Tour the Vibrant Costa Palmas, Mexico, Villa of a Jewelry Designer and a Developer

By J. Nailah Avery

Photography by Douglas Friedman

Costa Palmas, located on the east cape of Los Cabos, Mexico, is home to an array of luxury residential homes. The home of developer Jason Grosfeld and his wife, fine jewelry designer Jenna Blake Grosfeld, was one of the first homes built on the property. "The ocean was a focal point, and it kind of dictated our color palette, as well as the surrounding nature," Jenna says. "For me, I wanted just a continuation of the sea. Whether it's an ocean somewhere else or in Mexico, where we are, it just puts you kind of in vacation mode. So the color palette played a key role in establishing the atmosphere we wanted to achieve."

Brendan Guerin, a founder of Guerin Glass Architects says that the plans for the home took inspiration from midcentury Brazilian architecture. "There's a couple of Oscar Niemeyer houses in particular that the client really responded to, that we all really liked," Guerin says. "And so, the house is really trying to utilize strategies that you would find in some of that work, to go about this mission of really rooting the occupant in that landscape." The lush and tropical environment surrounding the property was given careful consideration in the home's architecture and design, lending a cohesion and harmony to both the interior and exterior.

The end result is a crisp yet vibrant home brimming with unique pieces, sleek accents, and special touches, nestled harmoniously on the ocean. Jon Brent of Jon Brent Design has been working with the Grosfelds for over ten years, and was happy to come onboard to design their home in Costa Palmas. "With other projects, you kind of establish a baseline, then you add pieces, and you shop," Brent says. "With them [the Grosfelds], there's just this interesting hodgepodge that organically happens. In the end, we sit back and think, Wow, this is pretty cool."

As collectors, the Grosfelds brought many pieces into the home that they’ve collected over years of traveling. Vintage pieces, unique artisan finds, and specialty items can be found throughout the home, along with an expansive collection of pottery curated by Jenna herself. One rather avant-garde theme peppered around the house is the inclusion of birds. From a large Sergio Bustamante sculpted parrot hanging over the table in the living room to three tall sculpted flamingos in the primary bedroom, birds recur in the design, helping to blur the line between nature and the interior.

Throughout the home, the design elements are present in an interesting and layered fashion, giving each room depth and allure. To fully appreciate the layers, one must patiently lean into the design—there is no soaking it all in from one sweeping glance. This is a house that tells a story, and it incorporates pieces from all over the globe that add their own unique voices to the chorus of the design. Beautiful vintage tapestries are framed and used as artwork in many rooms, and vivid color is juxtaposed with elegant textures throughout.

Brent and Grosfeld also prioritized incorporating pieces from Mexican artisans to further root the home in a strong sense of place. "We spent a lot of time investigating pieces from Mexico and then adding their vintage pieces to give it this Mexican modernist vibe," Brent says. "It's great that we were able to sprinkle in pieces from the country, then pair them up with some of their really important vintage pieces." Flea markets in Mexico City became top acquisition locations, with pieces from chairs to pillows incorporated into the design. Brent even reupholstered an ottoman with a beautiful vintage rug from a flea market to create more textural depth and pattern. "That's another fun thing about these clients; I really got to play the high-low game! They have a lot of high-end items, and then will anchor it with a rug from the flea market. It creates something so special," Brent says.

For Jenna, the crossover between design elements in architecture and jewelry inspires her work and her aesthetic sense. Jenna Blake Jewelry, her vintage-inspired fine jewelry company, was born from her love of collecting. "I started to take note of little details that I would find in furniture and recreate that in my own jewelry," she says. "For instance, I would see certain moldings and think, Gosh, that would be beautiful as a bracelet. In fact, I created a bracelet inspired by the Bustamante parrot!" Jenna took the same approach to the design of Costa Palmas, mixing various references and pieces from various eras.

Ultimately, the exceptional collaboration between the owners, the architects, and the design team shines through at Costa Palmas. "The inside and outside of the house are kind of seen as one, and that was the intention," Guerin says. "In general, I think our architecture is clean and refined, and the pairing with JB was able to soften our work a little bit. Conversely, we added architectural rigor to some of his work. And I think it's all a nice complement."

Jason Grosfeld and Jenna Blake Grosfeld's home sits on the east cape of Los Cabos, Mexico. The architectural vision of the home captures the beauty of the area and centers the ocean as a focal point. The design and documentation took about nine months, with construction lasting for a little over a year.

The entrance of the home blends crisp and elegant lines with vibrant leafy pops of nature. "On a high level, we were trying to capture the beauty of the site," Guerin says. "And to that end, it was very much about trying to bring that lush landscaping, that uniquely tropical landscaping, in and around the main living volume."

Lush and tropical greenery surrounds Costa Palmas, and the Grosfelds made it a priority to preserve and highlight that. "The house itself really lets light in, and there are so many interesting architectural twists and turns," Jenna says. "It captures this grand view, and that was our original intention. I think it was accomplished."

The living room features a custom Elizabeth Eakins coral carpet and a Kimberly Denman white bouclé upholstered chair. The pillows are covered with vintage textiles sourced from flea markets in Mexico City. The team went for custom Mitchell Denburg fabric to create the curtains. Rogan Gregory (left) and Pepe Mendoza (right) lamps add warmth to the space.

By Brett Berk

By Troy J. McMullen

By Joyce Chen

A concrete and steel dining table from Stefan Rurak Studio is surrounded by five vintage dining chairs. On the table, a midcentury-modern pottery set from West Germany sits under a midcentury Murano glass and brass chandelier. A large sculpted bird stands to the left, adding to the tropical vibe. And the giant extremity in the room? A Gaetano Pesce foot sculpture.

A vintage brass Sergio Bustamante bird hangs in the dining room. "We were struggling with what kind of pendant we want to hang from there, and Jenna found this insanely large piece, which feels so apropos," Brent says. Warren Platner chairs mix with Pierre Paulin tulip chairs, around the dining room table. The tabletop is made from exotic blue onyx, and the millwork shelves were designed in collaboration with Guerin Glass.

Natural lighting floods the room in the kitchen area. Simon Hamui millwork is featured against exotic marble counters and backsplash. Vintage Danish dining chairs surround the table, adding a pop of color.

By Brett Berk

By Troy J. McMullen

By Joyce Chen

Right off the kitchen, this dining space has a large vintage Turkish flatweave kilim rug from Galerie Shabab. A sleek Karl Springer breakfast table centers the space. Saporiti Italia dining chairs covered in Nobilis fabric surround the table, and a Hans-Agne Jakobsson chandelier hangs above. Wall paneling and a credenza from Giuseppe Rivadossi add further texture to the left of the room.

Behind the dining space in front of the kitchen sits a Guy de Rougemont golden clover coffee table. A vintage rug from Galerie Shabab fills the floor space, and a purple occasional chair in Pierre Frey fabric sits to the left. A 1960s Ferrucio Laviani brass bamboo side table sits to the right. Pillows covered in vintage textiles and fabric from Dedar accent the custom sectional, designed in collaboration with a vendor in Los Angeles.

The primary bedroom is fitted with an antique rug from Mansour and a custom tufted bed covered in Pierre Frey fabric. Jenna came across the sculpted birds during her travels, and brought them in to add a fun and playful accent to the room. The wall hanging is one of several vintage Mexican tapestries that were framed and displayed throughout the home. A Percival Lafer ottoman and Nynke Koster rubber stool round out the room's seating, and Pierre Cardin brass table lamps stand out against curtains made from Philomela fabric.

By Brett Berk

By Troy J. McMullen

By Joyce Chen

The primary bathroom features custom hardware from Izé, a company that bought the rights to produce actual replicas of Gio Ponti hardware. A vintage Max Ingrand Fontana chandelier hangs from the ceiling. A vintage diamond pattern motif rug from Galerie Shabab adds vivid pops of orange and red to the room, in front of a Gio Ponti mirror. More pieces from Jenna's expansive pottery collection dot the counter.

In the shower and tub area of the primary bathroom, custom Giò Ponti hardware from Izé fills the space. A vintage Cristalleria Murano glass chandelier hangs above the tub, its amber hue providing a stark contrast of color against the hardware. Items from Jenna's curated pottery collection stand in one corner of the tub, and an Art Deco rug from Galerie Shabab sits just outside the door.

A Tony Tasset arrow painting looks out over the second bedroom, and Zak and Fox curtains frame the windows. Joe Colombo's Elda chair infuses a bright splash of color into the room, and Artelínea nightstands flank the bed. "​​I follow my gut a lot, and I don't follow rules," Jenna says. "For some people, that doesn't sit well because it could be too much clutter, or it could be off balance. But for me, that's what makes certain spaces unique and personalized."

By Brett Berk

By Troy J. McMullen

By Joyce Chen

A custom ottoman, reupholstered in vintage rugs from Galerie Shabab, sits in front of a Studioroca sofa. Two chairs from Artelínea and a green Bill Curry mushroom floor lamp frame the sofa. The room holds unexpected surprises at every turn, including a bold piece of artwork by Shaan Syed. The Grosfelds don't shy away from color, and they love experimenting with various design elements.

Colors and textures come together in the sitting room accented by a vintage rug from Mansour. The colored Poul Cadovius metal wall shelves add texture alongside a bold vintage tapestry framed as a wall hanging. Pillows covered in fabric from Nobilis and vintage fabric sourced in Mexico City sit on a custom sofa. To the right, a Gio Ponti occasional chair adds further texture and pop.

The outdoor sitting area is highlighted by a magnetic circular skylight. A vintage modern brutalist dining table, sourced in Mexico, is the focus point. Glossy white vintage Eero Saarinen chairs surround the table, and the incredible view of surrounding nature elevates the space. Part of the architectural vision for the home involved using glass in interesting ways, and the floor-to-ceiling glass panels are an example of this.

By Brett Berk

By Troy J. McMullen

By Joyce Chen

The curved glass panels separating the indoors from the outdoors wrap around the pool area. The modern lines and shapes of the home were designed to blend harmoniously with the tropical environment, complementing the flora and fauna in the area. Flexform exterior daybeds complete the pool furniture.

The architectural and interior design was a highly collaborative process between the Grosfelds, Guerin Glass Architects, and Jon Brent Design. Bold and refined lines of the home's exterior are coupled with the unfettered allure of nature to paint a striking picture. "Capturing nature and the sea really makes you feel like you’re outside, even while you’re inside," Jenna says. "We didn't really want to break up too much of that flow."

By Katherine McGrath

By Eva Morell

By Eva Morell

By Rachel Davies