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Houzz Tour: A Modern Mexican Paradise
House + House Architects Creates a Handmade Tropical Castle With a Modern Twist
Casa Lluvia Blanca is a modern, three-story estate in the heart of a historic Mexican city. San Miguel de Allende, essentially the arts and crafts capital of Mexico, has over time developed a unique blend of modern and traditional culture. Completed in early 2011 by the husband-wife team at House + House Architects, Casa Lluvia Blanca is a striking representation of that mixture.
Built for a couple with an innate international style (she's from San Francisco, he's from Denmark, and they live in London), the clients wanted the design of the house to have three main influences: Moroccan, traditional Mexican, and a surprising dose of modern. Thanks to Steven and Cathi House's impeccable designs and the amazing craftsmanship of contractor Guadalupe Gonzalez and his crew, all three styles are clearly visible throughout the home.
Built for a couple with an innate international style (she's from San Francisco, he's from Denmark, and they live in London), the clients wanted the design of the house to have three main influences: Moroccan, traditional Mexican, and a surprising dose of modern. Thanks to Steven and Cathi House's impeccable designs and the amazing craftsmanship of contractor Guadalupe Gonzalez and his crew, all three styles are clearly visible throughout the home.
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A long lap pool welcomes the owners at the front entrance. Three working water spouts in a rustic stone wall add to the tropical ambiance. Cathi and Steven had their crew in San Miguel search high and low for the perfect stone to add to this accent wall. After coming up empty at local quarries, the crew ended up digging out some beautiful rocks by hand at a rancher's home 30 miles outside San Miguel.
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Since the building is so high and narrow, three courtyards were sprinkled throughout the layout of the home to let natural light into the interior. The plot the couple picked out is an odd shape, a combination of three backyard areas. But it's also beautiful and very private, and the client's wife fell in love with it immediately.
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Cathi and Steven worked on all interior details as well as designing the exterior. The custom glass and metal railings throughout are gently curved. The lighting was imported from Morocco.
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| Natural light played a significant role in the home's design. "The three Moroccan domes Cathi designed are stunning," says Steven. "The light comes into the home and dances around the house at different times of day." Here, the same light fixture from the previous photo can be viewed while lying down on one of the living room's built-in couches (see next photo). |
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The floors in this main living space are a beautiful travertine marble acid-washed to open the crystals. From the dome to the railings and curved built-ins, it's clear circular shapes are a common theme in this house. Cathi discovered this architectural solution serendipitously while playing with templates. "I'm probably the only architect alive that still draws by hand," she jokes.
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| The curves continue in the dining room, where a ceiling accent above a custom mesquite table is mirrored in two cast-concrete fixtures on the floor. While one of these pieces was made into a storage space, the other is actually a fireplace. If you look closely, there are tiny flames coming out of the cement piece to the lower left. |
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| Local handmade tile covers the kitchen backsplash, countertops and floor. The cupboards, also done by hand, are made of alder. "Our crew in San Miguel doesn't really use any power tools," says Cathi. "Every part of the house is made with someone's hands, which adds a really beautiful quality to our work — even the portions of this house that are meant to be more sleek." |
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| The master suite clearly emanates the bright colors and bold textiles of Morocco, one of the clients' favorite places to travel. A small fireplace and private outdoor area complete the exotic ambiance of the room. |
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| Like everything else in the house, the beautiful bathtub in the master bath was made by hand. Cathi and Steven constructed a steel frame for the large tub, and poured in concrete with a smooth finish. |
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| The second floor of the house contains the two other main suites. Each suite contains a bedroom, bathroom and outdoor area. |
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| One of the suite's bathrooms has a gorgeous shower that seems to burst with silvery light. Glass block alternates with bubble- shaped ceramic tile on the shower wall, while smooth travertine marble flooring grounds the rest of the room. |
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The studio and workroom on the third floor of the house has a much more modern vibe than the rest of the home. Since the husband is from Copenhagen, having a section devoted to his love of Scandinavian-like design was important to the clients.
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When first visiting the completed house, the clients were surprised by the home's generous height and volume. "The way the house flows feels really natural and beautiful," says Cathi. "Our design process is extremely organic, and it shows here. Everything is developed in a very natural way."
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A small kitchenette allow the clients to make a quick snack or meal upstairs, too. "We design very much with the journey of life," says Cathi. "It's about taking the mundane things you do every day and celebrating them through architecture. Every little detail matters. That's what we try to focus on."
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An outdoor area outside the third floor has a stairway to a rooftop hot tub, also made by hand. They didn't go and look for a hot tub at some big warehouse store, Cathi says. "We wanted this to have the same touch as the rest of the house, so it was made by our incredibly talented crew."
More ideas:
Houzz Escape: Down Old Mexico Way
Bold Moroccan Style for Today's Interiors
Browse more photos from Mexico City
More ideas:
Houzz Escape: Down Old Mexico Way
Bold Moroccan Style for Today's Interiors
Browse more photos from Mexico City
Ideabook updated on Oct. 29, 2012.
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PS it's for rent ;-)
I think it's important to take into account that many professional photos are done prior to the client moving in, so the house definitely won't look as lived in.