Jerry Ortiz's 25 years in a family floral business, overseeing maintenance and expansion proved handy when he began a second career building houses.This new builder's most recent work in High Desert won not only a Silver Award from judges in the 2004 Homes of Enchantment Parade, but also a Buyers Choice Award and nods for Best Kitchen and Best Bath in houses priced between $862,000 and $1.15 million.

Ortiz's company, Bentley Custom Homes LLC, is now building two more homes in the same Far Northeast Heights subdivision. One will be in the 2005 Parade. Meanwhile, this house, last years winner, described by Ortiz as "traditional contemporary," has been purchased and is no longer available for viewing. "I've always enjoyed contemporary homes," said Ortiz, who spent more than two decades overseeing maintenance and remodeling at eight Peoples Flower Shops. "I just felt contemporary homes could use some warming up."Warming up" Ortiz style means the inclusion of stone, cherry cabinets, and the use of warm colors, all contrasts to ultra modern features, from the lighting (lots of glass and crystal) to a staircase railing made from wire cable.

Dominant in this 4,148-square-foot house is slate from India. The stone tiles, in many colors and swirling patterns, cover most of the floors, create backsplashes and provide bathroom and exterior accents.

An exterior slate wall outside the front door leads under copper-wrapped beams that cast soft reddish-orange
shadows across the stucco. The house is on a half-acre lot.

Surprisingly, one of the first things seen upon entering the four bedroom, five bath house is the outdoors, thanks to the home's location in the foothills. Opposite the dramatic 14-foot tall entryway is a picture window framing Sandia Crest.The window also provides a view to a covered patio tucked within the exterior walls, an inner courtyard of sorts with its own fireplace. Only then does the home's U-shaped design reveal itself.
The kitchen and great room combine to form the heart of the house. In the kitchen, soft curves creep into an otherwise angular home design. A kitchen island in deep emerald pearl granite easily accommodates six-plus bar stools, and its gentle curve is repeated twice - once in the rounded drop ceiling overhead and again in the monorail lighting system with handblown amber glass pendants.

The cabinets are cherrywood, the countertop granite, and the appliances stainless steel. In the adjoining great room are 10-foot windows with mountain views and a two-sided gas log fireplace.

A breakfast nook completes the great room. Connecting the dining room and kitchen is a walk-through butler's pantry with wet bar, cherry cabinets for stemware, a refrigerator and dishwasher.

The master suite, as well as a guest bedroom, are on the main floor. The award winning master bath has a 20-foot-long walk in closet with a stacked washer and dryer. The bathroom has a 72 -inch jetted tub in a granite base and a shower in which 1-by1-inch squares of glass tile tucked into the floor cast sparkling reflections.

Two upstairs bedrooms have their own baths and walk-in closets. A landing atop the stairs is large enough to become a playroom, and another upstairs room is wired as a media center or home office.

This article was written by Jane Mahoney and appeared in the
Albuquerque Journal on April 10th, 2005 and is reprinted with permission.

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