I recently took a vacation to San Miguel de Allende, a city in the mountainous Guanajuato region of central Mexico. It wasn’t the typical beach holiday, more like a trip to the south of France. The winding cobblestone streets, mild climate, and preserved colonial architecture have made this town a popular spot for travelling artists, students and designers. It was designated a national monument in 1926 so there are no neon signs or modern buildings. The timeworn beauty in the architecture is breathtaking and there is a sophisticated but laid back vibe that makes it cool and unpretentious. Layer a modern, stylish city on to the historically rich backdrop and the look is that trendy mix of old and new we try to recreate here. I haven’t come back from a vacation this inspired and excited in a long time.
Most of the buildings are built around an inner courtyard, which makes it seem that much more romantic — like a mysterious, walled city. I stumbled upon some of the most breathtaking indoor-outdoor spaces by following a corridor like the one above. From the street all I could see was a long path of tile through a small peephole.
As you walk through, you come upon this courtyard, which is actually part of a store called Casamidy (more on that later). Because of the climate and a central outdoor area in building construction, there is a seamless flow between indoors and out.
P.S: Pick up a copy of the May 2010 issue of House & Home on newsstands April 12th for some ideas on Canadian-friendly indoor-outdoor living.
Another striking element is the brilliant combination of colours. They tend to use them everywhere, especially on exteriors. Personally I would translate the gorgeous palette above to indoors.
Here is an example of colour along with religious artifacts being used as décor accessories. This is a vignette from the store Casamidy, a high-end Mexican furniture line available through South Hill Home in Toronto. The partners behind Casamidy also design interior projects, many of which are featured in the book Casa San Miguel by Annie Kelly.
My sister stumbled upon another great shop of mostly jewelry and decorative home décor items called Mixta. This is a vignette in the store at the top of the stairwell. I think of it as a younger version of the more sophisticated Casamidy style. It’s fresher and brighter and the white plaster walls make it easier to envision here in Canada.
If you explore Casamidy’s website, you’ll notice that a lot of their photos are taken in this old, abandoned hacienda. It is completely exposed to the elements so the beautiful tiles are worn and faded, wallpaper is crumbling and it has this sense of history and age that gives it a distressed beauty. All I could think was, what a fantastic location for a fashion shoot!
It is one thing to stumble upon something old and beautiful but it is another thing entirely to try and recreate it. I think it’s worth the leap, but it can be very expensive. This room strikes a balance between old architecture and modern furnishings, a look that could easily work in Canada. I’m starting to love this old terracotta tile. It’s not the typical Santa Fe style — this floor is textured and more brown than orange. Mixed with these curvaceous mouldings, raw wood ceiling, weathered doors, antique and new Casamidy chairs and modern sofas it is a fresh, new look that could easily be adapted at home.
It’s got me thinking about renovating, and Brian Gluckstein once told me that is a sign you need to move…
For more Mexican design inspiration, see Andrea Mills’ Modern Mexican Style blog.
Photo credits:
1-7. Suzanne Dimma
8. Casamidy
9. From Annie Kelly’s Casa San Miguel (2008 Rizzoli)
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