House & Garden Tour
By Jennifer Hamilton 
November 28, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Living in days of yore, romancing daughters through iron bars House & Garden Tour Sun, Nov 30, tour departs at noon Biblioteca Pública Insurgentes 25 US$15 or 150 pesos Breakfast at Café Santa Ana starts at 9am

1. This magnificent 21-acre ranch, named for the ancient seventeenth-century chapel on the grounds, appears in the ultimate coffee table tome Casa San Miguel, photographed by Tim Street-Porter. The beautiful chapel houses original artwork with detailed statues on the walls. The fountain came from an old estate in Querétaro. The living and dining room contain stone walls and large doors which open to the deck. Views toward the distant countryside and far-off mountains are astounding. A large alfalfa field, mesquite trees, cacti and impressive walls of organ cactus surround the property. The inside of the house is furnished with deeply plushed seating areas, books, saddles, antique objets d’art, child-sized mariachi suits and several ojo de buey windows which date back to colonial days. The main bathroom overlooks part of the back garden and features polished cement floors and bathtub. The kitchen, designed in true Mexican fashion, has only burners on the counter-top, no stove! A colonial trunk in the living room is topped with personal knick-knacks and was originally used to store vestments. This property was designed to fit in with its ancient roots and offers its owners and visitors a feeling of living in days of yore. The stables, originally the main house, now shelter the seven horses in severely inclement weather; normally they roam the property freely and happily. 



2. Originally a tannery (probably), as the majority of homes were on this small street, new stone flooring and cantera fireplaces were installed, and dramatic old wood pilings were used for ceiling beams and supporting girders. Ceilings are dramatically high and the walls two feet thick as was the norm in colonial days. The sitting room even contains its original window seat where in days of old suitors would romance the daughters of the house through the iron bars. The only new construction is the kitchen and the second-level studio/workroom. Polished cement is used for countertops, some of the flooring and in the bathrooms. The intimate dining room contains a charming nicho and round table, and an arch leading to the kitchen is decorated with colorful hand-painted bowls. The pantry was originally the kitchen and the delightful wood piece on the wall was a cupboard. An outside entertainment area facing the patio and fountain is supported by petrified supporting beams, found in a deserted hacienda. One of the owners designed the enchanting bedspread in the master bedroom by scouring embroidery samples from the ladies who sell their handiwork through the streets and tiendas of San Miguel. After many painstaking years, she collected enough of them to patch together and, voila, an outstanding comforter for the beautifully carved metal bed. Passing through the jungle-like back patio where another bedroom is located, steps lead up to the room on the roof deck. Spacious and bright with a large patio, it is filled with an abundance of plants, vines and flowers, and offers impressive views of both La Parroquia and Las Monjas church domes. The house is filled with impressive objets d’art, books, antique rugs and wonderful artwork all merging magnificently with 300-year-old colonial architecture. 

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