Perhaps you've driven through the Mexican countryside and have seen the charming haciendas around San Miguel de Allende, Cancun and Guanajuato. Or you have fallen in love with the more modern Mexican homes in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Consider combining both the traditional look and a contemporary one in designing your Mexican-style house. Here are some ideas that may give you some inspiration.

The Facade - Because you are combining modern with traditional, you have the luxury of selecting any materials you love for the outside walls of your home. However, it would still be good if you stick with neutral earth tones when you make your choices. Consider stone, brick or stucco. As you plan your design, consider including arches. Two or three smaller ones would be lovely, and one large one would add drama to the look. To add the contemporary look, consider having very tall windows or very large picture windows.

The Roof - No matter which materials you have selected for your outside walls, a tile roof would be perfect. Besides being gorgeous, tile roofs are practical. While they are usually more expensive than a shingle or a metal roof, they are virtually problem free and will last for an extremely long time. Brick red would be lovely when you want to stick with the older look, but for a more contemporary look, consider blue or green for your roof color. Your home builder needs to know from the beginning that you are wanting a tile roof so that the structure will be designed to hold the weight.   

The Building Team - An ideal situation is for you, the architect and the home builder to be a team, one that sees the same final vision of your home. Be sure that you communicate well so that you can bounce ideas off each other to attain the Mexican design you have in mind. Before you meet with architects to make your final choice, it is helpful to find out which home builders they have worked with in the past. When the architect and the builder have a professional bond, this often ensures that they get ideas from each other that will make your home a unique and beautiful one. Be sure that all agreements are in writing, too.

• Of course, make sure that your architect and your home builder both have all the licenses that are needed.
• To make sure that your home will be built well, find out which building materials will be used.
• Make sure there are no hidden costs and get everything in writing, including the cost of materials and labor.
• Find out if the cost includes the final clean up.

Have fun designing your Mexican house! For more information, contact a company like Custom Home Builders Montgomery Acres.