Mexican inspired interior design

Make your home say ‘hola’ with its Mexican interior design.

To view more of this project see "Hola – it’s modern Mexican"

Alongside the passionate culture and fascinating landscape, one thing that really stands out about Mexico is its interior design.

When you see these vibrant, colourful houses you know instantly where you are, and perhaps a little bit about the people who live there.

Though recreating this wonderful aesthetic in your own home is considered slightly tricky, it's more than worth it for lovers of wild colours and a buzzing atmosphere.

Here are some tips for getting a Mexican theme into your own home.

Walls and floors

Much like the deserts and sunrises that accompany Mexico itself, so too do warm hues fit well inside a Mexican-inspired home.

Many people like to go for yellows and oranges when choosing their colour palette. For example, Resene Tangerine is a strong tone that instantly warms a room up, no matter how poor the weather may be outside. It also reflects sunlight fantastically, meaning it glows gently throughout the day.

Alternatively, Resene Apricot and Resene Sunshade are both similarly warm colours that aren't quite as striking. Resene Apricot in particular would look well as your base wall colour, though don't discount using the stronger hues for feature highlights.

If you're not quite ready to move away from a neutral wall colour, Resene Romantic and Resene Caramel still offer that excellent warm glow, but are much paler and more muted than their stronger counterparts.

As for the floor, you have a few choices here.

Wooden floors are quite popular in Mexican-inspired themes, particularly those in warmer tones. Resene Red Beech would look great in the living room, especially surrounded by your favourite wall colour from above. To create a unique atmosphere in your bathrooms or kitchen, however, you could go a little wild and experiment with Resene Satin Orange.

Other than wood flooring, tiles are also popular. Consider large, square tiling in similarly warm tones to put in your kitchen, bathroom or entranceway.

The decor

Now that you've splashed some paint around, it's time you filled the space with some decor worthy of even the finest fiesta!

You have reasonable free range on the types of feature furniture you employ in your home, so long as you remember that colours and patterns are important. For example, a dull couch that you can't bear to part with could be spruced up with the addition of a luminescent cover of alternating colours, with equally vivid cushions thrown on top. A similar concept can be used for old dining and coffee tables, in addition to other large items of furniture which can have covers flung over them.

Your walls should be decorated with a range of artistic pieces and other ornate curios. It is common in Mexican houses to find these items have a consistent theme, so consider what story you want to tell with your walls and start shopping around antique stores!

To give you some examples, religious iconography is common, as are ornate frames and mirrors, cultural artefacts and other similar items.

A unique chandelier would not go wrong above the dining room table, either, which can be as simple as a basic iron candle holder, or as detailed as an intricately designed hanging light.

Hand-painted tiling can be found in many of the more elaborately designed and colourful homes around Mexico. These tiles are usually designed with fascinating patterns, boasting bright and wonderful colours. Consider adding some of these tiles to your bathroom, kitchen backsplash or staircase.

Finally, hand-woven textiles such as floor rugs, blankets, table clothes and other similar items are a great and easy way to throw some colour around and really bring out the livelihood of a space. Get a blanket on your bed and you'll be able to take a much-earned siesta after all your hard decorating work!

Colours mentioned in this blog...