The exterior is quite plain and unassuming (which I like). It does not look like a place where a rich American would live here (I am not rich, but everyone assumes I am). The starkness of the outside makes the impression of brilliant color even more impressive when you open the door. Yes, it is much smaller than my spacious former apartment, (made even smaller by all the furniture I have crammed in it), but I love it! It does have an extra bedroom (if I ever have a guest again). Two of the things I like best are having my own door on the street and the large private deck. Of course just getting out of the Little House of Horrors would make anything seem wonderful. Mexico is a noisy place and the bells on the church tower are really loud, but all in all it is so much quieter than my old place (with the exception of an occasional grenade!).
I did use pretty much the same color scheme (when you have a winning combination, why change?) I did add blue and the yellow and green are far brighter and more brilliant. You will also notice that I did incorporate some of the furniture I had brought down from storage. I also had a few pieces from my previous apartments. The two straw chairs I used at the breakfast counter at the old apartment went outside on the balcony. I added the two bar stools and also more equipauli (pig skin furniture). I needed someplace to read (when I have time) and with the lamp table, it made the perfect reading spot. I ordered the chairs and table a month before I left for the States and they assured me that I would have it in 10 days. I knew I wouldn't get it that fast, so I waited over two weeks and went back. It would be delivered the next Monday. No, and when I returned from my trip, it was still not ready. After a total of six trips I was finally told why they were not ready. They could not get a piece of leather large enough to do the high backs that I wanted. Why they did not tell me that two and a half months earlier, I do not know. They offered to return my money. So I decided to go to Bucerios (the only other place I knew of where they made the furniture) and start all over again. They said that they "could" do the high back chairs, but they would cost over 3,000 pesos each! (I paid 750 pesos for the usual ones). I was not asking for something totally out of reason, for I had seen them with the high backs. But they did have two old padded ones. The arms and seat were padded and they were quite comfortable, so I bought them on the spot. In Mexico you reach a point were the fight is just not worth it, so you settle for less than what you wanted. That is just the way it is here.
The royal blue sofa to complete my living room area, still alludes me. I guess I will have to have it made.
I also had to buy a dresser for the bedroom (as this apartment has no drawers anywhere). I was very excited when I found the mirror at the consignment store around the corner to put above it. . Of course I used the same drapes and colors to match the bedspread. The guest room had to start from scratch. Since it is half the size of my room, It is very sparsely furnished, except for the elaborately carved desk I bought from a friend of mine. The mirror was there, I just added the frame. I decided to name it the "Monk's room" and put a cross over the bed.
My favorite space is my cabana upstairs. The plants all seem to love it and I have added even more. It will take a year, but I think I can make the bougainvillea crawl across the whole railing. I really love the blue and white pot that matches my ceramic light fixtures. I bought a tiny bougainvillaea for it, but it will grow too. The tall dead stick will be a gorgeous Hawaiian halcyon with two foot red and yellow flowers. My friend had a forest of them in one pot and divided it and gave me two bulbs. I had the canvas drops made to hide the laundry area. There was only one light on the deck and it was on the wall opposite my cabana. In order to turn it on, you had to cross the deck in the dark and find the switch behind the washer. This would not do, so I told my electrician to add two lights in the cabana with a switch inside the door. I came back one day and it was all done. There was a switch in a little electric box on the wall and the electric cord connecting the lights on the brick wall was covered with a plastic strip. It all looked very professional. Then I looked over the ledge. There was lamp wire coming out of a hole near the washer runs along the wall then over the roof. The wire even has two slices wrapped in tape. Mexico!!
My prize is the kitchen. Yes, it is small, but I like being surrounded by the three counters. Everything is within reach. I have even started to cook in it. Since there were no drawers and no overhead cabinets, I bought a beautiful carved chest with four drawers and put it under the staircase. I still did not have enough room so I added shelving under the counter and then just set some pots above the chest. I like the look. I also added the three rustic shelves and painted them to match my color scheme. Since there was only one small light in the ceiling I added more lights. You could operate in that room now.
All in all, I think it is a very attractive apartment and I am very happy here. Let's hope I can stay here for a long time as I have spent a fortune furnishing and decorating it. You should visit me sometime.
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