I first landed in Mexico in 2003, and was immediately enchanted by the sounds, smells and colours of the country. When I returned home, I decided to redecorate with a Mexican theme. I painted the walls terracotta and the radiators and woodwork a deep blue. Those colours best represented Mexico in my mind. Frida Kahlo and her house in Coyoacan probably provided the most inspiration for my new decor.
Years later, I redecorated again. Terracotta and that deep blue. It wasn’t entirely necessary to imitate a Mexican theme. I was living in Mexico. In Coyoacan, in fact. But I’d really taken a liking to terracotta and that deep blue. Mrs P grew to like it. I noticed from photographs, after we’d come back to the UK, that her folks in Mexico copied my theme in their own home.
The radiators at work are all painted a similar blue. Maybe it’s the same blue. I call it Mexican Blue. But it doesn’t feel very Mexican in here. I feel a long way from Mexico.
The Mexile 
I happen to be very fond of terracotta too! A few years ago I painted the back side of our house terracotta and the other three sides Navaho white which is a creamy colour. The purple plants at the back added it to the overall flavour of the place.
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I wasn’t allowed to paid our current paid with terracotta. Sadly. Mrs P prefers light browns and greys. But one day, if she goes off to the US to see her mum and stays just long enough for me to get the job done…
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I sense that the blue is a longing for Mexico. Can’t say that I blame you for feeling blue.
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After years of painting the walls of my house bland colors, I did my bedroom a while back in a colorful burnt orange. Along with all the Mexican paintings, pottery, woodcarvings, and other Mexican handicrafts, it definitely has a Mexican feel.
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That’s what we need in our home. Some Mexican handicrafts and paintings…
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A few years ago we brought a large painted plate back from Ajijic, we wrapped it in bubble wrap but it was so large we had to put it in the case sideways. Of course it was the one suitcase to get lost coming home but it arrived a few days later and delivered to our home. Believe it or not it was undamaged however there was a scrape on backside of it when I unwrapped which wasn’t there when I packed it which leads me to believe it was deliberately “lost” in transit..
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I’m picturing an airport worker admiring your giant plate and thinking how perfect it would be to serve food on at the little family fiesta that weekend. So, sure, the case will be late, but no one will ever know…
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Right out of high school, myself and three friends rented an old mansion built in the big steel era. The rent was steep but we were all employed in well paying jobs-so why not? One of the guys had a room painted white, he changed it to your Mexican Blue. The owners were not happy. But in hindsight, who in their right mind, rents to four eighteen year old men? We did not get our deposit back.
Three of us married out of that house, one because he kind of had to, he’s still married as am I. The third one married a ‘trophy wife’, Joe made a ton of money over the years but alas it was not nearly enough. And we warned him about her, she had more than a little devil in her but you know how lust is…
Back to the house: The owners lived next door, very old people who were a little crabby when sober. We paid the rent in cash, walked it over, it could be an unpleasant trip. We would hold a blind auction every month to see who had to go pay and face Pete and Laura. The low bid went, the money went into the beer fund. The kicker was that they abused their meds. If Laura’s wig was on sideways, it was in-and-out, a gamble it was. They had a TV dinner tray full of pill bottles-those two were buttered a lot. They both lived to be over a hundred years old.
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If you rent to four guys and all that’s wrong is a bit of Mexican Blue, you’d thank your lucky stars. I’ve had a couple of places in my younger years that saw my deposit kept when I left. And it didn’t cover half of the problems I left…
The antivax movement is much bigger in the US than over here, but quite some order of magnitude. There’s a bunch of reasons for that, but I can’t help feel that a long standing profit-driven culture of rampant over prescription/unnecessary prescription of drugs was going to fuel some push back….
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My son and four of his college buddies rented a very nice house. I wondered at the sanity of the landlords. I went over one day and the place, against all odds, was immaculate. The reason being, as my son explained, that they had kicked out all the women.
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I live in a small Pueblo Revival house built in 1940. It’s now decorated in what I call “Mexican Craftsman.” Some heavy wood trim, Mexican handmade tile in those rich colors, and neutral-colored rough plaster. Also retablos I bought from a pickup truck on the side of the road. I like it.
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That sounds pretty cool. I look forward to the day Mrs P and I retire to Mexico and we can start decorating a new home. When she pops out for the hand made tiles and stuff – and isn’t looking – I’ll slap some terracotta on the walls.
The post title is Mexican Blue. Most colours associated with a country (British Racing Green, for example) come from Motorsport. I wondered what Mexico’s assigned colour is. Turns out it is Mexican Gold. Not the most obvious metal for Mexico, but I guess the Germans snagged silver first…
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