House & Garden Tour
By Jennifer Hamilton

Bonus discount!
House & Garden Tour ticket-holders receive a bonus 10-percent discount at La Tienda, applicable to certain items on Sunday purchases.

House & Garden Tour
Sun, Nov 22, tour departs at noon
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
US$15 or 200 pesos
Breakfast at Café Santa Ana starts at 9am

A magnificent mural, a Mexican desert garden and doors from Dolores Hidalgo 

1. This spectacular home and inn was built in the Colonial style with unsurpassed views from almost every level. The entranceway is planted with succulent plants in order to save on water usage, with a separate casita to one side of the driveway. An impressive two-story entranceway contains a magnificent mural on the wall created by local artist Liliana Zuppini, an imposing chandelier and a wraparound balcony.

An impressive lamp came from the Bank of Mexico and is placed in the downstairs corridor. Guatemalan huipiles adorn some of the walls, as do priests’ robes in others, and the antique furniture throughout was mostly purchased in Guadalajara. All the rooms face the solar heated pool and garden with its Jacuzzi and three Mayan-headed fountains. An entertainment room contains a dramatic mahogany table fitted with inlaid bronze, which dates back to the days of Maximilian and Carlotta. Outside, a wraparound veranda with a wet bar and barbecue grill is backed by a vivid tiled mosaic—perfect for entertaining and sipping an evening margarita while watching the beautiful San Miguel sunsets over the lake and enjoying the twinkling lights of the city after dark.

2. This charming home is built on several easily-accessible levels. The exterior entrance in front is a circular stairway up to a “Mexican desert” garden, with its charming rock-surrounded pond and a large variety of drought-resistant plants and cacti. The interior entrance is an extraordinary bóveda tunnel, which leads to a spiral stairwell into the main house, and is cunningly lit with softly hued half-moon shaped onyx lamps. The floor of the entryway has a sun and a moon inlaid from a variety of stone, one at the front and one at the other end of the tunnel. The entire house is, in fact, designed around the sun and moon.

Entering the main house is a high rock weeping wall with glass doors that fold back on each side so that the entranceway to the house can be completely open to the elements of the garden. The piéce de resistance is a powerful two-dimensional marble work enhanced with dragonflies and fossils, created by master artist Antonio Ehrenzweig of León. Positioned beneath an arched skylight, the piece changes hues depending on the position of the sun at any given moment. The staircase leading upstairs is softly curved and, from the top, can be seen winding sinuously down to the lowest level. Bóveda ceilings throughout are of exceptional design. A bridge connects the master bedroom to the studio, taken whimsically from the design of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s home in Mexico City.

3. This charming home, built and designed from scratch by its owner is located on a quiet street in a Mexican neighborhood. The kitchen was built in the old traditional style with utensils easily on hand. The living room is cozy and bright with tragaluces (skylights) in the ceiling and glass doors opening to the lush garden.

The finish on the walls throughout is called “knock-down” with special color effects. Most of the antique furniture and all the ancient doors were purchased in nearby Dolores Hidalgo. The master bath is light and airy with hand-drawn stencil work. Entertaining usually takes place in the “L” shaped outdoor patio. Marvelous sunsets are enjoyed from the rooftop terrace and penthouse, which can be accessed from two separate stone staircases. Note the Murphy bed and loft for sleeping in the penthouse! Downstairs is a separate, fully serviceable apartment with an entrance from the street behind