Bright Barrio Doors of the Southwest

Lets have some fun visiting some of the eye candy from downtown Tucson and other southwest locals, grab your sunglasses and ENJOY!

Elysian Market, Tucson AZ. From sjb4photos, Arizona Group

Tucson, AZ. "Red Doorway, Barrio Historico" by Alain Briot.

"Pink Door" doorway in Barrio Viejo. Jack Haskell

"The Barrios: Tucson's Link to its Spanish and Mexican Past", by Jennifer Netherby
For almost as long as it's been part of the United States, Tucson was a Spanish-speaking territory and settlement. That heritage is evident in the city today through its cuisine, street names, large Hispanic population and older barrio neighborhoods, now part of a major city revitalization effort. *READ THE ARTICLE HERE*

"Blue house, Black Door" by Lars Hammar

Southwest scene by Gerald Brimacombe

Still in Tucson, photo by hcabral

"New Mexico Blue Door" by Frans Alkemade

El Charro in Tucson

from Arizona Highways Magazine

I love this, Downtown Tucson, photo by "Tucson Daily Photo"

Fabulous doors and entryway, but it doesn't end yet. These next few are from La Placita Village, downtown Tucson. It's a fascinating place. Beautiful court yards and fountains, shady places to rest, shops and apartments right in the middle of town.

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Weeee, Tucson! "La Placita Village"


Many of the original barrio homes were taken down in the 1970's. Entire barrio neighborhoods disappeared. It is wonderful and comforting now, all these years later, that so much time and effort is being put in those historic residences. All over Tucson you'll see the barrio look in yards and homes. So, don't forget your sunglasses or camera if you find yourself visiting "The Old Pueblo"

Sonoran Style
Victoria Lavender

Let's start with amazing southwestern tile

Talevera and Saltillo are names for mexican style tiles. The colors are absolutely bright and stunning. Many, many sonoran style homes incorporate tiling as both utilitarian and design.

Brightest of the tiles are the Talevera. Talevera is painted by hand for a uniform yet hand touched look. Often the painted patterns are designs that will, when assembled in rows and groups, display a new pattern based on all the little individual tiles. Talevera tile is usually sized under 8" and more often used in the 4" and 2" sizes. Great for framing doors and windows inside homes and outside. It's a wonderful way to add a little pop of color to an entry.

.........................This little tile, grouped together created the first two designs. Here's some more creations.

.........................:http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefourthman/479694034/

.........................:http://www.kitchen-design-ideas.org/mexican-kitchen-design.html

.........................http://www.kitchen-design-ideas.org/mexican-kitchen-design.html

.........................http://www.myrustica.com/media/00/a20792912dff75a8fca6be_m.jpg

.........................http://www.annsacks.com/design/installations/kitchen7.html

.......................http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilhuicamina/463956501/

.........................http://www.tierrayfuego.com/talavera-mexican-tile-sample-installations.html

.........................http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2011/05/05/happy-cinco-de-mayo-talavera-ware-tile/

Talevera is also created in other clay based products. The variety is endless! Painted tile is for sale everywhere in the U.S. southwest. Here in the Sonoran Desert it is a huge industry. The Sonoran Desert is in the U.S. and Mexico, just like Talevera...handmade in both.

.........................http://www.flickr.com/photos/mflick-photos/5994005826/

..........http://www.napastyle.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=4893&parentCategoryId=933&categoryId=652&subCategoryId=0

Very special tiles are available too. And this one, hand painted, is stunning.

........................http://mexicantiles.com/

Saltillo Tile is most often seen in flooring. It's the calm tile. Muted colors of russet and burnt sienna, oranges and brick red. It is the color of the clay, the ground and the mountains in the amazing southwest. One very cute detail seen often is puppy paw marks on the tiles. As handmade work, the tiles are lain out on the ground to dry in the sun before firing. In days past dogs may have left marks accidentally, but I see them so much now that I'm convinced it's a desirable trait on purpose.

.......................http://veronatile.com/saltillo-tile/

Thanks for visiting Sonoran Style,
Victoria Lavender

Inspired to start up Sonoran Style

Welcome to the Sonoran Desert. I've been here 15 years. It's beautiful colors and historic past are quite intriguing. The Southwest is alive in its Native American, Mexican Vaquero, Cowboy Victorian, Presidio, Territorial, Modern Southwest and New Age architecture and style. All this and more will be highlighted in my new blog "Sonoran Style".