A stone statue of St. Francis of Assisi is displayed within the sheltering, arched confines of a tiled nicho in a garden wall. On either side, glassless windows with wrought-iron grilles have a filigreed design that for centuries has brought fresh air into Spanish courtyards, says architectural designer Clay Scrivner. In Mexico, the grille often is made of terra-cotta clay instead of iron and is called a celosia.

The Hacienda-style home—with its private courtyards, splashing fountains and fanciful ironwork—is part of an architectural and design
lineage that began in Spain centuries ago.

It moved with the conquistadors across time and an ocean to “New Spain”—including neighboring Mexico—and endures in today’s Southwest, with its penchant for living outdoors as much as in.

Following are examples of Spanish-inspired ironwork, tile artistry and more that are defining elements of modern-day casas of the Southwest.

A courtyard at a Hacienda-style Arizona home pleases the senses in many ways. Among these are the sight and sound of water falling into an old stone trough. The artistry of ornamental iron appears in the water feature’s antique spigots, in a wall lantern, and in a cross within the round oculus (sometimes called bull’s eye or ox-eye) window. This deep-set circular opening in the stone wall does not have glass and thus allows breezes to enter the courtyard, notes architectural desiger Clay Scrivner.

A curlicued carved-stone and tiled bench stands out against boldly colored tile wainscoting in a walled garden at a hacienda in Paradise Valley, Arizona. The bench is an imaginative take on traditional tiled bancos, Scrivner explains. An oval medallion on the high curved back features an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

A colorful palette characterizes a Santa Fe hacienda, where a bright-blue hue enlivens custom gates to the entry courtyard and contrasts with terra cotta-colored exterior walls. A pair of ceramic bulls topping the gate posts lends cultural flair.