Mexicolor: The Spirit of Mexican Design

Among the many chapters, there's one on "Textiles", "Folk Art", "Ceramics", "Wood" (masks that are works of art and the whimsical carvings from Oaxaca). "Metal": The loveliest door knockers you'll ever see, and my favorite of all (I have a small but glorious collection), the marvelous milagros.

There are also chapters on inns, homes along the coasts, the homes of 4 artists (to die for !), etc., and one on patios and gardens.

The photographs by Melba Levick are as good as it gets, a short (you wouldn't want any more...the focus is on the photography) but excellent text by Tony Cohan, which gives a brief history and description of the items shown, and the creative direction was done by Masako Takahashi. It's a good size soft cover at 10" x 9 1/2 and the quality is great.

It's a book you can browse through over and over and discover new little details, and the beauty of it will gladden your heart and inspire you to add more color to your home, especially Mexican color, which is so full of life and soul.


The book to buy for the true feeling of Mexico!   August 12, 1999
33 out of 33 found this review helpful

The colors and textures of Mexico come alive in this book. It is a great source of ideas for anyone interested in decorating in the style and feel of Mexico. As a resident of the Texas/Mexico border and a frequent traveler to Mexico, this book illustrates the beauty of tile and colors found everywhere. Color, like music, is playing everywhere in Mexico!


Mexico lindo/Beautiful Mexico   November 16, 2001
Enrique Torres (San Diegotitlan, Califas)
31 out of 32 found this review helpful

Having travelled through most of the states of Mexico, witnessing the enchanting colorful culture firsthand I can say this book captures the essence and beauty of Mexico lindo. It reminds the viewer of the places and people of Mexico in all their colorful splendor. What traveler through Mexico can forget the mercado (outdoor maketplace)experiece with the aromas and color blending for an intoxicating mixture that stays with you for a lifetime? It is all captured here in this brilliantly colored book. An inspirational book for the artist as well, the splashes of color jump from the pages into one's imagination for new ideas based on centuries old traditions. Although the fantastic color photographs are the highlight of this magnificnet book, the text is equally as good and highly informative. Little known tidbits abound. Take for example the centuies old technique of hanging cactus upside down to attract cochineal bugs. The bugs are then crushed to extract a wonderful red dye for wool rugs. Nothing is wasted, the bugs are sun dried or toasted on a griddle and mixed with lime after being crushed to a powder. The 21 chapters cover all aspects of Mexican life and each deserves the utmost attention since the detail given to each is exquisite. Nearly half of the chapters are dedicated to some aspect of the home, whether the garden, renovated haciendas or charming homes away from home for the traveler, the peeks into the places of rest are magnificent. The section featuring four artists homes is fabulous. There is one particular chapter that I love most, it is simply entitled wood. Here one will find marvelous wood creations, including masks and furniture as well as the famous wood carvers from Oaxaca, who create whimsical, colorful animals that defy conventional conceptions. There are other places to find wood creations as they are featured throughout the book in one form or another. This book demands to viewed over and over. This is one not to be shelved but to be kept handy for reference or inspiration. I would highly recommened this book to anyone who loves the old world culture that is Mexico. It is one of my favorite books that I cherish, a special gift that I view often, colorful memories rekindled and brought to life again and again.


Sunglasses Required!   April 1, 2004
Scott Knudsen (Air Ronge, Saskatchewan Canada)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

Put your sunglasses on (make sure there prescription, the font is really small) and get ready to feast your eyes on 176 pages of brilliant, intense colours. The book covers most aspects of the Mexican lifestyle and shows how colour is integrated into every part of their lives.

I had thought that the pictures where the leftovers from the authors other book, Mexicasa: The Enchanting Inns and Haciendas of Mexico, but this book seems to have been published first.

If you buy either one of these books, make sure you check out the binding really good, and keep your receipt. The bindings seem to be very poor and may totally fail before your half way through the book.


A lot of ideas for my new home   April 25, 2003
Amy Gonzalez (San Juan, PR USA)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I was (and still am) searching for books, information and pictures of mexican architecture and color. This book was helpful for me, and also brought back great memories of my two trips to Mexico. This country is amazingly beautiful and rich in cultural heritage, and in my search for rustic/mexican ideas that I can adapt to the design of my new hacienda-type home, I found that the book satisfied me with all the beautiful pictures portraing the real Mexico. A must have for mexican citizens living outside the country, and Mexico freaks (like me) as well.