Old Building Redevelopment

The '20s building was originally owned by a Mr. and Mrs. Humphreys, the building was the only Black-owned butcher and grocery store in the area.

When

The private courtyard at the loft's entry offers respite from the neighborhood's active streets.

BEFORE: Once the boxes were out of the way, the couple could truly see the potential of the space.

“The idea was to make the house a string of pavilions so there could always be air flowing through them,” explains Marc. Behind the greenery sits custom chaise longues by Jaime Nuevo.

An opposite view of the courtyard and the brick screen bordering the upstairs walkway.

A narrow stairwell leading from the kitchen to the primary suite above is partially enclosed by a brick screen, which lets in light and fresh air. Solar panels line the roof of the bedroom. “We didn’t want to plant just any home in Mexico,” Marc says. “It had to be a Mexican house that’s going to survive here.”

The glassed-in kitchen, which connects to a dry garden in the center of the home, makes use of earthy materials such as parota wood for the millwork, black granite with leather finish for the countertops, and gray cantera stone floors. The pendants are by David Pompa, while the refrigerator is from Whirlpool and the dishwasher from LG.

A tall stone-clad wall provides a textured backdrop in the front courtyard. The skull plant pots are by Piedrafuego.

Marc and John filled much of the home with artwork and furniture by local creators. In the living room, Colima chairs and a Chihuahua coffee table, both by Mérida design studio Comité de Proyectos, accompany a Kubiko sofa from Marbol.

Designer Marc Perrotta and travel editor and writer John Newton renovated and expanded a colonial building in Mérida, Mexico, with the help of Jorge Novelo Caamal of Paralelo 20. The house’s pale-green plaster facade gives away little of what awaits inside.

The revamped residence, which was featured in Dwell in 2021, is topped with solar panels, and it includes a contemporary addition, a roof deck, and a large back patio.