The Acapulco Chairs at Casa Torre
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Casa Torre, tucked into vibrant Costa Careyes on Mexico's Pacific coast, is alive with creative energy and home to a wonderfully diverse collection of modern art. Wander the grounds, and you'll discover works by Spanish sculptor Teresa Solar, California ceramicist Stan Bitters, French ceramicist Daniel Loïc Les Dalo, and Mexico City-based artist Saul Kaminer. Enter the bedrooms, and you'll find an Acapulco chair in each, a new spin on the classic mid-century design that's been given a rainbow-colored makeover by artist Mariló Carral.
When we asked the home's owner, Sally Perrin, how the chairs came to Casa Torre, she explained it was a happy accident. "We discovered Mariló's chairs while meandering the streets of San Miguel de Allende," she says. "We had gotten a bit lost, ended up on a side street and careened unknowingly into a gallery."
"The Silla Acapulco chair in handwoven nylon, became an icon of the glamorous 1950s, and Mariló's artistry takes them to a whole new level."
The gallery was Carral Espacio, where Mariló Carral, a self-taught artist from Mexico City, displays her paintings, furniture designs, and other whimsical works of art. "What a surprise to see these beautiful chairs and settees on display!" says Perrin. "The Silla Acapulco chair in handwoven nylon became an icon of the glamorous 1950s, and Mariló's artistry takes them to a whole new level.
"Upon returning to Careyes," she adds, "we began a back-and-forth exchange until settling on five different models. Several months later when they arrived, it was like Christmas! They are conversation pieces—as well as incredibly comfortable."
For Mariló Carral, the Acapulco chair is pure nostalgia that takes her back to her childhood. As an artist, she wanted to take the classic design and create something unexpected.
In 2015, with the help of a family of artisans from Guerrero, she made her first chair, woven in nylon. Each chair is unique, the design created on a computer screen and woven from that image. Birds and other elements like florals, birds and mountains are added later. It's an intricate process that produces dramatic results.
