91 Riverbend, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

This is a one-of-a-kind, peaceful northern New Mexico retreat with luxury finishes, exceptional craftsmanship, riverfrontage and breathtaking views in every direction. Close to town yet extremely private, it is a truly unique, luxurious sanctuary on 8.97 acres bordering the Rio Pueblo (to the West), with exceptional 360 degrees views that include breathtaking sunsets.

Across the river are 16,692 undeveloped acres of Taos Pueblo lands. The home was designed by Nick Noyes Architecture from San Francisco and was built by Taos premium local builder, Ian Forsberg. No detail has been spared in its construction. The amazing, enclosed courtyard was designed by Martin Mosko (Marpa Design of Boulder, Colorado) and constructed by Ben Edwards, of Earthtones.

It has been featured in three different articles published by SuCasa, the Santa Fe New Mexican, and the Wall Street Journal. This home has both territorial and pueblo architecture features, and is built in the campus style, with a central building of beautiful, two-foot-thick, Rammed Earth walls and two wings constructed of pumice-crete.

The main house contains three bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms, and the studio casita in the south wing is the fourth bedroom, with a full bathroom and a galley kitchen. There is a heated two-car garage with a workshop, plenty of additional storage shelving, and an EV charger.

This wing also houses a sauna room (Finlandia) with a shower and sink. The floors are concrete, with radiant heat, and the living room and master bedroom have beautiful reclaimed wooden floors overlaying the concrete. All doors are solid, heavy wood. Beautiful, custom-made alder cabinetry is present throughout the house, designed and constructed by Ian Forsberg.

Three wood-burning fireplaces provide additional warmth and character. The front door, garage doors, and garden gates were custom-made by La Puerta Originals in Santa Fe from reclaimed wood. The large gourmet chef's kitchen is designed with high-end appliances, which include a Wolf stove top, Wolf built-in steamer, Wolf double oven, Sub-Zero side-by-side refrigerator and Sub-Zero wine refrigerator, and a Fisher & Paykel double drawer dishwasher.

The countertops are river-washed granite with a granite backsplash. Each bedroom includes an ensuite full bathroom. The spacious master suite features a kiva fireplace, glass doors leading to the courtyard and hot tub, and a large walk-in closet. There are two solar systems for energy conservation: first, a photothermal system, which heats water fo

r domestic use and radiant heat, and second, electricity-generating grid-tied photovoltaic solar panels. The home encloses a large and truly exceptional courtyard, designed by a Zen priest, Martin Mosko. It contains unique rocks, lush plants, and mature trees with flowers blooming from April through September.

A large, deep koi pond surrounds a central patio and contains fish that are up to 15 years old, with cascading waterfalls on a programmable timer to accentuate the pond. A wooden deck at the end contains a cedar hot tub that is perfect for stargazing.

Behind the deck is a custom-made, colorful Italian tile mosaic made by Laurie Peters of Elgin, Illinois, that is truly the centerpiece of the courtyard. This courtyard has been a standout feature of the Taos Garden Club for several years. In addition, there is a private, well-maintained path leading down to the river, for picnics or fishing. Wildlife is abundant, including frequent visits from big-horned sheep as well as river otters and occasional bobcats.