In their 13 years of living in California, product designer Monica Calderon and architect Ezequiel Farca have always had one foot back home in Mexico. The creative couple moved to Los Angeles for its close proximity to Mexico and the similarities they share. “Los Angeles is a hub for creativity; it nurtures professions like ours by connecting us with like-minded people,” Monica says. “Merida is very similar in the way that it brings people together.”

Merida is the vibrant capital city of Yucatan in Mexico and the setting of Monica and Ezequiel’s recently completed family retreat, Casa Escuela, which is situated inside a former school – Casa Escuela meaning ‘School House’. The family split their time between here and Los Angeles. “We love Los Angeles, but we wanted to give our boys the opportunity to experience their culture on a deeper level,” Monica says.