Product Description

An exploration of the charm and sophistication of Mexican style, celebrating the variety and beauty of Mexican houses, inside and out. It displays the mixture of cultures, heritage and natural influences of which they are a result. Mexican style is a contrast between wisdom and naivety. The houses of Mexico mix the heritage of the Toltecs and Mayas with that of the French and Spanish invaders. The land itself is a strong influence on Mexican architecture, from seashore to desert and jungle to mountaintop. Tim Street-Porter is the author of "Freestyle: The New Architecture" and "Interior design from Los Angeles".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #594881 in Books
• Published on: 1989-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Ingram
Mixing the heritage of the Toltecs and Mayas with that of French and Spanish invaders, this display brings us the variety and beauty of Mexican houses--inside and out. More than 250 full-color photographs.

Customer Reviews

Fell short of what I hoped
I bought my copy because of the name, since I am FACINATED with interior design and decorating ideas with ANYTHING Mexican. My text IS in English, and if I would have known it was available in Spanish I would have preferred to have it that way!!

Anyway, this book DOES show the enormous VARIETY of what can truly be called "Mexican": from indigenous homes to still functioning haciendas to colonial-style buildings to the Broque French influence so many of the wealthy class favored before the revolution.

However, for me, it is just too cold, too sterile, for the Mexico I know and love. The colonial and Baroque-influenced homes look more like museums. They look like something only the extraordinarily wealthy could ever even dream of, and are far removed from the comfy, cozy, antique-filled hotels featured in "Mexicolor" or "Mexicasa". There is also a huge, AD NAUSEUM section on modern Mexican architecture -which I LOATHE- and a whole chapter on American, Chicano influenced houses -which I could CARE LESS about. All in all, I have my few favorite pages, which I love and look at repeatedly, but the majority of the book consists of large sections that I skip in their entirety. If you are looking for a treatise on the gamut of architectural styles in the country of Mexico, this is probably a good choice. If you want a book on Mexican interior design and decoration with a passion for things Mexican, this is NOT going to be your first choice.

It is a great book!!
I am a Mexican woman studying in the USA. I read a commentary above saying that these are European houses, they are not. We were conquered by the Spaniards centuries ago and thus the architectural style blended creating a "Mexican Style". This so called Mexican style includes european traces with Indian influences. This book represents Mexican houses that complies with this style. Obviously you can find native houses following Indian design, but for sure not in any Mexican metropoli.

Comprehensive review of Mexican style primitive-contemporary
This book is beautifully photographed, and offers a comprehensive look at Mexican interiors, architecture, and style. The chapters are laid out in chronological order, beginning with primitive architecture and continuing through to modern/contemporary design. Commentary throughout gives historical and social perspectives on the timeline of Mexican design.