orangeappled's Profile

My mom's family is from New Mexico (they came here in Spanish colonial times), and they ONLY make & eat four tortillas. Traditional New Mexico culture has been watered down with Mexican & American culture, but back in my grandma's day, they didn't even know what "tacos" were. When my grandma came to CA & saw tacos for the first time, then she began to make them herself - but with fried flour tortillas, haha.

To her, corn tortillas were what "Indians" (Native Americans) ate, not Spanish families. My grandma's tortillas are made with flour & they are very thick; they look kind of like pita bread. I'd guess that the flour tortilla is the Spanish-ized version of the Native American corn tortillas. So when people say flour tortillas are what white people eat, well true, but that doesn't make it "inauthentic" in some regions, just an evolution of a Native food after the Spanish arrived.

FYI, authentic New Mexico stacked enchiladas are made with flour tortillas, NOT corn. Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably Northern Mexican or has that influence - not from an old New Mexico family.

I like this a lot...much better than any of the finalists. It also goes to show it is much harder to go wrong with tons of color than people think. IMO, the main mistake people make with color is using ONE ugly color all over the place.

- Blue on the walls is going to looks sooo country. The cabinets are bright, so keep it bright and think BOHEMIAN instead of sophisticated modern. This means go for COLOR & PATTERNS.

-Try a yellow or lime green on the walls, which will contrast well with the black appliances (as the black + oak is pretty awful in itself). You might even put up a patterned wall paper if there is a wall with some space. Or consider a patterned/colorful floor tile, something art nouveau-ish could look good. Don't be afraid to mix patterns.

-Choose unique & colorful knobs, maybe even mix & match some shapes & colors. Get some fun colorful rugs & sheer curtains (something like the stuff at Anthropologie).

-Take down the ugly ceiling fan & put up a better one (they are practical for keeping those stupid smoke alarms from going off after all, haha).

-Put out fresh flowers & fruit & hang pots & pans from the ceiling, maybe even some plants. I like the idea of taking some of the doors off the cabs & displaying your prettiest dishes. Play up the "we cook & live here" aspect, as it will go with the homey look of oak.

- Stay away from modern stuff that is "cold" - it will just look silly with the oak. Instead of country, think artsy though.

The kitchen, the stairs, love it!

I think the table is great. If food & entertaining is your deal, then it's a better use of the space than a couch. I agree the kitchen could be more fun though.

I like it cuz it looks like a place someone really lives in, and you could spend a lot of time just taking it all in. This is the most unique entry I've seen so far.