Houses of Merida Video: The Good Life
Click to watch the walkthrough on Vimeo!
Neighbors
When we first moved to Merida in 2002, the house next door to us was empty. We lived in Casa Panadero, and the house next door was called Casa Pocito. We rented Casa Pocito for awhile as an office, but soon moved into our own building a few blocks away. A few months later, new owners moved in and we considered ourselves very fortunate to have such friendly and fun neighbors.
Our new neighbors had retired from their jobs in Charleston, South Carolina, and had moved to Merida to relax. We enjoyed living next to them, sharing our experiences of this new adventure called "moving to Merida"... but most of all, we loved seeing how they decorated their house, which had a floor plan that was a mirror image of ours. They always had colorful art, beautiful flower arrangements, a glass of something cold with ice and of course, they had Max, the regal black standard poodle, who lent an air of elegance to any room he graced with his presence.
Imagine our surprise and dismay, then, when they announced that they had sold Casa Pocito and were going to build a new home in south Merida. They were one of the first gringos we knew who ventured down south of the zocalo (soon to be followed by hundreds of others, including ourselves...). They found a large colonial building that was mostly facade, backed by a huge piece of land. They designed the house they built there for lots of cool shaded space inside, and a big garden to plant and tend in the back. And, of course, room for guests and a swimming pool.
Working with Manuel Kuk, a local contractor, and their own design, they were able to finish the house in about five months for less than $200,000 USD. Even taking into consideration that this was before the costs of materials (especially cement and block) went up a few years ago, this was an impressive accomplishment. They built a very large and luxurious home for a reasonable price in record time.
How did they do it? Well, first, by doing it a few years ago. Also, by being their own architects. And by being there every day, day after day, and making it their top priority. By reusing the rocks they cleared out of the dirt, keeping things simple and being creative with humble materials. Their local contractor, Manuel Kuk, was well known to them, and was pleasant and easy to work with, and his workers were efficient. And the house, while large, is a simple layout, which made for few misunderstandings.
A Great Room
The front part of the house is the original structure, with two guest rooms, one on either side of the wide entryway. The facade sports those old-fashioned windows with the straight old iron protectores that just say "Mexico" and inspire window-envy... until you step inside the foyer, look up and are consumed with old-wooden-beamed-ceiling envy. Such is life in Merida. If you visit other people's houses, be prepared for house envy. It's rampant here.
Everything behind those three front rooms was built new, but by now (four years later), you really can't tell the difference. The central patio with a gurgling stone fountain is reminiscent of the courtyard in the Frida Kahlo movie, minus the peacocks and parrots. While we're on the subject of animals, when we shot this video, the whole house was very obviously minus Max, the stately dog, on our visit, as he just passed away a few weeks before we were there. We missed his presence, but we're happy to see that the owners are looking at this as an opportunity to travel without guilt, which seems like a good way to deal with a sad event.
Moving past the sorrow and the patio, you walk through a screen door into what seems to be the largest room in a private home in Merida. We're here to tell you that it is NOT the largest room in Merida. There are some amazing homes here with cavernous rooms.
When you walk into this house, though, it is almost as if the house flings open its architectural arms in exuberance, inviting you to revel in all the space that it has to offer and you have to enjoy. This coral-colored room is quite large... large enough to hold string quartets and audiences of 100 comfortably. Though unplanned, this room has wonderful acoustics and has been the site of more than a few musical events since it was built. The elegant floor tiles from Mosaicos Peninsular (very Versace-esque!), the white-lined arches that march down each side and the beautiful flower arrangements add to the grandeur that is this Great Room.
The Rest of the Rooms
The main house only has one bedroom... a very large bedroom at the back, facing the garden. The bedroom and the bathroom are set apart from the rest of the house by color... soft swaths of violet and pink cal paint that surprisingly go perfectly with the colonial red zocalo tiles that provide footings to all the walls and with the grey slate tiles in the bathroom. On the same side of the house is an inviting kitchen with a warm Moroccan chandelier that hangs low over an island, and a talavera tile backsplash against the kitchen counter. In the middle on that side of the house is a den with an impressive bookshelf and all the media accoutrements needed in the 21st Century.
On the other side of the Great Room is another big room, running the length of the house and painted in a soft ochre color, where dining and visiting are the main events. The dark wood oversized dining room furniture would probably overwhelm in most homes, but here it looks perfect. And the modern art, including the modern sconces and other works by Katrin Schikora, is a great counterpoint for the mostly traditional furniture. And all the rooms are topped off with very high ceilings, and strategically placed tragaluces (skylights).
A screened-in porch area at the back of the house looks into the garden. Four years ago, the owners planted this garden and the plants have grown so prodigiously that they had to remove trees and other plants to keep from recreating an Amazonian jungle. What we especially love is the formal layout... four quadrants of planting, surrounded by stone walkways, and in the center, a large fountain that adds the sound of water. Each of the four quadrants now has a thriving orchid tree, with its butterfly-shaped leaves and pink orchid-like blooms.
Beyond that, away from the house, is a large swimming pool with plenty of places to sit in the sun, though frankly, we don't do that much here. Sitting in the sun during most of the year is a bit like stepping into a big broiler, so it is important to have ample shade. This garden has shade under an open-air poolhouse with a red-tiled roof, with seating for lounging and dining and enjoying the view.
Life is Good
Life seems good in this house. Everywhere you look, there are beautiful and interesting things. Everything you need is well within reach. There is air and space in this house in good measure... two luxuries that are much appreciated in this climate. By walking around, we can tell that the people who live in this house are enjoying their time here... and besides staying warm and staying out of the rain, isn't that what a house is all about? Here, once again, is La Buena Vida... the Good Life, in Merida!
Comments
Working Gringos 14 years ago
After speaking again with the owners, it seems the figure above of $200,000 could use some clarification. This was the estimate that the contractor gave to the owners at the beginning of the project, and this was the amount the owners gave to us when at the start of work we asked them what THEY were paying so we could calculate our own per square meter costs to build the type of house we wanted. Of course as work went along, changes were made in the original plan, such as enlarging the swimming pool, among other things, that resulted in a higher final cost.
If we were to try to reproduce the house now, as we mentioned before, there is also the issue of substantial price increases in materials since that time.
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Jose A Herrera 14 years ago
Thanks for showing what many expatriates are doing and contributing to beautify this unique and magnificent city of Merida. While it may appear to be an exclusive reign of a few wealthy extranjeros , there is a significant number of newcomers from the United States and Canada and other parts of the world who live in less ostentatious surroundings with an equal, or perhaps better, quality of life compared to what they left behind. Merida happens to be a "Mexican Metropolis" proudly endowed with world class facilities to make life less stressful and comfortable for all of us who consider ourselves very lucky to live here. We welcome with open arms those who wish to come here and be our neighbors.
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Kevin Cott 14 years ago
My name is Kevin Cott and I have been living in Merida for almost a year now.
I really like your website and the house videos. It gives an idea about the space and architecture but it will never be the same until you are physically there. As an Architect who knows the Spanish language (I am originally from Puerto Rico), I have been very fortunate to be a part of Merida. My wife, only daughter and myself moved from Florida to Merida last year. We bought a small two bedroom house in el Centro Historico of Merida and I am in the last phase of our project. As an Architect coming from a Spanish background and understanding the Architecture (from Puerto Rico for example, in El viejo San Juan) it has given me a great opportunity to design our house. For the other readers, yes everything cost money but from my personal experience, you can realized your dream with a modest house that is well built and do it with a budget of under $75,000 American dollars (property and renovation included).
Our house is 24'0" wide by about 74'0" long front to back. One thing... you really need to know where you are going to buy because El Centro of Merida has a lot of issues with flooding. You just need to know where to go and to know that you will need to be there or get the right information from a trustworthy person who really wants the best for you and your investment. I am in the middle of renovating my website, and very soon I will be able to show pictures of our house.
Sincerely,
Kevin Cott
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fabio fortuna 14 years ago
to jennifer jones
yes, we do jennifer (do rehabs that are more modest and charming). the majority of us do - i mean the expats living here. I am an expat too; there are many European expats, I am one of them. And I do understand your concerns, but as i mentioned before I don't think the house featured here (or some others) reflects the average expat's home in Merida. So don't worry. I don;t believe Merida will ever become a playground for spoiled expats because it is a large city and it is able to absorb the relatively small expat community. It has a history of it's own and is not a 'created tourist ghetto'.
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Patti 14 years ago
WC thank you very much for yet another wonderful video. This home is beautiful displaying many creative designs and ideas throughout. I enjoyed the variety of water features accenting the garden spaces. I find this home to be quite liveable and not extreme at all. During your series your team has been successful in sharing a nice variety of homes reflecting varied price ranges and styles. You are absolutely correct regarding many expats moving to Merida for a lifestyle that is comparatively inexpensive while maintaining comfort. We all have different budgets, different taste and different goals but I believe that we all love Merida and that is why we are here. What is normal????
Thank you for your wonderful series.
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Working Gringos 14 years ago
Hola Jennifer,
1. Frankly, our emphasis is on houses with owners who will endure the 4-5 hours of video production. The owners of the house in this article are hardly spoiled. They worked all their lives and deserve to retire well in a house that cost about the same as a dull tract house in the U.S. suburbs. The rich people in Merida live mostly in the northern part of the city, never in the historic center, and they are mostly Mexicans.
2. When HTML5 is ready for prime time, meaning it is supported by the majority of the browsers that our visitors use, then we'll adopt it for streaming video. It's too bad Apple has convinced iPad consumers that HTML5/CSS3 will replace Flash. That's marketing propaganda. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been and continue to be invested in Flash development. That output is not going to be replaced because Apple says so. Probably more than 20% of websites depend on Flash in some way, maybe 50% in Latin America, and not just for video. It's for creating interactive animations. Some of the most creative websites ever produced are made entirely with Flash.
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Francesca Dzib 14 years ago
I have "house envy" for all the homes that have been on this series. This one especially. The large rooms are awesome! Me and my husband will be building a home for ourselves in southern Yucatan and I get more ideas with every new episode. We will be designing ourselves, without an architect, and it will be built on a modest budget. From other articles on this site, the uses and recommendations for some affordable materials/finishes are very welcome and will make our home feel "richer" than the actual cost. Although I understand where Fabio is coming from, I actually read this series because of the super nice houses and the "Wow!" factor. While, my budget will be significantly less than $200K USD, this house is definitely something to aspire to. Thanks!
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Working Gringos 14 years ago
OH, and not to belabor a point (because goodness knows, there are plenty of points to labor over, let along repeating ourselves and BElaboring...), but this house didn't cost millions of dollars... and that is the point. With some money and creativity, we all are able to afford lifestyles down here that would be unattainable elsewhere. Not that we're trying to live like the Rich and Famous. But we love to live comfortably, and we like things that are pretty... and so do a lot of other people. We've shown modest houses, and intend to show more. But as someone said, there's a lot to be learned from every house we show, big or small.
We're glad you are all enjoying them and we're glad too that they are making you think, spurring your own creativity and questioning. This is good!!
The next house (already "in the can", so to speak) is much smaller but only LOOKS like a million bucks!
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Working Gringos 14 years ago
Also, thank you Casi. Thank you, Stephen. Fabio, we hear you... and we also thank you for likening our videos to an HGTV program. That's a compliment, even if you didn't mean it that way exactly.
As for when we are going to show our house... we've been talking about it. But it means getting it cleaned and straightened up first, and who has time for THAT?
Anyway, we will. Stay tuned...
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CasiYucateco 14 years ago
It seems there are design tips, layout ideas and other creative aspects that can be seen in almost any house and applied to another house. A nice stencil pattern on a wall can be used on a house for the wealthy and a lower income house as well. Even the use of colors can be applied to any house.
Thanks for the new house article!
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fabio fortuna 14 years ago
Stephen
i already expressed my opinion several months ago, suggesting that more affordable normal houses should be shown on this site, again that is my PERSONAL opinion. you mention 'imagination and creative spirit'. i dont think it is a matter of that. it is a matter of having millions of dollars and interior decorators and designers, and yes, i will allow also 'good taste' but again, it is mainly a matter of MONEY, not creativity. I thought this could be interesting, but then again it has become a 'show off' forum on best HGTV style.
that is what makes these features. iIt would have been more interesting to see what NORMAL people with NORMAL budgets do to restore these architectural pearls.
greetings.
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