Ah, colorful Mexico! I am on board my flight and we take off from Mexico City’s Benito Juarez Airport. It is the dry season, so sadly the smoke from agricultural fires and the haze of pollution limit visibility quite a bit. Once the plane begins to lift, I notice (in spite of the poor visibility) the plethora of bright colors below, not just in the flowering jacaranda trees, radiantly purple and bright, but also in the shops, homes, public buildings. In this land of beautiful contrasts, lovely art and amazing natural gifts, even the most ba...

Last year a record number of friends and family came to see us and stayed with us. It was wonderful to have a chance to catch up, share meals, show them around and reconnect in a relaxed and cozy environment rather than in a hotel, for example. We gave lots of thought to the needs, wants and wishes of each house guest in order to make sure they were comfortable and at ease. We know how amazing it can be to have a restful and nourishing place to land especially when one is traveling and away from home. Certain Mexican furniture pieces are id...

Hard to believe it is already December 2012. As we celebrate the closing of a year and the end of this cycle, we have so much to be grateful for: the opportunity to be alive, to be well, to be working with passion and joy, and to have many friends, colleagues and customers who make it all worthwhile every single day. It's time for celebrating and for honoring all that we have shared and received. In Mexico, during feast times, people hang ornaments (see above) at the entrance of their homes. Some are made of dried flowers, or ribbons or s...

  Just back from Mexico I returned from Mexico a week ago. Not sure if the same thing happens to you, but I was again amazed at the beauty of communal life in Mexico: Village Life. The sum total of experiences that revolve around people, around the markets, around artisanal work, around taking pride in the preparation of food, the sharing with friends, the walks to and from the mercado or the church. This kind of slower pace and more connected and "in-tune" perspective is so very Mexico. There is hardly any need (or point) to being in a ...

Sometimes a great piece of furniture can dictate the entire color palette, feel and interior decoration of a room. More often, though, we need to invest in pieces which are not only beautiful but also long-lasting and versatile. Three examples of such pieces in our Mexican furniture collection are: The Versatile Armoire, The Trusty Bed Base with Drawers and The All Weather Seating Ensemble. It is no mistake that we have described them as characters on a play. Not only do these pieces add charm and beauty to your Mexico living spaces, they are ...

As we shared with you on a previous blog post, Pinterest is here to stay. To me, the success of the site is a testament to the power of visuals. We love Pinterest as a way to stay in touch with our clients, collaborate with customers on product design; get a better idea of client wishes, likes and dislikes … and as a way to share new Mexican furniture we have available. For example, recently, I discovered some great outdoor furniture boards and have been following them as a benefit to our Mexican artisans and our customers. If you are already ...

That special outdoor furniture allure We are now in the full swing of summer in the States and Canada and I am personally loving every opportunity to sit outdoors whether at a cafe, a friend's patio, or our own terrace. This season I have acquired an even deeper appreciation for the beauty, durability and comfort of outdoor furniture. Using great outdoor furniture to extend your home Those environments we create outdoors can be gorgeous extensions of our homes. If we make our patios, pool areas and terraces comfortable, fun, elegant, and soo...

Mexico is a beautiful country with oh sooo much to offer to the eco-traveler, the gourmand, the investor, the artist, the history buff, the entrepreneur. Americans and Canadians flock to Mexico for the climate, the pace of life, the opportunities. Expats buy Mexican homes, soak up the culture, set up investment rental properties, open new businesses. One of the things that can get in the way of enjoying Mexico from day one can be fear. Audrey Royem knows this. She has set up a wonderful company to assist expats in Mexico. Based in Sayulita, Na...

In case you’ve not yet heard, Pinterest -- pronounced like “interest” but with a p -- is an online visioning / dreaming / planning board for your life, home design and decor. Of course, it's more or less than that, but that’s how I see it. To be fair, the official site positions Pinterest as a “Virtual Pinboard” that allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web, from planning a wedding to decorating homes to organizing recipes. Brilliant, no? We think so! Here are 3 ways to use Pinterest and Gringo Furniture t...

Phew! I’ve wanted to offer you this Style Quiz for the longest time. The idea occurred to me years ago but then, as it often happens when running a business, too many other things became important priorities. Still, the style quiz was always in back of my mind. I thought it could be a really fun way to help you get to know our furniture collections and choose favorite styles. So I kept gathering ideas, making notes, collecting images, always hoping to have a chance to one day … offer the style quiz on our site. I began to draft the questio...