Welcome to 351 Cherry Gulch Rd. Just five minutes from downtown Durango on a 48.7 acre lot, a rare post-and-beam straw bale home has been created according to the guiding principles of Feng Shui and the golden mean (1-1.68). The eight raked corners of the home constitute a Bagua. The bathrooms and indoor jacuzzi are located on the north side (the turtle) and the south side opens out to a huge vista (the phoenix). The home is designed on Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architectural style of bringing the outdoors in, open floor plans, built-in furniture, natural materials and horizontal lines. This inviting sanctuary has a solar panel system as well as passive solar from its amazing southern exposure and tile mass, supplemented by radiant in-floor heat. Two gas fireplaces provide even more warmth in the den and master bedroom. The gorgeous kitchen, open to the sunken living room and centered around a butcher block island, has solid cherry cabinetry, concrete counters, an induction stove, and a Sub-Zero refrigerator. A part of the counter brilliantly transforms into a pop-up artist's easel complete with a set of narrow multi-purpose drawers in front of a circular window. An upright freezer is located in a pantry so generous it could double as an art studio, and a mud room keeps the outdoors separate from the living area. A full bath on the main level connects to the laundry room and den. Two huge bedrooms and a full bath upstairs are surrounded by windows with forever views from this property's perch on a ridge of Ponderosa Pines. A deck leads off the master bedroom with gloriously long views. And no matter where you are in this beautiful home, you'll be under the protective eyes of thunderbirds and other symbols subtly incorporated throughout. This is a true artist's haven, yet anyone would feel at home here.