Product Description

In 1521, when the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they were amazed at the spectacular architecture and complex urban planning they encountered in the great city of Tenochtitlán (modern-day Mexico City). To the native Mayan, Aztec, and Olmec traditions that had flourished throughout Mexico, the Spanish brought their own influences, resulting in an extraordinarily rich design heritage that survives to this day.

Acclaimed architectural photographer Tim Street-Porter vividly captures this enduring passion for design in Casa Mexicana Style, the follow-up to his best-selling Casa Mexicana (more than 100,000 copies sold). In this gorgeous new book featuring more than 250 photographs, Street-Porter takes us on an insider’s tour of 30 stunning homes, from urbane city apartments and modernist beach houses to stately rural haciendas and lovingly restored colonial townhouses.

All of the residences showcased here are enlivened by a natural blending of indoors and outdoors, a vibrant palette shaped by the sun-drenched surroundings, and an artful incorporation of the country’s celebrated crafts and handiwork. Whether large or small, historical or contemporary, Mexican houses are artistic statements, expressing the unique and inimitable lifestyle of their creators. Casa Mexicana Style is a welcoming invitation to bask in the beauty of these homes, to enjoy their charm and sophistication.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #135213 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

About the Author
ANNIE KELLY writes about design for magazines in the U.S. and abroad, including Vogue Living and English House and Garden. She is also a decorator whose work has been included in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and Elle Decor. Kelly lives with her husband, Tim Street-Porter, in Los Angeles and Litchfield, Connecticut.

Architecture and design photographer TIM STREET-PORTER has published many books of photographs, including Casa Mexicana (STC), The Los Angeles House, Tropical Houses, and, most recently, Los Angeles. He is a frequent contributor to HG, Metropolitan Home, The World of Interiors, and many other design and travel magazines. Street-Porter lives in Los Angeles and Litchfield, Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

Unbelievable guide to Mexican design
I am an interior designer and have always been fascinated by the use of color in Mexico. This book is eye candy for any designer. The pictures are amazing and the photography wonderful. I have picked up this book so many times I have bookmarked almost every page for ideas. Great inspiration!

Informercial
The photograhy was beautiful, the houses plush and inviting, but the book read as an informercial for the interior design services of "friends" of the authors. I think Carr and others have done just as good of a job or better,and their books are more reasonably priced.

The book was reminiscent of tourist phamplets, beautiul pictures tooting virtues limited to a selected service, in this instance a few "designers." Ideas were limited, and represented a selected "Mexicana Style." One house looked much like another as the architecture was similar or the designer was the same. Not represetitive of Mexican design. It was a pity, I expected more.

Colorful!
Color is the first thing you see in the book.Bright exteriors and cool, calm interiors. Only after that you notice all the other excellent features:
- superb photos
- clever organization
- interesting, informative text.
You get a variety of different types of houses around Mexico City, on beach resorts and even in the jungle. These are city apartments,townhouses, beach houses, haciendas. But I loved most the houses in the small town of San Miguel de Allende.
The majority of these houses were restored or redecorated by designers and decorators, frequently for themselves. So there are a lot of interesting things to learn from the book.
Pay special attention to the house of Luiz Barragan and the Cuixmala house.
And for those who like outdoor living the book will be an indispensable source of inspiration.