Global Warming
Interior design: Carol Buto, ASID, Carol Buto Designs

Located behind undulating walls, this Santa Fe-style Desert Mountain home is like a gift box waiting to be opened.

Inside, sculptural-looking architectural features, beamed-and-corbeled ceilings, and plentiful nichos were the canvas for designer Carol Buto's creativity. Homeowners Margey and Doug Colbeth "wanted something warm and comfortable for entertaining friends and family," she says. Barry Smith, who designed and built the house to look as if it had stood for 150 years, wanted its interiors to complement his goal of authenticity, Buto adds.

With both parties' wishes in mind, she fine-tuned the home's decor with an eye toward an eclectic Southwest style, one that leaves room for the homeowners' love of Tuscany.