Historic Restoration
Restoring Santa Fe's
most important homes.
Adobe repair through full preservation-sensitive remodels. The slow work of keeping a place itself.
What we restore
Three traditions
of the high desert.
Most of our restoration work falls into three quiet families: adobe homes that need stabilization or sympathetic addition, pre-war and territorial properties that need their bones honored, and Pueblo Revival houses that need everything they've always had — just done right.
We don't restore to a museum standard. We restore for owners who plan to live there.
How we work
Slow,
and on the site
every day.
Every restoration starts with a careful survey — what's still good, what's been hidden under bad work, what the previous century has done to the structure. We document everything, then sit down with the owner before we touch a wall.
The permitting takes longer than the demolition. The plaster takes longer than the framing. We use traditional materials wherever they belong and modern systems where they're invisible. None of this is fast.
Case Study · Abiquiú
Ghost Ranch,
restored.
A preservation-sensitive restoration of the adobe Georgia O'Keeffe spent her summers in. Hand-troweled plaster, period hardware, the original light through the original windows.
Read the case studyFrom an owner
We have lived in Santa Fe for over 33 years, long enough to know that finding the right contractor here is a bit like finding the right doctor or the right friend—it matters, and when it works, you hold onto it.
After our first contractor's business unraveled, we were fortunate to be introduced to Tent Rock. Our initial project with them included redoing our pool and surrounding area, resurfacing the tennis court, and reshaping the entrance to our property, along with a handful of other improvements. It wasn't the largest project, but it was an important one to us—and they got it exactly right. The work was not only beautiful, but it felt considered, almost intuitive. That first experience set the tone for everything that followed.
Since then, we have worked with Tent Rock on project after project—some small, some more ambitious—and we return to them without hesitation. There is a steadiness and consistency to their work that builds real trust over time.
Our home was built in 1948, and like many houses of that era, it has a particular spirit. Tent Rock understands that. They respect the bones of the house, the way the light moves through it, the materials, the history, and they never try to overwrite it. Instead, they refine and elevate what is already there. It's a rare sensitivity.
Their attention to detail is exceptional, whether it's a major structural element or the smallest finishing touch. They are responsible, communicative, and deeply professional, but also genuinely invested in the outcome. In recent years, they've developed an impressive in-house team along with a network of outstanding craftsmen. The woodworking is outstanding, the tile work feels perfectly at home here, and their painters, plumbers, and electricians are all superb. It's a complete and thoughtful operation.
We recommend Tent Rock without reservation. And special recognition to Joel Muller for building such a remarkable company, and to his sons, Perry and Riley, for continuing that tradition with such care and perhaps even adding their own layer of excellence to it.
A few common questions
Things owners ask
at the first walkthrough.
How long does an adobe restoration usually take?
It depends on scope. A focused exterior re-plaster might run twelve weeks. A whole-home restoration with structural and roof work — like the Henderson House — can run two years. We give you a real timeline, not a sales one, after a site visit.
Will the HDARB approve what I want to do?
We've worked with the Historic Design & Archeological Review Board for thirty years and we know what gets approved and what doesn't. We'll tell you honestly, up front, what's feasible — and we'll prepare and present the submittal.
Do you do new homes that look historic, or only restoration?
Both. About half our work is restoration; the other half is new custom homes built in the territorial or contemporary Pueblo vernacular. The crafts overlap. The disciplines do not.
What materials do you use for traditional adobe repair?
Mud plaster, micaceous mica plaster, lime washes, handmade Saltillo tile from Mexico, hand-adzed vigas, and historic doors and windows sourced or restored to spec. We don't use synthetic stucco on historic work.
Can you work outside Santa Fe?
Yes. Most of our work is within an hour of the office — Tesuque, Las Campanas, Abiquiú, and the rest. We've done occasional projects further afield when they align with the practice.
If you've got a historic home
Let's walk through it together.
A first visit is a conversation, not a contract. We'll listen, look, and tell you what we see.
Schedule a walkthrough