Our Focus series shines the spotlight on the details: the extraordinary materials, spaces, and ideas that take great projects to the next level.

When Juan Pablo de Tavira and Marbrisa Ter-Veen bought a home in Mexico City’s Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood, they were on a tight timeline to renovate before their first child arrived. The couple partnered with local firm Comité de Proyectos for a swift remodel of the home, one of five side-by-side residences known as The Sister Houses originally designed by Mexican modernist architect Enrique del Moral.

The firm added a bedroom for the owners’ new son, Leo, and storage throughout the residence, primarily to enhance the home’s functionality but also to display the couple’s collections of books, vintage furniture, and objects found on their various travels.

Juan Pablo and Marbrisa both work from home, so incorporating an office into the 1,900-square-foot plan was important, too. The renovation adds a sunny workspace on the home’s first floor where Marbrisa, a writer, can display her impressive collection of books on striking new built-in shelves.

Andrea Flores, cofounder of Comité de Proyectos, designed two units facing one another in the office. “We used white oak, but we tinted them for a more vintage tone,” explains Flores. Both the architects and the owners are fans of color, so portions of the built-ins were coated in a triumphant green paint.

Hip-height storage gives the couple yet more space for stashing and displaying belongings, designed with a counter that cuts a corner and tops open shelving and cupboards with brass handles. More storage was integrated across the home, including closets in the office, the couple’s bedroom, and, of course, in baby Leo’s room.

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