Entrepreneur Jochen Zeitz has put his remarkable Santa Fe estate, Rancho Alegre, on the market for 16.5 million dollars. Zeitz and his wife, film producer Kate Garwood, acquired the 178-hectare property in 2013 after falling in love with the American Southwest. They transformed it into an exceptional desert estate, later featured in HBO's 'Succession' as well as 'Roswell' and 'The Ridiculous 6'. Rancho Alegre, meaning 'happy ranch', combines authentic Southwestern architecture with Old West influences in a grand private village unmatched in New Mexico.
The estate spans an area of 21,013 square metres and features a total of 16 bedrooms, as well as 15 full bathrooms and four half bathrooms. It offers a wealth of remarkable features that underscore both the comfort and the luxurious lifestyle for which it was designed.
Special features of the estate
- —Adobe-style complex
- —Infinity pool
- —Private chapel and recording studio
- —Old West-style saloon and a cantina
- —Equestrian facilities
- —Screening cinema and wine cellar
Upon entering the main hacienda with its six bedrooms, the reception room immediately embraces William F. Tull's Southwestern architecture, characterised by a rare bóveda ceiling of tightly laid bricks and supporting arches. Copper-framed windows extend across the back wall, integrating the desert landscape into the room, while warmly plastered walls, flagstone floors, and deep arched openings continue the home's authentic regional colour palette.
Later updates by Olivia Williams Design Studio and Fearon Hay preserved the original materials but added a more contemporary arrangement of sculptural furniture, art, and lighting. A large living area is arranged beneath a series of hand-carved wooden beams, each spanning the ceiling. A large wrought-iron chandelier hangs over the centre of the room, complemented by smaller suspended lights descending along both walls, emphasising the room's height.
Interior design and living areas
In the dining room, located in the hallway, tightly laid wooden slats on the ceiling and flagstone floors define the ambience. A long live-edge table runs through the centre beneath a wrought-iron ring chandelier, flanked by woven sculptural armchairs on both sides and taller wingback chairs at the ends. The kitchen continues the hacienda's artisanal character under another brick bóveda ceiling, its narrow rows arching over the space above an oversized wrought-iron chandelier. Two work surfaces divide the central area: a long raised counter with bar stools creates an informal dining area, while a smaller stone island integrates the sink into the main preparation zone. Deeply carved wooden cabinets frame the room, while hammered copper, carved drawers, and a large copper hood give the kitchen a dense, detailed finish.
Elsewhere in the house, the cocktail bar is designed as an intimate dining and lounge area with a round wooden table next to a corner fireplace. Behind the table, a dark glass opening reveals the wine cellar, where bottles are stored in floor-to-ceiling racks under subdued, atmospheric lighting. The bedrooms throughout the estate continue the Southwestern design into more intimate spaces. The main ground-floor bedroom is situated under massive peeled wooden beams and a ceiling of tightly laid wooden slats, with clerestory windows bringing light across the upper walls. A low wooden-frame bed is placed next to a stacked stone wall, while built-in niches and dark wooden doors are worked directly into the plaster. The adjoining bathroom and two large, symmetrical dressing rooms extend from the bedroom on the other side of the room.
