Well, I’ve gone and done it! In the past few weeks I have completely re-organized, cleaned, shined up, scented and updated our office and it feels amazing. In the process, I’ve developed a fond appreciation for  those trusty pieces of furniture that help us organize paperwork, belongings, office files, furniture fabric samples, as well as all our Mexican furniture catalogs and materials from our Mexico furniture suppliers. With everything in its place and a place for everything, it’s almost like having done a whole space renovation.  Now, as I enter the office each morning, I’m greeted by an inviting, clean, organized desk from which to dream up new furniture designs and coordinate your furniture shipments in Mexico.

Especially since it is still fairly early in the New Year, I strongly recommend you do the same. Whether you are in Mexico at the moment, or in the States or in Canada, consider giving your living room, dining room, kitchen or office space a lift by cleaning, de-cluttering, sprucing up and adding a few furniture pieces to help you stay organized.

We have some lovely armoires, trunks, kitchen islands and buffets in our Mexican furniture line that can not only be the focus of attention in your rooms, but also help you get and stay organized.  Here are some examples, we hope they inspire you!

They are here. They have arrived!

And we are so excited to share them with you that we needed to dedicate a blog post to them. Here are our Mexican Fiesta Chairs. Yes, I confess, the inspiration for naming them comes from fiestaware colors.  But I mean, look at them, they are beautiful and fun!  The perfect antidote for the thirst for color many of us develop in the winter months.

The variety of colors is so inspiring ... you can have a white all-weather rattan table, a chocolate colored office in Mexico, or a wrought iron Mexican living room ... and you can still decorate beautifully and make things "pop" with these chairs.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we are!

This is how we describe them on our online Mexican furniture catalog:

"All Weather Rattan just got an attitude! Sturdy, fun and ready to socialize, the Fiesta Chairs are a must for your Mexico entertaining. Bring them out for your parties, stack them up to store them, or bring them into your Mexican indoor dining room or living room. They will be sure to make an enjoyable fiesta in your patio, pool area, or anywhere else in your Mexican home. Friendly yet seriously durable. All-Weather rattan in bright colors woven over an aluminum base."

First snow storm of 2012!  Beautiful -- a little impractical for doing business and getting around, but beautiful. That’s what I told my friend on the phone this morning.  She replied, “Oh, it’s really bright and sunny here.”  Immediately, just hearing that, my day felt warmer.  

Many of our friends and family go to Mexico when Canada and the U.S. begin to get way too cold.  There is so much that brings us to Mexico year after year. So much that calls us, inspires us, make us return to Mexico over and over again. What is it?  Well, as you know, it’s a powerful, compelling combination.

We love Mexico for its people

No question about it, Mexicans are beautiful, kind, hard-working people. They do wonders with gardens, flowers, different kinds of woods – they are lovely artisans, as if it were in their blood. They enjoy life. They like to have fun. They are service-oriented. And that’s just the start.

We love Mexico for its restaurants

Such a huge variety!  From tiny delicious mom and pop establishments to ultra chic, sophisticated ones, so many delightful options. Chicago Master Chef Rick Bayless made us a fan of Mexican restaurants and cuisine and we’ve never recovered. And of course, those margaritas, mojitos and micheladas are the perfect accompaniment to the deliciously aromatic, often spicy, and always soul-warming food!

We love Mexico for its markets

Markets are the perfect places to get to know a town and its people. If you want to learn the cadence, the rhythm of a Mexican town, get up early in the morning and go to the market. Get fresh flowers from the little old lady so particular about displaying them in just the right way. Sit at the breakfast bar and order tortillas, huevos and café de olla (coffee with sugar, cinnamon and spices). Browse, practice your Spanish. Get some bright pillow covers for your sofas, perhaps a hammock for your outdoor patio, maybe a few bright pieces of ceramics for your dining room table.

We love Mexican haciendas

Haciendas are old, grand Mexican homes with utmost panache. They take you back in time, they make you appreciate that exquisite details, furniture, antique wood and arches are always in fashion, are always timeless, are always welcome and always grounding. No wonder these residences have inspired an entire style of decoration for homes and furniture in Mexico and elsewhere. Think Tuscan furniture with a tropical twist. If you have a chance to visit Mexico haciendas, go for it. You’ll find inspiration for your life, your home and your gardens.

We love Mexican arts and crafts

For us this goes without saying. From the amazing beadwork and yarn paintings of the Huichol Indians, to the artistry in sugar we see on display for Day of the Dead, to the paper cutouts that decorate all of Tepoztlan during special occasions, to the exquisite pieces of furniture all over the country: rustic furniture, contemporary furniture,  equipale  living rooms, gigantic antique reclaimed doors and wall untis … we never cease to be amazed.

We love Mexico for great deals

Men can still get a haircut in Mexico for 5 dollars. I bought a lovely bunch of flowers at the market for $3. A multi-course breakfast cost me $7. Enough said.

Have we forgotten something you love about Mexico?  If so, please email us and let us know!

Happy New Year!  Yes, 2012 has now officially arrived.  With it comes a desire to make a difference, change something, keep it real, perhaps enjoy life more fully.  As a “central operations hub” and foundation to our lives, our home is essential in supporting all our endeavors: personal, social, relational, spiritual. Home/hearth is a huge key to our wellbeing. Here, with our best New Year wishes, are 3 ideas to ready your home so it can support you, your health, your work and your dreams during this amazing year.

As the year begins, have lucky foods available in your Mexican kitchen

If you are in your Mexico home in January, you may want to entertain your guests with some traditional New Year foods. It’s customary to bake a sweet bread or rosca with a surprise in it.  The person who finds the surprise will be especially lucky in the New Year. People also like to eat 12 grapes to ensure luck in the 12 months of the year. I especially like having citrus fruits (limes, lemons, tangerines and kumquats) in the home this time of year -- I like the way they look and they are quite perfect to decorate mantels, sofa tables, dining rooms. Plus, Asian cultures consider them lucky and able to help bring in prosperity into the home and family.

Clean, de-clutter, and freshen up your Mexican home with paint, accessories, color

Nature abhors a vacuum. If your home is full, cluttered and dusty, it will be more difficult for new things to enter into it and into your life. Start the New Year creating space for the new in your surroundings. Go through your bed linens, clothing, kitchen utensils, souvenirs, decorative items and discard or donate anything you no longer use, is too old or no longer makes your heart sing. Once you clean and de-clutter, freshen up with paint, colorful pillows, or add that special piece of furniture or accessory you’ve been wanting.

Pay special attention to the mirrors in your Mexican home

Mirrors are wonderful. They are very interesting pieces in terms of decoration and home energetics. We all know the advantage of a well-placed mirror in enlarging a room and bringing in light. In the New Year, you want to make sure that your mirrors are clean, polished and clear. You also want to ensure that whatever gets reflected on the mirror – the beautiful Mexican talavera on the dining room table, or the wrought iron chandelier, or the vase of flowers … is in perfect working condition and looks great. The mirror will energize, augment and bring more of … whatever it is reflecting.  Isn’t a mirror, just like a new year, a blank canvas, a fresh start …  a fabulous opportunity? 

We look forward to hearing from you and to helping you furnish your nourishing Mexico home!

As established on our last post, it is essential as well as a great investment to pay attention to furnishing your Mexican bedroom beautifully and well.  The bedroom is a nourishing oasis for you and can be a “piece-de-resistance” for your potential renters in Mexico. In addition to choosing a neutral color palette, keeping things simple and using soothing textures and accents, these four furniture pieces can be the key to your Mexico bedroom’s design success.

In Your Mexican bedroom, the Bed runs the show

This goes without saying. You must love the bed you choose for your bedroom in Mexico. With your renters, King beds have great appeal. But, if space is limited, Queen beds can save you space in a smaller Mexican bedroom.  Please, do give some serious attention to your choice of mattress. We have managed to find some wonderful mattresses in Mexico and are very happy to be able to share them with our customers. I’m not saying everyone needs to go with Super Prestige, but typical Mexican mattresses tend to have flimsy corners and not enough supple firmness to provide a good night’s sleep.  And, if you are particular about bed linens, do try to bring them with you. Yes, you can find them in Mexico but you will pay lots for soft, high thread count, comfortable bed linens.

The Lovely Mexican Armoire as anchor furniture for your bedroom  

A great armoire can help set the tone and take center stage in your bedroom. There’s a special allure to Mexican armoires. They can be grounding, mysterious, charming, elegant and even whimsical. Oh, and here’s an idea on how to compromise on the “TV or not TV” question for the bedroom:  If you want a TV in your Mexico bedroom, consider placing it inside an armoire so that you can preserve the solace and integrity of your bedroom décor, but also have it available for that special Sunday morning program, or that late night movie.

The Handy Mexican Nightstand

You will want to keep your Mexican bedroom fairly simple, de-cluttered, appealing.  You should be able to breathe a sigh of relief when you step into your bedroom. It should be a place that promises rest for you; not a place where you must de-clutter just to be able to get into bed.  So if you like to read, knit, draw or browse magazines, have a few of them on a bedside night table with drawers, so that you can put them away when you are not using them. The nightstand can be your trusty ally.

The Valiant Mexico Headboard

A good headboard is oh so very important in bedroom design. Some experts go as far as saying that a headboard has everything to do with your health, prosperity and … even your love life!  The headboard should support you and anchor you as well as protect you while you sleep. The image used is that of the headboard as a mountain guarding your back. Nowadays, upholstered headboards are very popular. No matter the material – wood, rattan, wrought iron, fabric, metal … the headboard should appeal to you and help make you feel safe and happy. According to feng shui, the art of Chinese placement, the headboard “has your back,” so to speak. Makes lots of sense, actually.

Here at Gringo Furniture, we absolutely know the huge importance of a great night’s sleep. We are also quite keen on the importance of nourishing yourself first. And, we are always happy to help you design and furnish amazing bedrooms for your Mexican dream homes. We look forward to it!