trend in large, open-concept entertaining kitchens has remained prevalent in positioning our homes for daily functional family life to facilitating fancy functions. The ability of your home design to ebb and flow with form and functionality for entertaining depends upon the integration of outdoor living spaces into your entertaining spaces. Do you ever feel we have a 9 p.m. curfew in Santa Fe when most restaurants and business shut down? The cultural spinoff here centers around home entertaining.

Design of entry courtyards is equally important and rivals that of the living spaces. A true greeting to the party starts before the front door, guests mingling as they are welcomed. This same space serves to graciously bid guests goodbye, with hugs and salutations and assurances for a safe trip home. Ask anyUber & Lyft driver and theywill testify to the value of a nice front entrance/exit for guests.

When planning outside entertaining spaces, consider these elements as ideas to incorporate: a deck, portal or patio that is accessed easily from inside; soothing white noise froma fountain or water feature; easy-care xeric landscaping; and adequate and comfortable seating; heating from a fire-pit, the bonus from a woodfired oven, or propane overhead heaters; lighting; and, last but not least, COLOR!

Use our vibrant natural light to full advantage. Experiment, innovate and have fun. Add an outside kitchen with barbeque and built-in wood oven. Or design a home with an interior courtyard — you’ll appreciate the protected bonus space when the spring winds blow.

Santa Fe Style has progressed and morphed to incorporate innovative and contemporary design, with green features and cutting-edge efficiency to be found in new homes across the cost spectrum. Think fun and think outside the box!

We bring a new look to real estate to help integrate you within our community. A profound love and knowledge of Santa Fe combine with a fresh outlook, vitality, experience, local insight and fun make Penelope and Drew your trusted real-estate advisors. Contact Penelope at 505-6903751 (penelope.vasquez@sothebyshomes. com) and Drew at 505-470-9194 (drew. lamprich@sothebyshomes.com).