As many of you know by now, I absolutely adore Mexico, and have dreams of moving there one day. When Edward sent us photos of his incredible home in Mexico, I was so excited to share it with you all. It’s stunning, and I love how you have no idea what you’ll find on the other side of the very unassuming front door. My wife and I are from England, and live in the beautiful city of Merida, state capital of the Yucatan in Mexico. Many of the old colonial buildings in the city centre have been renovated, some very grand, some quite modest. Casa Cool (CasaEA64) is an old colonial but with contemporary addition. We used a local architect with  their construction people. The house is in the city centre (Barrio of Santa Ana), but as you can see from the garden, quite secluded for a city property. The architects drew up the plans taking into account our requirements.
My wife and I did the decoration using our possessions and stuff acquired from our travels. The plan was not to make a Mexican ¨theme¨ house, but to keep it all rather eclectic. We tried to keep it simple and free of clutter, thinking that empty space is as important as ¨things¨. The idea was to continue with the high ceilings because of the heat in the Yucatan. But we also wanted every space to have its own source of natural light. We wanted to blur the distinction between interior and exterior. Thus the large sliding windows by the kitchen which is the heart of the home. Internal courtyard means plenty of open doors to assist airflow. Bedrooms are air-conditioned, but we rely on natural cross breezes for ventilation in the living spaces. Ceiling fans and air-gaps provide this. Floors are white polished cement with local pasta tiles in diamond pattern to mimic the Moroccan Beni Ouarain. The patterned floor tiles in the studio are original. There are 3 Scottish portraits hung vertically in the entrance. The frames of these were made from the cedar wood of the old original front doors which were beyond saving. Little things like that provide a bit of a link with the history of the house and added a touch of character to the place. This home could not be more perfect and if I get the opportunity to move there one day, I hope to be able to find a home this enchanting. Architect: Taller Estilo Arquitectura Photography: Apertura Arquitectónica

I had to share one other impeccably executed project by cityhomeCOLLECTIVE. We sought to honor the bones of this Craftsman bungalow, but wanted to avoid sinking into a literal interpretation of the era. To this end, we kept the original trim, flooring, and window casings, and struck balance and interest by integrating contemporary and mid-century light fixtures, furniture, and art with pieces that lent texture, color, and patterns to the space. Art played a big role in the transformation, and we used clean, modern pieces to slice through the heavy, dark seriousness of the Craftsman aesthetic. This one hits home because my home is also a Craftsman and I too wanted to honour the architectural details and keep it current.

London-based interior designer Trilbey Gordon has a dramatic, inimitable and at times flamboyant approach to interiors. She curates an eclectic mix of rock-n-roll, mid-century modern and cool gentlemen’s club, all suffused with a sexy 70’s Studio 54 vibe. Yet every detail is carefully considered. Here is a selection of my favourite spaces from her portfolio.

Embracing the old and blending in the new. I’m always a huge fan of touches of dark drama and cityhomeCOLLECTIVE does it just right every time. For this cityhomeCOLLECTIVE project, we purchased a dilapidated penthouse in the Premier Condo building, built in 1931, and turned it over to our interior design team for a substantial overhaul. We worked to preserve the character and charm of the building by preserving arched openings and elaborate moldings. Also infused a much-needed modern vibe throughout by designing a clean, minimal fireplace and choosing furniture that would proliferate styles and create layers to suggest that the space had evolved over time.

I would have never in a million years guessed this was a townhouse in Notting Hill, London. But it makes total sense once learning this home was designed by the gurus of the reclaimed, the salvaged, the well-worn. Retrouvius, you’ve created magic converting this city home into a piece of history. Lime-washed walls, a marble sink from Turkey, silk fabric from Fez, pine planks from a cheese factory, a 15th century fireplace, onyx from a bankrupt chimney shop and many other treasures make this home truly unique.

Photos: Retrouvius and Kim Lightbody for Architectural Digest France