A Treat for the Eyes

--By Hanje Richards

If you love color, Mexican design, and/or are working on a decorating project, you will love this series published by Chronicle Books, all photography by Melba Levick.

These books are a treat for the eye and an inspiration for the decorator in you. For some, they might just be the perfect armchair travel books. These books can currently be found in the New Non-Fiction shelf at the library and will eventually be located on the third floor in Adult Non-Fiction.

In A Mexican Garden: Courtyards, Pools, and Open-Air Living Rooms This title features Mexico's patios, courtyards, and walled gardens. From private homes to luxurious resorts, the dazzling array of featured properties includes rustic coastal hideaways, elegant Spanish Colonial mansions, rural haciendas, and Modernist architectural masterpieces.

Mexicocina: The Spirit and Style of the Mexican Kitchen Melba Levick captures the

bright colors and bold shapes of the kitchens of Mexico, this time touring private historic homes, resorts, and cooking schools. San Pasqual Bailón, the patron saint of cooks and kitchens, blesses every last handmade copper kettle, Talavera tile, and neon sign.

Mexicolor: The Spirit of Mexican Design Showcases the profusion of multihued walls, tiles, ceramics, textiles, and folk art that fill the home; the riotous juxtapositions of vivid foods, flowers, supplies, and accessories that comprise the spectacle of the marketplace; the vibrant details that define everything.

Mexicasa: The Enchanting Inns and Haciendas of Mexico Highlights 21 small hotels, inns, and haciendas-- some ancient, some modern-- in several areas of Mexico. Some are historic sites, such as the Hacienda de Cortes, another offers cultural studies programs, while yet another features open-air structures adjacent to a nature preserve.

If the book you are looking for is not available, we are happy to put a hold on it, so we can contact you when it does become available.