Construction Diary: How a DIY Tucson Couple Restored a 1930s Adobe

They stripped away additions to bring back its original character—and added some of their own.

Photographer Logan Havens was between gigs when he began to look for a renovation project where he lives in Tucson, Arizona. Within his price range and a three-mile radius of downtown, where he wanted to be, “there were, like, two options,” he says. One in particular had a cracked facade and awkward additions, among other issues—no street appeal here. But a parapet hinted that it might be a historic adobe original to the Barrio Kroeger Lane neighborhood, one of Tucson’s oldest.

Photographer Logan Havens and designer Gustavo Silva restored an adobe in a Tucson neighborhood known for the structures, honoring the home’s original plan while layering in modern touches. In the living room, Logan sits in a lounge chair by Cade Manning Hayes of Dust Architects. The Pier System shelving unit is from Hay, and the Alvar Aalto 60 stools are from Artek.

Photo: Matt Martian Williams

The location, in fact, is what ultimately convinced Logan and his partner, designer Gustavo Silva, to purchase the home for $142,000 and make it their primary address. Regular bike rides downtown and to a favorite plant nursery in the neighborhood would take them right past the 1930s property, which is situated along the Santa Cruz River. “You can see downtown from the backyard,” says Logan. Now it was a matter of restoring the original structure while bringing in a few modern touches—including plywood-fronted cabinetry, a stainless-steel kitchen, and air-conditioning.