If you are reading this blog, chances are you have felt the "call" of Mexico. You may plan to travel to Mexico soon, or perhaps expect to be moving there. Perhaps your plan is to establish an investment property in Mexico and you need to furnish it right now. But not for yourself, rather for your tenants.  Some of our clients begin their moving to Mexico process quite early. It is wise to do so. They visit, they decide on a place they love, they purchase a property. This gives them a place to vacation throughout the year. The rest of the t...

  At the turn of a new year, I get excited to find out what the new interior design and furniture trends will be. I'm not sure if it is because by that time most of the USA is parched for color, for the flowers and the birds to return with the spring, or simply because I love perusing the changes, the trends, and what it could mean about our societies. For me, color, design and new style trends are some of the most fun aspects of owning Gringo Furniture. Other than the chance to travel to Mexico, that is, but for obvious reasons that oppo...

  This morning I have been contemplating the many changes we have observed over the past ten years in Mexican style and furniture design. Ten years ago, most of our clients wanted our help to furnish their homes in Mexico using Mexican rustic furniture. I still remember fondly one of our very first clients, a delightful couple with 2 children who had purchased a home in Mexico for 30,000 US. They were planning to vacation there several times a year and rent it the rest of the time. We helped them completely furnish their home at that time...

Is it a tree? Is it a table? It’s parota!! A lovely warm Mexican wood starts taking center stage in furniture We have been hearing about parota wood for many years in our Mexican travels. And in fact there exists a kind of “lore” about it. I remember that the first time I heard about parota I was sitting in the gorgeous Mexican living room of a dear friend near Cuernavaca. She told me, "In my beach condo in Puerto Vallarta, the furniture is all parota.” But it’s tough to find artisans who make it because they can end up getting sick unle...

Owning a condo or rental property in Mexico can be a great opportunity to recreate what you love in your home in Canada or the US, or perhaps, better yet, to do things differently!  Some of us like a home that can be cozy and warm and then, for example a lake or coastal property that is minimalist, all white for example, to invite simplicity and to help us feel that we are "off the grid" or on vacation as soon as we arrive. However you decide to approach it, these tips and tricks can help you create a wonderful living room in Mexico. ...

Mexican Furniture Made With Pine Pine (Pinus spp.), or Pino in Spanish, is one of the world’s most commercially important trees. Pine species are native to almost all of the Northern Hemisphere, and have been introduced to temperate and subtropical regions around the world. Mexico boasts several native species of pine tree, including the Mexican White Pine, the Michoacan Pine, and the Montezuma Pine. All members of the pine family are fast-growing softwood trees. Because the trees are typically grown on plantations, they are also a sustainable...

  Chinese New Year was celebrated last month, February 19.According to the experts we are now well underway with the energies of the Year of the Wood Sheep.This year, new wood furniture adds luck to your home’s décor! Because this is the year of the Wood Sheep, 2015 is a wonderful year for wood furniture. Yes, we ARE very happy about this!  If you've been waiting to replace a key piece of furniture -- dining room table, bedroom set, buffet, now is the time to do it. New wood furniture may do wonders for your prosperity this year...

It is true that if you are living year round in Mexico, you are probably not as hungry for color right about now as we are in the U.S. or Canada. Still, spring is a beautiful time of year wherever you live or work. Right now I am completely eager for color, for bright things, for opportunities to spruce up and to bring in new accents into our home décor. Pantone’s Color of the year for 2014 is Radiant Orchid, a lovely lilac/pink tone which reminds me of my teenage years. As a teenager I had a radiant orchid shag carpet in my bedroom and my pare...

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...

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...