We are already full into the swing of a new year. With busy lives and ever more competing temptations vying for our time, it is more important than ever to have homes where we are recharged, where we are at ease, and where we can be nourished. Furniture plays a huge role in making a home an inviting, serene and comfortable oasis, but other factors also play a part. 1. Be aware of the various rooms in your home and their purpose This would seem quite obvious, but sometimes it is not. For example, if your bedroom is where you rest, recharge a...

  Some of you will be in Mexico for the holidays. You are definitely in luck. Christmas -- "Navidad" -- in Mexico is gorgeous, filled with amazing foods, a festive atmosphere, people gathering, parades, celebrations ... and Mexican town squares and churches decorated to the nines. So much to see and do. How do you make the most of this time?   Have friends over for amazing Mexican food One way to celebrate Christmas in Mexico is to entertain and have gatherings in your Mexican home or condo. Yum! As your Mexican kitchen fills wit...

Going to Mexico in the next few months? So the time may be getting closer for your next visit to Mexico. It may be the spring or early summer of 2014 and we have a “pretty please” request to make of you. Please, please, please let us know your furniture needs as soon as you possibly can. This has been a very busy year for our furniture business (I am thrilled to report) and the spring and summer season promises to be at least as exciting. If you are traveling to your Mexican home or condo in the spring or early summer, the time is now to b...

We traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico last December and I absolutely loved the rounded adobe architecture, the warmth of the interior design, the fabulous smell of the pinon wood fires, and the furniture! It amazed me to observe that many of the styles of furniture were absolutely similar to our Mexican furniture collections. I thought Southwestern furniture would be much different from Mexican furniture but that is not at all the case. In fact, these styles of furniture and décor are intimately related. Historical roots of Southwestern furn...

So you are moving to Mexico -- very exciting. What for many is still a dream, a bucket list item, you are already doing. Congratulations! The reality, once the move dawns on you is that Mexico is, well, different. That’s partly why we like traveling there, eating the food, buying the furniture. It IS different! So what must you do to get ready? A little reading, a little learning, a lot of flexibility and good planning are key. When it comes to your home or condo in Mexico, give yourself ample time to consider the furniture, the ambiance a...

Today, all of Mexico celebrates its Independence. Most businesses are closed today and tomorrow, and a number of exhibits and commemorative events are taking place from Akumal to Ajijic, to Cabo San Lucas. We just know that small town plazas throughout all of Mexico are hosting music, dance and processions today. Mexican school children are all decked out taking part in parades, and it is fiesta time in Mexico. The best Mexican restaurants have probably prepared unique delicious commemorative menus. Today is the commemoration of the "Grito" -- ...

Yes, the kitchen is the heart of your Mexican home. Do you remember the beautiful onion slicing scene in the movie “Like Water for Chocolate?” I do. It seems to me that any memories that involve food and kitchens are always more vivid. It makes perfect sense: they are accompanied by flavor, color, textures, aromas all of which makes them more evocative and powerful. Building a great Mexican kitchen When considering your furniture choices in Mexico, do pay close and special attention to your kitchen. Not only is it the heart of your Mexican...

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...