Deep shelves, thick walls

Sunset, Jan, 1990

Deep shelves, thick walls Santa Fe style brings to mind, among other things, houses with thick adobe walls. But walls with the look of adobe can be built more simply with materials other than clay.

In this Southwest-style house in Carefree, Arizona, parallel stud frames support gypsum board walls that were skim-coated with joint compound to give a softer, thicker look. Since the wall is essentially hollow, space could be carved out for the recessed shelving system you see above. The plaster-like detailing wraps around the top, bottom, and one side of the recess, with rounded corners highlighting the thickness of the wall.

Architect was Allen Tafoya, Phoenix.