Restoration Chronicle

Often the most transformational projects require the most patience. However, the effort is worth it and can bring life-changing results. Raul Cabra, co-founder of Oax-i-fornia and owner and creative director of La Embajada shop, and writer Michael Sledge can testify to this, with their biggest labour of love: Ex-Hacienda Guadalupe.

“It was about eight years of living in the most rustic environments for me to understand what needed to be done, before I started or purchased anything other than very simple bare furniture,” says Cabra. Back in 2007, he and Sledge bought the 18th century property – then in ruins – located in the Mexican town of San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya – about 30 minutes outside of the picturesque city of Oaxaca. Since then, the couple have worked on its meticulous and ongoing restoration.

“For many generations, the Hacienda was held by the Dominican order as a working farm, producing corn, tomatoes and beans, until it passed into private hands in the 19th century,” says Sledge. “Today, it has been remodelled using traditional techniques but with a contemporary eye, gaining new life as a cultural, academic and culinary meeting ground.”

Cabra, who led the remodel with the help of Enrique Lastra (for the historical restoration), Misael Lavariega and Ileana Luciano (for the interior architecture) and Claudina López Morales (for the patio master plan), put every effort into maintaining the historical integrity of the house and using original construction principles and techniques entirely carried out by hand.

“We started restoring the house to hold workshops for the Oax-i-fornia project,” Cabra explains. “Oax-i-fornia is a project that brings together design and art students with artisans in Oaxaca. It lasted for several years in that form before becoming a collaborative model for contemporary craft production for the hospitality industry. The idea was to create a space where the artisans and students could actually meet, collaborate and grow together.”

Today, it is also Cabra and Sledge’s personal home, while having expanded its uses even more. Cooking classes for small groups in the authentic kitchen, art residencies and special dinners all take place in this house that will soon (Spring 2025) also host two guest rooms.

Inside the stone structure of the property that has withstood the test of time, the walls were finished with cal apagada – a technique adopted from the indigenous Zapotec culture that is still visible in the ancient ruins of Mitla. “In my role as a custodian, I saw myself as a temporary steward of this remarkable place, entrusted with maintaining its character, history, and connection to both past and present,” says Cabra. “Every alteration made was done with the understanding that it could be reversed to restore the house to its original state.”

Natural means of heating and cooling, such as thick walls, high ceilings and fireplaces, help maintain a comfortable environment throughout the seasons. No artificial paints were used, letting the natural hues of the materials shine, including the red clay floors, wood and rusted metal for authenticity and connexion with the surroundings.

“Whenever possible, we try to use materials from other buildings from the XVII century and rescue all doors, windows, etc. that were the rule in Oaxaca and that after the ’50s were discarded for modernity, but that we were able to bring back into the state from other states of Mexico,” says Cabra. “To me, the house is a living creature that is Oaxaca in essence — rooted in tradition, but contemporary all the way.”