New Mexico Custom Home brings the Indoors Out
Jim Pofahl and his son Cole Pofahl of Cole Thomas Homes know how to embrace the outdoors when it comes to building a home in Las Cruces, New Mexico. In their Las Cruces, New Mexico Custom home at 7053 Calle Estancias in Picacho Mountain, Jim and Cole created a unique home that has a natural flow along with a regal feel.
“We wanted to bring something new to the market,” Cole says. “We started by framing the views – that was the big thing we tried to do with the architecture.”
Upon entering the 4,020 square foot custom home, a fantastic entryway welcomes with a cultured stone wall built with scattered peek-a-boo windows – giving a glimpse of what more the house has to offer. Around the corner of the entryway sits the area of the custom home that shows the true talent of the builders – a great room, which instantly expands and moves into the outdoors with the push of a button.
The great room consists of a gourmet kitchen, dining room and living room with a massive cultured stone fireplace. On each side of the fireplace are custom designed disappearing glass walls facing the east that expand the great room to the outdoor patio complete with a kitchen, seating area and dining area. Between the eastside and westside exterior, there is an additional 1,000 square feet of patio.
“This house has a great indoor and outdoor connection,” Jim says of the disappearing glass walls.
The biggest challenge for the glass walls was finding a pocket in the great room which would hide the motor and allow the doors to recede into. The Pofahl’s utilized the grand fireplace to get past that challenge.
“There is definitely a wow factor when you can push a button and the doors vanish,” Cole says. Because the glass walls face the Organ Mountains views, the view is utilized even when the doors are not open, creating a continuous outdoor effect.
Another unique attribute to the Pofahl’s $1.1 million house is the split floor plan, which offers two central corridors on each side of the great room. Past the gourmet kitchen, the master bedroom and bathroom are separated by a double-sided fireplace and seating area with exceptional views of the valley and the Organ Mountains. In the master bathroom, a glass walled shower looks out to an outdoor garden with high exterior walls for privacy. Also past the kitchen is a 1,000 square foot, three car garage with 9-foot-wide garage doors.
Past the living room there is a casita, media room and Jack and Jill bathroom. The house contains nearly 3,000 square feet of cultured stone and rough sawn beams throughout.
Both Jim and Cole Pofahl credit those they worked with on the home for the uniqueness and quality offered, including Connie Hines of Connie Hines Interior Design and Architect Jason Clark of Studio D Architects.
“We feel like we worked with one of the best architects and one of the best designers in the area,” Jim says.
The father and son team bring a distinctive partnership to the company. Jim started in the business of building years ago with his brother Bob Pofahl, owner and developer of the Picacho Mountain master planned community.
“We started with remodeling, and then moved on to general contracting. It continued on into bigger things,” Jim says.
Jim has been in the construction business for 35 years, in the past focusing on commercial construction design and management with Bob. Before as a Las Cruces, New Mexico home builder, Jim and Cole built quality custom homes in El Paso. As part of Cole Thomas Homes, Jim focuses on the building aspect, spending much of his time on the job sites to make sure every detail is covered.
“I enjoy building homes, but also building relationships,” Jim says. “When you look at a volume of space, as a builder, you work to make everything in that space fit with the people you are building for.”
Cole has a background in finance, accounting and organization operations. His focus remains on back-office functions, but he is actively involved in the design process of building.
“My background is in business but I enjoy the creative side. There is something about seeing something built from the ground up,” Cole says.
The father and son work well as family members and business partners.
“He’s my friend as much as he is my father and we have a great relationship,” says Cole, who commutes to the Las Cruces/ El Paso area from Lubbock each week. Back home, Cole’s wife, Holli, and daughter Cameron Bouma wait for his return. “I’m very thankful for the support of my wife. She’s been a big part of this process.”
Jim’s commute is not as far as Cole’s, but he does drive to Las Cruces from El Paso, where he lives with wife, Barbara. The couple’s 30-year-old daughter, Kelsy Pofahl, lives in Atlanta.
“We’ve always been close as a family,” Jim says. “As we began to look at the business aspect, it created a situation and an environment that we could all spend more time together. We bounced off a lot of ideas with those we are closest to.”
The feedback they received was invaluable, allowing the father and son to build one of the finest homes in the area.
“This house is a good example of what we can do,” Jim says. “We can scale it down or build it up.”
Cole agrees the house is a prime example of Cole Thomas Homes.
“By showing people this house, it communicates what we can do,” Cole says. “We know there is a feel that is created when building a house. The whole thing has to work together. If you’ve paid attention to everything, the details all come together to make something great.”
Contact Picacho Mountain at 575-523-2500 for more information on this home or other Las Cruces custom homes by Cole Thomas Homes.
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