Mexican Country Style, The New Hacienda and Hacienda Style

Books abound for decorating country style, using vintage finds, making the old new again. There’s new country, French country, even Midwest Modern, coined in an Amy Butler book I’ll review soon. But for now, say “adios” to all those familiar trends and hola! to Mexican country/Hacienda style.

      Karen Witynski and Joe P. Carr, award-winning authors, designers and photographers and collaborators with Pittsburgh Paints® on The Hacienda Style Color Palette have published a thorough series of hard- and soft-cover tomes to help you get the Mexican abode – or Hacienda- of your dreams.

      Mexican Country Style, 1997, $24.95; The New Hacienda, 1999, $19.95 and Hacienda Style, 2007, $39.95, all published by Gibbs Smith, Utah, are but three of their eight volumes in the last decade depicting the deep southwestern and native style of Mexico.

     If you live in the western half of the U.S., then Hacienda (a Mexican estate or plantation)style may not be such a new concept, as it is a familiar form of design in Texas, Arizona, California and the like. But, if you are in the Midwest, on the east coast or in the southeast, you may want to grab one or more of these books if you’d like to add some native New World style.

      Wytinski and Carr are owners of Joe P. Carr Design, a gallery in Austin, TX, where they spend their time when not in Mexico. Their quest for design treasures and their writings from the resultant travels have earned them La Pluma de Plata (The Silver Pen) from Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism, for The New Hacienda.

      The duo has been at the forefront of Mexican design for more than 25 years and have designed and renovated both homes and haciendas and commercial projects in the U.S. and Mexico. They have been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful and on HGTV’s Takeover my Makeover.

      With all of these respected credentials and eight books under their belts, Wytinski and Carr don’t need a review from a Johnny-come-lately-to-the-style like me. I will say the books are a joy to look at whether you favor this style or not. The photography is beautiful, so that whether you are into design, travel, re-living your high school Spanish class or just appreciating the art of life, you can find something here to enjoy.

      They are a satisfying size, at 130 to 200 pages each, and Hacienda Style easily makes for a coffee table selection. The only cuidado (caution) I would give is if you are looking to reform your NYC brownstone or your Indiana 3BR/2BT ranch into an adobe  abode, you won’t find a lot of practical photos- unless your ranch has 20- or 30-foot ceilings and your walk-up has an open-air kitchen.

      

But, as with so many design books and the resultant reviews, those who are quick to critique them as impractical must remember these books are for visual inspiration, suggestion and in this case, education and documentation of a style spanning four centuries: Mexican hacienda style.

- Guest Author, Gina Smith

{All contributed content Gina Smith © Lilly*s of London*ish}