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 young couple who wanted a more playful interior while retaining the building’s modernist character. The project restored the house’s library concept and preserved much of its original flooring and woodwork, while adding Mexican-made furniture, art and bold colors.

Architect Andrés Gutiérrez has renovated a 1962 modernist home in Mexico City’s San Ángel neighborhood, giving it a brighter, more playful interior while retaining key parts of its original design. The young couple who inherited the house wanted a fresher home that reflected their personalities without discarding the architecture by Jaime Ortiz Monasterio, according to Livingetc’s report on the project.

Gutiérrez, founder of A-G estudio, led both the renovation and the interior design. He told Livingetc the owners wanted the house to feel “younger, fresher” and contemporary, with color and a distinctly Mexican identity that avoided what he called folkloric clichés. The furnishings were made in Mexico, and the artwork is by Mexican creatives, the report said.

The interior combines lilac rugs and sofas, duck-egg-colored walls and pea-green upholstered chairs with sculptural furniture. Pieces include work by Mexican designers and studios such as Antonio Attolini Lack, Ad Hoc, Bibi Bibi and Comité de Proyectos. Some furniture was customized, while Gutiérrez designed several pieces, including cabinets, credenzas and outdoor dining chairs.

The renovation also sought to bring back an architectural idea that had faded: the house as a “library to live in.” Gutiérrez said the previous owners had removed the living room’s nearly floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. His team restored what it could and made the library central again. The project retained much of the original flooring and woodwork; some timber was replaced, and window frames and glass were renewed, according to the report.

At a glance
reportWhen: Renovation details reported by Livinget…
The developmentA renovation by Andrés Gutiérrez gives a 1962 Mexico City modernist home a colorful, locally rooted interior while restoring some of its original features.

A New Interior, Original Framework

The project shows how a home can be updated through its interior and selected repairs without treating its existing architecture as something to erase. For the owners, the stated aim was not to recreate a historical period but to make the house feel more personal and lively while keeping its mid-century character.

Its use of Mexican-made furniture and Mexican artists also ties the redesign to local creative work. Gutiérrez described the mix as allowing different moments in Mexican design and visual culture to coexist, rather than reproducing one specific era. The result, as presented in the report, puts color and sculptural forms alongside restored architectural details.

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Restoring the Home’s Library Idea

The house stands in San Ángel, a Mexico City neighborhood known for colonial architecture as well as modernist landmarks. It was designed by Jaime Ortiz Monasterio in 1962. The original concept, as Gutiérrez described it to Livingetc, was a home organized around books and living spaces; by the time he first saw the property, he said little of that idea remained.

Rather than make a wholesale structural reinvention, the team focused on recovering features and renewing selected elements. Restoring the bookshelves helped re-establish the library as a central part of the house, while preserving flooring and extensive woodwork maintained a link to its original design. The new furnishings and palette supply the contrast the owners sought.

“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

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Project Details Not Reported

Livingetc’s report does not specify when the renovation was completed, how long the work took or what it cost. It also does not detail the home’s dimensions, the extent of structural work, or which original features beyond the flooring, woodwork and library were retained. The published account focuses on the architect’s design process and the interiors, so those project details cannot be confirmed from the available information.

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No Further Work Announced

The report presents the home as a completed renovation but gives no schedule for additional work or announcement of a follow-up project at the property. The immediate outcome described is a restored library-centered layout and a more colorful interior within the existing modernist framework. Any further plans from the owners or A-G estudio have not been reported.

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Key Questions

Who designed the home’s renovation?

Andrés Gutiérrez of A-G estudio led the renovation and interior design, according to Livingetc.

Where is the house?

The home is in San Ángel, Mexico City, and was designed in 1962 by architect Jaime Ortiz Monasterio.

What changed inside the home?

The redesign added a bold palette, sculptural furniture, Mexican-made furnishings and art by Mexican creatives. The team also restored the living room bookshelves and revived the house’s library concept.

Did the renovation preserve the original architecture?

Gutiérrez said the team retained as much of the original character as possible, particularly the floors and woodwork. Some timber was replaced, and window frames and glass were renewed.

How much did the renovation cost?

The cost was not reported in Livingetc’s account. The article also does not give a completion date or timeline for the work.

Source: rss

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