Praesent commodo cursus magna, vel scelerisque nisl consectetur et.Our new Casa house is in a quiet neighbourhood in Centro, the centre of San Miguel de Allende. My sister, Katherine, and I are just about to renovate, but here is a small taste of what it looks like now and a few of the things we already love about it.
We are both smitten with the charming back courtyard – complete with French doors and climbing vines. Our plan is to tuck a long, narrow pool back here and do some additional landscaping with loads of potted plants and climbing bougainvillea.
Aenean lacinia bibendum nulla sed consectetur.The Moorish fountain in the front courtyard off the kitchen is another highlight for me. And of course we plan to bring the bougainvillea here back to life.
Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor.We have big plans for the hallway, which is a bit dark at the moment, but the classic colonnade and the black french doors are staying as they are.
The kitchen has a quintessential old Mexican look that we have a soft spot for. We have gone back and forth so many times on whether to simply give it a facelift or rip it out entirely. I’m leaning toward keeping it but refacing the tiles and cabinets and updating the appliances. We will see what the budget allows!
Two of the bedrooms on have boveda ceilings, a classic architectural move in Mexico. They will stay put but we plan on whitewashing them for a fresh feel. And yes, I will for sure be swapping out the fan for a standout light fixture. I will almost always choose a brilliant light fixture over a ceiling fan, even if it means enduring some hot nights!
This is the rooftop at the front of the house. Think loads and loads of flowers and plants up here! I think we might change the railing and the colour of the plaster to something a bit moodier – more grey and green than cream. I have been photographing walls all over town to find that perfect hue.
and this is some of the surrounding view from up there.
My favourite SMA wall colour is probably this muddy grey green hue with loads of texture, like the walls in the small luxury hotel Casa No Name. It is totally romantic. The plan is to re-create this colour on all of our exterior walls – except the street side.
This is what you have to do (go big and try it everywhere!) to find the perfect colour, because the light changes so much throughout the day.
Needless to say, things are going to get a bit hectic in the next few months. We’re about to jump into a renovation in a different country and a different language where we don’t yet know any resources. But we are excited! To help make the house a bit happier before we dive into the reno, we started with something nice a simple — a vase of Gladiolas on the kitchen counter.