Spanish Home Style & Mexican Home Styles: Modern & Hacienda

Mexican houses are distinct architectural styles with distinct characteristics, materials, and hues. Their design pays homage to Mexico’s vibrant Spanish heritage as well as its longstanding relationship with the United States. I, myself, love Mexican home styles. In this article, we will discuss the Mexican home style and Spanish home style and how to achieve this look in your own home.
Mexican House Style
These Mexican types of homes can be found in Guadalajara and Mexico City as well as many other cities throughout the country. Often they feature interior patios or courtyards with tile accents, water features, gardens, and other stunning design elements.

What is a Mexican house?
Mexican homes are a widely sought-after style in the US residential landscape. These vibrant dwellings often feature natural materials like adobe and clay construction, giving them an inviting charm.
Many people are curious to understand the architecture and design of Mexican houses, in order to recreate their own version.
Additionally, they’ll want to understand what sets a Mexican home apart from other kinds of residences.
Mexican Home Walls
Traditional dwellings were small adobe houses made out of straw and clay walls, which kept people cool in summers with minimal windows.
Mexico still has many of these houses, particularly along the coastlines. Many are surrounded by courtyards that give homeowners access to nature and allow them to enjoy a more outdoor lifestyle.
Mexican House Roof Styles
1. Flat Roof

Flat roofs make them easy to maintain and more cost-effective than roof tiles, due to the lack of mortar around the walls.
Furthermore, due to their flat shape, they’re highly sturdy and resistant to harsh weather conditions.
Flat roofs also allow homeowners to add an extra story to the house in the future.
2. Spanish Roof Tiles
Spanish roof tiles are beautiful and luxurious, protect the house from heat, and last longer than flat roofs. It is up to you whether you like a flat roof with a bit more modern look or the traditional Spanish roof tiles.

3. Thatch Roof
Thatch roof is more popular in the southern states of Mexico. It is a beautiful roofing material that has been around for centuries all over the world.
Thatch roofs feel cozy and modern at the same time while allowing for a more open feel.
Read more about Thatch roofs and thatch roof styles.
Greenery of Mexican Style Houses
One way to make your home appear more Mexican is by adding fresh greenery. Plants are popular in this style of the house due to their ease of upkeep and ability to bring vibrant color into the space.

This style of a house often features succulents, bougainvillea, and cacti as they thrive in Mexico’s dry climate, providing your house with plenty of brightness.
You can incorporate some of these plants into your own garden to add vibrant color and interest to the area.
You may even find wall hangings featuring these types of vegetation.
Pool
Some homeowners may also decide to add an outdoor pool. Not only will this increase your home’s value, but it’s also an amazing way for you and your guests to have fun and entertain each other.
Aside from adding aesthetic value to your house, having an outdoor pool can also be beneficial for health. It helps relieve stress, reduce toxins in the air, and promote circulation.
How Do I Make My House Mexican Style?
Building a home in Mexico offers you plenty of choices. You can go for an off-the-shelf package or design something custom with your own flair, all at fraction of what it would cost in your hometown.
To get started on your project, decide what you want to achieve, determine budget limits, and select an ideal site – there are plenty of professionals ready to assist throughout every step along the way!
Is A Mexican Style House The Same As A Spanish-style Home?
The Mexican house style is a type of architecture inspired by Mexico’s culture. These houses are usually constructed in the southwest region of America, though they can also be found elsewhere.
As mentioned earlier, Mexican houses are usually constructed out of adobe, limestone or clay and feature simple designs unique to the region. Not only that, but these houses are remarkably durable – they can be used for years to come.

Another important element of Mexican design is its deep historical roots, which will incorporate elements like Aztec, Mayan, and other Native Latin American influences. This unique aesthetic makes them eye-catching beautiful while simultaneously helping keep the culture alive.
One of the most iconic Mexican houses is the Spanish villa, which shares many characteristics with American colonial-era homes but features a curved roof and white stucco walls. These homes have become extremely popular in America as an affordable way to get classic Mexican architectural style at an affordable cost.
These houses tend to be quite spacious, featuring multiple rooms such as kitchens, living areas, and bedrooms.
Spanish Style Courtyards
Additionally, these houses typically feature courtyards or patios for entertainment and relaxation. These areas can be enhanced with stunning gardens, tile accents, and water features for an added touch.

Finally, these houses tend to require low upkeep and cleaning. This makes them a great option for people with pets or small yards.
Spanish villa homes are usually large and offer plenty of living space, yet they require minimal upkeep.
This makes them a great option for those who desire an attractive residence but need to keep it low maintenance.
Is Mexican Style Home Different From A Hacienda-Style Home?
Hacienda-style homes were first constructed as plantations for settlers who arrived in the American Southwest between 1600 and 1800. Today, these styles of houses remain popular throughout California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Florida – particularly California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Traditional hacienda buildings were constructed with thick adobe walls finished in white stucco. These sturdy walls served to keep cool air inside during hot weather while also trapping warmth from the sun at night.
Hacienda-style houses are typically distinguished by the use of red clay roof tiles. Handmade in the shape of a half-tube, these tiles capture and release cool air into homes – especially useful in warm climates like those found in Southern California where hacienda architecture originated.
Hacienda-style homes often feature exposed wood beams as wall and ceiling supports, providing a stark contrast to the simple stucco walls. Exposed wooden beams add warmth and character to both the inside and outside spaces of a hacienda.
Traditional Mexican Hacienda-Style Homes
Hacienda-style homes often feature small windows to allow air into the house while blocking direct sunlight out – an especially beneficial feature during hot weather.

Spanish-style hacienda homes typically feature heavy colonial doors made of wood. Additionally, they often boast arches, arcaded silhouettes, as well as spindled window grilles for added beauty.
Many hacienda-style homes feature low-pitched roofs made of handmade red clay roof tiles shaped like a half-of-a tube to trap cool air and transfer it inside the home.
Though this tile can be pricey, they’re often chosen for these homes due to their ease of installation and ability to keep the house cooler.
Other hallmarks of hacienda-style architecture include a courtyard in the middle, which served as an informal gathering spot and helped dissipate heat from the outside.
While not necessary in modern hacienda-style homes, courtyards remain an integral element in their design.
Hacienda Spanish Style Interior
What does a Spanish-style hacienda house look like?
Spanish-style interiors can be vibrant, warm, and inviting. They use natural materials to create an air of comfort that draws inspiration from Mediterranean, Mexican and other cultures.
Spanish-style interiors draw inspiration from earthy materials like terra cotta and pottery. Additionally, red clay roof tiles and yellow and gold hues bring to mind the earth’s hues as well as the beach.
Traditional hacienda homes feature thick adobe walls finished with white stucco and red clay roof tiles that capture cooler air to release it inside the house, keeping it cool during hot climates. This type of roofing works best in dry climates.

Hacienda homes often feature courtyards in the center or on side and rear lots. These areas are perfect for cooking outdoors while enjoying privacy.
Wooden accents are commonly found throughout hacienda-style homes, such as heavy wooden doors and solid-wood furniture. These elements add a warmth and rustic charm that pairs perfectly with thick adobe walls and hand-painted white stucco.
Hacienda-style homes often feature an open floor plan, with rooms connected by hallways and stairways. This layout creates the illusion of spaciousness while maintaining the sense of unified design throughout each space.
The hacienda-style home is distinguished by heavy colonial doors and intricate wrought iron details, which can be seen in window coverings, door grilles, and railings.
Mexican Homes: Modern Styles

Modern houses, including modern Mexican house styles, typically reflect a particular era, with minimalist design elements and open floor plans.
They also use simple color palettes with black and white as the dominant shades, though shades of gray and light brown may creep in to soften the overall effect.
Classic features that are popular in contemporary homes include exposed wood posts and ceiling beams.
This allows them to emphasize the structural integrity of the home rather than hiding it behind drywall and adding unnecessary details that don’t enhance the overall aesthetic.
Clerestory windows are another common feature of modern homes. These are often positioned on high walls to help maximize natural light flow into the home and allow for airflow.
Modern Mexican House vs Modern Spanish Style House Style
The Spanish house style is similar to Mexican modern homes but is closer to the modern Mediterranean house style than the modern Mexican house style.
Modern Mediterranean homes usually have white walls and simplistic decor. Modern Mexicans style houses also use simplistic and minimalist styles but can use grey concrete instead of white stucco walls.
It’s up to you whether you go for the greyish Mexican style home look or the stucco white Mediterranean modern Spanish house style.
View: Modern Mexican House Styles on Dezeen
Modern Architecture
The use of large sliding doors is also a popular choice for many modern homes to create seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces. Sliding glass doors allow homeowners to integrate their patios and gardens with their indoor living areas while providing additional light levels and extending the outdoor entertaining space.

Lofted rooms are a popular feature of modern homes as they keep an open concept, making them easy to transform into a home office or other multipurpose room.
They can also be used as a guest bedroom or hangout area with comfy couches, chairs, and side tables.
If you’re looking to purchase a new home that embodies the best characteristics of modern architecture, you can get help from the top real estate agents at Clever, which has partner agents across the United States. These expert agents can assist you with finding a great modern home for your family, and even provide buyer’s rebates in most states!
Final Thought
Mexican houses and Spanish-style homes are gorgeous. I love every version of them. So many ways to go with colors and materials, and it is up to you to choose what makes your house a home. You can pick the materials depending on what is available in the area if you want to cut the costs down, or just go for the style you really, really want.!