Casa Mexico: At Home in Merida and the Yucatan

CASA MESTRE

he old town of Merida spreads out over many square miles, and hides its secrets well, as many of its extraordinary houses are hidden behind high walls. Josefina Larrain Lagos and her partner, architect Salvador Reyes Rios discovered this house tucked away in the historic center over 10 years ago, while they were restoring big hacienda estates out of town for their clients. Their company Reyes Rios + Larrain is well known for their skillful transformation of large historic properties here in the Yucatan into small luxury hotels. In this turn-of -the -century house, they found similar proportions- the high ceilings, tall doors, and the outdoor patio areas that were reminiscent of the estates they were working on outside town. Opening from the busy street, as most Merida houses do, the central view from the entryway through the outdoor loggia is of the tropically landscaped courtyard, and the deep Mexican blue of the walls of the house. A pond full of water lilies surrounds an old and unused well which spills water, helping to disguise the rush-hour traffic noises outside. These gardens were designed by Larrain, whose aim was to re-create a typical Merida courtyard, however she included a small Jacuzzi at the back of the property, close to the kitchen, along with space for her family to eat outdoors. In true Yucatecan style, most of the day is spent in the house’s loggias and patios, so inside the house the couple concentrated on creating two expansive bedrooms, separated by a generous bathroom, with twin showers. These graceful 20’ high spaces are cooled by the flow of air through a long central enfilade that connects all the rooms. It is a an elegant device, and gives the house a sense of balance and proportion. In a traditional manner, every room also connects to the patio, and cleverly designed concealed strips of sky-lights in the ceiling

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