Santa Fe Houses by Christine Mather Photographs by Jack Parsons (Clarkson Potter / Random House)

Santa Fe Houses is a captivating invitation to explore some of the most beautiful homes in the Southwest. Saturated with the brilliant light of the high desert, Santa Fe's architecture is inspired by age-old materials, extraordinary cultural richness, and a landscape unmatched anywhere else in the world.

The large bedstead is covered with milagros, or metallic devotional pieces.

The living room contains many examples of religious art from colonial Latin America. Windows above act as skylights, and long formal windows give direct visual access to the gardens.

Shutters, old farm implements, and painted furniture give the front portal a rustic look. This home is located just southeast of the city in Arroyo Hondo

Walls give protection to the front portal. Their thick proportions are highlighted by the buttresses beside the gate that was salvaged from Mexico.