© Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary by Mara Romeo Kahlo and Mara de Anda Romeo and Frida Hentschel Romeo. Rizzoli, 2026
Last year, a museum honoring the family life of Frida Kahlo opened in Mexico City. Museo Casa Kahlo, as it was baptized, depicts a rather obscure facet of the Mexican painter’s life. There, she isn’t a world-class painter with a unique vision, or a trailblazing fashion icon. Instead, she is remembered first and foremost as a beloved sister, daughter, aunt, and member of the community. A new book, titled Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary and published by Rizzoli New York, offers a glimpse inside this space and its vast art and photography collection.
The book is penned and curated by Mara Romeo Kahlo, Mara de Anda Romeo, and Frida Hentschel Romeo, Kahlo’s great-nieces who have lived in the house throughout their lives. As opposed to the famous “Blue House,” where Kahlo was born, grew up, lived with husband Diego Rivera, and worked in until her passing, Casa Kahlo, also known as “Red House,” was where the painter retreated to visit her sisters and confide in them, serving as a personal sanctuary to her.
We’re given access inside the residence through the book. It gives a glimpse of everything from its signature red-hued courtyard to its ornate kitchen, complete with cups, bowls, and furniture, evoking the way it looked when Frida visited her sisters and her beloved niece, Isolda. The pages also feature personal items and never-before-published letters and postcards to family members.
Also documented are hundreds of personal items, presenting a peek at the blooming creative Kahlo was before her breakthrough in the art world. This includes early drawings and paintings; clothing and accessories that reflected her personal style; her interests, like dolls and her taxidermy butterfly collection; and even major documents, like her birth and marriage certificates.
The house itself, much like the contents compiled in the book, show Kahlo’s devotion to her family. Her parents gained ownership of the house in 1930, with Kahlo later purchasing it from them so her younger sister, Cristina, could raise her family there. It was then passed down to Romeo Kahlo, Cristina’s granddaughter, who donated it to be turned into a museum. And with that, we were welcomed into the universe of a creative family and the human behind one of the greatest names in art.
Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary is now available via Bookshop.
Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary offers a glimpse into the new museum honoring the family life of Frida Kahlo.
© Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary by Mara Romeo Kahlo and Mara de Anda Romeo and Frida Hentschel Romeo. Rizzoli, 2026: © 2025 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, CDMX / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
The “Red House” was where the painter retreated to visit her sisters and confide in them, serving as a personal sanctuary to her.
Casa Kahlo: Photo: © Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary by Mara Romeo Kahlo and Mara de Anda Romeo and Frida Hentschel Romeo. Rizzoli, 2026: Rafael Gamo for Rockwell Group
Its pages feature personal items and never-before-published letters and postcards to family members.
© Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary by Mara Romeo Kahlo and Mara de Anda Romeo and Frida Hentschel Romeo. Rizzoli, 2026
The book is penned and curated by Mara Romeo Kahlo, Mara de Anda Romeo, and Frida Hentschel Romeo, Kahlo’s great-nieces.
“Portrait of Cristina, My Sister.” Photo: © Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary by Mara Romeo Kahlo and Mara de Anda Romeo and Frida Hentschel Romeo. Rizzoli, 2026: © 2025 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, CDMX / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
The house itself, much like the contents compiled in the book, show Kahlo’s devotion to her family.
Casa Kahlo: Photo: © Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary by Mara Romeo Kahlo and Mara de Anda Romeo and Frida Hentschel Romeo. Rizzoli, 2026: Rafael Gamo for Rockwell Group
You can now order Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary via Bookshop.
© Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Home and Sanctuary by Mara Romeo Kahlo and Mara de Anda Romeo and Frida Hentschel Romeo. Rizzoli, 2026
