Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Even though my Mom and I are proud Puerto Ricans, we love the Mexican culture!  In honor of Cinco de Mayo we decided to highlight some of the gorgeous contributions Mexican inspired pieces have made to the world of home design.  I love the meticulous balance of Mexican décor- brightly colored fabrics and surfaces are mixed with earth tones, and meticulously detailed Talavera art is enmeshed with rustic and worn pieces.  I favor a more Bohemian take on Mexican decorating than a Southwest inspired one, which means no howling coyotes or pink and teal cacti (thankfully).  Here are some of the trendiest elements of Mexican design and a few ways you can incorporate them in your home.

Talavera Tile and Pottery

Talavera pottery incorporates geometric and floral designs and can be incorporated in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor spaces.  It has all the ingredients of a statement piece- bold, colorful, and really unique.  We love the idea of using this pattern in the kitchen, like with this decorative platter by GEM Villa Seca.  

We also thought this punched tin mirror was a beautiful piece worth mentioning.  Which seamlessly brings us to…

Metals

Popular Mexican-esque metals include tin (polished or tarnished), copper (oxidized or lustrous) and wrought iron.  My favorite of the bunch would have to be a slightly oxidized copper….there’s just something about the look of a few items slight wear that gives character to a space.  I absolutely loved this hammered copper pitcher, it has just the right amount of rough edge to it.

Frieda Kahlo

          

Frieda Kahlo’s iconic Mexican Folk Art is mostly comprised of self portraits and her unconventionally beautiful iconic image is extremely trendy.  She painted this oil on canvas in 1931; the picture depicts an afternoon with her husband Diego.  While it’s obviously no original, this particular copy is hand painted by talented artists to match Kahlo’s, allowing it an affordable price for a real oil painting.  

I also loved this pretty Frieda Kahlo pillow, click here to see more like it.

Embroidered Fabrics

               

Mexican embroidery is so beautiful!  We especially adore these Tenanos, or Mexican blankets, crafted by the Otomi Indians.  The Otomi originate from the Mexican state of Hidalgo; the colorful designs are said to be inspired by the wall paintings on cliffs in the region.  They’re all so beautiful we couldn’t decide which of these bedspreads from L’aviva Home we loved more!