In a unique collaboration, Austral Bricks have partnered with fashion icon Camilla Franks on a collection of bold and bright bricks inspired by Mexico.
Named From Mexico City to Oaxaca, the collection, which came about after Camilla travelled through Central America, was inspired by the colonial grandeur and cobbled streets of Mexico City; the earthy tones of the Teotihuacan pyramids and Aztec treasures; the vivid symbolism of Frida Kahlo’s artworks; and the Spanish-infused culture of Coyoacan and Oaxaca.
With colours well suited to the Australian culture, climate and environment, the collection is warm and inviting and infused with Camilla’s fashion forward design sense. Designed to be long-lasting and adaptable for a range of contemporary projects, the vivid Azure and Aubergine hues are balanced by the warm Sol, with the Flame and Rosado colours bringing a touch of vibrancy to the collection.
For more information visit Austral Bricks website.
The Mexican trend seems to be in no way slowing down. From the cactus on your desk to the pineapple cushion on your bed, the interiors world has most definitely gone loco for Mexico! So to celebrate, Typo have launched a fun, fiesta-inspired range that is perfect for your home and office.
The range includes Mexican tile desk mats, bright paper lanterns, faux-cacti and textured enamel crockery that will bring your taco-fuelled feast to life. While Mexican tile wall hangers, chevron-printed journals, mixed in with pom pom-clad pencil cases and faceted green ceramic pen holders, will revamp your workspace. Last but certainly not least, faux ram skulls, Aztec cushions, stacked hex shadow boxes and brightly coloured photo frames will be the ideal choice to liven up your lounge room.
Typo’s Desk Fiesta range is available now with prices starting at $4.95.
A fusion of modern ideas with a traditional hand crafted finish; Viva La Franki is the culmination of Australian designs developed in association with Mexican artisans.
Having honed their craft in the villages of Mexico and South America for many centuries, the ancient skills of these local artisans have been given a modern twist and transformed into beautiful pieces that can be used for everyday living.
Viva La Franki’s 2014 range has been inspired by the colours of Mexico, and captures what it means to live in Mexico through a colourful array of furniture, skulls, crosses, and glassware. Every single item has been developed with the type of passion that only comes from Latin America, and will bring a certain Viva feeling (the Spanish word for alive) to your decor.
Founded by Ben Lafranchi after a trip to Mexico in 2012, the store has come a long way from its first pop up store in October 2013, now wholesaling to boutiques across Australia and selling online.
From interiors to food, Mexico is the country of the moment, but these days it’s less pineapple motifs and Tex-Mex and more authenticity and warmth.
Technē Architecture + Interior Design have created an interior that meets just this brief, designing new Mexican restaurant Fonda, in Flinders Lane, Melbourne. The new location is the third to join the Fonda family (alongside Windsor and Richmond), with the restaurant featuring bold, playful colours next to graphics by Luke Henley of Wild Hen Design, emphasising the festive Mexican vibe.
With a previous string of failed hospitality businesses in the existing space, Technē’s approach was to break down the large, 400 square metre tenancy, into more intimate spaces. Through a variety of dining experiences, like custom-made booths, banquettes and tables, this intimacy has been successfully created.
There is also a focus on authenticity, with the lighting scheme reflecting the power line compositions of suburban Mexico, as well as the rectangular pattern found in the original windows on levels two and three of the heritage site, similar to vernacular Mexican patterns found in buildings.
All of these components work together to enhance the feeling of being in a traditional Mexican Fonda; a Mexican home kitchen which sells food to the public. With this in mind, the end result of a casual, friendly space is a perfect match for the words behind the restaurant.
Struggling to find tiles that worked for her projects with exotic, cultural references, interior architect Georgia Ezra, decided to take matters into her own hands.
Clay Collective
A lover of authentic, high quality products, she created Tiles of Ezra, a label inspired by Mexican tile design. “The vibrant, romantic aesthetic of the Spanish revival architecture in Mexico and California is very appealing but we don’t experience it in Australia,” she says. “I love that these tiles bring a taste of that history and sensibility to people who live here. That spirit and look blends harmoniously with our environment and culture.”
Enlisting the help of her sister, New York based designer Micaela Ezra, and a boutique team of artisans in Mexico, much of the tile-making process — from preparing the clay to painting the final design — is performed by hand, with the final result creating three distinct ranges.
Ceramic Classics
“The Ceramic Classics (above) are all derived from traditional Mexican tile designs,” explains Georgia. “Here we would never want to augment the patterns, as the aim is to offer an authentically Mexican, artisan product.
“We decided with the Ceramic Modernist range (below) to fuse two aesthetics. Technically the material choice, a glazed ceramic, references the Hispano-Moresque ‘azulejo’ aesthetic, meaning ‘polished stone’. However, we have applied graphic Moroccan designs to this traditional surface.”
Ceramic Modernist
Lastly, there’s the Clay Collective range, a series of terracotta tiles in various shapes. A personal favourite of mine and arguably their most unique, customers can choose from a huge range of colour and shape options to create anything from a clean modern aesthetic to an exotic ethnic vibe.
“This series was a way for us to allow customers to really personalise the way they incorporate tiles into their space,” says Georgia. “While the Ceramic Classics and Ceramic Modernists are very much about their surface design, the Clay Collective allows you to focus on shape and colour. As a result, there is incredible versatility in the mood you can create with this product.”
Clay Collective
Since all tiles are hand painted, they evoke a particularly warm and authentic feeling which Georgia believes: “you simply cannot get from more manufactured tiles.” Versatile, hard-wearing, low maintenance and easy to clean, these stain-resistant colour-fast tiles are the perfect statement for bringing a little bit of Mexico to your home.
From the tropical beaches to the historically rich landmarks, Mexico has everything you would want in a holiday destination. The only problem, it’s on the other side of the world. So save yourself the airfare and bring Mexico to you!
Source: A Designer Spot
The Mexican interior design trend is all about glow, colour and heat. From a mix of earthy shades to vibrants, it is the handmade weaves, ceramic accessories and wrought iron ornaments that make the Mexican trend so well known. Icons are equally important, think the infamous Day of the Dead, native fruit and animal designs and the traditional floral patterns.
Below is a mix of Mexican imports and Mexican-inspired homewares that will transform your home.
