exposed decorative adobe

This small wall feature showing exposed decorative adobe bricks which were added to the pumice crete walls as a unique design feature in the shower area in this building south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The adobe bricks were laid in cement stucco by other contractors, as we only served as subcontractors on this job (our first experience as such). Therefore the brick laying does not reflect the tight mud joints that would be our standard.

The request for this wall was to prepare the bricks in such as way as to keep them from dusting. A clay slip wheat past alis was applied by Carolyn, after she hand tooled the mud mortar we added into the existing cement. The adobe bricks (which are actually faux half bricks), once cleaned up and painted with the clay coat, contrast nicely against the high end diamond finish stucco.

The elegant lighting fixture adds yet another layer of complexity to this area which seems to be a study in contrasts, joining elegance with rustic touches – a common theme throughout this entire building.