Antique Warehouse - The Product

The earliest functional pieces, which were mainly tables and benches, tended to have more ornate carving. As styles evolved, attempts were often made to mimic the styles in vogue in Europe and featured more prominent design appliques. Moving from the cities of Mexico to the countryside, the designs became more basic—to simple square legs and very little carving.

One of the most pleasing aspects of this furniture is the variety of woods used. In the Central Western areas of Mexico, mesquite was the most prevalent, favored for both its durability and resistance to insects. The Central Southeastern areas produced the popular cypress (sabino), which was widely used. These pieces are quite rare today because of their popularity with collectors. Other distinctive woods are parota (a hardwood often used for canoes because of its light weight and strength; red and white cedar (used primarily for tables and trunks); a type of Douglas fir (ayareen), popular in Northern Mexico; and in the jungle areas of Quintana Roo and Chiapas, mahogany (caoba) was commonly used. All of these woods take a nice finish and yield very lustrous, warm colors.

These woods were fabricated into tables, chairs, benches, doors, trunks and stands, kitchen cabinets (trasteros) and hanging shelves (repisas). Many formerly utilitarian wood objects are now found in homes as sculptural and design pieces. These include solid-carved dough bowls (bateas), giant coffee mortars (morteros), milking stools, and many other unusual items.

Very early doors were usually sets rather than singles, with the planks held together by braces and large round-headed nails (clavos). Raised panel doors were very popular, some featuring small doors within the larger set to allow items to be passed from the street without opening the larger pair. Square single doors were used primarily in small villages in homes and grain storage buildings.

Mexican ranch style furniture first found its way into homes in Santa Fe when this area was discovered as an art colony because the pieces integrated well with the adobe architecture and casual lifestyle. As Santa Fe has grown in popularity, the style has spread rapidly throughout the country and is even found in Europe, Australia, and Asia.

	Photo: David O. Marlow/Santa Fe Catalogue

The earliest functional pieces, which were mainly tables and benches, tended to have more ornate carving. As styles evolved, attempts were often made to mimic the styles in vogue in Europe and featured more prominent design appliques. Moving from the cities of Mexico to the countryside, the designs became more basic—to simple square legs and very little carving. One of the most pleasing aspects of this furniture is the variety of woods used. In the Central Western areas of Mexico, mesquite was the most prevalent, favored for both its durability and resistance to insects. The Central Southeastern areas produced the popular cypress (sabino), which was widely used. These pieces are quite rare today because of their popularity with collectors. Other distinctive woods are parota (a hardwood often used for canoes because of its light weight and strength; red and white cedar (used primarily for tables and trunks); a type of Douglas fir (ayareen), popular in Northern Mexico; and in the jungle areas of Quintana Roo and Chiapas, mahogany (caoba) was commonly used. All of these woods take a nice finish and yield very lustrous, warm colors. These woods were fabricated into tables, chairs, benches, doors, trunks and stands, kitchen cabinets (trasteros) and hanging shelves (repisas). Many formerly utilitarian wood objects are now found in homes as sculptural and design pieces. These include solid-carved dough bowls (bateas), giant coffee mortars (morteros), milking stools, and many other unusual items. Very early doors were usually sets rather than singles, with the planks held together by braces and large round-headed nails (clavos). Raised panel doors were very popular, some featuring small doors within the larger set to allow items to be passed from the street without opening the larger pair. Square single doors were used primarily in small villages in homes and grain storage buildings. Mexican ranch style furniture first found its way into homes in Santa Fe when this area was discovered as an art colony because the pieces integrated well with the adobe architecture and casual lifestyle. As Santa Fe has grown in popularity, the style has spread rapidly throughout the country and is even found in Europe, Australia, and Asia.