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Architect Andrés Gutiérrez renovated a 1962 modernist home in Mexico City’s San Ángel neighborhood for a couple who wanted a younger, more colorful interior without losing the house’s original character. The project restored its living-room library and retained features including the floors and much of the woodwork, while adding Mexican-made furniture and art.
Architect Andrés Gutiérrez has renovated a 1962 modernist house in Mexico City’s San Ángel neighborhood for a couple who wanted a brighter, more personal interior while preserving the home’s architectural character. The project brings back the living-room library and pairs retained original features with colorful finishes, Mexican-made furniture and work by Mexican artists, according to Livingetc.
The home was designed by mid-century architect Jaime Ortiz Monasterio. Its new owners valued the structure but felt its interiors were too serious for them. Gutiérrez, who led the renovation and interior design through his studio, A-G estudio, said the clients wanted a contemporary, playful home with a distinctly Mexican identity, without relying on folkloric clichés.
The redesign uses lilac rugs and sofas, duck-egg-colored walls and pea-green upholstered chairs. Furniture throughout the house was made in Mexico, including pieces by designers and studios such as Antonio Attolini Lack, Ad Hoc, Bibi Bibi and Comité de Proyectos. Some furnishings were customized; Gutiérrez also designed items including cabinets, credenzas and outdoor dining chairs. The artwork is by Mexican creatives, with some works drawing on pre-Hispanic references and strong color.
The architectural work was comparatively restrained. Gutiérrez said the team aimed to keep as much of the original character as possible, particularly the floors and extensive woodwork. Some timber was replaced, and window frames and glass were renewed. The report says the project also restored the living-room bookshelves, which had been removed by earlier owners, to reestablish the home’s library as a central feature.
Color Meets Modernist Preservation
The project shows one approach to updating a historically distinctive home without treating its architecture as a blank slate. Instead of replacing the design with a new overall scheme, Gutiérrez paired targeted repairs and restoration with a more expressive interior suited to the owners’ tastes.
That balance matters to readers interested in renovation because it illustrates how a home’s original features can remain part of daily life while its furnishings, colors and art change. The project’s Mexican-made pieces and locally created artwork also make cultural identity part of the design brief, rather than an added decorative theme. These are details of this particular home, not a claim that one approach fits every historic renovation.
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A House Designed as a Library
The house stands in San Ángel, a Mexico City neighborhood known for colonial architecture as well as modernist buildings. Livingetc places it within that wider architectural setting and identifies Ortiz Monasterio as its designer. The source does not provide a fuller architectural history or a detailed account of the home’s original layout.
Gutiérrez said the property had once been conceived almost as a “library to live in”, but little of that idea remained when he first saw it. Restoring the bookshelves helped reconnect the renovation to that concept. The report describes this as a key point of departure for the project, alongside the owners’ wish for a fresher interior.
“They wanted to take away some of its seriousness and make it feel younger, fresher, and more reflective of who they are.”
— Architect Andrés Gutiérrez, as quoted by Livingetc
Project Details Not Provided
Livingetc’s report does not state when the renovation was completed, its cost, its duration or the extent of any structural work. It also does not provide independent documentation of the home’s architectural history or details about permits and construction methods. The account is based on the architect’s description and the publication’s project coverage; the owners are not directly quoted in the supplied material.
No Further Milestone Reported
The source describes the completed design but does not announce a later construction phase, follow-up project milestone or planned changes to the property. Any further information about the renovation’s timeline, cost or the owners’ experience would need to come from a subsequent report or direct comment from the owners and design team.
Key Questions
Who designed the renovation?
Andrés Gutiérrez led the renovation and interior design through his studio, A-G estudio, according to Livingetc.
What was the original house like?
The home was designed in 1962 by architect Jaime Ortiz Monasterio. Gutiérrez described its earlier concept as almost a library to live in.
Which original features were retained or restored?
The project retained the floors and much of the woodwork, according to the report, and restored the living-room bookshelves. Some timber was replaced, and window frames and glass were renewed.
How did the redesign give the home a more playful feel?
The interior uses vivid colors, including lilac, duck egg and pea green, alongside sculptural furniture and art by Mexican creatives. The furniture was made in Mexico, with some pieces customized or designed for the home.
How much did the renovation cost, and when was it finished?
The supplied Livingetc report does not give a project cost or completion date.
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