topic Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT in Home

'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

Oznell — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 16:04:51 GMT

Well, it's really only the living room that's sort of surrealistic. One of Mexico's premier chefs, Elena Reygadas, lives here. She bought an apartment in a historic building, and created her own vision. As 'arty' as it is, she lives here with teenage daughters, kitty Clarita, and all!

She scraped down the walls, revealing traces of faded pinks and blues... Yes, that's a lacy hammock in the living room, and a collection of antique milking stools....

Here, she has the look of someone who is supremely comfortable in her space. Now, I think the milking stools are so interesting, but guaranteed, would trip over them constantly! I love her screen, pottery, the soft antique settees, and the indigenous Mexican wood chair she's lounging in--

It's not always easy to make really old apartments feel "airy", but this dining room does. Her grandmother's table cloth brings so much character!

Colorful collection of tableware and pottery. In this photo you can see part of those amazing plaster ceilings...

She salvaged an old carpenter's bench for a kitchen island, topped with practical, hard-wearing zinc. The lower cabinets were foraged from elsewhere in the apartment.

Her bed is another sweet, priceless memento of her grandmother. Clarita seems to like it.

They even showed what she was serving in her dining room-- yummy soup with zucchini flowers on top, in eclectic pottery bowls...

Here's her restaurant, "Rosetta". Elena Reygadas won the Veuve Cliquot award in 2014 for best female chef in Latin America:

What a fab restaurant! Reminds me of some of my favorites in New Orleans...

Dining al fresco at the restaurant:

It's fun to get a glimpse into how other people live, especially ones with their own interesting, quirky aesthetic.

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

PickyPicky3 — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 16:33:32 GMT

Hopefully the milking stools offer more stability than the wine tables I owned -- briefly. They were tall and thin and always got knocked over. Even just bumping them guaranteed the supported beverage would hit the floor. Form must follow function.

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

Nonametoday — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 16:37:30 GMT

@Oznell

It is similar to the aesthetic we are seeing in our country, mixing periods and quirky arts and objects with one another to create our own look. This is definitely not the coastal grandmother, but similar in that it is her own taste, likely from the life she has lived and the objects of desire, a yearning for simple and elegant. Now, to the milk stools. I have two of them that I have purchased through the years, but I set plants near windows on them. I would fall and break my hip on that combination of salute the "art of yesteryear."

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

mspatmac — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 17:02:05 GMT

@Oznell

So many incredible things to take in, love the island in the kitchen. She has surrounded herself with meaningful pieces and that's what makes a house a home to me. I would say to her, You go girl, you're doing your thing! So much to love!

The thing that jumped right out to me was the gorgeous Monstrance with the picture of the Madonna and candles. Incredible

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

BlueFinch — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 17:43:13 GMT

Unique and interesting. A nice environment to relax with a drink with an umbrella, or plastic monkey, hanging on.

Joking of course. Aside from the milking chairs scattered around like large pixie sticks, I really like this apartment.

It's looks so comfortable and well lived in. You get the feeling there's been a lot of joy in this space. Same vibes with the restaurant.

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

Love my grandkids — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 17:46:11 GMT

@Oznell Much to my surprise I REALLY like many of the elements. I LOVE that kitchen island and her bed, along with that darling kitty, just to name my 2 favorites but as picky as I am, there is much that I do really like. Really love the dining room too.

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

DSD2 — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 18:03:37 GMT

Oznell, simply beautiful.

There was nothing I didn't love. I would live in the dining room. The table cloth, flowers were perfect as was the rest of the decor.

Loved the white bedroom walls and the exquisite blue headboard. The only ornamental touch (we could see) is the lovely single gold framed mirror.

Her food is visually appealing and I' m sure - delicious.

Thank you Oznell for sharing this!

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

Goldengate8361 — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 02:11:42 GMT

The only thing I saw that I really liked was the cat. The decor is attractive, but just not my vibe.

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

Judaline — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 11:51:44 GMT

Ohhhhhh...........that bed!!!

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

Oznell — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 12:57:28 GMT

I think you're perceptive, @BlueFinch -- regardless of the individual components, there does seem to be that "happy" feeling coming through the rooms.

My pleasure, @DSD2 !

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

ECBG — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 16:16:48 GMT

I love everything Elena did in that amazing home! I love her French Provincial furniture and especially the walls.

I would move the milk stools together to form a low "table",

I don't have a feeling of that area being finished.

I am in love with the dining room windows and especially the shutters.

The 3 boards leaning against the wall between the windows appear to have an impression, stenciling, or painting on them. Interesting!

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

Nonametoday — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 02:11:19 GMT

@ECBG

There are mixed periods here: I see your favorite "primitive" in the stools, cocobolo sling back chairs in rosewood by Don Shoemaker, a French provincial sofa,a rococo sofa, lots of Mexican furnishings including some 16th century Mexican. That's what I love about this, mixes of period furniture and yet it all seems to work together quite seamlessly.

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

shoptilyadropagain — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 17:14:52 GMT

I'm not feeling most of the decor here as I lean more towards contemporary or modern. I thought the milkstools were really neat although I didn't understand the reasoning behind her placement of them. I also really liked that chair in the living room. She is sitting in it in the second picture.

However, the food in those three bowls looked amazing!!!!

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

wilma — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 01:04:13 GMT

Quite unique and interesting. My favorite photo is the collection of pottery on the large cabinet. I like the entrance to her restaurant and the dining spaces in it more than the rooms in her home.

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

sometimesQVCaddict — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 21:05:57 GMT

Love the use of color and her eclectic style. Not necessarily my style but it seems very personalized to her. And it seems very homey and comfy.

That chair in the living room is pretty identical to one I have from Grandin Road in leather with a matching ottoman. It's the most sumptuous comfy chair to relax in, so I can see why she has it, although in different fabric.

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

stevieb — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:00:50 GMT

These light filled spaces have such appeal and I like a number of the elements she's employed. Of course, there are also a number that I don't much like. All those little stools might be her vision, but they'd be hard to live with, and I have no idea what the net-like item strung across the living room is, but it needs to go. Love the sofas, the bed and the feline among other things.

Re: 'SURREALISTIC' MEXICO CITY APARTMENT

DREAMON — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 19:04:54 GMT

Interesting and different but this is just not me.

I do LOVE everything about the carpenters bench in the Kitchen and the outdoor dining at her restaurant looks beautiful and inviting.