They Wanted To Make It Feel Younger, Fresher, And More Reflective Of Who They Are" — So The Designer Of This Mexico City Home Built A Cosmic Fantasy From A Modernist Treasure
AIThis post was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI).

TL;DR

Prime Big Deal Days · Oct 6–7Offer from Amazon

Get furniture and decor delivered free — and shop member deals

  • Fast, free delivery on millions of items
  • Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
  • Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
Start your free Prime trial Free trial for eligible customers · Cancel anytime
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

Architect Andrés Gutiérrez and A-G estudio renovated a 1962 home in Mexico City’s San Ángel neighborhood for a young couple who inherited it. The project adds colorful interiors, Mexican-made furniture and art, and a restored library while retaining much of the house’s original woodwork and floors.

Architect Andrés Gutiérrez has renovated a 1962 modernist house in Mexico City’s San Ángel neighborhood, updating its interiors for a young couple while preserving key elements of the home designed by architect Jaime Ortiz Monasterio. The project pairs saturated colors and furniture and artwork by Mexican creatives with the restoration of original features, including woodwork, floors and a central library.

The owners inherited the house and valued its architectural heritage, but wanted the interiors to feel younger, fresher and more personal. Gutiérrez, who led the renovation and interior design through his studio A-G estudio, said the brief was to make the home contemporary, playful and colorful without losing respect for its original architecture. The couple also wanted a distinctly Mexican identity without relying on folkloric clichés.

According to Gutiérrez, all furniture in the house was made in Mexico, and the artwork is by Mexican creatives. The furnishings include designs by Mexican studios Ad Hoc, Bibi Bibi and Comité de Proyectos, along with modernist pieces by Antonio Attolini Lack. Some furniture was customized for the project, while Gutiérrez designed several items, including cabinets, credenzas and outdoor dining chairs.

The interiors use lilac rugs and sofas, duck-egg-colored walls and pea-green upholstered chairs. Sculptural furnishings include a marble table with substantial metal legs and a padded, tubular bed frame. The design choices sit alongside a restrained architectural intervention: the team replaced some timber and renewed window frames and glass, while retaining much of the original flooring and woodwork.

At a glance
reportWhen: Published by Livingetc; the source does…
The developmentA young couple’s renovation of a Jaime Ortiz Monasterio-designed home in Mexico City combines a colorful, contemporary interior with restoration of key original features.

A Mexican Identity Without Clichés

The renovation shows how the owners and architect approached the tension between adapting an inherited modernist home and preserving what made it distinctive. Rather than treating the building as a blank slate, the project adds a new visual identity through color, furniture and art while keeping substantial parts of the existing structure.

Its Mexican character is expressed through the origin of the furnishings and artwork and through the selection of pieces that bring different periods of the country’s design culture together. Gutiérrez said the aim was not to recreate a particular historical period. For readers interested in architecture and interiors, the project offers a specific example of a renovation that combines contemporary personal taste with the continued use of a mid-century house’s defining features.

Amazon

Mexican modernist furniture

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

Restoring the House’s Library

The house was designed in 1962 by Jaime Ortiz Monasterio and is in San Ángel, an affluent Mexico City neighborhood known for colonial architecture as well as modernist landmarks. The source report places the home within that broader architectural setting but does not provide further detail on the architect’s career or the house’s formal heritage status.

Gutiérrez said the original design had been conceived almost as a “library to live in”, but little of that idea remained when he first saw the house. The former owners had removed the living room’s floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The renovation team restored what it could and brought the library back as a central part of the home, according to the architect.

The design draws on work from multiple periods of Mexican visual culture. Gutiérrez said the team was interested in art that references the country’s pre-Hispanic past and in works with strong color. The resulting collection was intended to let those influences coexist rather than reproduce one period or style.

“They wanted to take away some of its seriousness and make it feel younger, fresher, and more reflective of who they are.”

— Andrés Gutiérrez, architect and founder of A-G estudio, in Livingetc

Renovation Details Not Provided

The source report does not state when the renovation was completed, how long the work took, or what it cost. It also does not identify the owners beyond describing them as a young couple, or specify which portions of the original structure beyond the named floors and woodwork were retained.

The article describes the library’s restoration and the replacement of some timber and renewal of windows, but does not provide construction plans, a room-by-room account or an independent assessment of how much of the 1962 design remains. The account is based on the architect’s description and the publication’s reporting; no separate comments from the owners are included in the supplied material.

No Further Project Milestones Listed

The source presents the renovation as a completed project and does not report a forthcoming construction phase, public opening or additional announcement. No next milestone is identified in the available material.

Further detail on the scope of the restoration, the owners’ experience of the finished home and the project timeline would require additional information from the owners, architect or project documentation.

Key Questions

Who designed the renovation?

Andrés Gutiérrez led the renovation and interior design through his Mexico-based practice, A-G estudio, according to Livingetc.

What was the house’s architectural history?

The home was designed in 1962 by Jaime Ortiz Monasterio and is in Mexico City’s San Ángel neighborhood.

What parts of the original house were retained?

Gutiérrez said the team retained much of the original flooring and woodwork. It replaced some timber and renewed window frames and glass, and restored the living room library after earlier owners had removed its bookshelves.

How does the interior reflect Mexican design?

The project uses Mexican-made furniture and artwork by Mexican creatives. Gutiérrez said the art selection brought together references to the country’s pre-Hispanic past and strong uses of color without attempting to recreate one historical period.

What details about the project remain unknown?

The source does not give the renovation’s cost, duration or completion date. It also does not provide a full inventory of the original features retained or comments from the homeowners.

Source: rss

HALLOWEEN

Halloween Picks

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

You May Also Like

Why Good Home Design Often Starts With One Honest Question About Daily Life

The key to great home design begins with one honest question about your daily life, and understanding this can transform your living space forever.

This Shelter Island Home Boasts The Best Porch We’ve Ever Seen

House Beautiful profiles designer Serena Dugan’s Shelter Island cottage renovation, including its broad porch, hanging beds and rebuilt stone fireplace.

Picking a Palette: How to Choose Colors for Your Home

Having trouble choosing the perfect colors for your home? Discover key tips to create a harmonious and stylish space.

10 Expert-Recommended Interior Design Ideas for a Cozy, Elegant Home!

Kickstart your journey to a cozy, elegant home with these 10 expert tips that will transform your space—don’t miss the secrets to a perfect ambiance!