Houzz Tours
My Houzz: A Dream Indoor-Outdoor Home in Nicaragua
Breeziness and deep connections with the outdoors create an air of paradise for U.S. transplants
Peta Kaplan and Ben Sandzer-Bell first traveled from Chicago to Nicaragua in 2005 for a family vacation, but volcanoes, wildlife, markets, colonial architecture and beaches made them want to call the area home. "On the last day of our trip, having all agreed that indeed Nicaragua was the sort of place our South African and French backgrounds resonated with, we found ourselves looking at five properties in Granada," says Kaplan.
They bought a colonial house on the edge of a historical district with plans to remodel, but the house was in such poor shape that they demolished it — only the red clay roof tiles were salvageable — and rebuilt in a typical colonial-Granada style that celebrates earth tones, organic shapes and a blurred line between indoors and out.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Painter Peta Kaplan and sculptor Ben Sandzer-Bell
Location: Granada, Nicaragua
Size: 1,292 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Cost: $54 per square foot
They bought a colonial house on the edge of a historical district with plans to remodel, but the house was in such poor shape that they demolished it — only the red clay roof tiles were salvageable — and rebuilt in a typical colonial-Granada style that celebrates earth tones, organic shapes and a blurred line between indoors and out.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Painter Peta Kaplan and sculptor Ben Sandzer-Bell
Location: Granada, Nicaragua
Size: 1,292 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Cost: $54 per square foot
The rooms open to a central courtyard and small swimming pool. "The kitchen is our garden, and the pool is in our living room," Kaplan says.
With its open-air layout, the home has been a magnet for wandering animals. The couple shares the home with three dogs — Mango, Princessa and Dwayne — and six cats: Salvador (Dalí), Diego (Riviera), Georgia (O'Keefe), Thurgood, Stubbie and Ziggy.
With its open-air layout, the home has been a magnet for wandering animals. The couple shares the home with three dogs — Mango, Princessa and Dwayne — and six cats: Salvador (Dalí), Diego (Riviera), Georgia (O'Keefe), Thurgood, Stubbie and Ziggy.
The pool's undulating lines and untiled finish are meant to embody a river. "Our biggest splurge item was our river-inspired pool, as we knew it would be essential for the Granada heat. It was our best investment, and not a day goes by when we are not in it," Kaplan says.
"Our style is best described as respectful of vernacular colonial architecture, combined with touches that permeate our home from Morocco to India to Peru to Argentina — all places that have visually impacted us during our travels," Kaplan says.
"Our style is best described as respectful of vernacular colonial architecture, combined with touches that permeate our home from Morocco to India to Peru to Argentina — all places that have visually impacted us during our travels," Kaplan says.
Kaplan painted murals to visually extend the garden. The wall sconces are from San Juan de Oriente, a village known for its ceramics.
A colorful cascade of tile meant to resemble a waterfall adorns a narrow stairway to a terrace used for yoga and stargazing.
A colorful cascade of tile meant to resemble a waterfall adorns a narrow stairway to a terrace used for yoga and stargazing.
"The terrace is the perfect place for moon bathing and enjoying the night breeze," Kaplan says. "When we lie back and look at the birds flying overhead at the end of each day as the sun goes down, we have the feeling of a permanent vacation."
Arching, organic shapes come up throughout the space, in doors and other openings, partitions, counters and shelves, while natural earth tones inspired the color scheme.
Arched doors and windows come up in the main bedroom too, letting light and garden views in.
The ceiling is made from sugarcane, while the wardrobe is cedar.
The ceiling is made from sugarcane, while the wardrobe is cedar.
The couple's biggest design challenge was finding a way to bring light and air into the bathroom.
They solved it by creating an opening to the sky over a small rock garden next to the shower.
Sandzer-Bell's relief-figure sculptures hang on the enclosure wall.
Sandzer-Bell's relief-figure sculptures hang on the enclosure wall.
More earth tones and curved forms show up in the main bathroom, where relics from the couple's travels also show the influence and appreciation of differing cultures in the couple's design aesthetic. "We shop in local markets looking for unique artistic pieces that capture the essence of local culture," Kaplan says.
Like all the rooms, the main bedroom opens to the courtyard, where one of the couple's six cats stretches on cement tiles sourced from local factories for their natural, organic coloring.
Local craftsmen built all the wood doors in the house out of pochote, also known as spiny cedar.
Sky-blue tiles in the kitchen create one of the home's few bursts of vibrant color. The cabinet doors and shelves are cedar. The door hardware is from India.
Mint, basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, oregano, tumeric, ginger, aloe vera and lemongrass all grow within reach of the kitchen.
Sandzer-Bell covered his piano in Financial Times articles about peak oil, flooding in New Orleans, Iranian conflicts and the election of President Ortega in Nicaragua. "Doing a collage on the piano was his second choice, after wanting to cover his vintage Mustang convertible in newspaper clippings, but our boys vetoed that idea, so he settled on the piano," Kaplan says.
The bamboo dining table was previously part of a door in the couple's Granada office.
The bamboo dining table was previously part of a door in the couple's Granada office.
Kaplan and Sandzer-Bell fell in love with the lot when they felt the wind current traveling up the wide street from Lake Nicaragua five blocks away.
"Our city is authentic, unique and architecturally rich. We can sit outside our house and watch the street go by — a horse, a family of goats, four people on a bicycle, or a horse and cart," says Kaplan.
The couple hired a local artist for U.S.$200 to paint the large exterior mural of a Paul Klee painting that has sentimental value to them.
"Our city is authentic, unique and architecturally rich. We can sit outside our house and watch the street go by — a horse, a family of goats, four people on a bicycle, or a horse and cart," says Kaplan.
The couple hired a local artist for U.S.$200 to paint the large exterior mural of a Paul Klee painting that has sentimental value to them.
Sandzer-Bell and Kaplan sit inside their garden with their dogs Mango and Dwayne, and kitten Ziggy.
"Our lifestyle goal for this house, beyond the architectural and design elements, was for each of our four boys to use it as a vehicle for travel in Latin America, to be exposed to new cultures, life in the developing world, and to acquire Spanish. Proudly, we can say that has been the case," says Kaplan.
One of their sons, Oren Pollack, also relocated to Nicaragua. He lives in a custom bamboo home built by Kaplan and Sandzer-Bell's company.
"Our lifestyle goal for this house, beyond the architectural and design elements, was for each of our four boys to use it as a vehicle for travel in Latin America, to be exposed to new cultures, life in the developing world, and to acquire Spanish. Proudly, we can say that has been the case," says Kaplan.
One of their sons, Oren Pollack, also relocated to Nicaragua. He lives in a custom bamboo home built by Kaplan and Sandzer-Bell's company.
Kaplan's original paintings hang throughout the house. Her series "Stray Dogs of Nicaragua" has been shown extensively throughout the U.S.