[.ca] Casa Mexicana (ISBN 1556703678)

Fell short of what I hoped:
I bought my copy because of the name, since I am FACINATED with interior design and decorating ideas with ANYTHING Mexican. My text IS in English, and if I would have known it was available in Spanish I would have preferred to have it that way!! Anyway, this book DOES show the enormous VARIETY of what can truly be called "Mexican": from indigenous homes to still functioning haciendas to colonial-style buildings to the Broque French influence so many of the wealthy class favored before the revolution. However, for me, it is just too cold, too sterile, for the Mexico I know and love. The colonial and Baroque-influenced homes look more like museums. They look like something only the extraordinarily wealthy could ever even dream of, and are far removed from the comfy, cozy, antique-filled hotels featured in "Mexicolor" or "Mexicasa". There is also a huge, AD NAUSEUM section on modern Mexican architecture -which I LOATHE- and a whole chapter on American, Chicano influenced houses -which I could CARE LESS about. All in all, I have my few favorite pages, which I love and look at repeatedly, but the majority of the book consists of large sections that I skip in their entirety. If you are looking for a treatise on the gamut of architectural styles in the country of Mexico, this is probably a good choice. If you want a book on Mexican interior design and decoration with a passion for things Mexican, this is NOT going to be your first choice.

Casa Mexicana--photographic tour of Mexican architecture:
Casa Mexicana offers stunning photographic portrayals of various periods in the architecture of Mexico, from haciendas to colonial and contemporary architecture. If you enjoy the intermixing of modern and traditional architecture, you'll love this book. And should you become entranced by contemporary Mexican architecture as presented by Mr. Street-Porter, an equally satisfying "sequel" to this book is Mexican Contemporary by Herbert Ypma.

It is a great book!!:
I am a Mexican woman studying in the USA. I read a commentary above saying that these are European houses, they are not. We were conquered by the Spaniards centuries ago and thus the architectural style blended creating a "Mexican Style". This so called Mexican style includes european traces with Indian influences. This book represents Mexican houses that complies with this style. Obviously you can find native houses following Indian design, but for sure not in any Mexican metropoli.

Comprehensive review of Mexican style primitive-contemporary:
This book is beautifully photographed, and offers a comprehensive look at Mexican interiors, architecture, and style. The chapters are laid out in chronological order, beginning with primitive architecture and continuing through to modern/contemporary design. Commentary throughout gives historical and social perspectives on the timeline of Mexican design.

A Photo-journalist trip through Mexican Homes:
Tim took a wide and diverse subject and wove it into a wonderful reference book. Primarily a photo album, accompanied with words, this book is A++. How could you take a bunch of pigeon cages, paint them different colors, and make a wonderful wall in your home? Or a group of Oriental fans? In reading this book, I sit and wonder how many thousand photos had to be discarded to pull all of this together. Thanks to this book, my wife has decided to redo our ENTIRE house. You have to SEE the photos; words fail to describe it. This may end up being the Most Expensive book I ever purchased.