A well-traveled home – that is exactly what we got to experience when we visited a home in Boerne recently. It was similar to walking through a museum, only our hostess explained the many items featured throughout the home instead of us reading wall plaques. Every item in that beautiful home is associated with someone known and has a history or a memory cherished by the caretakers of those treasures! Every surface from floor to ceiling was carefully selected to hold the treasured artwork and sculptures collected over a lifetime. There was a plan, a dream, a vision and it has manifested after a number of years of visualizing placement. The result is imaginative and magical!
Twenty-five years ago when the couple moved to Boerne, they bought a ranch house and attempted to turn it into a Mexican-style home. Having traveled extensively, they dreamed of living in a Mexican house filled with the treasures collected over the years. COSAS Mexican Art was born during those years and the owners traveled frequently collecting items for their storefront as well as for their home. Each Mexican or Latin American handmade item was purchased from the artisans themselves and over the years, wonderful relationships developed and are still flourishing even now.
Among the treasures collected from the southern regions of the hemisphere, there are heirlooms and vintage items as well as newer items, entrusted to these caretakers from their ancestors and immediate families. Each can trace their family's heritage as they emigrated to this area.
When 3.5 acres was purchased, the couple executed plans to build their dream home. The Mexican-style house was designed by the owner and her design was implemented by architect Ted Trautner. Most every tile, cantera, fabric, light fixture, and hand-carved door was created by Mexican artisans and masons. The home features a huge courtyard with one side opening up to the beautiful hill country landscape. The porch fronting the courtyard is large enough for dining for twelve people with room to spare. Plans are to use a huge wooden door to create the table top. And as in the Mexican style, the rooms in the home are built around the courtyard. The home is 3,600 square feet with a 5,600 square-foot roof.
COSAS Mexican Art (COSAS is the Spanish word for things) is passionate about the continued survival of the rich and diverse hand-crafted art and textiles from both Mexico and Guatemala. It supports the artists and their creativity by buying directly from them – as often as possible. As a result, COSAS offers the widest collection of museum-quality Folk Art: accessories, ethnic textiles, hand-embroidered clothing, Mexican silver jewelry and David Marsh furniture.
"In our travels, we’ve met so many artists and their families and have gotten to know such great hand-crafted works of art. We felt that if people had the opportunity to meet the artists and watch the work being done, it would create a greater appreciation for these crafts that have such a fragile future in our high tech world." COSAS offers tours into the interior of Mexico where the group spends days getting to know the artists, enjoying the hands-on demonstrations, immersing in the culture, and celebrating the various holidays of the area.
Go to https://www.cosasonline.com/ to explore the next tour dates and to shop online. Shop at COSAS on Friday and Saturday or by appointment at 39360 Interstate 10 W Frontage Rd. in Boerne.
The home designer provided these tips for incorporating travel treasures into your home:
Avoid big box stores and chains – seek out artists, galleries and one-of-a-kind handmade items
Only buy what you love and want to surround yourself with
Study books and magazines to help identify what appeals to you – colors, design, etc.
Collect things that mean something to you – whatever your style is
"In our travels, we’ve met so many artists and their families and have gotten to know such great hand-crafted works of art."