The Owners Loved Their Home's 1960S Architecture, But It Felt Too Serious — Look What They Did Instead
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Architect Andrés Gutiérrez renovated a 1962 home in Mexico City’s San Ángel neighborhood for a couple who wanted its interiors to feel younger and more personal without losing the original architecture. The project pairs restored woodwork and a revived living-room library with colorful finishes, Mexican-made furniture and art by Mexican creatives.

Architect Andrés Gutiérrez has renovated a 1962 modernist home in Mexico City’s San Ángel neighborhood, bringing color and Mexican-made furnishings into the interiors while retaining key elements of the original design. The owners, a young couple who inherited the house, wanted it to feel less formal and more reflective of them without abandoning its architectural character, according to a report by Livingetc.

The home was designed by mid-century architect Jaime Ortiz Monasterio. Gutiérrez, founder of A-G estudio, led both the renovation and interior design. He told Livingetc that the brief was to make the house feel “younger, fresher” and contemporary while respecting the existing architecture. The owners also wanted a distinct Mexican identity without relying on what the designer described as folkloric clichés.

The interiors use a vivid palette, including lilac rugs and sofas, duck-egg-colored walls and pea-green upholstered chairs. Furniture throughout the home was made in Mexico, and the artwork is by Mexican creatives, Livingetc reported. Pieces include work by designers and studios such as Antonio Attolini Lack, Ad Hoc, Bibi Bibi and Comité de Proyectos. Gutiérrez also designed some furnishings, including cabinets, credenzas and outdoor dining chairs.

The renovation retained much of the house’s existing character, particularly its floors and extensive woodwork. Some timber was replaced, and window frames and glass were renewed. The design team also restored the living room’s near floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, which had been removed before the couple acquired the house, and brought back the library concept that Gutiérrez said had informed the original design.

At a glance
reportWhen: Renovation details reported by Livinget…
The developmentA design report details how Andrés Gutiérrez refreshed a 1962 Mexico City modernist home while preserving key features of its original architecture.

Color Added Without Erasing the Architecture

The project shows how an inherited architectural home can be updated through its interiors and selective repairs rather than a wholesale redesign. For the owners, the stated goal was not to recreate a particular historical period, but to make the house feel more personal while keeping its modernist identity legible. The reported approach offers a concrete example of that balance: the original floors, woodwork and library concept remain part of the home, while furniture, art and color change its mood.

The Mexico-made furnishings and work by Mexican artists also give the house a cultural focus that goes beyond the building’s 1960s architecture. Gutiérrez told Livingetc that the owners wanted a Mexican identity without resorting to familiar folkloric references. The source describes the choices made to pursue that aim, but does not provide the owners’ own detailed account of how they experienced the finished house.

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A San Ángel Modernist Residence

San Ángel is an affluent Mexico City neighborhood known for colonial architecture as well as modernist buildings. The house’s 1962 design is attributed to Jaime Ortiz Monasterio, and its renovation was shaped by the owners’ affection for that original structure. They inherited the home and asked Gutiérrez to change its feel without treating the architecture as something to discard.

Gutiérrez told Livingetc that the house had originally been conceived almost as a “library to live in,” but that little of this idea remained when he first saw it. The previous owners had removed the living room’s original bookshelves. Restoring them became part of a broader effort to recover the home’s design spirit, alongside retaining the floors and much of its woodwork. The source does not give a full construction timeline or a detailed inventory of every alteration.

“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, speaking to Livingetc

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Project Details Not Reported

Livingetc’s report does not state when the renovation was completed, how long the work took or what it cost. It also does not identify the home’s exact address or provide a room-by-room account of the architectural work. The owners are not named in the supplied report, and their views are presented through the design brief rather than direct quotations from them.

The article describes the furniture, palette and restoration choices but does not provide independent assessments of the project or technical details about the building’s condition. Claims about the original design concept and the renovation process are attributed to Gutiérrez; the available source does not include separate documentation from the architect or property owners.

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No Further Milestone Reported

The supplied Livingetc report presents the renovation as a completed project and does not announce additional work, a public opening or another scheduled milestone. No follow-up date or future development is specified. Any further information about the project’s timeline, cost or the owners’ experience would require reporting beyond the details in the source.

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Key Questions

Where is the renovated home?

It is in San Ángel, Mexico City, a neighborhood known for colonial architecture and notable modernist buildings.

Who designed the original house and who led the renovation?

The house was designed in 1962 by architect Jaime Ortiz Monasterio. Andrés Gutiérrez of A-G estudio led the renovation and interior design.

What parts of the original home were retained or restored?

The project retained much of the original flooring and woodwork, while some timber was replaced and window frames and glass were renewed. The team also restored the living room’s bookshelves, which had been removed by previous owners.

What gives the interiors their color and Mexican identity?

The interiors feature lilac, duck-egg and pea-green tones, alongside furniture made in Mexico and artwork by Mexican creatives. The architect said the aim was a distinct Mexican identity without folkloric clichés.

How much did the renovation cost, and when was it completed?

The report does not state the cost or completion date. It also provides no construction timeline.

Source: rss

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