Mexican rustic
decor is a perennial favorite due to its bold lines and craftsman details. You can use Mexican crafts and accessories as focal points of the room, and invest in a couple pieces of solid wood furniture, or you can redo your whole home with Mexico in mind. Either way, the look is a harmonious meeting between form and function. Does this Spark an idea?
Palette
A Mexican rustic palette is earthy but does not shy away from bold and bright accents. Walls in warm yellow, pumpkin orange or antique white create a backdrop for dashes of cobalt blue, deep green, mango orange and indigo. Look for architectural features and furniture finishes in natural wood tones, with a medium stain. Distressed and matte finishes are also popular. Faux finishes on walls include translucent antique whitewash that recalls a crumbling Spanish hacienda or mottled yellows and creams accented with bright tile. Floors look best as exposed wood beams or in terracotta tile.
Furniture
Mexican rustic furniture is a work of art and craftsmanship. Wardrobes feature heavyweight doors, chunky metal hardware and, inside, niches and shelves of different sizes for storing and displaying objects. A dining room table or a headboard may include insets of wrought iron bars or scrolls, or may have a thick pane of bubbled glass. Chair backs, armoire doors and children's chairs become canvases for hand-painted borders, scenes and motifs. Look for small details on wooden furniture such as engraved trims, hammered tin panels or artisan knobs and drawer pulls.
Accessories
The Mexican rustic look features accessories that are useful and beautiful. A simple mirror may be surrounded in a hammered tin frame and inset with painted tile. A rug featuring indigenous motifs might be woven with an old-fashioned backstrap loom and dyed with plant materials. Cover a kitchen bulb with a metal shade featuring cut-outs that project beams of light and shadow across the ceiling. Adorn an entryway table with wrought iron candle holders, or line a mantel with simple saint candles. Many Mexican rustic homes include a corner or niche altar dedicated to a family member. You can re-create this tradition by stacking books or boxes to create a pedestal, covering it with fabric or with a swatch of Mexican vinyl tablecloth and surrounding it in flowers, incense, candles, good luck charms and any meaningful items.
Tags: Mexican rustic, wrought iron
