A Touch of Mexico

Is anything more captivating than a touch of Mexico in your home? We talked with three local Mexican designers, asking for ideas and input for providing that special Mexican touch. Whether you live here or want to pick up something for your home elsewhere, you’ll appreciate the input they offered.

Eduardo (Lalo) Rivas of El Sofa

“While providing a Mexican touch is easiest to consider in a brand new space, a ‘clean palate’ so to speak, it’s quite common that someone comes to me for advice on giving a particular flavor to an already existing home or residence. I work with whatever space there is, but most important at the beginning is to sit down and agree on what we’re trying to achieve.”

Suggestions

• Shop locally for blown glass, ceramics, painted wood figures (alebrijes), candleholders and other easily transportable items.
• While choosing basic furniture in lighter, more subtle tones, add color with throws, pillows, accents and rugs, something very characteristic in Mexican design. Don’t forget some of the amazing original art for your wall or foyer.
• Although budget is a consideration, ingenuity is more important. Remember to play with space and the elements in it. Move things around to accommodate that new piece that you couldn’t live without and managed to take home.

Marta Rosas of Interiores Mexicanos

“Frequently I point to fabrics as the easiest route to getting the accent clients want. They’re so easy to combine with other objects, such as baskets, pots, ceramics and dried or potted plants. Color might be the most intriguing element, but I work to create harmony.”

Suggestions

• Gauze curtains impart a special look and work well here on the coast. Manta cotton is traditional, an added element created by knotting the fabric. In the bedroom, consider a mosquito net over the bed, romantic as well as practical.
• Pillows are an extremely useful, inexpensive accent. They provide a splash of color in just the right places and are easily replaceable. There are lovely handmade embroidered cases from Chiapas available locally.
• A throw works as an easy detail, maybe at the foot of the bed, on a bureau or other furniture. It combines very well with a rush mat on the floor, which is also soft to the touch.

Javier Rodríguez of JR Studio

“Here in Mexico we have such an amazing variety of regional hand-worked items, from tiny gems to quite large individual pieces. Consider the beautiful green pottery from Michoacán, the textiles from Oaxaca and Chiapas, the talavera from Puebla. It depends on what you want to spend.”

Suggestions

• I like to include elements of ironwork in balconies to give a special personality. Combine it with other forms of worked iron for bases, chairs and other furniture. Repeating details confers an echo effect.
• Stone work is quite intriguing. Consider it for a design, whether detailed or casual, just to add interest. Stones can be large, like river stones, or smaller pebbles. They can be worked into the floor or garden of your home, flowing naturally like a river.
• While returning home with a heavy colonial-style door might present special considerations, consider including details such as leaves or shells in the border area of the door that can be echoed in other areas.

If you live here or elsewhere and want to bring what you see into your home environment or surround yourself with your lovely memories, brighten up your home by including a special touch of Mexico.