Quinta Oliver
Cuernavaca, Morales, Mexico
Art, Antiques & Finer Details
Architect Manuel Parra, the master of colonial design, completed this home in 1982 after three years of construction. Parra’s rooms are never squared off; they all have a niche, an alcove, a slanted wall, or some other interesting distraction. He is known for incorporating reclaimed materials such as mantels, beams, tiles, and stone from demolished mansions.
The wall mural at the entrance is made from chiseled, blow-torched and painted floor tiles. The Virgin of the Angels with the cherubs clinging to the hem of her gown stands in a niche at the left of the main entrance. This door is actually two doors bonded together to give it a commanding mass and weight.
The entrance room features a library with a black leather carved-wood sofa and two wingback chairs upholstered in needlepoint. The art nouveau lamps are from Rome, and the two religious paintings are thought to be the work of Javier Goya, son of Francisco Goya, brought to Mexico from Spain.
You will see that the owner is an intrepid collector who loves variety and antiques. With great style and wit, she has tamed her almost bewildering mix of objects and furniture into casual, artless harmony. Most of the furniture came from home sales and from La Lagunilla: the notorious Sunday market in Mexico City. The floors are of dark volcanic Cantera rock, combined sporadically with red glazed tiles. The ceilings feature hand-stenciled detailing between the beams, with a different design in each room.
At the stairway landing is a glorious painting of Archangel San Miguel. A French-style stone demolition arch frames the window. At the top of the stairs, a long table draped with a lovely crochet tablecloth displays framed family photographs. The sitting room features mushroom-colored velvet upholstery and a painting of bulls by Mexican artist Juan Chamizo. At the end of the room, up the steps, a Victorian bibelot cabinet is filled with antique dolls. The collection includes pieces from Cabbage Patch and Maria Alexander.
On the way to the master bedroom, near the top stairway, you will see a beautifully painted old niche with glass to protect a carving of Saint Joseph. The barely legible plaque lists the date at 1830.
The master bedroom has bonded doors once again, surrounded by another reclaimed stone archway. Channel-back chairs and sofas are upholstered in a bold floral print next to the angled fireplace. A lovely Victorian dressing table balances the chest of drawers on the opposite wall, which is carved with pillars and blackamoors.
The owner keeps personal files in two interesting old office cabinets in the study area. A chandelier of frosted glass with crystal pendants hangs above an antique inlaid wood desk. A dressing room hall leads to the bathroom with a steam bath, a pretty oval tub, copper planters full of greenery, and a French-style leaded glass window. The ceiling is a perfect cupola of tile and glass.
Going back downstairs into the living room, we pass bronze Roman warriors holding fluted glass lamps. To the left is a small music room with a variety of instruments, including a Scottish organ. A huge bouquet of feathery grasses stands next to the grandfather clock. You will find 15 antique clocks in this home, with one in each room. The owner has combined a Spanish shawl with Turkish rugs, old cameras with a delicate Italian marble sculpture, Mexican Santos with 1920’s fringed lampshades, and many different brocade patterns in a drift of pillows on the sofa. The living room is supremely comfortable and delights with the slightly rakish flair of a bohemian salon.
The dining room furniture and crystal chandelier came from the sale of an old Mexico City estate. Two of the most beautiful clocks in the house are here; one with a huge brass pendulum in the wall niche, the other a wall clock with a horse motif hung over the dining room table. Luminous Italian marble busts, an African sculpture, a large crucifix from Spain laying on an open book, silver tea sets, and a crustal all add charm and character to the very formal furniture.
A breakfast room with views of the terraces and gardens leads to the kitchen with a sink counter of dark-stained white cedar. The center island’s top is marble; a perfect surface for rolling pastry dough and making fudge. A marvelous antique brass and glass chandelier lights the room. The stove counter is an old-world Mexican Colonial feature decorated with Talavera tiling. It is a large cooking space, ideal for making chiles rellenos, mole de olla, and other soups and casseroles.
From the breakfast room, we step outdoors to the L-shaped terrace with a fireplace. We go down to the lower-level patio, with a fountain, which replicates the one seen at Las Mañanitas. The garden has a guest bungalow with a very cozy feel. It is decorated in a distinctly Navajo design, with built-in seating covered with Brazilian throws and straw rugs. In the bedroom, the headboards are made from reclaimed old farm gates. The suite also has a fully equipped kitchen and a bar area.
At the bottom of the garden, we reach the pool area. It is furnished with double barbecue grills and large paella pans. Interestingly, the swimming pool features an underwater glass window, which was originally used to shoot many TV commercials.
