The Vipp Todos Santos Guesthouse Opens in the Baja California Desert

When it comes to the ever-illustrious raft of heritage Danish design brands there’s perhaps no company more agile than Vipp. Established in the late 1930s, the boutique manufacturer – named after the Danish word for tilt – gained renown for its trash bins with a hyper-efficient pedal function and durable metal shell. Like the many innovative concepts Vipp has released in the decades since – modular kitchen outfits also embody the tenant of timelessness – the manufacturer has championed a necessity-driven innovation mindset.

This ethos has allowed the company to break out of a typecast definition and lend its expertise to disparate typologies: precision-engineered office furniture among them. Part of this inherent dynamism and diversification – “turning a bin into a brand” – has been the development and programing of bookable guesthouses in distinct urban and rural settings; not merely as contextualized “domestic” showrooms but as holistic experiences demonstrating the family-run manufacturer’s philosophy: craftsmanship, longevity, and versatility.

Joining a roster of nine already well-visited locales – all repleted with the brand’s comprehensive gamut of products: furniture, lighting, accessories, and of course, kitchens – is the new Vipp Todos Santos Guesthouse, located in Todo Santos, Mexico. Incorporating 3,800 square feet of space, the five bedroom property unfolds as a clever interplay of indoor and outdoor rooms making the most of the tropical, desertscape surroundings on the Baja California Peninsula coast.

“Todos Santos has a unique blend of topographies, history, and influences,” says Pablo Pérez Palacio, the celebrated Mexico City-based co-founder of Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados (PPAA) tasked with the especially site-responsive design of the complex: a main house and two interconnected annexes achieved in a decidedly tropical modernist style but with more than just a touch of vernacularity.

“We wanted to respect these traditions while creating our own architectural language and a building that merges seamlessly with the surrounding landscape,” says Pérez Palacio. “Vipp has been a perfect partner in this project, where you can see an ongoing dialogue between Mexican and Danish design sensibilities throughout its spaces.”

The seemingly meandering but carefully laid-out abode nestles into the grade of the site and coalesces around the central courtyard, covered patio – positioned as an elevated plinth framing sweeping views of unspoiled nature in its midst.

According to PPAA, the Vipp Todos Santos guesthouse is a “dynamic interplay of strategically placed volumes and stepped exterior stairways.” Programmed on three levels, the home begins with two intimate ensuite bedrooms on the ground level, two additional ones in a wing of the first floor, a full principal suite, and a minimal amount of indoor entertainment spaces – the kitchen complete with Vipp products – as much of that situates in semi-outdoor environments like the canopied and open terraces. The dining room’s outdoor table seamlessly extends from the kitchen counter. The matrix of flat roofs emerge with a circular “celestial oasis” pool and additional lounges.

The almost mono-material application of rammed-earth is not only indicative of local building practices but also sustainable. The ancient tradition of erecting these especially thick walls is a pre-air condition cooling strategy, that – along with breezeways and non-monolithic massing – provides natural cooling. They also keep the interiors warm on the cool nights, common through the year here. Though adherent to the tried and true refreshed approach, the overall architecture still includes large apertures framing panoramic ocean views.

Developed in close collaboration between PPAA, Vipp’s third-generation co-owner Sofie Christensen Egelund, and Copenhagen-based interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard, the interior is a serene amalgam of natural tones and cleverly contrasting textures: locally sourced craft works like woven textiles and ceramics. The open-concept living area is outfitted with Vipp’s recently released anodized aluminum V3 Kitchen and other complementary items.

“The opening of our first guesthouse in North America is an incredible milestone for Vipp,” Christensen Egelund says. “Over the years, we have grown from a small company with just one design, the bin my grandfather created in 1939, to develop a global following for our furniture and kitchens, all made with the same integrity and longevity as our very first product. Our diverse portfolio of guest houses has allowed us to bring our passion for design to life through wide ranging architecture and interiors. I have admired Pablo’s work for some time and we are thrilled to have him as our latest collaborator in this exciting project. Our shared love of buildings that frame nature and architecture that is responsive to its environment has resulted in one of our most special guest houses to date.”

What: Vipp Todos Santos Guesthouse
Where: Todos Santos, Mexico
How much: $2,500 per night for up to 12 adults
Design draw: An interplay of stepped, site-responsive volumes integrated into the grade of the tropical desert locale with rammed earth walls giving way to ocean view apertures and a clever introduction of Vipp products; the perfect setting for an indoor/outdoor vacation.
Book it: Vipp Todos Santos Guesthouse

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Photography by Anders Hviid.