Cover The pool and terrace sit in the shadow of the adjoining ruin, with the mountains visible beyond the garden wall in this home in Antigua Guatemala
The pool and terrace sit in the shadow of the adjoining ruin, with the mountains visible beyond the garden wall in this home in Antigua Guatemala
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Elemento restored a centuries-old property in Antigua Guatemala, uncovering a hidden colonial arch along the way
Antigua Guatemala was founded in 1543 as the capital of the Spanish Captaincy General of Guatemala, and by the 17th century was filled with churches, monasteries, and convents built by religious orders across the city. Much of that colonial fabric was damaged in the earthquakes of 1773, which pushed the capital to relocate, leaving Antigua with the ruins and convent walls that still mark it today. Unesco designated the city a World Heritage Site in 1979.
Two blocks from the Parque Central, one property sits beside the ruins of one such convent. Locals believe it once housed the convent’s horses. Today it serves as a four-bedroom holiday home for a family of ten.
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Above A stepping-stone path through the garden leads toward the pool and the house’s Spanish colonial facade
A stepping-stone path through the garden leads toward the pool and the house’s Spanish colonial facade
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Above The jacuzzi and firepit terrace look out over a garden planted along the property’s perimeter
The jacuzzi and firepit terrace look out over a garden planted along the property’s perimeter
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Next door is Ruina San Agustín, a church and convent dating to the 1650s and declared a national monument in 1944. Some ground-floor walls on the property are thought to date from the same period. A previous owner told the design team that his great-grandmother acquired the property in 1917, when it held little more than old walls and a tangerine plantation. Over the following decades, the family added to the house. The 1976 earthquake destroyed part of it, and a second storey was added in 1994. The carved wooden beams in the living-dining room came from a 1930s hotel in Antigua.
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Above A colourful mural, painted directly onto a wooden door, sits within one of the property’s original stone archways
Above A seating group of green upholstered chairs surrounds a stone fireplace, with sliding glass doors opening the room to the garden
A colourful mural, painted directly onto a wooden door, sits within one of the property’s original stone archways
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Above The pool runs alongside the ruined convent wall, with a painted door marking what was once believed to be the stables entrance
The pool runs alongside the ruined convent wall, with a painted door marking what was once believed to be the stables entrance
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The current owners, a couple in their sixties with eight children, several with families of their own, wanted a holiday home large enough for the whole group. They hired Elemento, the Guatemala-based architecture and interior design studio founded by Sara Rodriguez and Daniela de la Riva.
“They were excited to find a property so close to the park, with incredible views to the old temples and volcanoes," said Rodriguez. “When we first stepped in, we were taken by the vegetation and peaceful atmosphere despite being so close to the main streets."
Significant work was needed. Wiring ran exposed and had been damaged by mould and leaks. One bedroom had no bathroom; another had a toilet with no door, just inside the entrance. Even so, the designers said the house’s history and the evident care of its previous owner drew them in.
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Above The outdoor terrace features a twelve-seat dining table beside the excavated stone wall
The outdoor terrace features a twelve-seat dining table beside the excavated stone wall
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Near the pool, a wall covered in mature plants was trimmed back after the growth began to strain the structure. Underneath, the team found a stone arch, apparently part of the same 1650s complex as the church across the street. The previous owner had believed it marked the original entrance to the convent’s stables. A spa area, with a sauna and shower, was later built beneath it.
Because the oldest walls could not be altered, the team had to route electrical and plumbing systems carefully around them. “The biggest challenge was working to maintain the cultural heritage of the house while providing the comforts of a modern home,” Rodriguez said.
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In the sitting room, an exposed stone wall stands opposite a mural depicting palms and birds, with an olive-green rug underfoot
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Above In the kitchen, white cabinetry and a pale stone island sit beneath a beamed ceiling, with the original stone wall visible through the doorway beyond
Above In the formal dining room, a chandelier of glass droplets hangs beneath carved beams, next to a wall of exposed stone and brick
In the kitchen, white cabinetry and a pale stone island sit beneath a beamed ceiling, with the original stone wall visible through the doorway beyond
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For the interiors, the team chose a neutral palette to keep the focus on existing materials. “We went with neutral colours to highlight the existing palette of terracotta, dark wood and natural stone walls,” said de la Riva. Olive green runs through the main living and dining areas. Each of the four bedrooms has its own palette, green, light blue and beige, drawn from the tones of the Tuscan countryside, which the family felt the villa resembled.
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Sun loungers line the pool deck, facing the excavated wall of the former convent
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White and beige stucco walls form a plain backdrop for the house’s original textures. Existing terracotta floors and ceiling beams were restored, while dark porcelain flooring was added in newer sections to distinguish them from the historic fabric. Where the pool once had only blue paint, the team retiled it in large-format grey porcelain.
Tuscan villas and Guatemalan craftsmanship were the project’s main references. “One of the things the homeowners liked about the house is that it reminded them of old Tuscan villas,” Rodriguez said. In the kitchen, which is modern, the layout takes cues from traditional Italian farmhouses rather than a standard catalogue design. Local artisans, carpenters and artists were commissioned for furniture, lighting and artwork throughout the house. “Both the homeowners and we at Elemento are very proud to be Guatemalan,” said de la Riva.
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Above A tiled staircase descends past exposed stone toward the spa area built beneath the old arch
Above A stairwell exposes the original stone and brick construction, left visible rather than plastered over
A tiled staircase descends past exposed stone toward the spa area built beneath the old arch
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Modern systems were folded in without disrupting the older structure: automated lighting, a sound system, air conditioning in the bedrooms, and enlarged ground-floor windows for more daylight and better acoustics.
Across two storeys, the house covers just over 3,200 square feet, with a kitchen, dining and living room, a family room, a small bar and a terrace. Outside, a covered terraza española of about 527 square feet accommodates large gatherings, alongside a pool, a jacuzzi, and the spa beneath the arch. To sleep the extended family without crowding the rooms, several bedrooms were fitted with custom bunk beds, and a round dining table for twelve, complete with a lazy Susan, was made to order for communal meals.
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Reclaimed wood beams and a restored wood floor are among the original elements retained in this bedroom
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Above Bunk beds were custom-built into several rooms to sleep the extended family without crowding the space
Above One of the home’s four bathrooms was fully modernised, with glazed green tile and a marble vanity top
Bunk beds were custom-built into several rooms to sleep the extended family without crowding the space
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What the renovation preserved, in the end, is not only the arch or the old beams but the sense that the same kind of family still lives there. “Both the homeowners and we at Elemento are very proud to be Guatemalan,” said de la Riva, and that pride runs through a project built less around restoration for its own sake than around making a centuries-old house work, quietly, for the people gathered around its table.
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Jennifer Choo is Regional Managing Editor of Tatler Homes, covering architecture, interior design, and art across Asia. Based in Malaysia, she oversees regional content on luxury residential design and contemporary art collections. Legally trained but choosing to pursue her passion for design, she previously led notable design publications and worked as an interior stylist and art consultant for property developers, design firms, and private clients.
