Story by: Veronica Nevarez

Photography by Art Moreno Jr.

Art Direction and Styling by Ladonna Apodaca

Floral Design by Aida Ahumada

Design and Construction by Villagi Homes

Nestled between ages-long pecan trees under gorgeous skies stands a lovely Upper Valley home, built intentionally by a native El Pasoan and local artist in the neighborhood she has lived in for most of her life. The home tells a sweet story that begins in childhood and recounts meaningful family trips, hilarious moments with siblings, and other lasting memories from her past.

The owner purchased the land in October 2020, broke ground in July 2021, and moved in on Thanksgiving Day of 2023, which amounted to a relatively short year and half to complete. The result is a vibrant blend of magnificent artwork, striking decor, and the integration of the natural surroundings that blends function with artful design. 

Beginning with the middle area of the home, which was never intended to be enclosed, to serve as more of a breeze way, is a room that effortlessly becomes a conversation starter. Evidently, it began as a photo from Architectural Digest of Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’s Los Angeles farmhouse, and ultimately became the owner’s inspiration for it. It has since been humorously coined “The Kutcher.” The large room serves as a dining and entertainment area that is both quaint and modern, with floor to ceiling windows on each side that open fully to the natural beauty of the outside terrain. “I knew I wanted a place where I could entertain easily that also went to the outside, so that’s how it started to come about, right before I framed it,” says the owner, and explains that it “changed everything” about the home in a very unique way.

The home’s overall motif stems from the owner’s lifelong collection of mementos and childhood treasures, including her color palette, which she says combines childhood favorites with newer colors. An exquisite clock near the front door that was displayed in her parents home for many years is an example of this. Her father had refurbished the clock as a young man back in 1945, and she was able to have it recently restored. 

There are also two sconces that were salvaged from a shop in Austin that the owner had tagwelded with nail heads from her father’s navy tool shed. A dazzling, glass object hangs between them, and is one she collected at a glass-blowing class from an artist retreat for metal work that she attended in Austin, Texas. The artist who created it, known as Rob Lewis, designed it with a tiny pinhole for adding water. She later enhanced the water with a blue dye, of which the result truly lends to a feeling of tranquility. 

The large upstairs window it hangs before was also purposely designed to showcase this exotic glass sculpture. Its blue water ties in perfectly, almost as an extension, with a dazzling, ocean teal perfume bottle in the nearby master bath, of which sat on her mother’s dresser as she was growing up. The gorgeous heirloom pairs with a fabulous vase of the same hue, which she says adorned her parents’ coffee table for a span of 60 years. Her mother gave her the vase as a housewarming present when she moved in, which still brings her to tears for the cherished memories it elicits. 

Then there’s the magnificent, stained glass window the owner picked up at a local shop that sells unique and rare findings. The window apparently needed some repairs and was supposed to go in an upstairs window, but the measurements were slightly off, so it was placed in a different location of the home. The end result is a beautiful statement piece in an area of the home that may have otherwise been a standard lookout, but now speaks volumes. 

For her stayover company, the owner’s guest room is a stand out with its perfectly equipped amenities, including modern appliances and a kitchenette that makes this room an all-accommodating feature of the home. In the nearby guest bathroom is a beautifully hand-carved sink made in Mexico that was based on a photograph the owner says she provided as inspiration for the artist who designed it. These, of course, being just some of the many interesting details of the home. 

Finally, we come to the impressive front door with its delicately arched shape, bold size, and stunning shade of kelly green, embedded in a stone-wall covered foyer that makes for both a lasting first and meaningful last impression of the home. The door was built by the talented cabinetmaker who also built the cabinetry in the entire home, and according to the owner, it was no easy feat. She is quick to point out that all those involved in building her home were nothing short of amazing craftsmen, and it shows. The end result is a delightful home that tells a touching story about the owner’s past, her neverending love for El Paso, and a newfound abode with the promise of even more stories to be told.