How to decorate your home in Mexican-inspired colours

a sunlounger next to a book and a table
How to decorate with Mexican-inspired coloursVictoria Ling

Mexico is the place on many design fans’ lips this year. Milanese gallery Nilufar debuted its cutting-edge pieces in a pop-up in Mexico City while, reciprocally, perhaps, Mexican designers were never far from the spotlight during Milan design week back in April – see Ramses Viazcan’s chairs at SaloneSatellite or Unno Gallery’s celebration of Latin American talent.

For this palette, we are taking our cue from this new Mexican mood and offering a modern take on the country’s tropical colours and rich textures. It’s a palette that is perhaps best expressed by photographer Brad Walls picture of the swimming pool at Hotel Panamera in Tulum, by architecture firm Nopal Studio, featured in his book Pools From Above (see below) – from the terracotta tiles to the deep-blue water and surrounding greenery, it has us dreaming of an escape. These accessories, fabrics, wallpapers and furniture pieces will help you bring that vibe home…

‘Sol Brick’ raffia placemats, La Double J

Mexican craft puts raffia (which is commonly found in countries with hot climates) front and centre, and the textural material looks great on home accessories. La Double J’s ‘Sol Brick’ placemats, which are handwoven from natural Iraca Palm plant raffia fibres are a case in point. £190 for two, ladoublej.com

two round raffia placemats
Courtesy of La Double J

‘Tide Pools Drop Stitch’ outdoor rug, Perennials

If you can’t have a pool in your garden, arguably the next best thing is a pool-inspired rug underfoot. Perennial’s outdoor offering ‘Tide Pools Drop Stitch’ mimics ripples of water and comes in an array of soothing blue tones. £403, perennialsfabrics.com

a blue rug
Courtesy of Perennials

‘Corniche’ outdoor fabric, Zinc

In the market for a new upholstery fabric for your outdoor furniture? Zinc’s bouclé is available in this rather escapist contemporary teal shade, ideal for upholstering garden sofas and cushions. £95 per m, zinctextile.com

a teal coloured outdoor fabric
Zinc

‘Oasis’ cushion, Elitis

Widely regarded as the king of the jungle when it comes to luxurious prints, French brand Elitis’s tropical cushion cover delivers all the punch and vivacity we’ve come to expect from the brand. A riot of colours and lines, it will enliven any sofa while the velvet material adds textural interest. £186, elitis.fr

a square cushion with a tropical print cover
Elitis

Bath towel, House of Nunu

Bring poolside chic to your bathroom with Australian brand House of Nunu’s 100 per cent cotton olive green and cream checked bath towels. Pair with minimalist cream bathroom accessories for maximum impact. £57, houseofnunu.com.au

a bath towel with green and white checks
House of Nunu

Linen ticking in ‘Matcha Sorbet’, Rose Uniacke

British interior designer Rose Uniacke has given traditional French ticking stripe a contemporary update by using heavy linen in place of cotton and a fresh matcha green dye that looks good enough to eat. £173 per m, roseuniacke.com

a green and cream striped fabric
Rose Uniacke

‘Panama Bold’ outdoor seating, Baxter

Though it’s made from a Chilean plywood base, this modular outdoor seating set embodies modern Mexican style thanks to its rust-coloured leather stitching and contrasting marine blue fabric, the creative genius of Paola Navone. Approx £3879, baxter.it

a blue and brown sofa
Baxter

‘Polynesie’ wallcovering, Lelièvre

Not one to shy away from bold tropical prints (Jean Paul Gaultier has a perfume inspired by tropical gardens), the designer has imbued this wallcovering with an intense leafy pattern. The perfect choice, perhaps, to bring a little greenery to a downstairs powder room. £443.30 per roll, lelievreparis.com

a tropical print wallcovering
Lelièvre

‘Pools from Above’ book, Brad Walls

This hardback is not only a great companion for your coffee table, it’s the book that sparked our obsession with this decorating trend as it includes Walls’s overhead photograph of the swimming pool at Hotel Panamera in Tulum. You’ll immediately recognise the striking red-and-white checkerboard floor, palm trees and aqua blue water. £28, blackwells.co.uk

the front cover of a hardback book with a pool on it
Brad Walls

‘Lud’o’ side table, Cappellini

Riding the wave of success that came with Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola’s ‘Lud’o Lounge’ armchair for Cappellini, the designer has developed a matching side table. It features a conical metal base and round lacquered top that can be customised in multiple colours. To nail the Mexican look, we’d suggest this spicy red combined and soft lilac option. £1,230, cappellini.com

a red and blue side table
Cappellini

‘Karin’s Portiere’ fabric, Cathy Nordström

Nordstöm’s print is a nod to the swimming pool aesthetic found in Hotel Panamera. Painterly ribbons of dark green, light and marine blue flow across the fabric, which the designer says is inspired by organic shapes found in a running stream. £146, per m, cathynordstrom.com

a cushion with a blue and green striped cover
Cathy Nordstrom

‘Boboli’ outdoor armchair, Molteni & C

Warm woods and rich browns are a classic pairing often found in Mexican interiors and Vincent Van Duysen’s outdoor armchair champions both. Plus, it earns extra points for the woven taupe sides. £2,639, chaplins.co.uk

a brown outdoor armchair
Courtesy Molteni&C

‘Teresa’ portable lamp, Kartell

Released earlier this year, this lamp by Ferruccio Laviani emits a warm glow over any surface, creating an inviting atmosphere. Its organic, bulbous silhouette is designed to resemble the unfurling of petal. Approx £384, kartell.com

a mushroom shaped table lamp
Kartell

‘Sciara’ long table, Paola Lenti

The glossy top of this table by Marella Ferrera is made from individual pieces of lava stone, with flecks of glass peppered throughout. Each single piece is made by hand and has varying gradients of verdant green, giving every table a unique character. Approx £6,824, paolalenti.it

a long outdoor table with a green top
Paola Lenti

‘Zee’ tape in ’Olive’, Schumacher

For similar checks to the ones found on the Hotel Panamera statement tiling, we’d suggest the twill-weaved ‘Zee Tape’ in olive. Its checks are ideal for adding a stylish, textural finishing touch to furniture, pillows or window treatments. £48 per m, fschumacher.co.uk

0 ‘zee’ tape in ‘olive’, schumacher
Schumacher

‘Hanway’ garden parasol, Oka

This large, shady parasol takes its name from Jonas Hanway, the first man to popularise umbrellas in England – which actually used to be called Hanways. It comes in a warming oatmeal shade that will look sleek in any outdoor space. £525, oka.com

a beige parasol
OKA