by Barrett Browning, Demand Media, homeguide.sfgate.com
Overview Mexican-style houses celebrate light and sun-drenched color—whether in the Yucatan or near Point Lobo. Traditional Mexican decorations depend on local craftsmen for hand-carved furniture or ornate wooden corbels. Mexican colonial architecture is very versatile—modern furniture and accessories complement whitewashed walls and bold swaths of bright color just as well as hacienda-inspired reproductions. Contemporary Mexican architects and designers add surprising twists to tradition, blending metals together with wood and plaster.
History Colonists brought Mediterranean- and Moorish-influenced architecture with them from Spain. Churches dominated the colony’s town squares, or zocalos. Colonial style melded with building styles of the indigenous population, producing architecture tailored to the climate and using local building materials. Decoration was spare—even in wealthier homes. Mexican tastes were bold, elegant and dramatic.
Types Hacienda-style homes evoke a south-of-the-border plantation feel. Large, open and airy plaster-walled buildings often enclose large interior patios. Waxed saltillo tile floors and decorative Talavera tile walls are both decorative and functional. The tiles keep cool and clean easily with soap and water. Tropical-style Mexican decor features large open spaces and continuous air flow. Roofs made of thatched palm or bamboo looks informal and keeps a dwelling cool. Decorations made from local natural materials such as stone and shells work well in a tropical-style Mexican home. Wooden shutters keep heat out and keep windows uncluttered by fabric. Modern Mexican-style homes can be sophisticated interpretations of Mexican classic architecture and design. Luis Barragán (1902–1988) was one of Mexico’s best-known architects. He created clean sleek designs that managed to avoid the clinical cold feel that sometimes plagues other modern architecture. He used plaster walls with wooden beams and natural tile or stone flooring. Bright pink, red or yellow hues on entire walls made bold statements and energized spaces.
Benefits Mexican-style houses provide shade with their deep inset windows and breezeways. Hanging plants on patios and porches further cool and clean the air while providing color and privacy. Natural cowhide rugs look good in a Mexican-style home, and iron and leather furniture adds rustic unstudied elegance. Thick walls keep dwellings cool in hot weather. Clean, unbroken expanses of white plaster walls seem to make a home feel cooler too. A Mexican-style home is not dark. It welcomes light while cleverly accommodating heat and sun.
Size Mexican-style homes range from tiny one-bedroom casitas to large estates. The aesthetic translates perfectly across socioeconomic borders—local artisans create simple and colorful pieces that fit in a humble dwelling as well as they do in a grand space.
Considerations For all their apparent simplicity, Mexican-style architecture and decoration are not cheap. The style’s success relies on excellent finish and materials as well as skilled labor.
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by Eugenia Orr, Demand Media, homeguide.sfgate.com
Overview Southwest interior design is a style that is warm and welcoming. It is an infusion of Native American and Spanish styles, denoted with warm colors, distressed woods and ornate metal scroll work. Pastels need not apply in a Southwest room; instead, think of sunshine when deciding on wall color, furniture and decorative accessories. Not truly contemporary, but yet not fully traditional, Southwest interior design is a mix of the old, highlighted by color, and a backdrop for handcrafted pottery and decorative tin.
The Use of Color Southwestern interior design is distinguished by its bold use of color throughout the design. Color is not just an accent, but fundamental in creating a warm and vibrant room. Orange, red, gold and blue are prominent on walls, in accessories and in hand-crafted tile work, tapestries and upholstery. In Southwestern design, furniture is often painted and then distressed to give character. Distressing is a way of making furniture look old by lightly sanding a painted surface to make the old finish show through, using chains and small hammers to create dents on the surface and applying a paint finishing product that crackles the paint to reveal the wood beneath.
Wood is Prominent Wood is seen throughout Southwestern design-inspired rooms. The wood used is honey-colored or other brown finish as a nod to nature. The furniture is usually constructed with thick legs, making the furniture appear chunky and substantial in the room. For extra added interest, it is common to find painted furniture in Southwest-inspired rooms, and not only white or cream. Red, lime green and cobalt blue tables and armoires are conversation starters and create visual interest.
Metal Details Wrought iron and other metals are used in Southwest design as decorative elements and accessories. Find metalwork in shelf brackets, in crown details on cabinets and furniture, and in wall art. Make hand-crafted, hand-painted pottery more noticeable by placing it on a wrought iron stand in a corner.
Pottery Hand-crafted pottery is a key detail in Southwest interior design. The most commonly used pottery is terracotta, a porcelain material that easy manipulated by hand. Terracotta is mostly found in a rust-orange color mimicking the sunset. Whether left in its natural state or hand painted to introduce a design and additional colors, pottery is an integral element in Southwest design.
Tile The most well-known element of Southwestern design is the intricate, hand-crafted Mexican tiles used for backsplashes, on floors and on tabletops. Mexican tile is infused with bright colors and intricate designs. If you are planning on incorporating Mexican tiles in your room, look for hand-crafted tiles instead of machine crafted ones. With hand-crafted tiles, no two are alike, adding additional visual interest.
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http://as.americas-society.org
September 1999
This catalogue is based on a historic study of the ceramic tradition in Puebla, Mexico with a summary of contemporary ceramic practices. It includes essays by Margaret Connors McOuade and Jaime Contreras Castro as well as an exhibition checklist.
1999 112 pp. bilingual, color illustration, and bibliography
clayimports.com
Clay Imports Artesanal, a subsidiary of Consorcio Artesanal, LLC, located in Austin, Texas and Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Mexico, created an original Talavera mural to commemorate the opening of the museum’s current exhibit titled “Promises of Independence and Revolution: Artists Interpreting Mexico”. The Exhibition can be viewed through November 21st at the Mexic-Arte Museum, located at 419 Congress Ave. in Austin, Texas. Contact the museum at 512.480.9373, for viewing hours or visit their website at www.mexic-artemuseum.org The Talavera tile mural is an interpretation of an original manuscript provided by the museum’s director Ms. Sylvia Orozco, which chronicles the life of Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the father of Mexico’s struggle for independence from Spain. The mural is comprised of thirty-six pieces of six-inch Talavera tile. Each tile represents a milestone of Father Hidalgo’s life, beginning with his birth on May 8, 1753; teaching his parishioners how to make Talavera tile and other crafts to raise money to pay the oppressive taxes allowing them to hold on to their possessions; his Grito de Independencia on September 15, 1810, in Dolores, GTO; the beheading of Father Hidalgo as punishment for leading the rebellion and his final internment at the base of the historic Angel de Independencia in Mexico City. The exhibition opened on September 25th and also featured art from private collections and original pieces including Pipilia, created by sculptor Jose Acosta, Eduardo Garcia’s audio/video production and Fidencio Duran’s representational pieces. The Talavera mural was made by “nuestros artesanos” at our Talavera production facility in the historic town of Dolores Hidalgo, GTO, Mexico, under the supervision of Clay Imports Artesanal’s master artisan, Mr. Hugo Olguin; and will become part of the museum’s permanent collection. # # #
pressexposure.com
Livermore, CA (PressExposure) April 12, 2008 — Latin Accents, Inc., a nation-wide importer and distributor of high-end artisan tiles from Mexico, introduces a hand-painted tile on an all-weather European porcelain body. This new twist to the traditional Talavera tile makes it more durable against harsh weather elements and gives it the ability to maintain its beauty and vibrant colors even when exposed to the harsh chemicals in pool water.
In the past, high-fired clay and porcelain bodies have been appropriate mostly for interior applications, such as kitchen backsplashes, kitchen countertops, small floor accents, fireplaces, bathroom backsplashes, showers and bathtub walls. While high-fired clay can be used exteriorly in mild climates, this new porcelain product can be used outdoors for exterior accents, retainer walls, outdoor kitchens and grills, fountains, spas and pools.
The development of this new kind of swimming pool tile gives home and business owners the opportunity to incorporate the rich history and vibrant colors of Talavera tile into an area that was previously too harsh for these unique, high-fired clay pieces. The introduction of this variation on the Talavera tile creates a new niche in the industry, and Latin Accents believes that decorators and designers will appreciate the expanded use of this popular tile.
Nothing delivers the design impact of authentic handmade and hand-painted Talavera tile. The vivid colors, the warmth, beauty and affordable cost of our original Talavera tile exceed the imitators.
Our Talavera has the texture and graphic color that is magic. As far back as the 16th century Talavera was introduced to Mexico by the Spaniards. Talavera tile originated from the city of Talavera de la Reina in Spain. Talavera is thought to have an even more storied past with Moorish and far eastern influences before Mexican artisans took these Spanish treasures and made them their own.
Gracing the homes of royalty and prestige Mexico officially recognizes Talavera as coming from the city of Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato. Here, at our Dolores Hidalgo factory, the Talavera is handmade and hand painted. Unique clays, the glaze and the traditional cobalt blue distinguish this higher quality True Talavera.
In 2008, we took our Talavera to a new, environmentally safe plateau. After years of testing to preserve the true Talavera colors, all of our tile is now ASTM tested and DoHS-compliant to be classified as LEAD FREE. No other producer of Talavera tile can make this claim (TEST REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST).
Mexican products have become big sellers in every country of the world. The total value of Mexican products that are imported into the US alone exceeds the billion dollar mark by far.
Thanks to their low cost, quality and uniqueness, most Mexican products can be resold for high profits.
It’s not uncommon for American and European traders dealing in Mexican art, paintings, silver or exotic leather to harvest handsome profit margins that in many cases exceed a 100% markup when they buy from the right suppliers.
With out a question there is a lot of money to be made by reselling Mexican products. And the cheaper you buy, the better. Just don’t expect to get the best possible prices from those Mexican products “providers” that you can find on the web for free.
Most of the guys and companies that are ranking at the top of the internet search engines are basically American companies that are reselling Mexican products. So don’t think you will get the best possible prices from them. Marketers and other middlemen exist to make a profit. Everybody knows it. It’s impossible for an intermediary to sell you at a manufacturer’s low price. It’s against their business model.
The only way you are going to make BIG cash is by dealing direct with the Mexican sources. Visit http://www.Mexico-Store.com today and discover how you can access beautiful Mexican products at incredibly low wholesale prices that you can easily resell twice as much or translate into GREATER profit margins for your self.
This is your chance to enter a multi-million dollar market with REAL PROFIT MARGINS. You can start a fun and practical business that you can run from anywhere by selling on Ebay or at your location.
P.S: Bigger profits just around the corner.
If you already sell silver jewelry, art, leather or Mexican handcrafts, imagine the savings and the immediate extra profits that you can generate by contacting cheaper & reliable Mexican suppliers.
