Houses of Merida - Episode One
Behind the Wooden Door
Aren't you just dying to know what's behind those facades? As you drive down the calles and avenidas of Merida, haven't you always wondered what the houses look like once you get past the front door? And if you are in the process of renovating or building a house here, don't you find yourself wondering (about five times a day...) "I wonder how everyone else solves this problem?" or "I wish I knew a more creative or interesting way to do this!" or even "Should I expect this to look differently? or is this just how they do it here?"
We thought as much! We know you are having those thoughts, because we have them all the time. And everyone else we know has them too.
Thanks to the wonders of the 21st Century, Yucatan Living is launching a new series... a video series called, not surprisingly, The Houses of Merida. This new topic on the Yucatan Living website will feature a new three to five minute episode every week or two (hey, this is the land of flojera... we don't want to be slaves to a schedule). Each episode will be hosted by Eric Partney (a local real estate agent), filmed by our exceptionally competent cameraman Erich Briehl, and produced by the Working Gringos. We will bring you behind the wooden and wrought-iron doors to see how people are living in the White City. So be prepared for surprises! The first episodes feature houses renovated and inhabited by fellow expatriates... but that may not always be the case. Our first few houses are in the centro, but that too may change. If we have learned anything living here, we know that the houses of Merida are as surprising, magical and unique as the people who live in them. And so we intend to bring you a series of episodes with a wide range of houses of all sizes, types, colors and locations.
Episode One of The Houses of Merida
When we first moved here, we used to walk by the house featured in Episode One and think how beautiful it might be if only someone would renovate it. Seven years later, we are rewarded with our visions come true! This house has been renovated in a way that shows its original beauty, while still looking fresh and modern. In this case, the facade is as exquisite as the interior of the house. The facade windows are as elegant as the ceilings inside are high, the columns are ornate, and the arches are myriad. The polished cement floors and bright colors lend a cheerfulness to the outdoor lifestyle that was probably absent in the original version of this home. The stone walls and fluted columns are fitting remembrances of the past, complimented by a rich art collection on the walls and functional but European-styled furniture. The photos on this page give you an idea of what the house looked like before it was renovated. You can see that the beautiful columns and arches were in the original home, but pretty much everything past that is new construction.
Comments
Charles Wickham 15 years ago
A couple months ago I had the opportunity to visit some of the homes that Andrea Traconsis is rehabilitating for her customers. She operates a property management service in Merida (www.andreayucatan.com ) and is exceptionaly skilled at design and furnishing colonial homes in the city. For those interested in having cutting edge elegence, I highly recommend contacting Andrea
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John Venator 15 years ago
Great start to what I hope wil lbe a wonderful series!
You might suggest that they also include a person in future crews to concentrate on better lighting while filming.
Also - it would have been more interesting if they could have shown some photos or video clips of what the house was like before renovation.
Finally - why limit the series of programs to just houses in the city of Merida? Why not houses of the Yucatan which would allow you to also go out and film some of the great restorations of various haciendas, etc. elsewhere in the state?
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Carol 15 years ago
Very nice! I love the dog! I hope in your future episodes, you go into al little bit more of how some of these designs are accomplished. Thanks for a great idea!
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From turkey 15 years ago
How do we log on to the video?? I am renovating a house in Merida and would be extremely interested in following these episodes.
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Antonio Anguiano 15 years ago
I have always being amazed by the "surprising, magical and unique" character of the houses in Merida. Luckily for Merida, the expat remodeling the houses have been a special type of people with good taste, and a great sense of creativity. What they have done in the houses they renovated is worth a book. But until now you have to be "an insider" in Merida to know this. Houses in Merida series, as the Episode I suggested, seems to be the first effort to make that work open to the public eye.
I look forward to the next episode, hoping that "the flojera" does not last too long.
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Ray 15 years ago
Nicely done. This could have run for an hour and I still would have sat quietly watching.
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EJS 15 years ago
The video series is a great idea and well executed as well! I loved viewing the first one and sent it on to many of my friends in the States who wonder what life is like here. Congratulations on the new endeavor. I look forward to the next episode.
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Susan 15 years ago
I'm loving this new video feature! Of course, my someday Merida home “wish list†is going to get out of control now, but that’s okay. After you’ve amassed quite a few of these videos, it would be fantastic if you could edit the footage for a few special features, like Pools and Water Features, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Patios, Rajuela Designs, Pasta Tile, Facades, etc. What a cool “idea reference†these area/feature specific videos would be for people planning a remodel. Many thanks to Eric & Working Gringos!
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cynthia 15 years ago
Merida is one of the places I'm researching for retirement. What a wonderful series, keep up the marvelous work. I love this website and always look forward to reading everything. Quality is enormous, thanks so much!!!!!!!
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wordnrrrd 15 years ago
Fantastic idea for a series! I was excited to see this home featured in the first video, as I've walked by it many times and wondered what was behind the facade. Keep up the good work!
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La Framéricaine 15 years ago
Holy moly, Batman!
Exquisite, really. I would be nice if you could see the little house(s) that my dear Yucatecan friend, LÃa Can Tun de Pérez, at CIS, has crafted from sheer persistence and hard work. They are not the homes of rich people, but they are rich in determination and creativity. They are also the foundation of the future of the lives of her children and the fruit of the life of her mother, in particular.
Your new module for looking at life in the Yucatan is of the highest caliber.
Bravo! and congratulations on getting it launched.
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