Midtown Mosaic
A COLONIA SOLANA GEM REVEALS A LIFE WELL TRAVELED
by Edia Jarolim
photography by Steven Meckler
phto assistant
Joseph Boldt
There are homey homes, residences that feel loved and lived in, and designer homes, artfully arranged spaces that inspire awe and admiration. These things meet in Colonia Solana, the historic midtown enclave where Rochelle K and Louis Stamler have created a dwelling that blends heart and style, elegance and personality.
Purchased by Louis at auction in 1991, the house was not only in disrepair, but had last been renovated in the late 1950s and early 1960s. That meant all the ceilings had been painted white, and some had been lowered. The concrete floors had been carpeted and sliding glass doors were installed. All in all, it had been made to conform to the dictates of the “bland is better” era. Looking around today at all the color—a green-washed ceiling in the dining room, say, or a watermelon-hued stucco fireplace in the master bedroom, both done by faux-finish artist Cyndi Johnson—you would be hard-pressed to guess that the house had ever been bland. Which just goes to show the amount of effort Rochelle and Louis expended in fixing up—or as they put it, “excavating”—the place. “If you like it, we did it or had it done,” Louis laughs.
This was the third home in Tucson for the couple, who moved here from Chicago in the early 1970s (though not together, Rochelle jokes that she lured Louis to join her with the promise of warm weather), so they knew the drill. They began with the basics of making the house habitable: getting the plumbing to function and installing light fixtures. Then they began restoring original features, stripping paint from the dark wood of the ceilings and lintels, acid-dipping and hand-sanding the doors. But there was little to be salvaged. Mostly, they maintained the integrity of the house by staying faithful to its spirit. They replaced the sliding glass doors, for example, with French doors that captured the mood of the original. They installed porcelain tiles on the floor of the master bedroom—which they had gutted and completely rebuilt, along with its bath—that matched the natural scored concrete of the entryway and dining room. And they had traditional Mexican patterns hand-painted in white on windows in the den and the kitchen, a lacelike embellishment found in many Joesler homes.
But at the same time they were giving the house its historic due, Rochelle and Louis were also putting their personal stamp on it, incorporating artwork and furnishings that reflected their travels, their friendships— and their own spirit. The first thing that strikes a visitor is the abundance of folk art, especially pieces from Mexico and Guatemala. Everywhere you look, you’ll see something from the region, such as a huge ceramic pineapple from Michoacan, a framed huipile (embroidered tunic) from Antigua, a dowry chest from Cuernavaca, or clay mermaids from Oaxaca.
Rochelle’s eye for unique pieces was recognized early on by Berta Wright, the late folk-art dealer so locally revered that the Tucson Museum of Art’s first permanent gallery of regional art, the Palice Pavilion, was dedicated to her. In 1976, Wright hired Rochelle as a buyer, sending her everywhere from small towns such as Taxco, San Miguel de Allende, and the Cochiti pueblo in New Mexico to Los Angeles for major trade shows. Rochelle K not only worked as a folk-art buyer, but also opened the creative clothing store in 1981 that still bears her name, now in Casas Adobes Plaza. Given her interests and avocations, Rochelle might be assumed to be the family art maven. But Louis, a certified public accountant, accompanied Rochelle on her buying trips more often than not, and, just as she did, acquired a passion for the art and culture of the regions they visited. Indicating a black ceramic figure of a market woman on the living room mantel, Rochelle notes, “Louis picked that one out.” She adds, pointing to such intricate details as the delicately lifted skirt, “He often likes things that are more refined, while I tend to go for the rustic and offbeat.”
The couple went to the village of San Bartolo Coyotepec in Oaxaca to buy the figurine directly from the artist, Dr. Magdalena Pedro Martinez—which is typical of their purchasing habits. “Going to the artists’ homes and getting to know them is much more fun than buying from the shops,” Rochelle says. “And we’ve gotten good at overcoming any initial shyness or reluctance. I’ll say to the artists, ‘But we came all the way out here to see you.’ They always let us in.”
Apparently, many artists think that coming to Louis and Rochelle’s home is fun, too. Elliott Heiman, a retired psychiatrist who paints colorful vignettes of daily life, created the lively scene of women shopping and men talking politics that hangs in the hallway off the living room. The whimsical depiction of two mermaids swimming in a pool resulted from the visit of another artist friend, Patti Orshan. Turn around from the claw-foot tub in the master bath over which the painting hangs and you’ll see the pottery folk-art originals—part of a “mermaid shrine,” Rochelle claims—lounging on a stucco half-wall room divider. Glance outside, and you’ll recognize the pool they’re cavorting in as the one on the patio.
Rochelle, a self-described “idea girl rather than an artist,” has had several of her creative visions executed in the house, too. A prime example: the sink in the bathroom off the kitchen. Its base is embedded with sparkly, irregular mosaic pieces à la Gaudí, while the faucet handles are in the shape of cue balls—a combination that’s pure Rochelle. You have the sense that, no matter how often you visit, you’ll encounter something new at every turn—a piece of Outsider art from Alabama, say, a figure from the Ivory Coast, antique serapes hanging from the ceiling beams, chairs upholstered with Guatemalan fabric, a colorful painting of two women. You’ll find things you hadn’t noticed on a first turn around the house but that are bound to have an interesting story attached to them about the artist or the circumstances under which they were acquired.
While there are myriad delights to catch the eye, there is simultaneously a feeling of repose in this home. It’s not just that nothing is crowded together, although that’s the case. Or that there are quiet areas throughout, including the sunroom and the patio, or that no midtown street noise intrudes beyond the lush, mature landscaping. It’s something more ineffable, which Rochelle ascribes to “things that we like working together, a similarity even between different patterns, and the use of all natural fabrics. And even though they’re bright, the colors reflect the outdoors.”
But it may be the sense of husband and wife working together that gives their residence its restful aura, of the two finding joy in their travels, their friends, and each other after three and a half decades. Homes know, and happiness is always easier on their spirit than strife.
RESOURCES architect for master bedroom/bathroom remodel: Isles Architecture LLC 320-9190 • artistic and faux painting: Cyndi Johnson & Co., 360-1723 • creative consultant: Donovan Howe • french doors: Butler Custom Doors, 574-1559 • general contractor: Complete Carpentry Inc., 620-1276 • local art: Frank Franklin, Elliot Heiman, Gail Marcus Orlen • master bath tile floor: Santa Theresa Tile Works, 623-1856
Captions:
Framed above the mantel rests the first of many huipils (traditional garments worn by indigenous Mayan women) Rochelle has purchased in her travels.
The beamed ceilings in the living room, painted over by the previous owners, took two weeks to sandblast, returning them to their original glory.
Rochelle and Louis proudly display their collection of Huichol beaded gourds above the windows, as reminders of their travels to Nayarit, Mexico.
Authentic cochineal dye, purchased in Oaxaca, was rubbed onto the walls of the dining room to achieve this dramatic effect.
A Gaudí inspired tile mosaic embellishes an original pedestal sink in the guest bath.
Their love of the original Spanish tile backsplash in the kitchen keeps Rochelle and Louis from remodeling that room.
Delicate patterns hand-painted on windows create a traditional, lacelike appearance.
An unusual touch: The bed in the master suite occupies the center of the room rather than being pushed up against a wall.
While visiting an artist in Oaxaca, Rochelle purchased these “market ladies” created just for fun by the artist’s wife.
Mexican Mission tiles from Santa Theresa Tile Works dictated the design for the entire master bathroom.
Various patterns of Mexican tile play off one another in a guest bathroom.
Freelancer Edie Jarolim coveted everything she saw in this house but was pleased that the items had found such a fine showcase and such appreciative owners.