Equipales

Many people ask about Equipales. Most want to know what they are. The word comes from Nahuatl meaning "place to sit". There are many different qualities of equipales. They are made of pigskin and the woven wood can be willow, rosa morada or other woods. Be sure that you buy them from a reputable store where they are fumigated and insect-free.

The pigskin comes in different colors and can also be upholstered in a fabric that you select. The best and most comfortable equipales are padded. Prices can vary depending on the style that you choose. A glass top can be added to the tables making them a bit larger.

Decorating with Mexican Colonial Furniture

Many people ask about what type of upholstered pieces of furniture would work best with Mexican Colonial furniture. We just received a love seat, chair, ottoman set in Ivory that would work well because they are big, overstuffed pieces. The ivory looks especially good combined with Persian or Oriental carpets. Contact me if you are interested in these items, the price is right!!!

Painted Mexican Furniture

If you love birds, flowers, animals, pastoral scenes or bright colours ,wait until you see the beautiful painted furniture made in Mexico. Each piece of painted furniture is unique and is painted by hand. You can request different scenes and these can be made for you in the size that you want. This is really custom designed furniture. It is amazing what the artists in Mexico can do with furniture - they turn boring items into works of art! This is an armoire that is painted with parrots in brillant colours that will add great impact into the decor of any room in the house.

A Work in Process!

In these two photos you can see some of the stages in hand crafting a bed. The shape is formed out of the wood and then comes the carving of a design. The comparison is very dramatic. If you appreciate real quality in furniture, you will appreciate that this furniture is made of wood, not "hard wood solids" Particle board. Very few companies exist in the US that make hand made furniture. I am aware of only one in Indiana called Karges. Check out their website! Exquisite!

Mesquite, Leather and Wrought Iron Bed

Here is an example of the skill of Mexican artisans. This bed combines the best of Mexican Colonial furniture. Notice the carved wrought iron swirls on the posts of the headboard and the pattern of hand hammered nails. This bed combined with a Persian or Oriental carpet would make a statement in any Master Bedroom, just don't hit yourself on the posts!!!

Wood Working Tools

As a picture is worth a thousand words, take a look at the tools that are used to design and create Mexican furniture. The design is drawn in pencil and then each design is carved using one of the tools shown in the picture.

Parota and Rosewood

Some of the woods used in Mexican furniture are not familar. Parota is similar to teak in appearance and is resistant to humidity and insects. It grows abundantly in jungles from Mexico to Brazil and is used for furniture, frames, windows and doors. The picture is a Mexican Colonial style round dining table that can be built in many different styles.

Rosa Morada is another wood often used in the manufacture of furniture and comes from India, Mexico, Honduras and the Asia. It is sometimes called Rosewood. There is a photo showing the grain pattern of the wood. The colours can be changed.

The magic of Mexican furniture is the wood. Real wood is used not "wood solids and veneers and plywood". This furniture is hand-crafted, the tecniques taught by father to son over the years. Modern furniture produced in Canada and the US is made by machines (very pretty) but not special in the same way that only skilled artisans can create. Each swirl and design is carefully planned out and executed on wonderful woods.