About a decade after opening his Taos woodworking shop, Peter
Templeton is now making furniture for media mogul and
billionaire Ted Turner after reading about a unique opportunity
in The Taos News.
Templeton saw a May 2008 story in the paper about Turner’s
Vermejo Park Ranch; the Taos County Planning Commission had
approved a new lodge to replace the 103-year-old Costilla Lodge,
in which guests of the ranch had stayed since 1915.
Templeton wondered who was making the furniture for the new
lodge and contacted the ranch manager and Conron and Woods
Architects of Santa Fe to inquire.
“I kind of tracked it down,” he said. “They liked my ideas.”
He said he knew he wanted to be involved as soon as he saw the
article. After a year of planning, the proposal from Templeton’s
Tree of Life Woodworks was accepted, and he said he signed a
contract to make the furniture in September 2009. He said he was
surprised when the architects suggested he do almost all the
furniture for the ranch.
“I thought that was pretty major in its own way,” he said. “It’s
been pretty much a dream come true.”
Now he is almost done with a slew of furniture for the New
Costilla Lodge, set to open this spring: 24 dining chairs, four
dining tables, three benches, a computer desk, coffee tables, a
console table and two buffet servers, as well as furniture for
eight guest rooms, including side tables, night stands, eight
dressers and 16 hand-carved headboards.
“That’s really one of the main exciting parts of this project,”
Templeton said of the headboards.
He and the other carvers on the project drew and carved ranch
scenes, which tested their creativity and skill. The carvers,
all from Taos, include Leonard Archuleta, Terry McCaulley and
Terry Wolff. Headboard scenes feature mountains, plants and
wildlife found at Vermejo, from turkeys and eagles to bison,
bobcats and elk. Templeton said the carvers designed furniture
that would be a “reflection of the beauty of the ranch.” The
carving was done using a combination of hand and power tools.
“This fir is kind of a challenging wood to carve,” Templeton
said. “It’s kind of splintery.”
Though he and the other carvers had leeway when designing scenes
for the headboards and a “rustic yet elegant” look for the
furniture, Templeton said one of the more interesting challenges
of the project was making the pieces using wood (mostly pine and
red fir) from Vermejo Park Ranch.
“It was all from the native wood,” he said.
Templeton said he worked with a miller and forester during the
project’s early stages, and the wood was dried in a solar kiln
longer than a month before the woodworking started. He estimated
about five months’ worth of woodworking went into the whole
project, with Templeton working 50- or 60-hour weeks himself.
“It’s been pretty intense,” he said. “I am ready for a little
vacation.”
Taos Pueblo carver Archuleta, who has been helping Templeton
with the project, called it the “opportunity of a lifetime.” He
said it has given him many opportunities to express his artistic
side while challenging him with finely detailed plants and
difficult woods.
“The wood can split on you at any time,” he said.
Taos sculptor McCaulley also helped with the carving and said
the wood, though challenging, is beautiful when it’s finished.
“I’m learning a lot,” he said. “I feel honored to be part of the
project.”
Templeton declined to say how big the Vermejo project is
financially, though he said he hopes to come out ahead. He said
he has had eight people helping him with the furniture on and
off, which has proven expensive, but the Vermejo project has
been great experience. Templeton said he may develop a line of
furniture inspired by the Vermejo pieces.
“I’d like to do more ranch furnishings. I like working on
mountain homes,” he said.
Templeton said he hopes the Vermejo project will help make a
name for Tree of Life Woodworks. He said he has done homes in
Angel Fire and elsewhere, completing doors and cabinets as well
as trim work. Templeton said he likes the challenge and steady
work larger jobs provide.
“I like taking on a fairly big project if I can,” he said. “It
keeps the momentum going.”
For information, contact Tree of Life Woodworks at (575)
758-1339.
